Quote:
Originally Posted by RFSchaller
I know as soon as I post this my Ducati VR will fail (Murphy’s Law), but even in the Phoenix heat I get about 500 hours TBF for the Ducati mounted on the forward side of the firewall in the original spot. However, I do carry a spare VR in my tool kit as well as two extra spark plugs and a spare mechanical fuel pump. I figure that should keep me from getting stranded somewhere.
BTW, I carry a tool kit in my Cherokee too. In it I carry an assortment of AN hardware, flare plugs/caps and aluminum adhesive tape. Each because of a past problem on the road that was solved by them: failed sensor line, missing faring bolts and a broken Hartwell latch on the oil dipstick door.
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There's a few things I do to go easy on my Ducati VR, so that it isn't forced to recharge at a high current (amperage) rate.
First, I never do my monthly Dynon Skyview update uploads unless I have a power supply on the main battery. I don't ever let that main battery get run down.
Second, once I start the motor up and oil pressure is looking good, usually about 70 to 75 psi on initial start up, I run the motor up to 2500 rpm, making sure the generator is putting out at least 13.7 or 13.8V and I have a positive charge rate of + 1 amp to + 4 or +5 amps. Never more than that. Once the charge rate come down to +1 to +2, I turn on Avionics and Com circuit breakers.
Third, once I am at my hangar, after landing but before putting the plane away, I will run the motor up to 3000 rpm and wait for the current charge rate to drop to no more than 2 amps. Once it hits two amps, with Avionics and COM turned off, I pull the throttle all the way back, then turn off ignition B, wait for the idle to drop a bit, then turn off ignition A, then turn off the Main.
I almost always show, before next start up, 13.02 to 13.08V on my Digital Multi Meter, for level of battery charge, a week or two later, next time I fly. AGM batteries will recharge and take a LOT of amps, very quickly, if they are down from a full charge. That LOT of amps is what cooks your VR. Don't let your VR provide a lot of amps, by never running the battery down, and you should have a lot less headaches and failures and running the Voltage Regulator too hot and too hard.
Avoid ever letting your Skyview show that you are charging at a +9 or +10 amp charging rate. Put a charger on it, if it's low, in the hangar, and get it topped off, fully recharged, if you let the charge drop, in the first place, due to lack of use.
Keep that PC680 fully topped off, use another charger on it, if it's low in voltage!
This applies to RV12 Legacy planes, and any RV-12IS built with the 912 ULS motor.
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