Pappy's LEXL Build in Texas

[pappyadkins]

I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving!  Today, let's update antenna builds & start the discussion of wiring our Eagles...

[pappyadkins]

Today, let's finish the cockpit wiring... It's been kinda quiet, guess we're all busy with the holidays...

[pappyadkins]

TinyTach, what about replacing the non-replaceable battery?

[Chuck in Indiana]

Attaboy!  One thing I found with the Tiny Tack is you have to isolate the sense wire from the rest of your electrical system. I had given up on getting it to work with the Verner and installed an expensive tach. I was trouble shooting something elst and just for grins hooked up the tiny tack by temporilary running the wire down the other side of the cockpit, and it worked perfectly. 

[Kamcoman77]

Putting the sense wire inside a tinned copper braiding except for the tiny portion around your spark plug wire also works. Found that out years ago with my outboard motors.

[Tom H]

I replaced one of my TinyTach's internal batteries with an external battery pack using two AA alkaline batteries in series.  Been going several years so far, but if the AA batts die, easy to replace them.

This post also reminded me of our issues with TinyTachs on DE Stubby and LEU Treehugger.  I found my write-up and several other posts on TinyTach and similar units at ---->  https://www.eaglersnest.com/forum/index.php?topic=1885.msg12771#msg12771

On Stubby, I finally replaced the gas type TinyTach with a diesel type electronic tach (not a TinyTach unit, but don't know mfg, from ebay, $15).  It uses a magnet attached to the prop hub, and has a sensor that is mounted to pick up the rotating magnet.  It has an internal battery.  So far, it works flawlessly.

[fullmonte11]

Good Morning.
I am also in the process of building a XL. I am up here in MN, so it gets a little cold now to be working on my fuselage. I hope to move by table from the garage to the basement to work on my wings. I am very close to having one side ready to be built.
Monte

[pappyadkins]

Today, let's add or BlackMax wheels & brakes...

[Kamcoman77]

Wouldn't sliding the axle farther into the carrier tube be stronger?

[pappyadkins]

Good comment... the axle would have to be cut off to go in further, which could be done fairly easy.... The plans said there should be 4.75" of shaft from the inward end to the center of the woodruff key, which is probably 'stock' & what I have - but only about 3" of the tube it goes into... Great comment & thoughts...

[Kamcoman77]

Seeing this old photo is what prompted the comment. Yours is definitely not this extreme.

[pappyadkins]

No it's not... BUT on my next one, I will 'perfect' this for sure... lol we could easily make that bottom tube 1 inch or so longer and still have the legs to the outside, making a stronger 'ankle' - great call out... I can even chop the axle down 1 inch & redrill - but then my wheelbase would be 2 inches narrower... hmmmmmmm

[pappyadkins]

Today, let's finish up the BlackMax brakes...

[pappyadkins]

Today, let's talk about Antenna ideas....

[Brock]

I like this design for the LE much better than the "V" antenna.  Should work fine even w/o a balun or farrite bead.  Have the same antenna on my sonex and it tunes nicely.  Be sure to have a good connection to the airframe for the ground.  Also, you might find that just tuning for the center frequency to be easier than checking both ends (though double check the ends once you think it's tuned).  In reality an ultralight will not likely ever need to use the freqencies near the ends.  If you cut it too short it's possible to just solder a bit of wire on the end.  Not pretty but it works.