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Skyview and AP Panel

DonFromTX

Well Known Member
I wanted the features that the Dynon AP panel provided me and mine just arrived. I have the installation guide of course, but trying to integrate that with my already completed RV12 Skyview wiring has some of the wheels in my brain going into high speed wobbles.
Has anyone already done this, and/or is there a wiring diagram that helps me out?
 
I wanted the features that the Dynon AP panel provided me and mine just arrived. I have the installation guide of course, but trying to integrate that with my already completed RV12 Skyview wiring has some of the wheels in my brain going into high speed wobbles.
Has anyone already done this, and/or is there a wiring diagram that helps me out?


I just did this in the past few days. Follow the KAI instructions, then download the 12.xx updates from the Van's website including the expert autopilot download. There is also a multipage pdf file that is pretty important.

There is really only 7 wires you have to deal with...unplug the old a/p in the network hub, remove the 4 wires below the console (into the red switch)....new wiring is straightforward.

The hardest part was the removal/insertion of the pins in the switch panel 25 pin plug....a hard tug pulls those pins out intact and then you need to insert the 3 new ones....i just electrical taped off the old ones.

There are 4 new wires for the a/p red button sw as well - I ended up at frys electronics and just cut the old connector and bought a new one.

When you run the updates - you need to do the find network devices - and it will find and update the a/p panels and re-boot. Follow the long pdf guide on the vans downloads page for 12.xx......Then the panels will work fine and should have flashing red lights on the back when connected to the network.

As an aside these panels are nice - but then again I am a biased glorified button pusher. You push the ALT button and the altitude resets to your altitude - same with heading and BARO does GPS altimeter setting - nice for uncontrolled airports.
 
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Well, I still need help, I have spent over a week trying to access this information without success. I don't know why the Vans stuff is so hard for me to download or read, but I have not been able to get to any of this stuff John graciously shared with me. Would someone actually download this and either give me a link or a copy of what is hidden there?
 
D-Sub pin removal

The way to remove a pin is to position the tool around the wire and push the tool all of the way into the hole before gently pulling on the wire. If the pin does not come out easily, then rotate the tool 30 degrees and try again. Keep repeating until the wire comes out easily without pulling hard. Do not pull the wire until the tool is bottomed out in the hole.
 
Here is the pdf file:

http://vansaircraft.com/public/download/RV-12/SkyView/SV-PRE-SETS-READ-ME-03-04-15.pdf

Here is the 12.xx file - it is a zip file so it has to be unzipped first (several programs and some browsers will do this automatically for you....)

http://vansaircraft.com/public/download/RV-12/SkyView/12-SV12.0-Software&Settings_03-24-15.zip

There are multiple files in this zip file - some you need and some you don't need. I skipped the knob dimmer and the simplified autopilot panel files when I transferred them to my USB stick.

Keep in mind that your autopilot settings need to be set to EXPERT mode in the Skyview setup menu as well.

My ap and knob panels would not function until i did the find new network items (it showed the servos and the transponder, etc already) and then it popped up with a menu found new....needs software update....do you want to run this....

As for the DB25 pins I would defer to Joe - my tool wouldn't get them out without a hard tug however. The molex style 4-pin a/p off red button does require a tool but you can buy replacement connectors at radio shack and Frys Electronics (my 4 new wires came with female molex pins already so I threaded them through the panel bottom, cut the old female connectors, pulled out the old wires and put the new female molex pins into a new connector and plugged them into the connector coming off the red button a/p disconnect sw.)
 
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What wiring harness do you have? The conversion ones from D180 to Skyview?

Don, I noticed your S/N being 461 do you have the conversion harnesses for D180 to Skyview? If so I have a modified diagram of what I did to add the AP.
 
I don't fully understand how the RV-12 wiring works, but there are 2 skyview network ports (9-pin dsub) on the back of the screen. You can unplug one wire going there and plug it into the ap panel as well, then run a 1.5' Skyview network cable from e our port on the ap panel and run it to the screen.
 
I do have the 180 to Skyview conversion harness. I would love your wiring diagram!
QUOTE=Skunkworks;980915]Don, I noticed your S/N being 461 do you have the conversion harnesses for D180 to Skyview? If so I have a modified diagram of what I did to add the AP.[/QUOTE]
 
RV-12 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (Finish Kit Shipped prior to 08-25-11) 03-22-12 w 8-31-14 AP

Link below to PDF version of RV-12 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (Finish Kit Shipped prior to 08-25-11) 03-22-12 with 8-31-14 AP-KNOB MOD, Look Bottom Right for the addition of the A/P knob
Click here for PDF
 
Mark,
I know the thread is dated now, but I too would like to see your wiring changes to accommodate the autopilot and bugs knobs with the conversion harness.
The link in your email did not work, hopefully it is still available.
Many thanks.
Dick Sipp
 
auto-pilot panel

Don,

I just installed those in my RV-12 with a conversion harness. The one thing I didn't see mentioned so far is that after they are installed and you have the network find them, you also have to go into the calibration menu and in order for the auto trim feature to work.

I used a pin removal tool for both d-sub and molex connectors. I borrowed them from another pilot on my field.

Also, be sure to disconnect the battery before starting work.

John
 
auto-pilot panel

Don,

Search these forums. There is a long post with pictures from a guy that installd these modules in a RV-12 with the conversion harness. I don't remember his name, but it was very helpful.

John
 
John, do you have any information on what changes you had to make to the conversion or other wiring harnesses to get the control panels to work?
Dick Sipp
 
auto-pilot panel

The conversion harness is not really a problem. On the newer RV-12's without the conversion harness, the only wires on the auto-pilot cable are the 4 wires that go under the panel to the molex plug. As I remember Van's instructions, they are disconnect the d-sub plug from the AV-50000, remove the wires from the molex plug, save the plug, and throw away the old auto-pilot cable.

