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		Eric M. Jones
 
  
  Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 565 Location: Massachusetts
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:40 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				This subject has been discussed here for years.
 
 My opinion and what I have suggested for years is that the current best 
 practice is to use bidirectional zener diodes. Regular diodes are 
 problematic. See attached.
 
 You can use what I suggest or slightly heavier ones for better 
 mechanical properties. (I am currently shipping the 5KE20CA parts).
 
 Eric M. Jones
 
 -Bought a 177RG Cardinal.
 
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 _________________ Eric M. Jones
 
www.PerihelionDesign.com
 
113 Brentwood Drive
 
Southbridge, MA 01550
 
(508) 764-2072
 
emjones(at)charter.net | 
			 
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		alec(at)alecmyers.com Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:56 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				Eric,
 
 I see great marketing (FUD) in that document but no actual information.
 What do you believe to be the problem with a regular diode?
 
 On Jan 18, 2018, at 4:38 PM, Eric Jones <emjones(at)charter.net> wrote:
 
 This subject has been discussed here for years.
 
 My opinion and what I have suggested for years is that the current best practice is to use bidirectional zener diodes. Regular diodes are problematic. See attached.
 
 You can use what I suggest or slightly heavier ones for better mechanical properties. (I am currently shipping the 5KE20CA parts).
 
 Eric M. Jones
 
 -Bought a 177RG Cardinal.
 
 <SnapJacks.pdf>
 
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		kenryan
 
 
  Joined: 20 Oct 2009 Posts: 429
 
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:56 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				Eric, is it okay to solder a wire to your snapjacks?
 
 On Thu, Jan 18, 2018 at 12:38 PM, Eric Jones <emjones(at)charter.net (emjones(at)charter.net)> wrote:
  	  | Quote: | 	 		  This subject has been discussed here for years.
  
  My opinion and what I have suggested for years is that the current best practice is to use bidirectional zener diodes. Regular diodes are problematic. See attached.
  
  You can use what I suggest or slightly heavier ones for better mechanical properties. (I am currently shipping the 5KE20CA parts).
  
  Eric M. Jones
  
  -Bought a 177RG Cardinal.
  
   | 	 
 
 
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 2:01 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				At 03:38 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  This subject has been discussed here for years.
 
  My opinion and what I have suggested for years is that the current best practice is to use bidirectional zener diodes. Regular diodes are problematic. See attached. | 	  
  [img]cid:7.1.0.9.0.20180118155821.0661d178(at)aeroelectric.com.0[/img] 
 
    Can you demonstrate this? "Excessive" is non-quantified.
    Was my bench top study flawed in some way?
    
 
  
    Bob . . .
 
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		alec(at)alecmyers.com Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 2:39 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any* significant effect on release time compared to a tranzorb or similar, and if it did, why you might care.
 Also, why should it have any effect on  relay life reduction …?
 
 My skeptical self needs help to get beyond merely “more expensive therefore must be better”.
 
 
 On Jan 18, 2018, at 5:01 PM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com> wrote:
 
 At 03:38 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   This subject has been discussed here for years.
  
  My opinion and what I have suggested for years is that the current best practice is to use bidirectional zener diodes. Regular diodes are problematic. See attached.
 
 | 	  
 <f1b501.jpg> 
 
   Can you demonstrate this? "Excessive" is non-quantified.
   Was my bench top study flawed in some way?
   
 
   Bob . . .
 
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		user9253
 
 
  Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1944 Location: Riley TWP Michigan
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:50 pm    Post subject: Re: diode on starter contactor | 
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				A capacitor opposes any change in voltage.
 An inductor (coil) opposes any change in current. 
 When the switch is closed (Figure 1), positive
 current flows from left to right through the coil.
 The diode does not conduct because positive
 current can not flow against the arrow.
 _
 When the switch is opened (Figure 2), the
 coil opposes any change and tries to
 maintain the current.  The coil is no longer a load.
 The coil is now a source, like a battery.
 Induced current still flows in the same direction
 through the coil from left to right.
 But the polarity has changed because
 because the coil is now a source, not a load.
 The diode now conducts because positive on
 the right side flows with the arrow.  Current
 always tries to return to the source, the coil in
 this case.  It takes the path of least resistance,
 which is through the diode, not across the open
 switch contacts.  The induced voltage is limited
 to the forward voltage drop across the diode.
 
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		cluros(at)gmail.com Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:09 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				Last year I put a lighter AGM battery in my aircraft and moved it to the
 firewall along with the master contactor and made some new diodes for the
 contactors (one was broken). Saved about 4 pounds in wiring alone! Only
 problem afterwards was that if the battery was even slightly down sometimes
 the starter would turn a split second and then nothing. Repeated attempts
 usually ended up with the starter eventually running fine until the engine
 started. Putting a voltmeter on the starter confirmed that the problem was
 a lack of power to the starter, not the starter itself. I had a battery
 problem later on and replaced the battery, no change. Thinking I had messed
 up the starter contactor while tightening nuts on it I swapped it out, no
 change. At this point I started to suspect my diode so I disconnected it:
 Problem gone! I suspect I installed it backwards. Going to make the new one
 with clear shrinkwrap tubing so it can't happen again.
 
 On Thu, Jan 18, 2018 at 2:37 PM, Alec Myers <alec(at)alecmyers.com> wrote:
 
 [quote] 
 
  I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any* significant effect on release
  time compared to a tranzorb or similar, and if it did, why you might care
 
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:00 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				At 04:37 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Alec Myers <alec(at)alecmyers.com>
 
  I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any* significant effect on release time compared to a tranzorb or similar, and if it did, why you might care.
  Also, why should it have any effect on  relay life reduction ?
  My skeptical self needs help to get beyond merely “more expensive therefore must be better”. | 	    
 
    When mechanical contacts are opened, an electric
    arc forms in the air gap. With low voltages and
    currents, the fire may be small, but it is never
    zero. In one of my articles, I mentioned and experiment
    when a microswitch was biased up with a dry cell
    and resistor. The contacts were observed
    through a microscope in the dark (the side was opened
    up on the switch for the experiment).
 
