Ray Allen trim with auto pilot RV-9A

I have the garmin install manual 700+ pages. I still have a question on ray Allen elevator/ wing balance servo installation. Is the ra servos hooked up to the garmin gmc 305? Or is the ra servos just used to trim the plane when you are not using auto pilot( gsa28)? Can you use the ray Allen servo for yaw? If not, where do you in stall the yaw servo? I am using two g3x, gud 73,gmu22, and gmu22.
Also I am thinking about AOA , can I use a gsu25 as backup and for the AOA? I will need to purchase this unit. What do you think about using AOA ?

I forget the section in the manual, but you wire the trim motors *through* the GSA 28 servos. This allows the G3X system to auto-trim when the A/P is engaged. When the A/P is not engaged, trim control signals are passed straight through the servos.

The yaw damper, I think, is really only used for the RV-10, being a bigger plane. I haven't heard of / seen any other RV using the yaw damper servo.

Is this the section

I found page d-4 figure d1.4 shows pin 11,12,13 and 14 to switches and trim motor. These pins are on the gsa28 servo. If so, do you have to wire these pins to a ray Allen relay deck to allow both pilot and copilot to have trim switches on their sticks?

Gizmos said:

I found page d-4 figure d1.4 shows pin 11,12,13 and 14 to switches and trim motor. These pins are on the gsa28 servo. If so, do you have to wire these pins to a ray Allen relay deck to allow both pilot and copilot to have trim switches on their sticks?

Click to expand...

Yep. That's in there too.

Gizmos said:

I found page d-4 figure d1.4 shows pin 11,12,13 and 14 to switches and trim motor. These pins are on the gsa28 servo. If so, do you have to wire these pins to a ray Allen relay deck to allow both pilot and copilot to have trim switches on their sticks?

Click to expand...

Yes, a relay is still required, per installation instructions. There are a number on the market, including the RA brand. I opted for a single board that will handle both trim servos and flap control from either stick.

There is a way to wire both sticks to control trim without a relay. A search of the forum should bring it up.

What board is that, Ray? I'm finishing up my wiring pinout assignments, and was about to order separate RA relays for the trims and flaps.

sbalmos said:

What board is that, Ray? I'm finishing up my wiring pinout assignments, and was about to order separate RA relays for the trims and flaps.

Click to expand...

This site has single and three axis relays.

EDIT: In the interest of competition, PH Aviation also provides nice relays.
http://www.phaviation.com/

... and now I'm going to have to go back to my notes, or do the research again, because I'm wiring my trim and flap switches to the VPX, then the VPX trim outputs to the GSA servos, and then the trim motors. I forget whether the relays are needed for VPX trim/flap wiring. Some nagging thought in the back of my head seems to say no.

sbalmos said:

... and now I'm going to have to go back to my notes, or do the research again, because I'm wiring my trim and flap switches to the VPX, then the VPX trim outputs to the GSA servos, and then the trim motors. I forget whether the relays are needed for VPX trim/flap wiring. Some nagging thought in the back of my head seems to say no.

Click to expand...

No relays required when using the VP-X. If controlling the trim relays from only one stick or switch, no relay is needed. Flaps may need a relay, depending on the load capability of the switch in use. Stick grip switches may not be rated for the load, so a relay could be needed (as in my case).

I am using two Infinity grips and want full control from either seat so went with the 3-way relay from Composite Design. While reviewing the PH Aviation site, I noted they have up-stop limit switches so I just ordered one of those too.

Yup, I'll need relays then. I want full trim and flaps controls for both sticks (Tosten CS-8, using the two side thumb buttons for flaps up and down). Going to be doing my instrument training in my bird eventually, so the pax is my instructor.

sbalmos said:

Yup, I'll need relays then. I want full trim and flaps controls for both sticks (Tosten CS-8, using the two side thumb buttons for flaps up and down). Going to be doing my instrument training in my bird eventually, so the pax is my instructor.

Click to expand...

Scott,

The VP-X handles the flap and trim relay functionality. Your stick buttons will be wired to the VP-X and the rest will be handled by the VP-X internal relays.

If you plug your info into the VP-X configurator, it will help with showing how to wire it all together.

I'm well-aware of the VPX's pinouts and configurator Ray. Just was unsure in my notes whether the inputs from the two sticks can be spliced together into a single input wire into the VPX, or whether it's better / necessary to use a relay for that. Stupid me didn't look directly at VP's website (or manual for that matter).