With the conversion the wires from the d-sub autopilot cable go into one of two conversion d-subs. The 4 wires from the molex connector go into the other side of one of those d-sub connectors. So you can't just throw those cables away. So after I disconnected the 4 wires from the molex connector, I cut them off, put heat shrink over the ends, and taped up the ends of the d-sub auto-pilot connector, and labeled it old and not used.

I got the new wiring harness with the kit from Van's and hooked up the 4 wires to the old molex connector, made the other connections as Van's instructions say, and hooked it all up and it worked. I had two problems. First, I went to the Skyview setup and had the network search for the new items. After doing that, the auto-trim function was not recognized. I then learned that you have to go into the calibration menu and let it calibrate the auto-trim function before it will work.

The other problem was that I put in Tosten grip and I had the pitch trim backwards. That was an east fix, just switch two wires on the d-sub that goes into the back of the auto-pilot module.

I had one more problem. I did not disconnect the battery before I started. There is an internal one amp fuse in the Switch Module that controls the voltage regulator. After I was done with the upgrades and they all worked, the battery was not charging. I presumed that the Ducati had failed, so I replaced it with a John Deere. It did not work either. After extensive trouble shooting. I found that that 1 amp internal fuse was blown. Eric from Van's then told me that the new wiring plan for the voltage regualtor is to just jump the small yellow wire (the one that used to go through the switch module and that 1 amp fues) over to the white wire on the regulator. I did that and the battery is charging properly.

My take away from all this is that before you make the holes for the auto-pilot and knob module, take out the com radio tray and the switch module. Then there is no way particles can fall down into the switch module.

I found the name of the guy that posted the extensive article on installing these modules in an RV-12 with a conversion harness. His name is Jim Schmetterling of Schmetterling Aviation. Search the forums for his article. If you can't find it, I have it on my ipad as a pdf file.

His article, Dynon, and Van's support were extremely helpful to me and without all of them, my stuff would not be working.

I installed the GPS 2020, ADS-B 472, auto-pilot control module, auto-pilot knob module, AOA, and a new stick grip, Tosten, with pitch trim and auto-pilot disconnect all in the same project. It was a larger undertaking that I realized at the beginning. It took me three weeks, working all day Mon-Fri, and then a couple of more days to solve the battery charging problem.

I hope this helps. If I can help further I will be glad to try. I have only flown 3 flights since adding all of this equipment but it is great and truly worth the effort.
 
Eric from Van's then told me that the new wiring plan for the voltage regulator is to just jump the small yellow wire (the one that used to go through the switch module and that 1 amp fues) over to the white wire on the regulator.
The problem with doing that is that the master switch no longer controls the alternator. If there is smoke in the cockpit, shutting off the master switch will not shut off electrical power. Don't believe me? Then shut off the master switch during cruise and see what happens.
 
auto-pilot module

Don,

That is the article I was referring to. It helped me a lot when I was installing mine.
 
regulator

Joe,

This is a question. The battery wire on the regulator, on mine a white wire, comes from the master relay. So when the master is turned, it has power, when the master is off, it does not have power.

But that battery wire is directly connected to the generator wire, so are you saying when the engine is running and the generator is producing power, even after shutting the master off, it will still have power on it?

If that is the case, it seems to me a simple fix is to run that jumper wire from one lug to the other throiugh the one side of the master switch.

John
 
If that is the case, it seems to me a simple fix is to run that jumper wire from one lug to the other through the one side of the master switch.
Agreed. That is the way that it was wired before Eric from Van's suggested that you bypass the master switch and fuse.
The safest way to fix it is to put it back the way it was and replace the fuse.
I agree with everything that Mike Miller posted above.
 
voltage regulator

Eric was not just giving me a work around. He sent me a picture of the new Silent Hektik mod and it is just jumped from one pin to the other. The only problem with replacing the fuse is it has to be send back to Vans as it is an internal fuse soldered to the circuit board.

Since Van's is now recommending the jumper method, at least on the Silent Hektik ones, it seems to me that they have decided the fuse is not necessary. So my plan is next time I have the avionics compartment opened, I am going to run the small yellow wire that supplies 12 volts to turn on the regulator through the master switch. Then I will be able to shut it off, it will just not have the fuse protection.

I have ordered a Silent Hektik regulator. I decided it is worth the cost because it has built in over-voltage protection. When I get it, I will probably run the wire through the switch.

Thanks for your comments. I do learn from them.
 
Voltage Regulator

That is the diagram I was refering to. It is in the instructions for the modification kit to install the Silent Hektik regulator on the original RV-12.
 
Voltage Regulator

There is a post, that I can't find again, on this forum from a gentlemen who had smoke in the avionics area in his RV-12 with the Ducati regulator mounted in the cockpit on the passenger side. I don't remember if he shut the Master switch off or not, but I remember he pulled the 30 amp fuse and the smoke continued. He then pulled the wires off the regulator and the smoke stopped.

He put up pictures of his conversion to the Silent Hektik regulator and his new blast tube setup. It was a very nice setup and I plan on copying it when I receive my Silent Hektik regulator.

I need to start bookmarking these posts when I find them.
 
I have contacted Van's Aircraft about the voltage regulator wiring. I was told that regulator terminals "C" and "B" are connected together on the RV-12is per Rotax documentation. Face to face meetings between Van's and Rotax confirmed that wiring. Rotax did not give a reason for eliminating a switch in regulator terminal "C" circuit. I assume that Rotax wants to assure that there will be electrical power available as a backup to operate the fuel pump and ignition if the primary engine electrical source fails.
If it is desired to disable the charging system while flying, the 30 amp fuse can be pulled.
 
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