    Even at these very low power levels, a BLUE arc
    could be observed. The temperature of blue is
    HOT.  This suggests that no matter what the power
    level, every opening even will transfer molecules
    of metal between contacts.
 
    Again, not a lot of metal but never zero.
 
    As energy levels go up and particularly
    at higher voltages, the intensity and DURATION
    of the arcing event increases. This is an expected
    condition. Relays are designed to meet life cycle
    ratings at specific power levels and circuit
    characteristics by adjusting contact material,
    closing forces, opening velocities, opening
    gaps, etc.  Conditions are important . . . switches
    and relays will have AC, DC and LAMP ratings
    applied to their service life limits.
 
  https://goo.gl/CPtPYJ
  
    If you've ever tried to do any stick-welding, you
    understand the need for (1) making initial cold
    contact, (2) breaking that contact to form an
    arc, then maintaining an optimum distance between
    rod and work-piece to achieve a SUSTAINED fire
    at a temperature conducive to the TRANSFER
    of metal from rod to work-piece.
 
    If the contacts of a switch or relay do not spread
    fast enough, wide enough and with sufficient
    thermal mass in contacts, then the TRANSFER of
    metal will exceed that which meets design goals
    for service life.
 
    This lays the groundwork for a notion that relay
    contacts will accelerate open at some rate which is
    a function of spring, mass and decay of the
    magnetic field which was originally applied to
    close the contacts.
 
    It's easily demonstrated that rate of decay for
    this magnetic field is strongly influenced by
    the choice of suppression for energy stored in
    the coil at the time it is de-energized.
 
    A totally open-circuit coil is the fastest, but
    transient voltage during field collapse is greatest.
    You can drive a coil with a current limited source
    and the throw a dead short across the coil, reducing
    its excitation current to zero thus initiating
    the contact opening sequence. In this condition,
    the field collapse transient voltage will be zero
    and time to decay will be a whole lot longer.
    Hence, there is a range of decay rates offered by
    the array of suppression techniques.
 
    I've have yet to discover a paper that describes
    the behavior of relay magnetic holding force
    in detail . . . many papers that jump to an
    'obvious' conclusion that if decay rate in
    the coil is extended by factors of 10 or more,
    then opening velocity of the contacts is similarly
    depressed.
 
    What I observed (in 45 years of herding electrons
    in airplanes and conducting numerous relay and 
    switch failure studies) is that as a relay closes,
    the CONTACTS CLOSE before the magnetic armature
    BOTTOMS OUT. There is a spring rate associated
    with this extra motion that sets the contact
    closed holding force.
 
    This leads us to the idea that as the magnetic
    field in the device decays, there is a period
    of time from first motion the of armature off
    the bottomed-out position until closing force
    on the contacts drops to zero and they begin
    to move. This means that there is a GROWING
    AIR GAP in the magnetic circuit holding the
    contacts closed.
 
    This air gap has a profound suppressing effect
    on that magnetic force. It's an effect that
    grossly over-rides the decay rate of the magnetic
    from the coil.
 
    Magnetic decay rate does indeed affect drop-out
    time for the relay . . . this was demonstrated in
    the data collected during my bench-top experiments.
    Decay rate adds a time delay between de-energizing
    of the coil and first opening of the contacts.
    However, by the time the contacts see first motion,
    the magnetic air gap is established and growing.
 
    The air gap has much more control over contact
    acceleration than does coil current. Hence, the
    duration of arc between spreading contacts showed
    only a slight difference between diode-suppressed
    and non-suppressed contactor.
 
    The case for 'supper suppressors' is further
    weakened by the fact that starter and battery
    contactors on our airplanes are considered very
    busy if they get a few operations per week.
    The average light aircraft flies 50 hours
    a year. If you install switches and relay rated
    for tens of thousands of operations, it stands to
    reason that benefits gained by going-the-extra-mile
    on coil suppression yields no measurable benefit.
 
    Then, there is the study of contact erosion during
    closure as influenced by the physics of the switched
    circuit. This is due to arcing that occurs during
    contact BOUNCE. Many closures and openings per
    operation . . . much smaller gap during the bounce . . .
    but exceedingly unfriendly to relay life under
    some conditions.
 
    But that's a totally different story . . .
 
  
   
 
  
    Bob . . .
 
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:08 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				At 07:09 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  | Last year I put a lighter AGM battery in my aircraft and moved it to the firewall along with the master contactor and made some new diodes for the contactors (one was broken). Saved about 4 pounds in wiring alone! Only problem afterwards was that if the battery was even slightly down sometimes the starter would turn a split second and then nothing. Repeated attempts usually ended up with the starter eventually running fine until the engine started. Putting a voltmeter on the starter confirmed that the problem was a lack of power to the starter, not the starter itself. I had a battery problem later on and replaced the battery, no change. Thinking I had messed up the starter contactor while tightening nuts on it I swapped it out, no change. At this point I started to suspect my diode so I disconnected it: Problem gone! I suspect I installed it backwards. Going to make the new one with clear shrinkwrap tubing so it can't happen again. | 	  
     If your diode is installed backwards, it will conduct
     HARD while the starter button is depressed. Plastic
     diodes generally smoke for a few seconds and split,
     some will literally explode. I've seen a few cases
     where they simply fused short and tripped the starter
     control circuit breaker.
 
