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Skyview Avionics Received!

Bill,

Neither have I received a short screwed ES 9 PIN BACKSHELL 2 for plugging into the ADAHRS. It's interesting to note that on Page 42D-21, the existing ES 9 PIN BACKSHELL 2 on the end of the WH-RV12-TUNNEL wiring harness is re-pinned for re-use. I wonder if the interefence referred to on Page 42C-19, Step 4, is electronic rather than physical in nature.

Jerry
**************************
What is the current status of this - especially, the long vs short thumbscrews?

I note this is also covered in 31B-21 Rev 1 released 5 Mar 2012.

This is also covered in 42C-19 - making three locations for this material in various forms.

With the Plans, multiple locations (often non-referenced or mis-referenced) within the Plans, the sparse released Revisions, and the comments on these Forums, I definitely feel like I am losing "Configuration Control" during this wiring installation. I am trying to decipher the instructions with one eye, keeping another eye on released revisions, with a third eye on all these forums, and yet another on my growing list of notes and home-made addenda - I'm running outta eyes.

Bob Bogash
N737G
 
Regarding the intercom wiring ... I received and installed the extension cable Vans supplied. That's what I would advise. A revised plans page came with it. I was sent the back shell 2 which had short screws but they were NOT non- magnetic. Remember, the PLUG is NOT the backshell! There is nothing special about the plug, which is why it is reused. Compass works fine.
 
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I have over 30 hrs on 120449 with the new skyview. Nice....A couple of small bugs. The EGT s go up when I transmit on the com radio. Tech has seen it on other models and has no answer.
 
Autopilot Settings?

I have over 30 hrs on 120449 with the new skyview. Nice....A couple of small bugs. The EGT s go up when I transmit on the com radio. Tech has seen it on other models and has no answer.

I posted earlier that mine does the same thing. Not too big of a deal.
I really like the Skyview. Living in Salt Lake the TIS works great showing the traffic. I just turned the autopilot on for the first time yesterday and it was pretty jerky. Do you have any settings for that to smooth it out?
 
Fuel Tank Calibration

Fuel calibration went very well. Now, the Skyview "wakes up" thinking that there are two tanks installed, both uncalibrated. So - which do you calibrate? The manual doesn't say. And you can only look at one tank sensor at a time during the calibration - you don't want to pick the wrong one, put in a couple of gallons, and then have to empty it and start over! (Remember, the mains have to be on 2 inch blocks to do the calibration per the PAP.)

Well, it is the LEFT tank to use. I thought they might have chosen the right tank since it is on the right side of the plane. But I went to the calibration page for the right tank and saw that the EMPTY tank reading was at 5 Volts - a nice round and suspect number! So I cancelled out of that and looked at the LEFT tank. It said 2.73 V. Aha!

So I began calibrating the LEFT tank and sure enough as I added the required 2 gallons at a time, the voltage went down. When I was all done I edited off the right tank from the engine display pages. For reference here are my numbers:
Gallons Volts
0 2.73
2 2.46
4 2.26
6 2.06
8 1.83
10 1.58
12 1.31
14 0.74
16 0.66
After adding the 16th gallon, the Skyview said "Last point did not change." I accepted that and completed the calibration. The float pegs out even though the tank and filler neck is not totally full at that point.

Van's is looking into the issue with the AV-50000A box. Will report more when I know.

Our results were identical 16 gallons.
Yes, we used the 2" offset on the main gear.
It does indeed appear to be the float angle.
 
Page 42D-20 Step 5

Hi

I skimmed the thread and found the Pilot cable is now called RZ194 and the co pilot is RZ195. Thanks for this.

I think I may have a fix and are now required to ad the wires referred to here to the backshells shown in Figure 2. This means I need to cut the heatshrink fitted by Vans. I don't have specific instructions for the fix, but I appear to have the wires lose which the instruction refer to as being attached to the backshells in step 5.

My question is which backshell are they referring to? I think the WH-00026 options is the backshell going into the AV 50000A. It has those holes free.

What is the backshell-00026 Autopilot shown in figure 2. When I look in the autopilot backshell that plugs into the AV 50000A it has hole 12 already occupied.

