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Extra wire soft start modules


procharger

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Just so I am clear where does the extra wire go for 12 volt signal and how do you

hook it up to modules they arrived today thanks? I know t they go to the starter solonoid

not sure about other end??

 

Never mind the modules didn't come with the connector pins I need

so I ordered them, someone said they came with the modules. modules are

black with no yellow or any markings on them.

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There is an open port on each new soft start ignition module. Crimp on a connector to a wire from each open hole. Then run those two wires down to your stater solenoid. You have three wires to the solenoid. One large on on each side and one small spade connector in the middle. Take that spade connector off. Cut the enf off and put a new spade connector on, but include all three wires in the spade connection crimp. The original solenoid wire and the two new ignition module wires. You're done. Nothing more to do.  Very easy to do. If you have any questions just give me a call.

 

 

 

Now when you turn the key that will initiate the soft start feature in the modules.

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For those that are curious:

 

Basically, when you turn the key to start, it sends current to the solenoid input, energizing the coils and closing the main contactor. The rotax modules each have a signalling wire that is going to be physically hooked up to the solenoid input (NOT THE MAIN CONTACTOR), so that when you turn the key, the signal reaches that input and splits up. Some of the power goes to the solenoid coils, and some goes to each of the modules. There will be a little more power flowing through the starter since you provided another 2 electrical paths (1 for each module), but it's nothing that it can't handle. Once you let go of the key, the modules will stay in "soft start" mode for another 5-8 seconds.

 

We hook up to the solenoid input because it's safer. While the main contactor could work, there's no circuit protection on the main starter circuit, and thus is usually prohibited by all kinds of regulations in all sorts of machinery and standards, including aircraft.

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The solenoid setup on my Sky Arrow:

 

15166916066_2410503a19_b.jpg

 

Hard to see, but it uses a one female to two male spade adapter. The larger yellowed wire is from my starter switches and is on one male lug, and the blue and white striped meet in one female spade terminal and attach to the second male lug and run to each module.

 

A picture (Googled) is worth a bunch of words:

 

269_289003.jpg

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You get the same number of crimps in either configuration, but one has less wire :).

 

Crimp at the solenoid, 2 wires, crimps for 2 pins.

 

I will give you less wire in length, but I count 3 individual wires for your method. That is if you use standard practices and not splice in the middle of the wire.

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Crimp at the solenoid, 2 wires, crimps for 2 pins.

 

I will give you less wire in length, but I count 3 individual wires for your method. That is if you use standard practices and not splice in the middle of the wire.

 

Clarification: I was stating less wire length ;)

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One foot less wire maybe, but you still have more crimps to fail.

 

I guess it depends on what we call a crimped connection then! But you're right, I didn't think of the splicer as two crimps. BUT, a proper crimp is supposed to be stronger than the wire itself!

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Shrink tube along with the spade or whatever your crimping helps to spread out the load. Sometimes it takes a small piece or two on the wire to build it up enough you can use the right size to go over the connector and still grip the wire.

 

If I'm going back over wiring that was done without shrink tubing, and not actually replacing it, I like to smear a bit of silicone on/around the wire, down inside the connector just a bit and up over the connector. Not a big heavy glob, just enough to "connect" both pieces together and spread out the load of the wire and connector vibrating and bending. Seems to help, or at least make me feel like it's going to survive longer  :P

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It is always interesting to look at an older aircraft's wiring.  Most of this I look at appears to be brittle and poorly supported at connectors. Most wires just come out of the crimped connectors with no shrink wrap, etc. and are way undersized for the connector's skirt.  After going 100's of hours, I'm amazed that there aren't multitudes of breakages caused by vibrations of these unsupported areas.  I guess the multi-stranded aircraft wiring is robust and does it's job - or, because I'm not a A&P, I don't hear about the breakages.

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It is always interesting to look at an older aircraft's wiring.  Most of this I look at appears to be brittle and poorly supported at connectors. Most wires just come out of the crimped connectors with no shrink wrap, etc. and are way undersized for the connector's skirt.

 

 

For the most part, Cirrus aircraft are well built.

 

But some of the electrical connectors were really sub-par, at least on my 2003.

 

This was the failed ring terminal on my plane:

 

11515518676_ef2ce208b6_z.jpg

 

I was VFR when it failed, and intermittent contact made several engine gauges bounce around. Had to land short of my N GA destination and rent a car and sort it out later.

 

This ring terminal had no support, and was the field connector for ALT1 - pretty important for an all-electric plane, where ALT2 can only supply certain critical systems.

 

Owners also had huge problems with the Emax connectors which used marginal spade connectors. Main problem was erroneous readings, leading pilots to think "it's probably just the connectors". Plus, when they came out with a mod with better connectors, they charged an unconscionably high price for a fix to a problem of their own making.

 

Hopefully they've improved over the last dozen years or so - and I've heard reports that that's the case.

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