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Thread: Occupancy Sensor

  1. #21
    cluttonfred's Avatar
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    I like the idea of wiring a low current draw LED strobe directly to the master circuit with no switch, just a fuse you can pull if you want to shut it off while working on the plane, pretty hard to miss, and you can lose the big strobe and the nav lights and the unused wires. These look good, much cheaper than the aircraft type, mounted through a hole with the rubber grommet or on the surface with the flange mount, draw 1.2 amps, about 4 cm diameter and 3 cm high: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...g-lights/1905/

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    Last edited by cluttonfred; 02-17-2018 at 05:34 PM.
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  2. #22
    cub builder's Avatar
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    You could try this new concept developed by the government. They call it a checklist. It has been known to help folks to remember little details like mag switches, master switches, etc. It does require a certain amount of self discipline which I apparently lack.

    FWIW, On the occasion that I leave my master on and kill the battery, it's almost invariably not after flying, but after doing some kind of maintenance work; typically avionics where I've had things powered up for a while, then forget to shut off the master. Or, I was demo-ing my latest whizz bang avionics toy for someone and failed to turn off the master. Invariably, I don't find it until the next preflight right before I plan to launch. That's the one time that any of these Rube Goldberg fixes (including checklists) fail as I would invariably get annoyed by the flashing strobes, LEDs, or noise makers during a demo or maintenance and find a way to defeat them while I'm working on the plane or demo-ing a toy for someone.

    My personal methodology as a pilot is to ensure all the switches are off and I scribble my tach time onto my clipboard before I release the belts. Once it becomes habit, it works in every plane, no matter what you fly. However, I have never developed a method to reliably remember to shut off the master after maintenance or after reaching into the cockpit to demo some piece of equipment. Man, I hate it when I'm at an Fly In and show something to someone, then come back the next morning to find myself with a dead battery. Yes. I have done that.

    -Cub Builder

  3. #23
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cub builder View Post
    You could try this new concept developed by the government. They call it a checklist. It has been known to help folks to remember little details like mag switches, master switches, etc. It does require a certain amount of self discipline which I apparently lack.
    But just like you, most of my near-misses have been in case where checklists DON'T help... casual, informal, working around the airplane after the flying is done.

    My first case was a post-flight failure...and I did change my shutdown procedure to reduce the chance of recurrence. But it doesn't help if one is just fiddling with the plane. I'll admit going a bit OCD since I burned out a second battery in one of these instances. I do tend to check the switch position several times before leaving the hangar, and have driven back to take a last look. Just looking for a set of suspenders to go the belt I've added to my Sansabelt pants.

    Ron Wanttaja

  4. #24

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    Smart Phone + RFDuino approach

    One possibility that is relevant only if you also use a smart phone (iOS / Android): wire a small RFDuino-based device under your panel. It's a 3-volt, super low current device. Small custom app on your phone communicates over Bluetooth with the RFDuino. Alerts you if the power-down cycle hasn't occurred. I build little apps like that; so, I could walk you through it. I'm based north of Seattle in Anacortes.
    Last edited by conodeuce; 03-20-2018 at 09:11 AM. Reason: Typo

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