Cheers

Julian 120316
 
OK, don't get confused here. The pilot-copilot transmit wire issue has to do with early SV kits being sent out without a way to hook up the intercom. The solution to that was a revision page Vans sent out along with some wires to add. Then some have found wiring to be reversed specifically for the xmit switch wires you mention. Remember, many people have the original OLD fuselage wiring harnesses and get ADAPTER harneses to integrate the Skyview, but others are getting more recent fuselage harnesses that are already designed to incorporate SV without conversion cables. Now, the discussion of this issue is not tied in with the term "backshell" at all.

The "Backshell" issue has to do with the DB-9 connector back in the tailcone to the ADAHRS unit. The backshell to that DB-9 is a special type - the "Backshell 2" as listed by Vans and not included in some early SV kits. Remember, the backshell is not the plug! The backshell 2 has shorter screws that require a screwdriver (shorter than all of those thumbscrew-type backshells behind the panel) that do not interfere with the magnetometer that is part of the ADAHRS unit. (But they are NOT "non-magnetic" screws.)
Clear as mud I hope!
 
Thanks for the help Bill.

I think I am one of those with the earlier wiring so I am missing the revision page which would show me where to attach the wires which you would see referred to in fig 2 page 42D-20. My drawing shows them already attached to what appears to be two backshells, one called WH-00026 options and one called WH-00026 autopilot.

If these loose wires were attached I would be able to carry on with step 5 as this thread identified the the new name for my pilot and co pilot wires which go into step 5.

I see people downloading a lot of the plans now. Is there any where I can go to get these instructions? Its early Sunday here so I have a full work day available (took my wife and son to the airport last night). Will be Tuesday morning before Vans are available to check with.

Cheers

Julian 120316
 
New communication from Vans today July 10th 2012:
EFIS WIRING HARNESS
"Dear RV-12 Skyview owner
We have determined that you may have an early harness manufactured to an obsolete standard, shipped prior to March 2012.
Please check your EFIS harness (WH-00020) to see if it has a wire running from Pin 30 on the 37 pin SVD 1000 EFIS connector to Pin 28 on the 30 pin AV-50000A connector. See drawing 42C-03.
If it does, remove this wire or cut it and heat shrink the ends to break the connection. You can access the connectors quite easily by removing the EFIS screen from the panel. Although this is simply an extra ground wire we have found that it can cause unwanted noise in the audio system, and later harnesses do not have it.

Apologies for the inconvenience.
Vans"
 
email?

Bill was the message received via email? I looked on Vans service bulletin site for the -12 and didn't see anything. :confused:
 
Comments on Section 42D Skyview Update Instructions

I am almost finished with this section that was initially somewhat intimidating. The main difficulty I faced was to sort out what applied to my project as this section is covering a full retrofit from an RV-12 equiped with the previous Dynon and Garmin avionics and with the engine. Granted VANs did it's best to explain what to skip, particularly if you don't have the engine installed but there are still lots of things you have to figure out. What was written earlier in this thread was helpful and I have a special thank and kudos to Bill Hollifield who went out of his way to document his work for the benefit of all of us.
In hindsight, this retrofit is not as bad and difficult as it looks at first glance. I dreaded the rewiring but following the instructions, in particular removing the pitot line to make room through the bulkheads was very helpful. I dreaded passing back the pitot line and I had to struggle a bit but nothing out of the usual that you cannot solve with your builder's skills. I was much concerned by the passage of the tube under the F-1202B panel base and through the F-12125 Over rudder wireway, here is the trick I used: I fished the tube with a 18g steel wire that I attached to the tube through a little hole I made in the plastic (I had previously cut the end of the tube at an angle to facilitate the routing through the bulkheads and the plastic tabs in the tunnel).
As I received my Avionic kit in May, I think I benefitted from improved instructions and I would recommand builders in my case to just trust the instructions and in case of doubt call Vans first and read this thread completely even if some information is no more valid due to updates.
In conclusion I think VANs was right to take the time necessary to produce an Avionics retrofit that was of very high quality.
 
The main difficulty I faced was to sort out what applied to my project as this section is covering a full retrofit from an RV-12 equiped with the previous Dynon and Garmin avionics and with the engine. Granted VANs did it's best to explain what to skip, particularly if you don't have the engine installed but there are still lots of things you have to figure out.

I know what you mean. I only had a couple of the old D180 harnesses partly installed and no engine, pitot tube etc. Now I find I'm having to work forward in the old plans to understand what's not there, and then refer back to the new plans to work out what the changes are. Of course, Vans have to assume that you have completed the D180 installation. In my case it would have been simpler to just pull all the old wiring out and order a clean Skyview installation. Hindsight is a great teaching tool!
 
