Need your expertise....please.
I noticed the EC5 on the AL37 was hot after a recent flight. Investigation showed severe degradation of the fluting on the male barrel connector (tons of flights on this bird).
I have installed a new EC5 of the split barrel flower pedal type. She runs cool, now.
My question is related to the different designs of the male EC5 barrel connectors...
It appears the split barrel / flower pedal type is a more robust design...that is to say, more resistant to the spark damage that results at the instant the power plugs are mated.
Is this a correct observation? Comments? I am aware that there are sparkless connectors...and I may move to that type of a connector. But for now, I have installed a new split barrel/flower petal type connector.
See photos below. Thanks....
Note: This is not a system problem...this connector has been mated/un-mated about 1000 times. Plenty of action, so to speak, and limited life is expected.
-G.G.
Photo #1 Area where connection sparks degraded the metal.
Photo #2 Close-up of the degraded metal fluting pointed out in Photo #1
You can see the end on the left is where the spark occurs during connection.
The metal is totally eaten away by the spark.
Photo #3 Newly purchased split barrel / flower petal type. More robust than the above? Seems to be....
Comments are appreciated.
I noticed the EC5 on the AL37 was hot after a recent flight. Investigation showed severe degradation of the fluting on the male barrel connector (tons of flights on this bird).
I have installed a new EC5 of the split barrel flower pedal type. She runs cool, now.
My question is related to the different designs of the male EC5 barrel connectors...
It appears the split barrel / flower pedal type is a more robust design...that is to say, more resistant to the spark damage that results at the instant the power plugs are mated.
Is this a correct observation? Comments? I am aware that there are sparkless connectors...and I may move to that type of a connector. But for now, I have installed a new split barrel/flower petal type connector.
See photos below. Thanks....
Note: This is not a system problem...this connector has been mated/un-mated about 1000 times. Plenty of action, so to speak, and limited life is expected.
-G.G.
Photo #1 Area where connection sparks degraded the metal.
Photo #2 Close-up of the degraded metal fluting pointed out in Photo #1
You can see the end on the left is where the spark occurs during connection.
The metal is totally eaten away by the spark.
Photo #3 Newly purchased split barrel / flower petal type. More robust than the above? Seems to be....
Comments are appreciated.
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