     If removing the diode cured your problem, then it 
     probably was 'backwards'. Do you have a breaker
     or fuse on your starter control line? That shorted condition
     should have opened the circuit protection. 
 
  
  
    Bob . . .
 
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		kenryan
 
 
  Joined: 20 Oct 2009 Posts: 429
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:45 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				I'm confused. It seems like you are now saying that because the relays are rated for far more cycles than they will ever see, there is no reason to bother with diodes.
 
 Sent from my Android. Sorry Steve.
 On Jan 19, 2018 7:06 AM, "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote: 	  | Quote: | 	 		    At 04:37 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Alec Myers <alec(at)alecmyers.com (alec(at)alecmyers.com)>
 
  I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any* significant effect on release time compared to a tranzorb or similar, and if it did, why you might care.
  Also, why should it have any effect on  relay life reduction …?
  My skeptical self needs help to get beyond merely “more expensive therefore must be better†. | 	    
 
    When mechanical contacts are opened, an electric
    arc forms in the air gap. With low voltages and
    currents, the fire may be small, but it is never
    zero. In one of my articles, I mentioned and experiment
    when a microswitch was biased up with a dry cell
    and resistor. The contacts were observed
    through a microscope in the dark (the side was opened
    up on the switch for the experiment).
 
    Even at these very low power levels, a BLUE arc
    could be observed. The temperature of blue is
    HOT.  This suggests that no matter what the power
    level, every opening even will transfer molecules
    of metal between contacts.
 
    Again, not a lot of metal but never zero.
 
    As energy levels go up and particularly
    at higher voltages, the intensity and DURATION
    of the arcing event increases. This is an expected
    condition. Relays are designed to meet life cycle
    ratings at specific power levels and circuit
    characteristics by adjusting contact material,
    closing forces, opening velocities, opening
    gaps, etc.  Conditions are important . . . switches
    and relays will have AC, DC and LAMP ratings
    applied to their service life limits.
 
  https://goo.gl/CPtPYJ
  
    If you've ever tried to do any stick-welding, you
    understand the need for (1) making initial cold
    contact, (2) breaking that contact to form an
    arc, then maintaining an optimum distance between
    rod and work-piece to achieve a SUSTAINED fire
    at a temperature conducive to the TRANSFER
    of metal from rod to work-piece.
 
    If the contacts of a switch or relay do not spread
    fast enough, wide enough and with sufficient
    thermal mass in contacts, then the TRANSFER of
    metal will exceed that which meets design goals
    for service life.
 
    This lays the groundwork for a notion that relay
    contacts will accelerate open at some rate which is
    a function of spring, mass and decay of the
    magnetic field which was originally applied to
    close the contacts.
 
    It's easily demonstrated that rate of decay for
    this magnetic field is strongly influenced by
    the choice of suppression for energy stored in
    the coil at the time it is de-energized.
 
    A totally open-circuit coil is the fastest, but
    transient voltage during field collapse is greatest.
    You can drive a coil with a current limited source
    and the throw a dead short across the coil, reducing
    its excitation current to zero thus initiating
    the contact opening sequence. In this condition,
    the field collapse transient voltage will be zero
    and time to decay will be a whole lot longer.
    Hence, there is a range of decay rates offered by
    the array of suppression techniques.
 
    I've have yet to discover a paper that describes
    the behavior of relay magnetic holding force
    in detail . . . many papers that jump to an
    'obvious' conclusion that if decay rate in
    the coil is extended by factors of 10 or more,
    then opening velocity of the contacts is similarly
    depressed.
 
    What I observed (in 45 years of herding electrons
    in airplanes and conducting numerous relay and 
    switch failure studies) is that as a relay closes,
    the CONTACTS CLOSE before the magnetic armature
    BOTTOMS OUT. There is a spring rate associated
    with this extra motion that sets the contact
    closed holding force.
 
    This leads us to the idea that as the magnetic
    field in the device decays, there is a period
    of time from first motion the of armature off
    the bottomed-out position until closing force
    on the contacts drops to zero and they begin
    to move. This means that there is a GROWING
    AIR GAP in the magnetic circuit holding the
    contacts closed.
 
    This air gap has a profound suppressing effect
    on that magnetic force. It's an effect that
    grossly over-rides the decay rate of the magnetic
    from the coil.
 
    Magnetic decay rate does indeed affect drop-out
    time for the relay . . . this was demonstrated in
    the data collected during my bench-top experiments.
    Decay rate adds a time delay between de-energizing
    of the coil and first opening of the contacts.
    However, by the time the contacts see first motion,
    the magnetic air gap is established and growing.
 
    The air gap has much more control over contact
    acceleration than does coil current. Hence, the
    duration of arc between spreading contacts showed
    only a slight difference between diode-suppressed
    and non-suppressed contactor.
 
    The case for 'supper suppressors' is further
    weakened by the fact that starter and battery
    contactors on our airplanes are considered very
    busy if they get a few operations per week.
    The average light aircraft flies 50 hours
    a year. If you install switches and relay rated
    for tens of thousands of operations, it stands to
    reason that benefits gained by going-the-extra-mile
    on coil suppression yields no measurable benefit.
 
    Then, there is the study of contact erosion during
    closure as influenced by the physics of the switched
    circuit. This is due to arcing that occurs during
    contact BOUNCE. Many closures and openings per
    operation . . . much smaller gap during the bounce . . .
    but exceedingly unfriendly to relay life under
    some conditions.
 
    But that's a totally different story . . .
 
