Will K
MEMBER
Took the plane on a short flight yesterday which put me in a place needing ADSB, which I have via a wingtip light. The flight there was uneventful other than my stratux constantly disconnecting then reconnecting which prevented me from seeing traffic for portions of the flight. No big deal, just an annoyance. On the return trip ATC informed me that my ADSB appeared to be cutting in and out and advised I look into it when I got to my home airport. After returning home I had my son watch the light as I turned it on and got ready to shake the plane. I didn't even need to shake it. I turn it on, the led light lit up, then immediately went out.
My guess is that when the wingtip adsb was installed the installer couldn't find a ground wire as they used a piece of aluminum foil shoved into the fabric to connect to ground. It obviously worked as all my preflights have resulted in a good light and everything with ADSB appearing to work in the past. The foil actually looked a little burned, likely from small arcing and sparking when it was working. As a former avionics tech in the Navy this doesn't work for me. I actually hope it wouldn't work for others but obviously someone thought it was ok.
I'm guessing the art of fishing a ground wire in the front section of the wing with no inspection panels is going to be an adventure. Are there any tips for my A&P and I? I can pull the landing and taxi lights to get access in that area but otherwise its looking like a long run with no access. Will removal of the panel over the fuel tank allow access closer to the wing root? I'm also not a fan of just fishing the wire over the sharp edges of the ribs as that will only lead to other problems in the future. I'm only guessing at this point that the lightening holes in the ribs have sharp edges.
My guess is that when the wingtip adsb was installed the installer couldn't find a ground wire as they used a piece of aluminum foil shoved into the fabric to connect to ground. It obviously worked as all my preflights have resulted in a good light and everything with ADSB appearing to work in the past. The foil actually looked a little burned, likely from small arcing and sparking when it was working. As a former avionics tech in the Navy this doesn't work for me. I actually hope it wouldn't work for others but obviously someone thought it was ok.
I'm guessing the art of fishing a ground wire in the front section of the wing with no inspection panels is going to be an adventure. Are there any tips for my A&P and I? I can pull the landing and taxi lights to get access in that area but otherwise its looking like a long run with no access. Will removal of the panel over the fuel tank allow access closer to the wing root? I'm also not a fan of just fishing the wire over the sharp edges of the ribs as that will only lead to other problems in the future. I'm only guessing at this point that the lightening holes in the ribs have sharp edges.
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