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Grounding Gretz control module

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tsts4

Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 167
Location: Tampa, FL

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:59 am Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

For those with a Gretz heated pitot, did you ground your Gretz locally on the wing or did you run a dedicated ground wire back to a central grounding point?

 

After a quick test I couldn't get a good ground so I ran a dedicated wire.  I then discovered that the wing, sitting by itself in the cradle, won't generate a ground--duh.  Now that I know that I'm wondering if I should just go local (like with the landing light) or leave the ground wire in-place place an move on.  Thoughts?

_________________
Todd Stovall
aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
RV-10 N728TT -- Flying

aerosport1

Joined: 07 Nov 2007
Posts: 231

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:15 am Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

Todd I have my ground on a wing rib at it works great. All other grounds in

my plane are to a central grounding location



Geoff



Geoff Combs

President

Aerosport Modeling & Design

8090 Howe Industrial Parkway 

Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

614-834-5227p

614-834-5230f

www.aerosportmodeling.com

--

_________________
Geoff Combs
RV-10 QB N829GW
Flying 500 hrs
40033

rleffler

Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Posts: 680

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:29 am Post subject: Re: Grounding Gretz control module

I'm with Geoff.......



Mine is grounded to a wing rib.  While I'm not flying, I did spend many hours testing the Pilot.   It turned out that I had a bad control module and a pitot that had an internal short.  Fortunately, Andrew at Angus promptly addressed the issue.

_________________
Bob Leffler
N410BL - Phase I
http://mykitlog.com/rleffler

jdriggs49(at)msn.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:32 am Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

You will get a lot less RFI if everything is wired back to a central ground and not relying on the airframe. Airframe works as a ground but some of the interference in the radios that some people get is due to that method of grounding.

[quote] From: g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com

 To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com

 Subject: RE: Grounding Gretz control module

 Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:13:00 -0400

 Todd I have my ground on a wing rib at it works great. All other grounds in

 my plane are to a central grounding location

 Geoff

 Geoff Combs

 President

 Aerosport Modeling & Design

 8090 Howe Industrial Parkway 

 Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

 614-834-5227p

 614-834-5230f

 www.aerosportmodeling.com

 --

tsts4

Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 167
Location: Tampa, FL

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:43 am Post subject: Re: Grounding Gretz control module

Thanks guys.



Bob, your issue with the module was the very reason I was testing in the first place while I still have the outboard skin off and easy access.  Once I got the darn thing to turn on I used a bag of ice and it seems to work just fine, cyclying on and off as expected.

_________________
Todd Stovall
aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
RV-10 N728TT -- Flying

rv10builder(at)verizon.ne
Guest

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:04 am Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

I have my wing in a cradle and have no problem testing the groung.

I use the positive from the battery to the item I am testing and ground the 

end of the wing with the battery ground. Than I put the ground wire from the 

pitot, landing light etc.. on the wing skin (not the area that is primed or 

otherwise but literally the bare aluminum) and it has worked just fine for 

me.

My plan is ground on the wings themselves. For avionics they all go to a 

central ground in the sub panel area. Thus far there has not been any 

issues, thus far my plane sits in the garage being assembled, if I have 

problems once completely assembled I'll have to deal with the issue(s) and 

take care of them than I just don't see any reason to have more connections 

and wires than needed.

Pascal



--------------------------------------------------

From: "tsts4" <tsts4(at)verizon.net>

Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2010 7:59 AM

To: <rv10-list(at)matronics.com>

Subject: Grounding Gretz control module



 	  Quote: 	
		   



 For those with a Gretz heated pitot, did you ground your Gretz locally on 

 the wing or did you run a dedicated ground wire back to a central 

 grounding point?



 After a quick test I couldn't get a good ground so I ran a dedicated wire. 

 I then discovered that the wing, sitting by itself in the cradle, won't 

 generate a ground--duh.  Now that I know that I'm wondering if I should 

 just go local (like with the landing light) or leave the ground wire 

 in-place place an move on.  Thoughts?



 --------

 Todd Stovall

 728TT (reserved)

 RV-10 Empacone, Wings, Fuse





 Read this topic online here:



 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=317858#317858

tsts4

Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 167
Location: Tampa, FL

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 8:25 am Post subject: Re: Grounding Gretz control module

My problem was I wasn't grounding the wing itself to anything. I was only supplying power from the power supply to the device and trying to ground locally without running any kind of ground wire back to the power supply. Once I attached a ground lead from my power supply to the wing skin (via an alligator clip), bingo, I was able to ground both the pitot and my landing light to the wing structure.



However, before I had my electrical epiphany, I ran a dedicated ground wire for the pitot and was about to do the same thing for the landing light.  Now I'm definitely not for the landing light and will probably yank the pitot ground wire and just ground it locally.  If I run into RFI issues in the future I can go back and run dedicated grounds if I have to easily enough.

_________________
Todd Stovall
aka "Auburntsts" on EAA and VAF
RV-10 N728TT -- Flying

Kellym

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1705
Location: Sun Lakes AZ

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:41 pm Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

Resistive loads like landing light and pitot heat do not generate RFI 

since they operate on direct current. Only avionics and other electrical 

items with pulsating current need a central ground. Lighting and other 

resistive loads do not.

On 11/2/2010 8:28 AM, Danny Riggs wrote:

[quote] You will get a lot less RFI if everything is wired back to a central 

 ground and not relying on the airframe. Airframe works as a ground but 

 some of the interference in the radios that some people get is due to 

 that method of grounding.



