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Electric power to the canopy frame.

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olegusan

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Hello, RV12 builders/flyers,

I need an idea for running electric power to the canopy frame (glare shield).
I have a backlit magnetic compass installed on the glare shield and would like to power it for night flying. (see the picture attached).

Has anyone tried to accomplish that?
 

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olegusan said:
Hello, RV12 builders/flyers,

I need an idea for running electric power to the canopy frame (glare shield).
I have a backlit magnetic compass installed on the glare shield and would like to power it for night flying. (see the picture attached).

Has anyone tried to accomplish that?
Click to expand...
Not with this specifically as I don’t use a wet compass, but you should have a power and ground bus behind the panel for easy access. In my plane I just pull out my PFD to access both. Yours may be accessed under the panel.

Take care evaluating the distance between the glare shield and any avionics below it. Drill a hole in the top of your glare shield under or behind the compass (depending on how the wire comes out for a clean look), add a rubber grommet to the hole and run your wire through following aviation-preferred methods for securing and organizing the added wires.

This would be the easiest way to do it without adding switches, etc. that way the illumination comes on with your master. You won’t see it during the day, but as darkness falls it’s ready to go. If it’s LED illuminated as I expect it would be, you’ll never burn that bulb out before the plane itself is ready for the scrap yard.
 
SkyDweller said:
Not with this specifically as I don’t use a wet compass, but you should have a power and ground bus behind the panel for easy access. In my plane I just pull out my PFD to access both. Yours may be accessed under the panel.

Take care evaluating the distance between the glare shield and any avionics below it. Drill a hole in the top of your glare shield under or behind the compass (depending on how the wire comes out for a clean look), add a rubber grommet to the hole and run your wire through following aviation-preferred methods for securing and organizing the added wires.

This would be the easiest way to do it without adding switches, etc. that way the illumination comes on with your master. You won’t see it during the day, but as darkness falls it’s ready to go. If it’s LED illuminated as I expect it would be, you’ll never burn that bulb out before the plane itself is ready for the scrap yard.
Click to expand...

The problem is that the glare shield is attached to the canopy frame (not the panel).

So it has to be some kind of self-aligning (floating) connector between the canopy frame and the rest of the airframe.
The connector would disengage when the canopy opened and re-engage when it closed.

I wonder if anyone had implemented this.
 
My 2 cents;
Use this connector. The pogo pins are telescopic and the connector self aligns with the magnets. One connector on the skin above the radio bay, possibly surface mounted with the wires routed around the edge to a power source. You can use a fuse or resistor to limit the current in case something shorts the connector when the canopy is open. The other half of the connector mounted in the canopy with a floating mount so it can self align when the canopy closes.

 
Yes.. I think the best idea is to use those spring-loaded and magnetic (gold-plated to prevent any corrosion) connector like the pogo pins in post #4. You could also use gold springy fingers like these. I'm not sure of the best place to put the connectors.. maybe where the square side tubes of the canopy's frame meets the canopy deck -- by your shoulder..

Incidentally, you could also use these types of connectors to extend the CANBUS/power to connect a Garmin GI 260 AOA indicator to the glareshield.. though I haven't tried doing that yet.
 
I have a coil cord going to my HUD run next to the passenger side and when the canopy is closed it lay very nice inside.
IMG_0795.jpegPXL_20230214_180454235_Original.jpeg
 
On my -7 I used a plastic circular connector that plugs into a bulkhead connector on my subpanel. The brand is Switchcraft Micro-Con-X and they have free hanging and bulkhead connectors on Digikey and Mouser.
 

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seagull said:
My 2 cents;
Use this connector. The pogo pins are telescopic and the connector self aligns with the magnets. One connector on the skin above the radio bay, possibly surface mounted with the wires routed around the edge to a power source. You can use a fuse or resistor to limit the current in case something shorts the connector when the canopy is open. The other half of the connector mounted in the canopy with a floating mount so it can self align when the canopy closes.

Click to expand...
Maybe just me, But the idea of using anything with "Magnets" anywhere near a compass just does not sound like a good idea.
 
Mike T. said:
Maybe just me, But the idea of using anything with "Magnets" anywhere near a compass just does not sound like a good idea.
Click to expand...
The AHARS is mounted in the rear of the plane behind the luggage bulkhead more than far enough away to be influenced.
 
seagull said:
The AHARS is mounted in the rear of the plane behind the luggage bulkhead more than far enough away to be influenced.
Click to expand...
Very true. However, he is talking about mounting a "Magnetic Compass" on the Glareshield. And the connector for the wires to light it. Magnet near compass not so good.
 
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