REFLECTOR: Ever had one of those days? - Fight RG electrical problem

[Geoff Gerhardt]

Hi all,

So I've sorted out my RG electrical problems.  It was one of those things
where there were a couple separate issues causing problems.  My original
post on the reflector was passed onto Wayne at Composite Design - he
promptly emailed me asking if he could help.  After talking on the phone
with him, we tracked my problems down to two issues.  Firstly, on some of
the older gear systems (mine dates from 1998, I think), there were some
assembly issues.  On mine, the colored lenses for the indicator lights were
in the wrong place - relatively easy fix, just disassembled the switch assy
and swapped them.  The other issue was  relay on the main control board
which was faulty.  At one point, I'm pretty sure it was working, but when I
tested the bare control board, it was not.  Wayne sent out a new one which
I installed and everything's now peachy.  I've installed the panel back in
the plane and all indicator lights work properly.

Getting close to airworthiness now.  Leak tested the fully assembled fuel
system.  After finding and sealing a couple leaks in couplings, its rock
solid.  Probably fill the tanks with gas next weekend and give the engine a
whirl.  Hoping to have an airworthiness inspection sometime near the end of
February.  Weather has been grand here in MA which has allowed me to spend
weekends in the hangar working.

Thanks again to Wayne at CD for help in sorting out my RG electrics.

Geoff

On Sun, Jan 1, 2012 at 9:43 AM, Scott Derrick <scott at tnstaafl.net> wrote:

> Geoff,
>
> Yeah, I've ran into some poor assembly/quality issues with the Composite
> design stuff. Both the gear indicator/control unit and the breaker/switch
> unit. I gave up complaining long ago, sortuv! :-)
>
> I've resoldered the gear unit. It's either fix it yourself , make your own
> or buy somebody else's.
>
> Hopefully he situation is fixed for new buyers. At the time the factory
> wasn't interested in hearing about my problems with The CD hardware.
>
> Scott
>
>
> Geoff Gerhardt <geoff at thegerhardts.com> wrote:
>
> Finally, over Christmas/New Years, I took the week off hoping to get a few
> contiguous days at the hangar and make some real progress.  I was getting a
> lot of work done until yesterday when I found a problem with my RG system
> that has me pulling my hair out.  Its a rather strange one.  My gear cycles
> fine when actuated.  Two green lights when down and locked.  But, the RG
> manual indicates that the AMBER light should be illuminated when the pump
> motor is running, and the RED light is the "gear unsafe" indicator.  On
> mine, its the opposite - the RED light comes on when the pump is running,
> and the AMBER light when the gear is unsafe.  After a lot of head
> scratching, I pulled the switch panel out and inspected where the wires
> went - the schematic indicates that the BRN and RED wires should go to the
> RED light - on mine they go to the AMBER light.  The ORANGE wire goes to
> the RED light (gear pump on), not the AMBER light as indicated in the
> schematic.
>
> On top of this, when I press the "TEST" button, nothing happens - no
> lights illuminate.  I traced that switch function back to the control box,
> and when I press the TEST button, contact is made to the appropriate
> circuit in the control box.  And, on top of all that, in the gear up
> position, the AMBER light (my gear unsafe light) stays illuminated even
> though the MG/NG micro switches are closed and the throttle position
> microswitch is open (all indicating gear safe).
>
> I've been pulling my hair out for about 6 hrs on this and can not figure
> it out.  Have any of you had a squirrely problem like this with the RG
> electrics?  Does anybody else have reversed gear motor on/gear unsafe
> lights?
>
> I have the factory "Composite Design" turnkey RG system.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Geoff
>
>
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