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G3X Thermocouple Connection

Doug Rohrer

Well Known Member
I need to connect the thermocouple leads from the G3X system to the CHT and EGT thermocouples on the engine. All sensors provided by Garmin. The sensors have little terminals while the leads from the G3X system are just TC wire. The directions just say to connect them. What is the correct way to do this? Crimp on little terminals to the leads and screw them together? I am concerned this would add another junction to the TC system. Somehow just wrapping a turn of the bare wire around the screw seems sketchy. Any advice? Thanks.
 
I ended up using OLC-1 connectors (https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/inpages/eioverlapolc-1-10-05470.php?clickkey=711794) which required me to cut off the supplied connectors. You can use other methods of course, but want to avoid soldering as this affects the way the thermocouples work.

The biggest challenge I found using these connectors is that the terminated wires in my kit didn't have much extra wire to work with, so I had to do it very carefully. I also used heat shrink wrap to protect the connections.

Not saying this is the best way but the way I approached it based on lots of prior threads on the topic.

FYI - here's a link to the OLC-1 company website with explanation of how the connectors work: https://buy-ei.com/portfolio/olc-1/
 
I need to connect the thermocouple leads from the G3X system to the CHT and EGT thermocouples on the engine. All sensors provided by Garmin. The sensors have little terminals while the leads from the G3X system are just TC wire. The directions just say to connect them. What is the correct way to do this? Crimp on little terminals to the leads and screw them together? I am concerned this would add another junction to the TC system. Somehow just wrapping a turn of the bare wire around the screw seems sketchy. Any advice? Thanks.

Crimp on a PIDG terminal and screw together with the supplied hardware. Make sure you use a good crimp tool as these sensor wires are sensitive to poor connections (most EGT/CHT faults I see are due to bad connections).
 
Be sure each pair of connections (where the two leads from the TC connect to their crimp-on connectors) is in the same basic location temperature-wise. If not, some indication errors can occur. Each change of metal type (TC wire to crimp-on connector, for example) will create voltages but these will offset when all connections (for each sensor) are in a similar environment.
 
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