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Engine Hour Meter

Former Member

I am building a microlight aeroplane and I want to fit an Hour Meter to it to record the running hours on the engine. Such meters are usually wired up to the Master Switch so they in fact record the time that electrical power is switched on and not the time that the engine is running. Is it possible to use one of your meters wired up so that it uses the signal to the 'ignition warning light' as the trigger as to when to record , ie when the master switch is ON and the ignition warning light is OFF, the meter is recording. I have attached a copy of the wiring diagram which may be of assistance. The type of meter I would like to install is the Curtis Model 701.

 

 

Regards

 

Bill Gill

Attachments:
imageHour Meter Wiring.docx
  • 0

    It's certainly possible but I can't read your diagram (using Libre Office) - could you please post it in a different format (pdf or jpg).

     

    MK

  • 0 in reply to michaelkellett

    Hi Michael,

     

    Thanks for taking a look at my question. I have attached a .jpg picture of the relevant part of the wiring diagram. The quality of the picture is not brilliant but you should be able to see what's on it. The diagram shows a Master Warning Buzzer next to the Hour Meter. This buzzer seems to be triggered by a signal from the 'L' terminal of the Rectifier Regulator. I am guessing that this buzzer serves the same purpose as an ignition warning light in that it indicates when the battery is not charging (when the Master Switch is ON). Can this signal from the 'L' terminal be used to trigger the hour meter so that it is only accumulating time when the engine is generating enough power to charge the battery ?

     

    Best Regards

     

    Bill Gill

    Attachments:
    image
  • 0 in reply to Former Member

    In principle you could wire  a relay with its coil across the warning buzzer and normally closed contacts in series with the hour meter. If the vehicle was a lawnmower I would suggest that you give it a try. I think that there may be some need for caution in a 'plane (of any kind) so I suggest that you should find the specifications for the regulator and discuss the issue with the engine manufacturer before flying in it !

     

    MK

  • 0 in reply to michaelkellett

    Hi Michael,

     

    Thanks for the reply. I had thought about the relay solution but looking through the list of available gauges, the Curtis Model 701 has 3 wires, the 3rd wire being a signal wire and the answer I was realy looking for is can the signal from the Rectifier Regulator be used, via the 3rd wire, to trigger the meter to record only when the battery is charging ?

     

    Regards

     

    Bill