RV10 ER Tanks

[KatanaPilot]

Originally Posted by Richard Connell

Attachment 39545

More words

Thanks again for the information on using SW senders in the ER tanks. Nice to have a lower cost option than the CiES senders to be able to read full to empty, especially with the additional fuel available.

My preference is still the CiES senders with all of the electronics outside of the fuel tank, higher MTBF and greater accuracy. All of that does come with a very steep price, though.

[Richard Connell]

Originally Posted by KatanaPilot

Thanks again for the information on using SW senders in the ER tanks. Nice to have a lower cost option than the CiES senders to be able to read full to empty, especially with the additional fuel available.

My preference is still the CiES senders with all of the electronics outside of the fuel tank, higher MTBF and greater accuracy. All of that does come with a very steep price, though.

No worries. Hopefully its of use to people.

[tnelson]

Richard,
Did the components used to modify the inboard sensor come in a kit? It appears that way from the pictures. Any further details on the parts source and process?

Thanks!

[Richard Connell]

Originally Posted by tnelson

Richard,
Did the components used to modify the inboard sensor come in a kit? It appears that way from the pictures. Any further details on the parts source and process?

Thanks!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/192904676611

Hi Todd,
This is the bulkhead fitting I used.
Install check out the pics. Drill hole. Bolt on. Proseal.
Just make sure you give yourself enough room to make a nice seal on the sender plate to the tank rib.

[jerseypilot83]

Okay folks I am driving myself crazy here. I cannot figure out how to wire up these senders. Here is my spefifics....
I have my RV10 Sky Designs ER tanks almost assembled.

I am using the Vans Stewart Werner floats. I opted out of CIES. I have added the additional outboard sender to the tank which only has a range as indicated in the plans from half to full. The IB sender has full range empty to full.

I was talking to Ken from SD and he pointed me to someone in AU who added a tank pass through fitting to the sender. I was told there is nothing like this available in the US?? WHAT IS THE POINT OF A PASS THROUGH GOING IN THE FLANGE OF SENDER... see this link from AU. If someone has another link for here in the US I would be appreciative.
https://www.efisolutions.com.au/elec...ible-e85-compa


I spoke with Garmin this morning and THEY told me I can run both IB and OB sender grounds together and have just one ground wire per wing side running up to the GEA24. ????????

AS FOR THE POWER I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION I NEED SHIELDED WIRE 22AWG and I need to run power wires in a series formation to the GEA24. BUT HOW.....

SO WHAT I NEED HELP WITH IS DO I EVEN NEED A PASS THROUGH OR CAN I JUST RUN THE SHIELDED POWER WIRES WITHOUT IT THROUGH SERIES. IF SOMEONE CAN TELL ME SPECIFICALLY HOW THE POWER WIRES ARE RUN I WILL APPRECIATE IT. (do the power wires get tied together and then one power wire per wing side run to panel?????)

PARDON MY IGNORANCE HERE. I AM A FIRST TIME BUILDER AND LEARNING ALONG THE WAY. The dual senders in these ER tanks is not a normal config and its taking some research to figure out how I will do it for it to function and operate properly.

ANY HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED:-)

[Richard Connell]

Originally Posted by jerseypilot83

which only has a range as indicated in the plans from half to full. The IB sender has full range empty to full.

I don't think this is right, you wasn't to have the outboard sender arm swing from the bottom of the tank to the top of the tank. Same as the inboard sender.
Ideally this corresponds to the full range of motion on the sender in both cases - but its probably not critical.

Originally Posted by jerseypilot83

I was talking to Ken from SD and he pointed me to someone in AU who added a tank pass through fitting to the sender. I was told there is nothing like this available in the US?? WHAT IS THE POINT OF A PASS THROUGH GOING IN THE FLANGE OF SENDER... see this link from AU. If someone has another link for here in the US I would be appreciative.
https://www.efisolutions.com.au/elec...ible-e85-compa


I spoke with Garmin this morning and THEY told me I can run both IB and OB sender grounds together and have just one ground wire per wing side running up to the GEA24. ????????

AS FOR THE POWER I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION I NEED SHIELDED WIRE 22AWG and I need to run power wires in a series formation to the GEA24. BUT HOW.....

SO WHAT I NEED HELP WITH IS DO I EVEN NEED A PASS THROUGH OR CAN I JUST RUN THE SHIELDED POWER WIRES WITHOUT IT THROUGH SERIES. IF SOMEONE CAN TELL ME SPECIFICALLY HOW THE POWER WIRES ARE RUN I WILL APPRECIATE IT. (do the power wires get tied together and then one power wire per wing side run to panel?????)

PARDON MY IGNORANCE HERE. I AM A FIRST TIME BUILDER AND LEARNING ALONG THE WAY. The dual senders in these ER tanks is not a normal config and its taking some research to figure out how I will do it for it to function and operate properly.

ANY HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED:-)

The senders are resistors that measure resistance to GROUND. There is no power involved anywhere. There is no need to have any shielded wires anywhere.

Theres no problem with just connecting the two senders (resistors) together in parallel and pinning them both to the same pin on the GEA24. This is by far the simplest method. No pass through required.
However, it means you are likely only using a smaller range of the GEAs resistance 0-500Ω.

The senders measure from 30Ω to 240Ω. If you put them in parallel (joined together - no pass through) then you are effectively measuring 15Ω to 120Ω.
In series (with a pass through - see pic below) you are measuring 60Ω to 480Ω.

I don't think in practise it makes too much difference, but I was happy to experiment with doing it the hard way and im happy to report that the fuel gauges appear to be very close to the totaliser (which I know is accurate to within 0.25Gal at each fill. which is pretty good for 41Gal tanks)

have a read of this if you havent already too: https://vansairforce.net/community/s...eries+parallel

[jerseypilot83]

this is what Ken sent me as far as the OB sender goes and the trave is only from 50%-100%. I emailed him about this and he said the following:

"There is no way with the Stewart Warner sender to get more degrees of travel...you gotta work with what you've got and, at least in this case, half travel on the outboard sender is fine.

I think this thread: https://vansairforce.net/community/s...d.php?t=214938 will do you the most good in terms of understanding the electrical modifications you'll need to make to the outboard sender. Probably the most challenging aspect will be the pass-through stud. Richard Connell is in Australia, so the source he went to for that little electrically isolated stud won't work for us here in the USA. I tried briefly to find an equivalent item from a domestic source but nothing came-up within the first few minutes of searching. If/when you find something that works, please let me know...that will be helpful to others who are sure to have the same question."

[jerseypilot83]

forgot to attach the file

[Richard Connell]

That’s interesting. That diagram wasn’t available AFAIK when I did mine so my float arm looks nothing like that.

It’s a bit of a pretzel, but my float ends up just ahead of the J stiffener and articulates through the whole range right down to the bottom. I accept that it may not quite get to the same total full height, but my calibration as still moving right up to the last 1/2 gal so I don’t think I’m missing any range at the top.

I don’t want to call into question Ken’s drawing but I’d be keen to know whether there could be some deadband between the top of the inboard float and the bottom of the outboard float with that geometry.

[jerseypilot83]

At this point it’s getting so frustrating…. But it’s all a learning experiment….. no pun intended haha!
What do you think of this pass through

https://www.racetronix.biz/p/bulkhea...yABEgJ9AfD_BwE