  
   
 
  
    Bob . . .  
  | 	 
 
 
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		bob.verwey(at)gmail.com Guest
 
 
 
 
 
  | 
		
			
				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:57 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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  | 
			 
			
				Does the risk not lie in having contacts that weld together or overheat?
 
 On 19 Jan 2018 6:49 PM, "Ken Ryan" <keninalaska(at)gmail.com (keninalaska(at)gmail.com)> wrote: 	  | Quote: | 	 		  I'm confused. It seems like you are now saying that because the relays are rated for far more cycles than they will ever see, there is no reason to bother with diodes.
 
 Sent from my Android. Sorry Steve.
 On Jan 19, 2018 7:06 AM, "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote: 	  | Quote: | 	 		    At 04:37 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: Alec Myers <alec(at)alecmyers.com (alec(at)alecmyers.com)>
 
  I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any* significant effect on release time compared to a tranzorb or similar, and if it did, why you might care.
  Also, why should it have any effect on  relay life reduction …?
  My skeptical self needs help to get beyond merely “more expensive therefore must be better†. | 	    
 
    When mechanical contacts are opened, an electric
    arc forms in the air gap. With low voltages and
    currents, the fire may be small, but it is never
    zero. In one of my articles, I mentioned and experiment
    when a microswitch was biased up with a dry cell
    and resistor. The contacts were observed
    through a microscope in the dark (the side was opened
    up on the switch for the experiment).
 
    Even at these very low power levels, a BLUE arc
    could be observed. The temperature of blue is
    HOT.  This suggests that no matter what the power
    level, every opening even will transfer molecules
    of metal between contacts.
 
    Again, not a lot of metal but never zero.
 
    As energy levels go up and particularly
    at higher voltages, the intensity and DURATION
    of the arcing event increases. This is an expected
    condition. Relays are designed to meet life cycle
    ratings at specific power levels and circuit
    characteristics by adjusting contact material,
    closing forces, opening velocities, opening
    gaps, etc.  Conditions are important . . . switches
    and relays will have AC, DC and LAMP ratings
    applied to their service life limits.
 
  https://goo.gl/CPtPYJ
  
    If you've ever tried to do any stick-welding, you
    understand the need for (1) making initial cold
    contact, (2) breaking that contact to form an
    arc, then maintaining an optimum distance between
    rod and work-piece to achieve a SUSTAINED fire
    at a temperature conducive to the TRANSFER
    of metal from rod to work-piece.
 
    If the contacts of a switch or relay do not spread
    fast enough, wide enough and with sufficient
    thermal mass in contacts, then the TRANSFER of
    metal will exceed that which meets design goals
    for service life.
 
    This lays the groundwork for a notion that relay
    contacts will accelerate open at some rate which is
    a function of spring, mass and decay of the
    magnetic field which was originally applied to
    close the contacts.
 
    It's easily demonstrated that rate of decay for
    this magnetic field is strongly influenced by
    the choice of suppression for energy stored in
    the coil at the time it is de-energized.
 
    A totally open-circuit coil is the fastest, but
    transient voltage during field collapse is greatest.
    You can drive a coil with a current limited source
    and the throw a dead short across the coil, reducing
    its excitation current to zero thus initiating
    the contact opening sequence. In this condition,
    the field collapse transient voltage will be zero
    and time to decay will be a whole lot longer.
    Hence, there is a range of decay rates offered by
    the array of suppression techniques.
 
    I've have yet to discover a paper that describes
    the behavior of relay magnetic holding force
    in detail . . . many papers that jump to an
    'obvious' conclusion that if decay rate in
    the coil is extended by factors of 10 or more,
    then opening velocity of the contacts is similarly
    depressed.
 
    What I observed (in 45 years of herding electrons
    in airplanes and conducting numerous relay and 
    switch failure studies) is that as a relay closes,
    the CONTACTS CLOSE before the magnetic armature
    BOTTOMS OUT. There is a spring rate associated
    with this extra motion that sets the contact
    closed holding force.
 
    This leads us to the idea that as the magnetic
    field in the device decays, there is a period
    of time from first motion the of armature off
    the bottomed-out position until closing force
    on the contacts drops to zero and they begin
    to move. This means that there is a GROWING
    AIR GAP in the magnetic circuit holding the
    contacts closed.
 
    This air gap has a profound suppressing effect
    on that magnetic force. It's an effect that
    grossly over-rides the decay rate of the magnetic
    from the coil.
 
    Magnetic decay rate does indeed affect drop-out
    time for the relay . . . this was demonstrated in
    the data collected during my bench-top experiments.
    Decay rate adds a time delay between de-energizing
    of the coil and first opening of the contacts.
    However, by the time the contacts see first motion,
    the magnetic air gap is established and growing.
 
    The air gap has much more control over contact
    acceleration than does coil current. Hence, the
    duration of arc between spreading contacts showed
    only a slight difference between diode-suppressed
    and non-suppressed contactor.
 
    The case for 'supper suppressors' is further
    weakened by the fact that starter and battery
    contactors on our airplanes are considered very
    busy if they get a few operations per week.
    The average light aircraft flies 50 hours
    a year. If you install switches and relay rated
    for tens of thousands of operations, it stands to
    reason that benefits gained by going-the-extra-mile
    on coil suppression yields no measurable benefit.
 
    Then, there is the study of contact erosion during
    closure as influenced by the physics of the switched
    circuit. This is due to arcing that occurs during
    contact BOUNCE. Many closures and openings per
    operation . . . much smaller gap during the bounce . . .
    but exceedingly unfriendly to relay life under
    some conditions.
 
    But that's a totally different story . . .
 
