REFLECTOR: Fuel gages, was Floaters

Sid Knox sbjknox at earthlink.net
Fri Jul 27 19:58:22 CDT 2007


 "Chuck Jensen" <cjensen at dts9000.com>  wrote:

> In addition to the GRT fuel indication, I have the twin tygon tubes, one
> on each tank and visible in the cabin.  The problem is, the fuel level
> is barely visible.
> Tygon darkens a bit in color over time (and yes, it
> is still soft and supple, not hard and ready to crack) and is close to
> the color of fuel.

Here is an alternate method that takes advantage of the difference in 
optical refraction of fuel vs. air.
The date was year 2002 and as you note Tygon was new and clear...now, 
darkened but still flexible.
It has always been rather dark back in the hole and unless the sunlight is 
just right, I usually use a flashlight to view the gages.  Part of this 
viewing problem is due to my "old eyes".  My 17 year-old son can easily see 
the gages (even with the darkened Tygon).

My Vision Microsytstems EPI 800 gives me "calculated fuel remaining" but 
after reading stories of fuel being siphoned out of a filler cap, which the 
EPI 800 would know nothing of, and because of my difficulty in viewing the 
sight gages, I became paranoid and installed
a digital readout (with low-level alarm) on the panel that uses a 
capacitance gage sensor.

Fine print:  the refraction idea is not mine...  I read about it in (?) 
Kitplanes.

Sid Knox
Oklahoma

Velocity  173 RG  N199RS
Starduster  N666SK
KR2         N24TC
W7QJQ

----- Original Message ----- 
From:To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 6:08 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Floaters


 Tygon darkens a bit in color over time (and yes, it
is still soft and supple, not hard and ready to crack) and is close to
the color of fuel.  When the fuel is sloshing around, its a bit easier
to see, but I want the two-second recognition solution. My quest is to
find a little red ball, or similar color, to put in the tygon tubing
that will float on the fuel.

During earlier postings, an integrated fuel sight gauge with ball was
discussed (and liked by many), but I don't want to change tubes, I just
want to plop balls in the tubes.  Any idea on a source or substitute
that could be used?

Chuck Jensen






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