Revived Thread

Although this thread appears to be dormant - I have been burning it up! I should have done the wiring upgrade back then, but thought I would wait until the bugs were worked out.
I am about done, but have become stumped by several small questions, maybe someone who has been there can help me (I had wired for the D180, then upgraded wiring to the Skyview):

1. Page 42D-23, step 3 speaks of a COLORED L456 and L458 wires. Mine are plain white. They are supposed to go in pin 6 of the wing connectors, yet no drawing of the wing connector ever shows these numbered wires there. What am I missing?

2. 42D-22, step 1 has us remove the power outlet wire, and put in a new one from the harness. My harness does not have that "new" wire to install!

3. I am left with a purple/yellow and a Yellow/green wire with no instructions as to where they go. An earlier post indicated these were for the cockpit light, but the light was already wired earlier. Does this offer a new wiring, or should they just be cut off and ignored? I can find no mention of them in the plans.

4. Earlier in the plans, there was mention of a new grounding wire for the headset jacks. However I have not seen any wire or instructions to accomplish this.

Any help to any of these problems would be appreciated.
 
1) Check connectivity between pin 33 optional connector to pin 6 of the wing connector - these are only nav.
Check connectivity between pin 34 optional connecter to pin 8 of the wing connector - strobe lights.
I also had a yel/red witch split in 2x white wires for the nav light (as far as I remember).

2) power wire should be at pin 30 optional connector.

3) 42D page 19 step 5

4) new kits have grounding at the panel (and isolated headset jacks). Old kit has local grounding.

The AutoCADWS (web based/free) and files from Van's are great for troubleshooting ->For files scroll down
 
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OK I have determined that my question number 1 is simply describing a color difference between plans and wiring harness.
Although this thread appears to be dormant - I have been burning it up! I should have done the wiring upgrade back then, but thought I would wait until the bugs were worked out.
I am about done, but have become stumped by several small questions, maybe someone who has been there can help me (I had wired for the D180, then upgraded wiring to the Skyview):

1. Page 42D-23, step 3 speaks of a COLORED L456 and L458 wires. Mine are plain white. They are supposed to go in pin 6 of the wing connectors, yet no drawing of the wing connector ever shows these numbered wires there. What am I missing?

2. 42D-22, step 1 has us remove the power outlet wire, and put in a new one from the harness. My harness does not have that "new" wire to install!

3. I am left with a purple/yellow and a Yellow/green wire with no instructions as to where they go. An earlier post indicated these were for the cockpit light, but the light was already wired earlier. Does this offer a new wiring, or should they just be cut off and ignored? I can find no mention of them in the plans.

4. Earlier in the plans, there was mention of a new grounding wire for the headset jacks. However I have not seen any wire or instructions to accomplish this.

Any help to any of these problems would be appreciated.
 
ADAHRS question

I've just installed the ADAHRS unit (#$@!! job, and I hope it's robust because I dropped it in the fuselage a couple of times). On mine, the 9 pin plug that goes in the back has the typical black plastic clamshell surround and long black thumb screws. However, apparently I should have a backshell 2 at this location to avoid magnetic interference.

What does a backshell 2 look like? Is it one of those silver screw-together types? If so, the ones I have also have long metal thumb screws, so I can't see that they would be any better. What should I be looking for? Thanks all.
 
I've just installed the ADAHRS unit (#$@!! job, and I hope it's robust because I dropped it in the fuselage a couple of times). On mine, the 9 pin plug that goes in the back has the typical black plastic clamshell surround and long black thumb screws. However, apparently I should have a backshell 2 at this location to avoid magnetic interference.

What does a backshell 2 look like? Is it one of those silver screw-together types? If so, the ones I have also have long metal thumb screws, so I can't see that they would be any better. What should I be looking for? Thanks all.
Picture here: http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/2012/09/tribulations.html
 
....... If so, the ones I have also have long metal thumb screws, so I can't see that they would be any better. .....

Just because they have metal screws doesn't mean they are ferrous magnetic screws. They could be stainless, aluminum alloy, or some other material that is non-magnetic. Check them with a magnet.

For what it's worth - it would be better to start a new thread for something like this, with an appropriate subject line. It will be more likely to get people's attention.
 
