I'm trying to finalize my wiring schematic without becoming a EE. I ordered the Aeroelectric CD but it never came and 2 attempts to contact Bov Nuckolls didn't work - so I've given up on that. I spent some time with the Matronics Aeroelectric forum and my personal spin on it is that it looks great for espousing platitudes and theories on eircraft electrical suystems but has little to no practical value. All I want to do is wire my aircraft. I have just enough "knowledge" to be slightly danderous and make some general decisions.
Given all considerations (like CG, overall weight, all-electric EFIS panel, etc.) I have settled on a 2 battery / one alternator architecture. The batteries are of different sizes and mounted aft with 2 "0" gage wires running forward. I know what I want the panel to be:
toggle switch - Battery 1 (on/off)
toggle switch - Battery 2 (on/off)
toggle switch - Mag 1 (on/off)
toggle switch - Mag 2 (on/off)
toggle switch - fuel pump (on/off)
momentary push switch - starter
toggle switch - E Buss (on/off)
toggle switch - Main Buss (on/off)
My immediate question is at the battery end of this architecture. I believe in simple terms all I need or want is for 2 contactors near the batteries; one for each battery and the 2 "Bat" switches running each contactor. These feed power to the 2 big wires running forward from either or both batteries. Simple. In addition, I run 1 smaller wire (say 16 gage or so; to be calculated) from the bigger battery up to the E-Buss switch so it doesn't need the contactors. Is this all I need ?? The only shortcoming to this that I see is that if the alternator fails I have only the option of running the E-Buss off one of the batteries with no choice - but I think that pretty remote so so-what ?? I have read about Battery Isolators and get confused and seem to think one doesn't really need them.
Can someone smart enough to put this in simple straight forward terms steer me on this ?? Right now I'm just working to finish the aft portion of the aircraft with around 5 wires running forward.
Given all considerations (like CG, overall weight, all-electric EFIS panel, etc.) I have settled on a 2 battery / one alternator architecture. The batteries are of different sizes and mounted aft with 2 "0" gage wires running forward. I know what I want the panel to be:
toggle switch - Battery 1 (on/off)
toggle switch - Battery 2 (on/off)
toggle switch - Mag 1 (on/off)
toggle switch - Mag 2 (on/off)
toggle switch - fuel pump (on/off)
momentary push switch - starter
toggle switch - E Buss (on/off)
toggle switch - Main Buss (on/off)
My immediate question is at the battery end of this architecture. I believe in simple terms all I need or want is for 2 contactors near the batteries; one for each battery and the 2 "Bat" switches running each contactor. These feed power to the 2 big wires running forward from either or both batteries. Simple. In addition, I run 1 smaller wire (say 16 gage or so; to be calculated) from the bigger battery up to the E-Buss switch so it doesn't need the contactors. Is this all I need ?? The only shortcoming to this that I see is that if the alternator fails I have only the option of running the E-Buss off one of the batteries with no choice - but I think that pretty remote so so-what ?? I have read about Battery Isolators and get confused and seem to think one doesn't really need them.
Can someone smart enough to put this in simple straight forward terms steer me on this ?? Right now I'm just working to finish the aft portion of the aircraft with around 5 wires running forward.