 > From: g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com

 > To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com

 > Subject: RE: Grounding Gretz control module

 > Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:13:00 -0400

 >

 > 

 <g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com>

 >

 > Todd I have my ground on a wing rib at it works great. All other 

 grounds in

 > my plane are to a central grounding location

 >

 > Geoff

 >

 > Geoff Combs

 > President

 > Aerosport Modeling & Design

 > 8090 Howe Industrial Parkway

 > Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

 > 614-834-5227p

 > 614-834-5230f

 > www.aerosportmodeling.com

 >

 >

 > --

_________________
Kelly McMullen
A&P/IA, EAA Tech Counselor # 5286
KCHD

larkrv10(at)yahoo.ca
Guest

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:30 pm Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

As a point of interest,  with regards to grounding, I had a discusion with Dean from AeroLeds (which I plan to install in my -10).  They specify shielded wire grounded at both ends.  It made me question Dean further.  When he did his testing, he found that having both ends grounded gave the least RFI emmission from their product.  It kind of threw me off the whole theory of a single point ground. As Kelly states, resistive grounds are different from Avionics type grounds.  Contact Dean for further explaination.

 Regards,  

 Rick

 #40956

 Southampton, Ont

  On Wed, 11/3/10, Kelly McMullen <kellym(at)aviating.com> wrote:

 [quote]

From: Kelly McMullen <kellym(at)aviating.com>

Subject: Re: Grounding Gretz control module

To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com

Received: Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 12:36 AM

 --> RV10-List message posted by: Kelly McMullen <kellym(at)aviating.com (kellym(at)aviating.com)>

Resistive loads like landing light and pitot heat do not generate RFI since they operate on direct current. Only avionics and other electrical items with pulsating current need a central ground. Lighting and other resistive loads do not.

On 11/2/2010 8:28 AM, Danny Riggs wrote:

[quote] You will get a lot less RFI if everything is wired back to a central ground and not relying on the airframe. Airframe works as a ground but some of the interference in the radios that some people get is due to that method of grounding.

 > From: g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com (g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com)

 >  To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com (rv10-list(at)matronics.com)

 > Subject: RE: Grounding Gretz control module

 > Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:13:00 -0400

 >

 > --> RV10-List message posted by: "Geoff Combs" <g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com (g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com)>

 >

 > Todd I have my ground on a wing rib at it works great. All other grounds in

 > my plane are to a central grounding location

 >

 > Geoff

 >

 > Geoff Combs

 > President

 > Aerosport Modeling & Design

 > 8090 Howe Industrial Parkway

 > Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

 > 614-834-5227p

 > 614-834-5230f

  > www.aerosportmodeling.com

 >

 >

 > --

Kellym

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1705
Location: Sun Lakes AZ

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:55 pm Post subject: Grounding Gretz control module

Yes, conventional strobes are a strong RFI generator that need shielding 

exactly the way the manufacturer specifies.

Kelly

On 11/2/2010 7:26 PM, Rick Lark wrote:

[quote] As a point of interest,  with regards to grounding, I had a discusion 

 with Dean from AeroLeds (which I plan to install in my -10).  They 

 specify shielded wire grounded at both ends.  It made me question Dean 

 further.  When he did his testing, he found that having both ends 

 grounded gave the least RFI emmission from their product.  It kind of 

 threw me off the whole theory of a single point ground. As Kelly 

 states, resistive grounds are different from Avionics type grounds.  

 Contact Dean for further explaination.

 Regards,

 Rick

 #40956

 Southampton, Ont

  On *Wed, 11/3/10, Kelly McMullen /<kellym(at)aviating.com>/* wrote:

     From: Kelly McMullen <kellym(at)aviating.com>

     Subject: Re: Grounding Gretz control module

     To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com

     Received: Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 12:36 AM



     

     <kellym(at)aviating.com

     <http://ca.mc1207.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kellym(at)aviating.com>>



     Resistive loads like landing light and pitot heat do not generate

     RFI since they operate on direct current. Only avionics and other

     electrical items with pulsating current need a central ground.

     Lighting and other resistive loads do not.

     On 11/2/2010 8:28 AM, Danny Riggs wrote:

     > You will get a lot less RFI if everything is wired back to a

     central ground and not relying on the airframe. Airframe works as

     a ground but some of the interference in the radios that some

     people get is due to that method of grounding.

     >

     > > From: g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com

     <http://ca.mc1207.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com>

     > > To: rv10-list(at)matronics.com

     <http://ca.mc1207.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rv10-list(at)matronics.com>

     > > Subject: RE: Grounding Gretz control module

     > > Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:13:00 -0400

     > >

     > > 

     <g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com

     <http://ca.mc1207.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=g.combs(at)aerosportmodeling.com>>

     > >

     > > Todd I have my ground on a wing rib at it works great. All

     other grounds in

     > > my plane are to a central grounding location

     > >

     > > Geoff

     > >

     > > Geoff Combs

     > > President

     > > Aerosport Modeling & Design

     > > 8090 Howe Industrial Parkway

     > > Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

     > > 614-834-5227p

     > > 614-834-5230f

     > > www.aerosportmodeling.com

     > >

     > >

     > > --

_________________
Kelly McMullen
A&P/IA, EAA Tech Counselor # 5286
KCHD

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