R

rv8180

Well Known Member
For RV8 / 8a builders with battery in the aft location.......how did you route the battery cable(s) over / through the main spar splice plates?

Thanks!
 
Here is a (cr*ppy) picture of mine. I ran a positve wire to the front, and a negative line back to the battery. The thick, white wire you see here in the bottom right is the negative back to the battery.

antenna.jpg



I had the wires come out just under the cabin braces, that way I could support them with Adel clamps.

Hope this helps,
 
Any updates / others?

I'm at this point and seeking ideas. Any updates or additions to this thread to help with ideas? I plan to run 2-AWG welding cable, 1 run for batt-master-starter and the other as a ground return, as suggested by Bob. This is pretty thick cable. I fingure it should be adel clamped to ribs or something to keep it off the floor as well.

Does anyone with an aft battery have photos of their entire under-floor wiring run?

Thanks
 
Your plan to run a separate ground line is a bit of overkill.

Extra weight, cost, and routing hassles.

The airframe will carry the ground just fine. This is how the RV 10 is setup.

For what its worth, the RV 10 battery tray might be worth taking a look at----it is capable of holding a larger battery, or a couple of small ones, and has a mount built in for the master contactor. I would think it should be fairly easy to adapt it to a different airframe.
 
Batt tray

I don't know about the original -8's, but the dash-one fuselage comes with a tray that holds two contactors. It is larger than the PC-680 battery I intend to use, and would comfortabley hold two slightly smaller batteries. As I have installed a ground power receptacle, one of the contactors mounted there will be for it, and the other for Master power. Starter contactor is on the firewall.

So, for a return path from the starter, I can just take the 2 AWG stuff back to the firewall to the ground block there then? that will definitely make it easier and save me 2-3 lbs. I was a bit concerned about the return path since I primed the inside of everything. (Obviously I would remove priming where a lug or terminal attaches, but what about the rest?)

I have read the Aero-electric Connection and have designed the electrical system based on Bob's Z-diagrams. Just struggling a bit with the implementation part; drilling holes, determining best route, supporting cables, etc. I have run all wires aft and have a spare PVC tube through the aft baggage to the tail, just in case.
 
Bart

I ran CCA fatwire down the right side of the fuselage under the "armrest" panels. I plan to make fabric cover panels to hide it all. As for the return we have a nice "wire" as it were in the main longeron, so that is what I am using.

I can try and get you a picture tomorrow or Wednesday if you like.
 
Roy,
I routed most of my low power wiring on the right side of the fuselage, as the circuit breaker console is on that side. I also mounted my intercom wiring on that side.
Bob Nuckholls recommends that you separate your high power wires from your lower power wiring by at least 1 foot. With that in mind, I routed my #2 battery cable up the left side of the fuselage, just outboard of the left, inner floor ribs.
Charlie Kuss
 
Not sure where...

...you plan to put the battery contactor, but if you have an aft battery, it would be a little safer (shorter hot lead length) to put it aft also, somewhere near the battery.

The starter contactor is still better suited on the firewall though.
 
Bart

Just remember to attach (RIVET) an angle to the longeron to attach the neg side of the battery to. A terminal mount if you will. If that connection was ever to work loose, you want your attachment/mount angle to melt and not the longeron.
 
Last edited:
Rear Battery:
  1. 2 AWG runs RHS under the armrests in a conduit, with the conduit thru' bushings (NB this wire is unfused)
  2. Battery is "earthed" via bare metal, painted over, to the rear battery tray itself i.e. if there is "heat" it is not attacking the longerons.
  3. Efforts made to ensure the contact between battery tray and longerons is good, and insulated, both directly, and via the (large) screws and platenuts.
  4. Battery / Master relay/contactor also on rear battery tray.
  5. Starter contactor on firewall.
Have 1 year+ / 135hrs and all seems to work well ;)

Andy & Ellie Hill
RV-8 G-HILZ
 
OP-11

I got the OP-11 drawing from Van's and it shows exactly where to make the battery wire holes and a lot of other holes for wiring. Why Van's does not include this drawing with the fus kit is a mystery. Lyle
 
OP-11

Roy, I can e-mail a copy of OP-11 (pdf. file) if you want.
I got it from Vans a few days ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.