  
   
 
  
    Bob . . .  
  | 	  
 
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		yellowduckduo(at)gmail.co Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:14 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				For all intents and purposes the diode ONLY protects the switch that 
 controls the relay.
 So it does improve system reliability.
 Ken
 
 On 19/01/2018 11:44 AM, Ken Ryan wrote:
  	  | Quote: | 	 		   I'm confused. It seems like you are now saying that because the relays 
  are rated for far more cycles than they will ever see, there is no 
  reason to bother with diodes.
 
 | 	 
 
 
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		ceengland7(at)gmail.com Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:22 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				I think y'all are a bit confused on       what the diodes actually do. The diode across the relay coil is       there to protect the controlling *switch's* low current contacts;       not the relay contacts. Now, since TANSTAFL (there's no such thing       as a free lunch), the  downside (of questionable significance) to       the diode being in the circuit is that it *can* slow the collapse       of the magnetic field in the relay, leading some to think       (evidenced by the link to back-to-back zeners) that it puts the       *relay* contacts at more risk.
        
        Not to speak for Bob, but his latest post(s) address that  slowing       of the magnetic field collapse (of questionable significance), and       tell us that his testing has shown that with most relays, the       contacts don't actually start to separate until after that slowed       magnetic field decay isn't having any influence. 
        
        So....The bottom line is that the diode *is* needed to protect       *switch* contacts, and its presence has *minimal to zero* real       world impact on the *relay's* contacts. The takeaway is that you       do need the diode, and nothing more elaborate than a standard       diode is needed.
        
        Those of us who made our living playing with these components have       an easy time seeing what he's describing. It might serve you well       to visit some appliance/electrical repair facility & talk them       out of a couple of open frame relays so you can play with them       & see what he's describing.
        
        On 1/19/2018 10:56 AM, Bob Verwey wrote:
      
       	  | Quote: | 	 		         Does the risk not lie in having contacts that weld         together or overheat?
        
          On 19 Jan 2018 6:49 PM, "Ken Ryan" <keninalaska(at)gmail.com (keninalaska(at)gmail.com)>           wrote:            	  | Quote: | 	 		               I'm confused. It seems like you are now               saying that because the relays are rated for far more               cycles than they will ever see, there is no reason to               bother with diodes.
                
                Sent from my                 Android. Sorry Steve.
              
              
                On Jan 19, 2018 7:06 AM, "Robert                 L. Nuckolls, III" <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)>                 wrote:                  	  | Quote: | 	 		                                          At 04:37 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
                         	  | Quote: | 	 		  -->                         AeroElectric-List message                         posted by: Alec Myers <alec(at)alecmyers.com (alec(at)alecmyers.com)>
                          
                          I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any*                         significant effect on                         release time compared to a tranzorb or similar,                         and if it did, why you                         might care.
                          Also, why should it have any effect on  relay                         life reduction …?
                          My skeptical self needs help to get beyond                         merely “more expensive                         therefore must be better†. | 	                           
                        
                          When mechanical contacts are opened, an electric
                          arc forms in the air gap. With low voltages and
                          currents, the fire may be small, but it is never
                          zero. In one of my articles, I mentioned and                       experiment
                          when a microswitch was biased up with a dry cell
                          and resistor. The contacts were observed
                          through a microscope in the dark (the side was                       opened
                          up on the switch for the experiment).
                        
                          Even at these very low power levels, a BLUE arc
                          could be observed. The temperature of blue is
                          HOT.  This suggests that no matter what the                       power
                          level, every opening even will transfer                       molecules
                          of metal between contacts.
                        
                          Again, not a lot of metal but never zero.
                        
                          As energy levels go up and particularly
                          at higher voltages, the intensity and DURATION
                          of the arcing event increases. This is an                       expected
                          condition. Relays are designed to meet life                       cycle
                          ratings at specific power levels and circuit
                          characteristics by adjusting contact material,
                          closing forces, opening velocities, opening
                          gaps, etc.  Conditions are important . . .                       switches
                          and relays will have AC, DC and LAMP ratings
                          applied to their service life limits.
                        
                        https://goo.gl/CPtPYJ
                          
                          If you've ever tried to do any                       stick-welding, you
                          understand the need for (1) making initial cold
                          contact, (2) breaking that contact to form an
                          arc, then maintaining an optimum distance                       between
                          rod and work-piece to achieve a SUSTAINED fire
                          at a temperature conducive to the TRANSFER
                          of metal from rod to work-piece.
                        
                          If the contacts of a switch or relay do not                       spread
                          fast enough, wide enough and with sufficient
                          thermal mass in contacts, then the TRANSFER of
                          metal will exceed that which meets design goals
                          for service life.
                        
                          This lays the groundwork for a notion that relay
                          contacts will accelerate open at some rate which                       is
                          a function of spring, mass and decay of the
                          magnetic field which was originally applied to
                          close the contacts.
                        
                          It's easily demonstrated that rate of decay for
                          this magnetic field is strongly influenced by
                          the choice of suppression for energy stored in
                          the coil at the time it is de-energized.
                        
                          A totally open-circuit coil is the fastest, but
                          transient voltage during field collapse is                       greatest.
                          You can drive a coil with a current limited                       source
                          and the throw a dead short across the coil,                       reducing
                          its excitation current to zero thus initiating
                          the contact opening sequence. In this condition,
                          the field collapse transient voltage will be                       zero
                          and time to decay will be a whole lot longer.
                          Hence, there is a range of decay rates offered                       by
                          the array of suppression techniques.
                        
                          I've have yet to discover a paper that describes
                          the behavior of relay magnetic holding force
                          in detail . . . many papers that jump to an
                          'obvious' conclusion that if decay rate in
                          the coil is extended by factors of 10 or more,
                          then opening velocity of the contacts is                       similarly
                          depressed.
                        
