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The only hickup on me trip to sunny[????] QLD was on the return trip.My last stop in QLD was at Cluny, bout 150km east of the border, and i noticed my volts gauge wasn't telln me wot i wanted to know, it was showing less than the usual volts. I switched on a couple o things to see if itd drop further but it stayed steady at 12v. I put it down to a dicky gauge and intended to check it at Cluny.The checks told everythn was workn, the volts would jump when the 914 was started and stayed steady as i tryed loadn the systm up, so i thought everythn was good. I TO for home, 480km across the Simpson desert, with only one place where there was enough room to land and get off again, Lake Caroline, which was bout 230km away in the middle of the desert.Bout 30 km short of the dry lake i noticed the volts where now down to 11!!!. "This isn't good" i thought, as i oppted to keep go'n and do some more checks at the lake.Couldn't find anythn amiss, everythn seemed good and when i fired her up again, there did'nt seem to be any lack o power. Not that i had any options, i had to get going and hope the gauge was dicky.But dicky it wasn't, coz the further i traveled, the lower the volts got, and i didn't take any chances. I climbed very nerviosly to 700' and hoped the fuel pump and battery would last the remaining 250km home.As it turned out, it did, but only just.After shutn down in front of me hanger i tryed the battery. It had just enough power to make a very low moaning noise in the fuel pump, but it didn't have enough power left to even click the starter solinoid.I discovered two things, 1; a 914 fuel pumps will run for bout 6 hours on a 650 odessy battery without any recharge, and 2;i'm a very lucky bastered.Ignorance is bliss............but only till you realise you were.birdy, here.
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Phew ..........those Odessy batterys are the greatest !!!!I have had a couple of instances to wonder how long a battery will keep a EFI motor and high pressure fuel pump going but didnt wait till the voltmeter showed less than 11 volts !!Great to hear you are home safely !!BrianPooncarie NSW
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Phew ..........those Odessy batterys are the greatest !!!!I have had a couple of instances to wonder how long a battery will keep a EFI motor and high pressure fuel pump going but didnt wait till the voltmeter showed less than 11 volts !!Great to hear you are home safely !!BrianPooncarie NSW
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Well done Birdy and good to see it all worked out well for you.Don't know what is so nervous about climbing to 700 though[
]Must admit, rain is one thing I try and avoid, as I have herd of sparkplugs shortingout in rain.Anyway sounds like a great trip and would love to see some of those flying happy snaps you took.Sam.Melbourne Vic.
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Well done Birdy and good to see it all worked out well for you.Don't know what is so nervous about climbing to 700 though[]Must admit, rain is one thing I try and avoid, as I have herd of sparkplugs shortingout in rain.Anyway sounds like a great trip and would love to see some of those flying happy snaps you took.Sam.Melbourne Vic.
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Unfortunatly i didn't have much of a choise Brian, by the time i realised the gauge wasn't dicky, i was at the half way mark across the desert. I think the wasa was as keen to get home as me. These mountains were a comforting sight when i first spoted them.I too am supprised at the ease the machine handeled the rain Sam, not that i was thinkn bout it at the time. I was more concerned bout me hight above the ground, coz the only way i could tell how high i was , was to open me door and look down and check. Known the Great Divide wasn't far away ment the ground was riseing so i had to maintain a steady climb for the 4 hours in the heaviest rain, and keep peering through the flooded windscreen for any looming mountains.BTW, the Great Divide isn't so great, its only a pimple compared to wots in me back yard.Seems nuthn was affected by the rain, cept for maybe an eath connection in me reg rectifier.The Ivo prop and the AK's ploued through it like it was a fine day, and the wasa cab was dry n cumfy.[ not to mention the cleanest its ever been.]Ignorance is bliss............but only till you realise you were.birdy, here.
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Unfortunatly i didn't have much of a choise Brian, by the time i realised the gauge wasn't dicky, i was at the half way mark across the desert. I think the wasa was as keen to get home as me. These mountains were a comforting sight when i first spoted them.I too am supprised at the ease the machine handeled the rain Sam, not that i was thinkn bout it at the time. I was more concerned bout me hight above the ground, coz the only way i could tell how high i was , was to open me door and look down and check. Known the Great Divide wasn't far away ment the ground was riseing so i had to maintain a steady climb for the 4 hours in the heaviest rain, and keep peering through the flooded windscreen for any looming mountains.BTW, the Great Divide isn't so great, its only a pimple compared to wots in me back yard.Seems nuthn was affected by the rain, cept for maybe an eath connection in me reg rectifier.The Ivo prop and the AK's ploued through it like it was a fine day, and the wasa cab was dry n cumfy.[ not to mention the cleanest its ever been.]Ignorance is bliss............but only till you realise you were.birdy, here.
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Seems the rain did affect it afterall.When i checked the fuse my dicky eye didn't see the dicky fuse. It wasn't blown, but the water must have seeped into the 'sealed'??? fuse holder and upset the contact, coz the hole housing was melted inside, probably coz of arking, and there was no contact.So i'v modified it to the trusty SCG setup, garanteed never to be interupted by a little moisture.Shoulda known better to think a Rotax part was to blame.Ignorance is bliss............but only till you realise you were.birdy, here.
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Seems the rain did affect it afterall.When i checked the fuse my dicky eye didn't see the dicky fuse. It wasn't blown, but the water must have seeped into the 'sealed'??? fuse holder and upset the contact, coz the hole housing was melted inside, probably coz of arking, and there was no contact.So i'v modified it to the trusty SCG setup, garanteed never to be interupted by a little moisture.Shoulda known better to think a Rotax part was to blame.Ignorance is bliss............but only till you realise you were.birdy, here.
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yup them rotaxs is good no probs with themheheher0t0rcraft.com.au
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yup them rotaxs is good no probs with themheheher0t0rcraft.com.au
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