Xtreme EMS and Bendix D3000 Magneto

[rv8bldr]

Hey folks

I have an old RMI uMonitor in my -8 that is 10 years old and I have been thinking about upgrading to the MGL Xtreme EMS. Unfortunately, there are a couple of complicating factors:

1. I have one of those Bendix D300 all in one magneto monstrosities on my IO-360-A3B6D.

2. The tach pickup for the RMI uMonitor was essentially just a connection to the back of the ignition switch for each side of the mag. There is no "sensor" per se.

My question is:

Has anyone used an Xtreme EMS and managed to connect it to a D3000 mag unit successfully? If so, how did you pick off the mag signals to drive the tach on the EMS?

The MGL web site doesn't show any connectors/sensors related to that kind of mag; just the standard single mag types.

Thanks in advance

[Canadian_JOY]

Mark - when I last saw your airplane with its cowls off I didn't pay enough attention to what was under the hood. Is there space to put a Vans-style tach generator in place where the tach cable would normally attach? Or alternatively (as I've done in my airplane) mount the tach generator remotely on the end of a short tach drive cable?

The MGL EMS is quite flexible in the inputs that it can use so I would hazard a guess that you could get away with using a tach generator rather than having to worry about connecting to the mag.

Or you might even be able to get away with wrapping a wire around your P-lead - that wire would act like an antenna to pick up the pulses running down the P-lead. That's how other instruments like a TinyTach get their signal. Might be worth a try.

[hgerhardt]

Back when I had the D3000 mag on my IO-360-A3B6D together with a BMA EFIS 1, I used an electronic sensor that screwed into the mechanical tach drive similar to this one:



Here's the datasheet on that sensor.

Eventually installed a dual crank-triggered Lightspeed Plasma II and got rid of the mags entirely, which eliminated the need for this adapter also.

[humptybump]

Originally Posted by hgerhardt

I have the Xtreme EFIS/EMS connected to an older version of the UMA mechanical tach sender. Works fine.

[rv8bldr]

Thanks, guys, much appreciated. It is good to know how fleixble the MGL unit is, and since I have a mechanical tach generator attached to one of Van's tachs already it looks like I have a way ahead.

I guess it is almost time to break out the cheque book.... sigh....

Cheers

[mannanj]

I should think that if the MGL works directly off 2 single mags, it should work off the 3000 mags. That mag is simply two mags in one body with a single drive.

I had a 3000 mag on my engine at one time and it worked well with my Grand Rapids.

Shoot an email to the manufacturer. I don't think you need to buy extra eqpt.