                          What I observed (in 45 years of herding                       electrons
                          in airplanes and conducting numerous relay and 
                          switch failure studies) is that as a relay                       closes,
                          the CONTACTS CLOSE before the magnetic armature
                          BOTTOMS OUT. There is a spring rate associated
                          with this extra motion that sets the contact
                          closed holding force.
                        
                          This leads us to the idea that as the magnetic
                          field in the device decays, there is a period
                          of time from first motion the of armature off
                          the bottomed-out position until closing force
                          on the contacts drops to zero and they begin
                          to move. This means that there is a GROWING
                          AIR GAP in the magnetic circuit holding the
                          contacts closed.
                        
                          This air gap has a profound suppressing effect
                          on that magnetic force. It's an effect that
                          grossly over-rides the decay rate of the                       magnetic
                          from the coil.
                        
                          Magnetic decay rate does indeed affect drop-out
                          time for the relay . . . this was demonstrated                       in
                          the data collected during my bench-top                       experiments.
                          Decay rate adds a time delay between                       de-energizing
                          of the coil and first opening of the contacts.
                          However, by the time the contacts see first                       motion,
                          the magnetic air gap is established and growing.
                        
                          The air gap has much more control over contact
                          acceleration than does coil current. Hence, the
                          duration of arc between spreading contacts                       showed
                          only a slight difference between                       diode-suppressed
                          and non-suppressed contactor.
                        
                          The case for 'supper suppressors' is further
                          weakened by the fact that starter and battery
                          contactors on our airplanes are considered very
                          busy if they get a few operations per week.
                          The average light aircraft flies 50 hours
                          a year. If you install switches and relay rated
                          for tens of thousands of operations, it stands                       to
                          reason that benefits gained by                       going-the-extra-mile
                          on coil suppression yields no measurable                       benefit.
                        
                          Then, there is the study of contact erosion                       during
                          closure as influenced by the physics of the                       switched
                          circuit. This is due to arcing that occurs                       during
                          contact BOUNCE. Many closures and openings per
                          operation . . . much smaller gap during the                       bounce . . .
                          but exceedingly unfriendly to relay life under
                          some conditions.
                        
                          But that's a totally different story . . .
                        
                        
                         
                        
                        
                            Bob . . .                                        
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		Eric M. Jones
 
  
  Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 565 Location: Massachusetts
  | 
		
			
				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:42 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				I am reluctant to get into another long discussion on the subject of 
 coil suppression but I encourage Googling the various extensive 
 resources on this subject.
 
 Note that there are many techniques tuned to specific application on 
 this subject, but three things are true:
 
 1) The use of a simple diode is contraindicated.
 
 2) The use of a simple bidirectional zener is a good way to go.
 
 3) MOVs are a good way to go, but they have a discrete lifetime...I was 
 never comfortable with that. MOVs are usually what fails in 
 surge-suppression computer multi-outlets.
 
 One COULD use a zener and a regular diode in series, but a bidirectional 
 zener is polarity insensitive and stone simple.
 
 Kilovac and Gigavac both use bidirectional zeners inside their 
 contactors for coil supression. What does these people know that you don't?
 
 Eric
 
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  |  
 
 
 
  
 _________________ Eric M. Jones
 
www.PerihelionDesign.com
 
113 Brentwood Drive
 
Southbridge, MA 01550
 
(508) 764-2072
 
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		kenryan
 
 
  Joined: 20 Oct 2009 Posts: 429
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:03 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				Thanks Charlie. That does clear things up for me as to what Bob was saying.
 I am no longer confused (temporary condition I am sure).
 
 Sent from my Android. Sorry Steve.
 
 On Jan 19, 2018 8:26 AM, "Charlie England" <ceengland7(at)gmail.com> wrote:
 
 [quote] I think y'all are a bit confused on what the diodes actually do. The diode
  across the relay coil is there to protect the controlling *switch's* low
  current contacts; not the relay contacts. Now, since TANSTAFL (there's no
  such thing as a free lunch), the  downside (of questionable significance)
  to the diode being in the circuit is that it *can* slow the collapse of the
  magnetic field in the relay, leading some to think (evidenced by the link
  to back-to-back zeners) that it puts the *relay* contacts at more risk.
 
  Not to speak for Bob, but his latest post(s) address that  slowing of the
  magnetic field collapse (of questionable significance), and tell us that
  his testing has shown that with most relays, the contacts don't actually
  start to separate until after that slowed magnetic field decay isn't having
  any influence.
 
  So....The bottom line is that the diode *is* needed to protect *switch*
  contacts, and its presence has *minimal to zero* real world impact on the
  *relay's* contacts. The takeaway is that you do need the diode, and nothing
  more elaborate than a standard diode is needed.
 
  Those of us who made our living playing with these components have an easy
  time seeing what he's describing. It might serve you well to visit some
  appliance/electrical repair facility & talk them out of a couple of open
  frame relays so you can play with them & see what he's describing.
 
  On 1/19/2018 10:56 AM, Bob Verwey wrote:
 
  Does the risk not lie in having contacts that weld together or overheat?
 
