Van's Air Force
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Gretz GA1000 Pitot install RV-10 QB
- Thread starter romper
- Start date
rleffler
Well Known Member
It's exactly the same as a normal build. What's your concern?
eric.kallio
Well Known Member
Install
It has been awhile, but I remember the install being very straight forward with no trouble spots. The only real question is where to mount the terminal board. I put it on a rib. Works for me but I have these little bird arms so it is easy to reach and see what I am doing. Looking back I would probably have put it on the access cover door or something making access easier for the average person.
Eric
It has been awhile, but I remember the install being very straight forward with no trouble spots. The only real question is where to mount the terminal board. I put it on a rib. Works for me but I have these little bird arms so it is easy to reach and see what I am doing. Looking back I would probably have put it on the access cover door or something making access easier for the average person.
Eric
rleffler
Well Known Member
First, I would recommend taking a look at what others have done.
If you aren't already aware, Tim Olson's (myrv10.com) and Deems Davis' (deemsrv10.com) are two sites I would look at first. If I recall, both have pretty good photos of their Gretz install. I also have some photos on my site (mykitlog.com/rleffler) too.
Like Eric mentioned, it's pretty straight forward. The biggest opportunity is determining where to install the components. Some folks have mounted the tube a little more outboard than others to get away from potential interference with the tie downs. I put the board on a nearby rib which can be easily reached through the wingtip.
One other item is to test the installation once you have everything installed. My original unit that was one of the last units Warren made had a short to ground in the thermistor circuit. Testing the unit on the bench didn't reveal the issue. It wasn't discovered until testing on the aircraft and the short to ground showed up.
Andrew (the new owner) was good to work with and he replaced all the components. Just attach a bag of ice to the pitot. That will cause the temp to drop quite quickly to activate the heating element. Just be aware of the pitot temp so that you don't melt the ice bag or burn your hand. You can also use a pot to simulate the thermistor and measure the resistance when the control board changes annunciator leds.
Speaking of the leds, if you are thinking about using Vertical Power, VP sells a board that allows you to interface the control board to the VP DU. This allows the pitot annunciation on the VP display instead of having to mount those three leds.
bob
If you aren't already aware, Tim Olson's (myrv10.com) and Deems Davis' (deemsrv10.com) are two sites I would look at first. If I recall, both have pretty good photos of their Gretz install. I also have some photos on my site (mykitlog.com/rleffler) too.
Like Eric mentioned, it's pretty straight forward. The biggest opportunity is determining where to install the components. Some folks have mounted the tube a little more outboard than others to get away from potential interference with the tie downs. I put the board on a nearby rib which can be easily reached through the wingtip.
One other item is to test the installation once you have everything installed. My original unit that was one of the last units Warren made had a short to ground in the thermistor circuit. Testing the unit on the bench didn't reveal the issue. It wasn't discovered until testing on the aircraft and the short to ground showed up.
Andrew (the new owner) was good to work with and he replaced all the components. Just attach a bag of ice to the pitot. That will cause the temp to drop quite quickly to activate the heating element. Just be aware of the pitot temp so that you don't melt the ice bag or burn your hand. You can also use a pot to simulate the thermistor and measure the resistance when the control board changes annunciator leds.
Speaking of the leds, if you are thinking about using Vertical Power, VP sells a board that allows you to interface the control board to the VP DU. This allows the pitot annunciation on the VP display instead of having to mount those three leds.
bob
I just got through installing mine. I put it in the same rib space as the stock pitot shows on the plans and the control board in the next out board rib space where the access panel is.
I am not sure obout the whole control board thing. I think I would rather just have a switch to turn it on and off rather than relying on electronics. I wonder if anyone has been having trouble with the board.
Chad
I am not sure obout the whole control board thing. I think I would rather just have a switch to turn it on and off rather than relying on electronics. I wonder if anyone has been having trouble with the board.
Chad
The Board
I had a strange thing happen with the pitot when I installed mine. The pitot started oozing a strange substance from the inside when I turned the heat on. We replaced it with no problems. I did not change the board out with the new tube so I guess it was an internal problem.
I had a strange thing happen with the pitot when I installed mine. The pitot started oozing a strange substance from the inside when I turned the heat on. We replaced it with no problems. I did not change the board out with the new tube so I guess it was an internal problem.
