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02-04-2020, 09:21 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dogwood Airpark (VA42)
Posts: 2,596
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DennisRhodes
Can one of you help me understand why avionics should not be powered via a 12 v dc battery AND external digital charger such as a Battery Minder operated at the same time. Would this not be the same as the alternator charging while the AC is in Service? Because I do this often!!!
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No - this is not at all the same as normal operations with your alternator on line.
Battery chargers are just that - battery chargers. They are not designed to power electronics. As such, you are hit or miss on ?garbage? coming out of the charger in terms of floating AC, switching noise and such. Some vendors, such as pMag, have a specific warning about not having a battery charger connected if the pMag has power - for this reason.
But the good news is a real power supply can charge your battery(s) as well - and since most real power supplies allow you to set your output voltage you can run your avionics with battery(s) connected for days not not worry about overcharging your battery - just like your alternator voltage regulator works. Now overlay the sketchy history of some battery chargers (or minders) routine use trashing otherwise healthy batteries and the choice is easy. I?m sure many do this and get away with it - so you decide.
Here is one of many options for a nice, light supply that will do everything you need: https://www.dxengineering.com/search...rder=Ascending
Carl
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02-04-2020, 09:21 AM
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: KBVY Massachusetts
Posts: 1,100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilot135pd
I have 2 of the C-Tek chargers and love them. They come as OEM equipment from Corvettes to Bentleys and other really expensive cars so they're proven good. They have the Power Supply setting that gives great clean power (checked on my spectrum analyzer) and I use them when I'm doing anything in the plane with the engine off.

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Ok so in reading the C Tek specs I see that it's an 8 stage charger.
I have an Odyssey 20 Amp fully automatic six-stage charger.....
Can I use the output of that to run avionics on the bench? I thought I couldn't because of that "staging".....
__________________
Flying RV-8 N880BC
2019 Dues - happily paid.
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02-04-2020, 09:26 AM
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: KBVY Massachusetts
Posts: 1,100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeanB
Saville, that could work for you.
What I did:
Went to local hardware store and got about 10 feet of multistrand power cord, then crimped large aligator clips with boots on one end, lugs on the other end. This power supply has a header you attach your power and ground to and there is a certain size to keep in mind. I belive that information is in the Owner's Manual, linked on the site.
For my bench, I used two forest of tabs (B&C).
https://bandc.com/product/ground-blo...-firewall-kit/
One for power, one for ground. Kept them far away from each other. I connected to each device off of these with an inline automotive fuse on the positive side.
https://bandc.com/product/in-line-fu...der-atc-style/
This worked great for me. Had no noise and was fully functional on the bench. Just used on/off switch from power supply to operate.
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Gotcha. Sort of what I had in mind. Thanks - good to get corroboration.
__________________
Flying RV-8 N880BC
2019 Dues - happily paid.
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02-04-2020, 09:43 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: ...
Posts: 112
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__________________
John Koehler
N944JK / RV-9A (600 hrs)
1st Flight (2015), Instrument rating (2017)
World Flight (2018), Mexico (2020)
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02-04-2020, 09:44 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Vaca Moo Airport - TA37 in East TEXAS
Posts: 1,331
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Saville
Ok so in reading the C Tek specs I see that it's an 8 stage charger.
I have an Odyssey 20 Amp fully automatic six-stage charger.....
Can I use the output of that to run avionics on the bench? I thought I couldn't because of that "staging".....
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If you use it to charge then yes it?s a charger but look on the panel in the picture and you?ll see there?s a SUPPLY setting. That?s not a charger but a very well regulated clean power supply.
__________________
RV-8 N52VM: OnSpeed Gen2 AOA-3D, Dynon D-180, Autopilot, Titan 0-360A1A, Hartzell C/S, INS-429 IFR & GPS496, WingX & Stratux for backup & ADS-B IN. Enjoying life while building an airpark with FREE campsite for pilots www.facebook.com/VacaMooAirport/
Exempt by 3 out of the 10 ways but I still donated.
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02-04-2020, 10:00 AM
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: KBVY Massachusetts
Posts: 1,100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilot135pd
If you use it to charge then yes it’s a charger but look on the panel in the picture and you’ll see there’s a SUPPLY setting. That’s not a charger but a very well regulated clean power supply.
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Well I went downstairs into the shop and looked at the unit - no word "supply" anywhere nor a switch to select that sort of option.
Didn't see it in the manual either.
Maybe you are looking at the C-Tek. Mine is Odyssey model number OBC-20A - that's the one I was considering using.
__________________
Flying RV-8 N880BC
2019 Dues - happily paid.
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02-04-2020, 10:12 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Vaca Moo Airport - TA37 in East TEXAS
Posts: 1,331
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Saville
Well I went downstairs into the shop and looked at the unit - no word "supply" anywhere nor a switch to select that sort of option.
Didn't see it in the manual either.
Maybe you are looking at the C-Tek. Mine is Odyssey model number OBC-20A - that's the one I was considering using.
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Sorry, I didn't understand your question. I don't have an Odyssey so I wouldn't know. I was just talking about the C-Tek.
__________________
RV-8 N52VM: OnSpeed Gen2 AOA-3D, Dynon D-180, Autopilot, Titan 0-360A1A, Hartzell C/S, INS-429 IFR & GPS496, WingX & Stratux for backup & ADS-B IN. Enjoying life while building an airpark with FREE campsite for pilots www.facebook.com/VacaMooAirport/
Exempt by 3 out of the 10 ways but I still donated.
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02-04-2020, 10:17 AM
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: KBVY Massachusetts
Posts: 1,100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilot135pd
Sorry, I didn't understand your question. I don't have an Odyssey so I wouldn't know. I was just talking about the C-Tek.
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No prob. Thanks for the info.
__________________
Flying RV-8 N880BC
2019 Dues - happily paid.
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02-04-2020, 02:59 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 156
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I've used my power tool batteries, red in colour, and 12volts, then done something very similar to Sean. Used a fuse box with different sized fuses sitting in there so I can check different sized circuits. Also bought alligator test leads just to make hooking up for testing easier. No switches in the circuit, I just don't connect the battery +12v until everything else is ready.
The batteries I have accept a standard 1/4" male spade terminal in their "slot", I've got a few in different capacities, and when they go flat I just charge them again. So far I've only used this to test simple stuff like light circuits or contactor switching, and haven't really got a panel together, but the basic set-up should give enough juice for panel testing when the time comes.
__________________
RV-9, Tail Feathers done, Wings almost done.
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02-04-2020, 03:36 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,435
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I used a DeWalt 12 V power tool battery to test the landing light wiring. Worked fine. But afterwards the battery wouldn't hold a charge.
Maybe I drained it too far, or maybe the draw was too high. Or maybe it was just time. Still....
Dave
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