  On 19 Jan 2018 6:49 PM, "Ken Ryan" <keninalaska(at)gmail.com> wrote:
 
 > I'm confused. It seems like you are now saying that because the relays
 > are rated for far more cycles than they will ever see, there is no reason
 > to bother with diodes.
 >
 > Sent from my Android. Sorry Steve.
 >
 > On Jan 19, 2018 7:06 AM, "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" <
 > nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com> wrote:
 >
 >> At 04:37 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
 >>
 >> 
 >>
 >> I’m trying to work out why a diode has *any* significant effect on
 >> release time compared to a tranzorb or similar, and if it did, why you
 >> might care.
 >> Also, why should it have any effect on  relay life reduction …?
 >> My skeptical self needs help to get beyond merely “more expensive
 >> therefore must be better†.
 >>
 >>
 >>
 >>   When mechanical contacts are opened, an electric
 >>   arc forms in the air gap. With low voltages and
 >>   currents, the fire may be small, but it is never
 >>   zero. In one of my articles, I mentioned and experiment
 >>   when a microswitch was biased up with a dry cell
 >>   and resistor. The contacts were observed
 >>   through a microscope in the dark (the side was opened
 >>   up on the switch for the experiment).
 >>
 >>   Even at these very low power levels, a BLUE arc
 >>   could be observed. The temperature of blue is
 >>   HOT.  This suggests that no matter what the power
 >>   level, every opening even will transfer molecules
 >>   of metal between contacts.
 >>
 >>   Again, not a lot of metal but never zero.
 >>
 >>   As energy levels go up and particularly
 >>   at higher voltages, the intensity and DURATION
 >>   of the arcing event increases. This is an expected
 >>   condition. Relays are designed to meet life cycle
 >>   ratings at specific power levels and circuit
 >>   characteristics by adjusting contact material,
 >>   closing forces, opening velocities, opening
 >>   gaps, etc.  Conditions are important . . . switches
 >>   and relays will have AC, DC and LAMP ratings
 >>   applied to their service life limits.
 >>
 >> https://goo.gl/CPtPYJ
 >>
 >>   If you've ever tried to do any stick-welding, you
 >>   understand the need for (1) making initial cold
 >>   contact, (2) breaking that contact to form an
 >>   arc, then maintaining an optimum distance between
 >>   rod and work-piece to achieve a SUSTAINED fire
 >>   at a temperature conducive to the TRANSFER
 >>   of metal from rod to work-piece.
 >>
 >>   If the contacts of a switch or relay do not spread
 >>   fast enough, wide enough and with sufficient
 >>   thermal mass in contacts, then the TRANSFER of
 >>   metal will exceed that which meets design goals
 >>   for service life.
 >>
 >>   This lays the groundwork for a notion that relay
 >>   contacts will accelerate open at some rate which is
 >>   a function of spring, mass and decay of the
 >>   magnetic field which was originally applied to
 >>   close the contacts.
 >>
 >>   It's easily demonstrated that rate of decay for
 >>   this magnetic field is strongly influenced by
 >>   the choice of suppression for energy stored in
 >>   the coil at the time it is de-energized.
 >>
 >>   A totally open-circuit coil is the fastest, but
 >>   transient voltage during field collapse is greatest.
 >>   You can drive a coil with a current limited source
 >>   and the throw a dead short across the coil, reducing
 >>   its excitation current to zero thus initiating
 >>   the contact opening sequence. In this condition,
 >>   the field collapse transient voltage will be zero
 >>   and time to decay will be a whole lot longer.
 >>   Hence, there is a range of decay rates offered by
 >>   the array of suppression techniques.
 >>
 >>   I've have yet to discover a paper that describes
 >>   the behavior of relay magnetic holding force
 >>   in detail . . . many papers that jump to an
 >>   'obvious' conclusion that if decay rate in
 >>   the coil is extended by factors of 10 or more,
 >>   then opening velocity of the contacts is similarly
 >>   depressed.
 >>
 >>   What I observed (in 45 years of herding electrons
 >>   in airplanes and conducting numerous relay and
 >>   switch failure studies) is that as a relay closes,
 >>   the CONTACTS CLOSE before the magnetic armature
 >>   BOTTOMS OUT. There is a spring rate associated
 >>   with this extra motion that sets the contact
 >>   closed holding force.
 >>
 >>   This leads us to the idea that as the magnetic
 >>   field in the device decays, there is a period
 >>   of time from first motion the of armature off
 >>   the bottomed-out position until closing force
 >>   on the contacts drops to zero and they begin
 >>   to move. This means that there is a GROWING
 >>   AIR GAP in the magnetic circuit holding the
 >>   contacts closed.
 >>
 >>   This air gap has a profound suppressing effect
 >>   on that magnetic force. It's an effect that
 >>   grossly over-rides the decay rate of the magnetic
 >>   from the coil.
 >>
 >>   Magnetic decay rate does indeed affect drop-out
 >>   time for the relay . . . this was demonstrated in
 >>   the data collected during my bench-top experiments.
 >>   Decay rate adds a time delay between de-energizing
 >>   of the coil and first opening of the contacts.
 >>   However, by the time the contacts see first motion,
 >>   the magnetic air gap is established and growing.
 >>
 >>   The air gap has much more control over contact
 >>   acceleration than does coil current. Hence, the
 >>   duration of arc between spreading contacts showed
 >>   only a slight difference between diode-suppressed
 >>   and non-suppressed contactor.
 >>
 >>   The case for 'supper suppressors' is further
 >>   weakened by the fact that starter and battery
 >>   contactors on our airplanes are considered very
 >>   busy if they get a few operations per week.
 >>   The average light aircraft flies 50 hours
 >>   a year. If you install switches and relay rated
 >>   for tens of thousands of operations, it stands to
 >>   reason that benefits gained by going-the-extra-mile
 >>   on coil suppression yields no measurable benefit.
 >>
 >>   Then, there is the study of contact erosion during
 >>   closure as influenced by the physics of the switched
 >>   circuit. This is due to arcing that occurs during
 >>   contact BOUNCE. Many closures and openings per
 >>   operation . . . much smaller gap during the bounce . . .
 >>   but exceedingly unfriendly to relay life under
 >>   some conditions.
 >>
 >>   But that's a totally different story . . .
 >>
 >>
 >>
 >>
 >>   Bob . . .
 >>
 >
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:32 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				At 10:44 AM 1/19/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  | I'm confused. It seems like you are now saying that because the relays are rated for far more cycles than they will ever see, there is no reason to bother with diodes. | 	  
    No . . . .
 