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Thanks Dave. Looks like I'll be making a trip to the local electronics shop, unless I can find the right connector somewhere in the kit. Good tip about riveting the brackets in last, after everything is connected. That's what I should have done too. I'm taking the two young grandkids to see Cirque du Soleil tomorrow. I might apply for a job there after today's contortions getting that black box and its plumbing fitted into the top of the fuselage.
 
Just because they have metal screws doesn't mean they are ferrous magnetic screws. They could be stainless, aluminum alloy, or some other material that is non-magnetic. Check them with a magnet.

For what it's worth - it would be better to start a new thread for something like this, with an appropriate subject line. It will be more likely to get people's attention.

That's true John, but both black and silver screws stuck to the magnet, so I may need to get another connector. I did think about starting a separate thread, but this one is where most of the Skyview related installation queries are, so it seemed the best place.
 
Home Depot usually has a good selection of brass screws. If the screws are ferrous but not magnetized it may not make any difference. I am always surprised by what does and does not cause my Cherokee's whisky compass to swing.
 
I am still working on this old set of problems. My attention right now is on the trim wires.
WAY back years ago we ran a wire, called P 30, from the tailcone all the way up to behind the panel, never could find what we were supposed to hook them to.
The Skyview conversion harness has a duplicate of those wires, color codes at least, going from a plug behind the panel down and apparently back to the trim motor. I had the trim motor hooked up to the P30 ancient wires, it appears to me that I must now change the connectors, and use the conversion harness wires to the trim motor?
This of course means trying to crawl back in the tail and removing the old and installing the new. I cannot find much guidance on this, and before I do it would like some assurance that this is the intended course of action. Does anyone remember this step?
 
Don, I think I would try to use your existing wires - I did. You can switch to the new Molex Cx if you want - mine were wired up with the spades and I left them that way.

Bob Bogash
N737G
 
I was going to leave the P30 and splice it on to the new Skyview wires. Then came the next problem, the "new" wires, color coded the same as the old P 30, consists of only four wires, the trim motor and P30 have five (the extra one is white)! Of course they are not labeled, so who knows what they were supposed to do, but same color codes and long enough to reach the trim motor seems to give me a clue.
Could they have possibly been intended for the ADSB-in box or something else besides trim?
 
If you're using the schematics from Van's it's quite easy. Pin-layout and colors all included. I downloaded the files to my iPad and use AutoCAD WS to view them. In the fuselage harness there are also five wires for the trim.
If the four wires you're talking about are twisted then it must be wires from the old harness and they will not be used anymore.
 
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If the wires are colored red, black, white/red, white/black, they go to the ADHARS. There are four TX/RX wires and the OAT wires that terminate at the ADHARS also. I remember hooking up the original trim wires directly to the AV5000. I eliminated the conversion harness baggage.
 
Don, I did the original fuselage wiring, then waited for Skyview, then used the conversion harnesses. The trim stuff did not change. No skyview related changes were needed, just connect like it says in the plans. the trim works through the AV5000 box and there is a pot on it. Many have found the pot be turned all the way off and have to turn it a bit before the trim motor starts running. Hope this helps.

Those wires you are talking about are probably the wires to the ADAHRS. There are revisions there - like the OAT goes back here, not to the panel like the D180. Forget the wire colors, go back to the plans step by step, they work. Also the waaaay earlier posts in his thread.
 
Thanks Bill, I have been thru this thread several times, in fact I ran all the comments off this morning so I could study them. I had almost come to the same conclusion about the original trim wire, thanks for putting that to rest. I have the ADHRS and OAT all hooked up, that seemed like a no brainer and worked well.
That leaves me with this wire, long enough to reach the trim motor and the same color codes, and I have no idea when it got there or what it is for. I am hoping it is a spare, it will be perfect to wire my ADSB-In box if it is in fact not part of the plan. Maybe a photo will help:
2mpej5t.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Those wires are from the old harness and not used anymore. Instructions makes you fold them back and tie wrap them. I took them out off the tunnel and removed the pins from the WH-RV12-TUNNEL harness (pin 17,18,19,36 (red ellipse in picture)). Attached the text from the manual and a snapshot from AutocadWS.


42D-21 step 5 : Extract the remaining wires from the ES-205203-3 9-Pin D-Sub. These wires will no longer be used or connected at the AV-50000A RV-12 Control Module. Fold the wires back and tie-wrap them to the wire run along the F-1208 Bulkhead.

xhqc.jpg
 
I used those wires for the rear bulkhead mounted ADSB module after confirming that the wire size was sufficient for ADSB operation. Wire it up. If you need any pinouts send me an email.
 
