REFLECTOR: Dead Aeroflash power unit

[Jorge Bujanda]

Hiroo,
I am always weary of the Dremel when using it for certain critical tasks like this one.
Those Dremel bits can really damage a part in no time if they get stuck in the material
for whatever reason.  My approach may be somewhat unorthodox but it has proven to be fast,
simple and secure every time.  When I want to remove a rivet, I use a drill bit of the
same rivet size in a slow drill and very carefully drill the rivet head until it separates
from the body.  The hole in the rivet head acts as a guide for the drill bit.  Sometimes I
just stop slightly short of separating the head and just brake it off with a slight pull.
If done slowly and carefully, it allows easy removal of the rivet parts leaving the hole
intact for the new one.  Just a thought.
 
Regards,
Jorge Bujanda
Velocity XL FG 
Palmdale, CA
Website:  http://members.dslextreme.com/users/jbujanda/
 
"Make your best case... not the best case."
"Spare the noise... convince through silence."
 
 
  _____  

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Hiroo
Umeno
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 10:06 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Dead Aeroflash power unit
 
Thanks y'all.  I am taking that thing apart this evening.  They riveted the case shut so
it will take a bit of handi-work with a Dremel.
 
Hiroo
 
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On Behalf Of Ron
Brown
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 9:42 AM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Dead Aeroflash power unit
 
Hiroo,
For $5, its worth a try!  By the way, Whelen has a similar problem if left unused.  I got
this out of my notes:

 
"Just firing up after a long period of not using your

strobes WILL ruin the capacitors.  Maybe even cause them to explode!

Whelan warns against this.

 

Proper procedure is to remove the flash tube, apply 75% of normal supply

voltage for 10 to 15 minutes. Wait until the capacitor discharges ( hour).

Re-install the flash tube. You can then use full voltage without harming the

capacitor. All this and the full story in the November Issue of the Experimenter, p 39!
(don't know what year - 2000?)

 

 
Speaking of strobes - I found that if the inside of the heavy glass strobe tube cover is
turning milky colored, it is a sign that moisture is leaking in.  After buying two
replacement tubes over two years, my I/A friend had a used spare he had pulled.  We sealed
the glass to the rubber strobe seat with RTV.  That strobe is still working after 10
years!
 
Ron
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Hiroo Umeno <mailto:humeno at microsoft.com>  
To: reflector at tvbf.org 
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 11:53 AM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Dead Aeroflash power unit
 
Hello folks,
 
In inspecting my plane this weekend, I found out that my left wing flasher wasn't
flashing.  After a rather lengthy contortionist acts with the wrenches, I pulled both left
and right side flasher power unit and determined that the failure follows the power unit
that came out of the left wingroot.
 
In reviewing the FAQ from the Aeroflash's web site, I discovered that these things have
"shelf life" where if they sit inactive for over a year, they are likely to fail when you
get it started up.  Given that the thing has sat for over five years without running power
to them, I can imagine them going "bad".  According to the site, the problem is in the
electrolytic capacitor that loses its polarity and overheats when powered back up.
 
That gives me enough information to "refurb" the unit for probably less than $5 when the
new one is over $100.  I am quite handy with soldering iron and am comfortable messing
around in the electronics.  The question is.  Is that advisable?  Has anyone seen this
happen and successfully repaired it?
 
Hiroo

  _____  

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