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Dave's RV-7A Builder's Log
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Date:  10-23-2016
Number of Hours:  5.00
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Power on!

After months of planning and wiring, I was finally ready to test out the primary circuits to ensure that I had everything working properly. I need to pull the panel and finish it before I wire the switches and circuit breakers for good, so this was a good day to test the circuits. I had been running a series of continuity checks as I went along, so I was relatively certain I wouldn’t run into any issues, but the initial “smoke test” is an eventuality for every project…and today was that day for mine.

After installing the 60 amp current limiter to the main bus, and the 30 amp limiter to the hot battery bus, I cut and terminated the rest of the wires to the master switch and then dropped the battery into the tray. I had been trickle charging the battery so the voltage was good, all of the connections were set (I thought) and with nothing left to do, I connected the battery leads…no smoke so far. I climbed into the cockpit and moved the master switch to “Batt”…nothing. Hmmm…out to investigate and then realized that I hadn’t attached the lead to the master solenoid. Five minutes later I had that done and climbed back in. This time there was a satisfying clunk as the relay closed and the main bus power showed battery voltage…and still no smoke!

I then ran a series of tests: 1) voltage to the hot battery bus regardless of switch positions, 2) voltage to all busses in “Batt” and “Alt”, 3) voltage to the essential bus only with the battery off and the “Ess Bus” switch in the on position, and finally 4) power to all lights, pitot heat, boost pump, and primary avionics with the appropriate busses powered and the switches on and circuit breakers in. We have power…this is a big day!
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Voltage at the main bus...

Voltage at the main bus...

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Testing the boost pump circuit

Testing the boost pump circuit

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Power!

Power!

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