You were smart, Larry - those four wires would be perfect.

I haven't decided if I'll do that ADSB or not, but if I do, think I'll use a different design, not needing them to go back there. (That's my rationalization....)

Bob Bogash
N737G
 
With the need for the ADSB antenna to be separated some distance from the transponder antenna, the choice seemed to be to run four wires back to a box in the rear, or put it up front and run that big ol antenna wire thru the tunnel to the rear. In my case, putting it in the rear was a good choice for me.
 
OK, I am a bit slow, but still do not understand this step. The instructions have us put the L456 and L468 out to pin 6 on each side. But when we look over at the figures, pin 6 has a B268 on each pin 6. What am I missing here?

It was asked in another thread: "IN skyview wire harness WH-00026 there is a white wire that has a yellow/red wire spliced to it. Where does it go to?"

I had to puzzle over that also. Page 42D-23 Step 3 paragraph 2 covers it - kind of. The text description is off, Stein did not totally follow the color scheme mentioned. The long white wire is marked L458 though as mentioned in that paragraph.

These two wires (one wire from the panel that then splits) are powering the NAV lights on pin 6 of the new connectors. The previous wire you ran earlier in the build used to power both nav and strobe together. The skyview mod splits these functions so a new wire is needed. The original wire only now powers the strobes (and is connected to the noise filter.)

We are trying to keep all of the skyview q/a in this thread to make it easy on folks.
 
The original plans and the harness you were originally provided had one wire that came from the panel and split to each wing root. It came from a single switch that was either OFF or TURN-ON-STROBES-AND-NAV-TOGETHER. At each old wing connector that single wire then went out to the wingtip where it was split to both the separate NAV and STROBE wires provided on the tip light.

The new panel that comes with skyview separates these functions into OFF-NAVONLY-NAV&STROBE. So there is one NEW wire coming to the wing connector, for the NAVONLY function. The old original wire is being connected just to the strobe. Then there are TWO new wires that run from the wing root to the tip light. One is the separate NAV power (continuing the new wire) and the other is the SYNCH line.

Note that you can tell which is which because the STROBE line is the one that should be connected to the noise filter, not the new NAV power.

The SYNCH line was unused in the original kit. It just connects straight across - wing root to wing root, then out to each tip light, not up to the panel. Keeps the strobes synched.

Hope this helps!
 
Don, I puzzled over what to do with the L456 and L468 wires as well. They seemed to have no home to go to as the new wing connectors already appeared to have their full complement of wires. After looking at the wiring diagram, I decided they must be redundant because of the SV conversion wiring, so I just coiled them up, heat shrank the ends and tie-wrapped them out of the way .... just in case.
 
Well **** guys, I was only partially confused when I asked the question. Now I am totally confused!;)
(And still don't know what to do with those wires.)
 
Are the cylinder temp probes, and the fuel pressure sensor NOT included with the Skyview avionics? Since I'm going Jabiru, I called Dynon after receiving my avionics. They gladly agreed to swap out the Rotax probes for Jabiru probes. But the Dynon rep told me that within that same bag, that I should remove the fuel pressure sensor before sending the probes back. I haven't located the probes or the sensor he mentioned. I'm guessing they must be included with the Rotax?
Thanks.
 
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I just finished page 42D-22 step 3. The WH-P600 and P601 (ORN/BLK) wires that were run to each headset block on the left and right side are the power supply for the headsets. They are fused with 5A on WH-00026 and are connected through WH-P440 (ORN/BLK) to pin 17 (AUDIO POWER) on the Options plug.
The instructions have you cover the ends with a heat shrink tube and cable-tie them to the headset plugs. As Van's doesn't know what type of headset you're using, it's up to you to find a suitable plug for it and install it in the seat pan.
The wiring is definitely there and everything is set up to install the power outlets.

I am replying to my own post to clarify something about the headset power wires WH-P600 and P601. The one thing that I didn't check back when I posted about them was *when* they would actually be powered. Now that I finished installing a parallel LEMO plug next to the standard plugs, I can tell you that the power comes on with the Main switch.
And it is a great feature to be able to run an active noise-canceling headset without having to rely on batteries.
 
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