I, like many on this forum plan to install a full suite of sensors to feed the future G3X system that I plan for my build. I know now that the magnetometer is to go in the first bay outboard of the wing-walk ribs in the left wing. Yup, the same wing as the heated pitot, which I had been thinking would be a real problem for the magnetometer because there is no way to locate the wiring harness 18" or more away as recommended by Garmin, assuming you use the magnetometer install kit from Vans. I dutifully twisted the wiring harness in an effort to mitigate any leaking magnetic field, and had an electrical engineer come have a look at my work. The surprising feedback from him was that despite the heavy current that could potentially be drawn by the heated pitot (if it is cold enough) it probably would not be a problem since once on the field is stable it would not affect the magnetometer. It was the wiring harnesses for the strobe and landing lights that are the real problem because they aren't shielded, and since both will be pulsed, that means an electromagnetic field that will be repeatedly growing and collapsing which will have a far greater effect on the nearby magnetometer. He recommended using mu metal (yeah, I hadn't heard of it either) to wrap all of the wiring harnesses in the vicinity to help mitigate the field near the magnetometer.
So, my first question to those who are now flying and have both heated pitot and wig wag landing lights with their wiring harnesses running near the magnetometer, does it indeed impact the functioning of the magnetometer? And secondly, has anyone used mu metal to shield any of their wiring harnesses? Was it effective?
Thanks,
So, my first question to those who are now flying and have both heated pitot and wig wag landing lights with their wiring harnesses running near the magnetometer, does it indeed impact the functioning of the magnetometer? And secondly, has anyone used mu metal to shield any of their wiring harnesses? Was it effective?
Thanks,
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