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Ground power

houndsfour

Active Member
I'm looking for any information on installing some sort of ground power connecter in my 6. Looked at what is available from Aircraft Spruce but I don't see any way of installing them and make them look neat. Any ideas?
Rich
N721ET
 
Do you want a connector that can carry enough current to jump start the engine with a dead battery, or one that is only enough to charge a dead battery.

Big difference here, both in cost and weight.
 
Like Mike stated, there are two approaches.

I made a decision that prevents me from jump starting, hoping in, and then go flying. This prevents the temptation of flying on batteries that aren't fully charged.

I used connectors from Powerlet that I got off Amazon. Their original intended used is on motorcycles. They are small, lightweight, and plenty adequate for a trickle charger. They are just a little smaller than a traditional cigarette lighter adapter.
 
I uses battery maintainer. I'm looking for a "jump start" connecter .
After 10 years of flying my 6 I left the battery switch on. Luckily I was at my home base. It was a real pain to get a jump.
Rich
 
There are two common ones, both sold at ACS. The Cessna and Piper style. The Piper version is a little smaller. As to which style is better, I don't know that answer. Most FBOs should be able to support either of them.

I have a Cessna style jack and plug, purchased from ACS, never installed, that I will sell for a discount if anyone is interested.
 
Jumper Socket & Polarized Connector

What I have used since the middle '80's is a small(ish) automotive polarized socket/connector combination. I like it for its size and convenience for mounting. They are sold by www.awdirect.com, P/N's GL9A Lexan Plug & GL101 Polarized Socket.

I keep the socket with "stub" jumper cables - 18" long with terminal lugs in my underseat toolbox, and use it to connect with conventional jumper cables whenever I need assistance.

Thx

HFS
RV4 S/N 1136 Sold
HR II S/N 002 Flying 850+ hrs
RV3B Building
 
I made my own, in fact I just finished it last night. I went to Radio Shack and bought a 1/4" mono headset jack (don't use stereo, the design has it shorting the tip to the barrel as you insert the plug, which will blow the fuse) and plugs to fit. I installed the jack in the left fuselage where it is exposed with the flaps down and covered with the flaps up (always park with flaps down, discourages people from stepping on them to get up on the wing). The jack goes inside the fuse obviously, and protrudes about an 1/8" which leaves plenty clearance from the flap as it runs up and down. I ran a wire directly to the battery (in my case the battery is aft of the baggage compartment) and put a 15-amp fuse at the battery to protect the wire. The jack grounds to the aircraft skin when you install it, no need to provide a specific ground wire since total current will be low anyway, so I only ran a hot wire to the battery.

I bought two plugs and ran a hot wire and ground wire between them about 2 feet apart - one plugs into the aircraft, and the other provides a very convenient tip and barrel for standard battery charger clamps to clamp onto. The whole thing weighs about an ounce and can hide in a small crevice somewhere in the airplane to use on the road with any standard battery charger. This will NOT pull enough power to jump start, but it will allow you to put a charger on the battery while you are running electronics on the ground, or to charge a low/dead battery at the normal charging rates. Total cost was something like 6 bucks.

This is the left wing root with flaps down and the plug installed. The jack is completely covered with flaps up.

qlgx.jpg
 
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Personally I like something that is industry standard. When you need juice is not the time to be screwing around, trying to match your connector with the one that the FBO expects. (Assuming that it will be the day that you are stuck on a cross country.)

I have an excellent APU connector that I no longer need (lost medical). Am in Central America right now; however will be home in 1-1/2 weeks. PM me if interested.

APU1_thumb.jpg

APU2_thumb.jpg

APU3_thumb.jpg
 
I've installed a ground power receptacle in my RV-10 but that's for 24V. I don't think I want to go to all that trouble for my 12V -6A. The times I've jumped it ($%^&&!! alternator) has always been with standard cables from a car battery. It's a pain connecting through the oil door or de-cowling, so I've been pondering running a lead from the positive to a covered lug near the exhausts. I could clip the negative to the exhausts themselves. Has anyone tried this approach? Seems similar to jumping a car (cable to positive lug, ground to frame).
 
The Piper Style

was much easier for me to install on our RV-10. One of the other posters suggested carrying a small "stub" plug/cable set up so anyone with car jumpers could help you --- good idea. When I install ground-power on my -6A, it will be with the Piper style.
 
I don't use a ground power plug myself, but saw a Piper style receptacle mounted on the belly of a Rocket, right below the battery. Thought that was pretty clever. Minimal weight thanks to the short leads and "hidden" mounting without any effort.
 
I've had 3 planes with recepticles like Mike Culver shows, they mate with an AN2551 plug, which I have on the end of a conventional jumper cable.
They also accept battery charger 'alligator clips' with a little care. So you can put a smart charger on and leave it all night with no worries. Tho- a direct short from the + to ground thru the alligator clip would be bad.
It would be better to have an AN2551 plug with exposed terminals for battery charger connection. I whittled one up out of a block of wood for that (being a low amp application)
 
I installed a plug below and behind the subpanel on the copilot side. I wanted to be able to jump start when I am alone and without leaving the running airplane. I made some adapters and can also use a regular automotive jumper cable.
I have however a thick unfused 12V power cable in the cokpit like many airplanes have with rear mounted batteries, so it should be o.k.
I saw some airplanes with plugs mounted on the lower firewall with a cutout on the cowling.


 
over the 17yrs of flying I've had the battery in the cockpit, then in the engine compartment [that's how van's was now doing it], and now back where it started[the added cockpit space wasn't really used or needed]. a dead battery on a x/c is a pain, especially with it in the engine compartment. those certified sockets are heavy and way expensive. I added a hinge to the front of the battery box allowing me access to the pos+ terminal. I can easily get std auto jumper cable to it. I have a cig lighter socket that runs straight to the battery. my gps uses it and I run the battery tender thru it.
 
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