More coffee is called for. Or maybe more beer, considering I was working on my canopy this weekend.

Don't for the end of the CAN

If I read it correctly, you must install the special plug on each of the sa 28 servos to allow the uses of the manual trim when the ap is not in use, is this correct?

There's a removal adapter that has to be installed in place of the A/P servo if the A/P servo is disconnected. That will connect your manual electric trim switches to the trim servos so you still have trim. If the A/P servos are connected, you won't have the removal adapter installed.

When the A/P is off, switch inputs are sent directly to the trim servos. When the A/P is active, it can auto-trim the airplane.

If you were to remove one of the GSA 28 servos, yes, you would need to install the adapter in its place, but this is for continuity of the CAN bus. If you didn't install it you could lose everything on the CAN bus, which is a lot. Normally, the adapters are not installed, just when you pull a GSA 28 servo.

G3x installation

I have the electric connection and the garmin installation manual. Anyone living in burbank ca area that would be interested in doing a little wiring? I would pay someone to help with this project. I went to eaa workshop and have done lots of electric wiring on misc projects. Just looking to speed up the job.

Gsa28 connection?

Does pins 11,12 on GSA 28 into the green and orange wire coming out of ray Allen rel-2 relay deck? Does pin 13,14 go to black and (red and blue) on rel-2? Also with the relay decks, do you hook up both switches ( used to move the same servo) form the pilot and copilot stick to these switches? Pig back them? What happen if the pilot pushes one direction and the copilot goes the other way? A drawing would really help. I got the CAN questions answered, thanks

No, the orange and green wires from the relay go to your stick grip. The two white wires from the relay go to pins 11 and 12 on the GSA28. Then pins 13 and 14 go to your trim motor.

Check out Figure 23-1.6, page 23-6 of the Garmin Install Manual, Revison U. Don't worry too much about polarity, you will sort that out in the configuration software.

Gizmos said:

Also with the relay decks, do you hook up both switches ( used to move the same servo) form the pilot and copilot stick to these switches? Pig back them? What happen if the pilot pushes one direction and the copilot goes the other way? A drawing would really help. I got the CAN questions answered, thanks

Click to expand...

Yes, you can hook up both switches from the pilot and copilot stick to the green and orange wires on the relay deck. If the pilot pushes in one direction and the copilot in the opposite direction, the trim motor simply stops. This is the way it works on the big airplanes . If both pilots push in the same direction, the trim motor is not affected.

Thanks pat, just wiring all the servos. I may have more questions, thanks for your help. Want to get my rv9a flying. Sold my 6 last year.

Wires from ra t3-12a servo

Ok pat, I am running the sensor wiring from ray Allen servo t3-12a to gsu73. I found connecting showing the RA position sensor hooking up to the gsu 73 on pin 47 white,67 orange and xx blue. On the servo,you have two whites(motor) white/green,whte/blue and white orange. But the gsu drawing shows white ,orange and blue. I may be missing a drawing that shows the servo install, but G-1.1 shows RA sensor.

I believe you should be hooking up your RA trim servo sensor wires to your GEA24 if you want to have trim position gauges on your G3X. See Figure 26-2.3 on page 26-6 of the G3X Install Manual, revision U. So the three sensor wires, green, orange, & blue (stripes), should match up with the pin numbers on this diagram, pins 18,19, and 20 for elevator trim.

I like your idea of trying to get someone with wiring experience to help you finish this job, you'll learn a lot observing someone who has done this before. Not to mention this person having all the right tools and other odd and ends! But you can certainly do it yourself and learn a whole lot along the way. You might make a mistake here or there, but troubleshooting your mistakes is also a learning experience! One of the most common errors is miss-pinning, i.e, inserting a wire/pin in the wrong pin position. Triple check all of your pins before finishing a connector! Get a good magnifying glass! Don't assume numbers go from left to right! Sometimes it's right to left. Good luck with the project and post any other questions you might have.

Edit: in re-reading your post, I realize now that you have a GSU73 setup. So, yes, you are correct with pins 47, 67 and XX. With "XX" being a suitable signal ground pin on the GSU73, such as pins #18 and #37 on the same connector. You may have to use another signal ground from another sensor and splice into it if there are not enough signal ground pins in the connector. Correct figure number is 26-3.2, page 26-9. Sorry for the confusion.