    I am saying that 'optimized' coil spike suppression
    has a perhaps a tiny benefit for contactors in
    heavy usage applications and no benefit in our
    airplanes (very low duty).
 
    Spike suppression is (and always has been) indicated
    for enhancing LIFE OF THE DEVICE THAT CONTROLS
    the contactor. E.g. AD against key-switch. The
    plain-vanilla diodes have been installed on TC aircraft
    for decades. See item 29 in screenshot of 1969
    C172 service manual. Couldn't put my hands on my
    copy of the Beechjet manual . . . but the little
    critters are sprinkled about that airplane as well.
 
  [img]cid:.0[/img]
 
    The diode has (1) no practical effect on service life
    of contactor and (2) demonstrable benefit on service life
    of the controlling switch . . .
 
  
    Bob . . .
 
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:43 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
				     | 
			 
			
				
  | 
			 
			
				At 10:56 AM 1/19/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  | Does the risk not lie in having contacts that weld together or overheat? | 	  
    Contacts 'weld' on closure. The risk of welding
    begins with deformation of contact surfaces due
    to combinations of age and service conditions (extra
    ordinary inrush current), low energizing current.
 
    Contact welding can also be a function of unanticipated
    behaviors due to aircraft wiring. See this study on
    'sticking' roll trim relays on the Beechjet:
 
  https://goo.gl/QcfSYo 
 
    Spike suppression on the at-risk relay/contactor
    has no effect on conditions that promote contact
    sticking/welding.
 
    'Overheating' contacts are either too small for
    the service or so badly worn as to degrade
    conductivity across the contacts.
 
  https://goo.gl/1BJP7y 
 
    Note that this victim of severe overheat still
    carries remains of its coil suppression diode.
    This contactor was used to control power to a 
    3 horsepower, 28v motor used in the air conditioning
    system of a King Air.  The diode was there . . .
    but the contactor simply got 'tired'.
 
  
  
    Bob . . .
 
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:53 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				 	  | Quote: | 	 		  
  Kilovac and Gigavac both use bidirectional zeners inside their contactors for coil supression. What does these people know that you don't? | 	  
    Not a thing I can see . . . the bidirectional zener
    performs as advertised. No reason to avoid it or to change
    it out in favor of an alternative.
 
    By the same token, there's no demonstrable benefit
    for any extra effort to steer clear of
    the lowly diode that has also performed as advertised
    in literally billions of applications for a
    very long time.
 
    My complaint is with publications that make
    sweeping assertions that are demonstrably
    short on physical evidence or experimental
    confirmation.
 
  
 
  
    Bob . . .
 
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		cluros(at)gmail.com Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:13 pm    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				I was wondering the same thing Bob so I had a look, no fuse or breaker in that line. I guess the builder thought it didn't need one since it connects to ground 8(. I think I should install an inline fuse?
 
 Thank you,
 Sebastien
 On Fri, Jan 19, 2018 at 8:07 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III <nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com (nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelectric.com)> wrote:
  	  | Quote: | 	 		    At 07:09 PM 1/18/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  | Last year I put a lighter AGM battery in my aircraft and moved it to the firewall along with the master contactor and made some new diodes for the contactors (one was broken). Saved about 4 pounds in wiring alone! Only problem afterwards was that if the battery was even slightly down sometimes the starter would turn a split second and then nothing. Repeated attempts usually ended up with the starter eventually running fine until the engine started. Putting a voltmeter on the starter confirmed that the problem was a lack of power to the starter, not the starter itself. I had a battery problem later on and replaced the battery, no change. Thinking I had messed up the starter contactor while tightening nuts on it I swapped it out, no change. At this point I started to suspect my diode so I disconnected it: Problem gone! I suspect I installed it backwards. Going to make the new one with clear shrinkwrap tubing so it can't happen again. | 	  
     If your diode is installed backwards, it will conduct
     HARD while the starter button is depressed. Plastic
     diodes generally smoke for a few seconds and split,
     some will literally explode. I've seen a few cases
     where they simply fused short and tripped the starter
     control circuit breaker.
 
     If removing the diode cured your problem, then it 
     probably was 'backwards'. Do you have a breaker
     or fuse on your starter control line? That shorted condition
     should have opened the circuit protection. 
 
  
  
    Bob . . .  
  | 	 
 
 
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		nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
 
 
 
 
 
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				 Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 6:50 am    Post subject: diode on starter contactor | 
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				At 09:12 PM 1/19/2018, you wrote:
   	  | Quote: | 	 		  | I was wondering the same thing Bob so I had a look, no fuse or breaker in that line. I guess the builder thought it didn't need one since it connects to ground 8(. I think I should install an inline fuse? | 	  
   Not sure which 'same thing' you're citing . . .
   Fuse in which line, bust thru starter button to starer contactor
   or battery to starter contactor?
 
   The CONTROL line from bus to starter switch is
   classically protected.  No protection is indicated
   for the cranking current feeder from battery to
   starter contactor.
 
  
   Suggest you browse the various power distribution
   diagrams (Z-figures) at https://goo.gl/kovZJX 
 
  
 
   While these cover a broad range of applications,
   there are features common to all of them that
   illustrate both legacy and modern but field
   proven techniques for architecture.
 
  
  
    Bob . . .
 
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