Connecting Rotax Voltage Regulator Warn Light

Shaun ASE

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I have a Rotax voltage regulator that has a lamp circuit to indicate if the alternator is not producing power.

Wondering if it can be wired into my Dynon EMS and show this warning on my HDX screen.

Capture.PNG

The lamp is 36, L is the lamp connection, C is the control.
 

Rhino

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It may not be impossible, but it might be difficult. I'd have to think about it, or get one of the engineer types here to think about it. From what I've found, that light doesn't work like typical lights, with power on one side and ground on the other. It gets 12 volts from the regulator on one side, and 12 volts from the battery on the other. As long as those voltages are equal, or nearly so, there is no difference in potential, so the light stays off. But when one of those voltages strays away from the other, it creates a difference of potential and the lamp lights up. I don't know if it's incandescent or LED. If it's incandescent, the brightness level will probably vary as the difference in potential changes. If it's LED, there would need to be a threshold met before it lit up. In short, it doesn't work on the presence or absence of voltage, but on the difference between two voltages. Skyview typically looks for the presence or absence of voltage as indications, and the general purpose pins have a constant bias voltage applied, so It would take some thought, and effort, to make them play well together. Maybe a tap off a parallel voltage divider?
 
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GKC Aviation

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Looks like L drops a ground when the alternator stops output. C is powered when the alternator switch is on.
Never had much to do with the Rotax, but the VR looks the same as what was on my Ducati SD900 before I stupidly sold it.
1700771821574.png
 

Rhino

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I got the difference in potential from a Rotax forum, but there may very well be different versions. Either way, it should be easy enough to verify with a meter.
 

GKC Aviation

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Yes, there is quite possible a couple of versions.
If OP could provide a part number of the regulator he has, we could pin it down pretty easily
 

Shaun ASE

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Thank you so much for the replays friends!

My regulator has 2 part numbers on it, made by Ducati
1904
362001 (this looks to be the correct one)

I bought the engine last year so it should be a newer one if that helps.
 
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Rhino

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Looks to be the Rotax 965-349, made by Ducati. Bob Nuckolls has a diagram at Aeroelectric. The numbers vary slightly, but the diagram looks to functionally match another diagram with the correct part numbers. The resolution on that diagram stinks though, so I used Bob's here.
1700869729323.png

Looks to me like the lamp does operate off a difference of potential from the battery and generator, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong on that.
 

Europaul

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Looks like L drops a ground when the alternator stops output. C is powered when the alternator switch is on.
Never had much to do with the Rotax, but the VR looks the same as what was on my Ducati SD900 before I stupidly sold it.
View attachment 5777
If it's an 'original' Rotax VR, it'll be a Ducati part; mine is (912ULS).
 
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Europaul

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I have a Rotax voltage regulator that has a lamp circuit to indicate if the alternator is not producing power.

Wondering if it can be wired into my Dynon EMS and show this warning on my HDX screen.

View attachment 5776
The lamp is 36, L is the lamp connection, C is the control.
Works perfectly on my 912ULS-powered Europa, with EMS-220 and Skyview 700... so should do with HDX. I'm trying to convert PDF circuit diagrams to jpg or similar... stdby...
 

Europaul

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I hope these help...
 

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Shaun ASE

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Works perfectly on my 912ULS-powered Europa, with EMS-220 and Skyview 700... so should do with HDX. I'm trying to convert PDF circuit diagrams to jpg or similar... stdby...
I only see a normal LED in that diagram, your aircraft has an annunciator on the Dynon screen showing when the alternator is not functioning correctly?

1701024288537.png
 
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Europaul

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I only see a normal LED in that diagram, your aircraft has an annunciator on the Dynon screen showing when the alternator is not functioning correctly?

View attachment 5783
Your absolutely correct, Shaun - sorry!

The Dynon has both low volts & low current annunciators (audio), in addition to the volts & amps gauges.

The low volts is a LED, separate from the Skyview; I was stupidly thinking of the volts & amps gauges in the EMS element of the Skyview.

At least we now know it's a LED not incandescent, so back to Rhino's comment on threshold voltages.

Sorry again for the confusion...
 

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Shaun ASE

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Ah ok, I think you can use an LED you just have to change the resistor to the threshold you want it to come on at.
 

Albee

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One caution on replacing incandescent with LED. When I redid my panel for Dynon, I kept my short row of annunciator lights (oil pressure, alternator, ADSB). I added EMS and switched to LEDs. My original B&C regulator came with a 12V incandescent warning lamp. When I replaced that with an LED (with the appropriate dropping resistor), I discovered B&C kept a small current across the lamp all the time, which they said (when I asked) lengthens the bulb life by not shocking it when it's flashing to indicate low voltage. So my LED glowed all the time. It wasn't obvious in daylight but it was pretty bright at night. A resistor wouldn't fix that unless I made it invisible when on in daylight. BNC offered to change that for free if I sent it in, but as luck would have it the 25 year old regulator died shortly thereafter and the new one (which was a later revision ) didn't do that. So you might want to check what that circuit actually has on it when the lamp is "off".
 
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