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Dynon AOA/Pitot heater control placement

F

Flying Scotsman

Well Known Member
Did a search but couldn't find anything...any suggestions or "gotchas" or whatever about where and how to mount the controller unit? I'm assuming the best place is on the rib right near the pitot mast...anyone have any good ideas about precisely *how* mount it (such as, in such a way as to make it serviceable, etc.)?

TIA!

Steve
 
I put the pitot mast in the next bay outboard from the one with the bellcrank in it and the controller in the same bay as the bellcrank on a bracket attached to the outboard rib of that bay. The bracket has nutplates and easy access through the inspection opening in case it ever needs to come out. Conduit, 1.5" thin walled PVC waterpipe runs just above it with an opening for the wires to drop down --- also with easy access through the inspection opening.
 
What I did...

I did as you mention... on the rib in the same bay (just outboard of the bellcrank) as the pitot. I contemplated putting it in the same bay as the bellcrank to make it easier to get at for servicing, but decided against it for a couple reasons. One, the rib stamping around the lightening holes are an "outie" in this bay ("innie" on the other side of the rib in the outboard bay), which makes it a cleaner mount, and two, I preferred to keep the wires away from the bellcrank and pushrods.

I used nutplates to mount it, so should still be able to get it out by reaching through the lightening hole to unscrew if required. Wouldn't be easy, but doable.

All this based on my own intuition, not instruction or documentation... YMMV.
 
Pitot heated

Already installed my Van's supplied pitot years ago when there wasn't an affordable heated version. Is it possible to install the heated version with controller in the wing after it has already been "buttoned" up? I thought about installing the OAT sensor where the factory spec'd is. Is it possible? One more question...for those that installed to controller next to the pitot what size wire, and how did you run it to the Dynon unit? Conduit seperate or with other wires?
 
Dynon Pitot

For the Dynon heated pitot, I ran 3 wires to the bay for the controller. There are the two power wires (power and ground) and a third wire for a "status light" to come on. My installation used 14AWG for the power wires, 22AWG for the "status light" wire.

Iwould have to go back and look, but I believe this was per Dynon.
 
O.K., it is learning time. My learning that is. :)

I was not aware that heated pitots had a controller unit----------and I got one!!!

As I bought a partially completed project, I am going to plead ignorance here. The wing was already closed, and the pitot installation is done.

Is this controller common to all heated pitots, or just Dynon??? Is it something that is required, or an accessory that some folks put in??? Is the controller common to all brands of heated pitot??

If my memory is correct, there is only one wire labeled for the pitot, should there be more??

Guess I better pull the inspection cover, and see what is going on in there.
 
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Mike I've seen several different heated pitots. Some use a controller and others don't. The controller is really an energy saving feature. On the Dynon the control box regulates the current to the pitot automatically depending on temperature when the pitot heat is selected on. I believe it has 3 settings 0 amps, 5 amps or 10amps. As far as the panel connection, I only have a SPST switch that just switches the power from the bus on a single wire.

Rocky
 
Dynon Pitot and Control Box Installation

This is how I mounted the Dynon Pitot and control box.

I mounted the pitot one bay outboard just as the Dynon instructions stated. It is nowhere near the tie down rings, so there should be no damage from securing the aircraft.

I fastened (plain ole pop rivets) an .024 angle across the lightening hole to afix the wires to. I drilled the angle and used plastic "trees" to run the tie wrap around the wires. If you don't have plastic trees, just drill a small hole for the tie wrap in the angle.

See:
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/1875/img0269ce7.jpg


Then, I made a bracket with legs that straddled the "outie" former on the rib. I pop riveted each of the 4 legs and added nut plates to secure the control box.

See:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9784/img0270ui8.jpg
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3002/img0271yd9.jpg

This seems to be a nice installation. I installed the skin with clecoes and installed the box and connected the wires thru the bell crank access panel just to see if it was doable.

It worked fine.

This is my first attempt to post pictures with a message, so we'll see if it all worked.
 
vlittle said:
I mounted mine on the inspection panel. Saved a lot of cussing and swearing.

Vern
Click to expand...

To revisit this...now that I'm mounting the wings for final fit/rigging checks, wiring runs, etc., this is looking more and more like a better solution than were I had it (was looking tonight at where I drilled the rib and figuring how to reinstall it now that the wing is all closed up...looks like a pain, although doable).

So, Vern...any issues after all this time? If not, this might be the way I go to ease wiring connections, etc.

TIA...

Steve
 
AOA Heater

I positioned my heater across the lightening holes just outboard of the pitot tube
That way I could open the access panel and then have access to it should I have a problem. I used No 6 screws and nylocks to fasten it,
Smilin Jack
 
Guys: I, too, went with the Dynon heated pitot after having my unheated Dynon pitot ice up. In those days, the loss of airpeed caused the D-180 PFD to become unreliable, Dynon now switches to GPS groundspeed when airpeed is lost. I mounted my control unit on the nearby inspection plate. I have wire run tubing with strings in each wing from tip to root, and it was not too hard to cut a hole in the tubing and grap one of the strings and pull control wires from the inspection plate area into the cockpit and up to the panel. Dan
 
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