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Panel / Wiring
Panel / Wiring Complete
 Main power wiring complete. You can see the mount for the FastStack avionics hub (Gold). I ended up moving this to behind the subpanel, under the radio stack to make the wires shorter.  Flap motor wires and Flap Position sensor  Panel completed and powered up. Well, I would suggest doing the wiring exactly opposite of what I did. It all works, but it took a lot longer and the finished product is not as neat as I would like..... my next plane will be much better. :) I started wiring from the wing/tail and ran the wires forward. I had terminated the wires at the wing/tail first. I did this as I had not purchased my faststack or other avionics, and was trying to delay those purchases. DONT. I also ran each wire to the panel one at a time off the spool and then cut the wire. I was trying to keep from wasting any wire. DONT. Figure out what wires you need, and about how long (add a couple feet to be sure to not be too short). Wire them all to the panel off the plane (before installing upper fuselage). Then run the bundles to where they are needed once installed in the plane. Terminate everything at the panel first, and bundle there first. then work the excess to the end. Only terminate them after all the slack and routing is done. Also, I had wired some things from the wing root to the panel that the faststack included. I then ended up butt splicing them near the panel. If I had ordered the faststack first, they would have provided long enough wires to go to the wing root. After installing everything: Very happy with the VP-X. It simplified wiring, is very flexible, and was easy to get up and running. Very happy with Approch Faststack. Avionics wiring took only a couple of days. Should be quick and easy to change out parts of my avoinics as well if I ever need to. Only had 1 grounding block that went through the firewall. I used every one.(no local grounds) of the 48 place one. In the future I would have added a ground block on the subpanel that MOST of the grounds would have gone to. This would have shortened a lot of wires and been a lot easier to access. |
Wiring
Well wiring took WAY longer than I expected. Much of it was probably my fault and inexperiance. I ran all the wires first, without terminating either end (but labeling both ends with shrinkwrap. I then terminated the wires at the wing root, and tightened/straigtened the wires working forward to the panel. When I got to the panel I then had to cut the wire to the correct length, re-label it as I ended up cutting off the label, terminate it (in the panel, sometimes in not so easy positions) and then connect it. To make the grounds the correct length I ended up going under the panel to measure, then label and crimp, then back under the panel to install. I also ran one wire at a time as I was worried about waisting expensive wire. Later found www.wiremasters.com. They had MUCH better prices than ACS or Stien. Sometimes less than 1/2. I also needed much more wire than I expected. I will total it after I get flying so it will be easier for others to have a ballpark figure. I also ran all the wires before crimping and installing any of them. Things I would do different: 1. Measure the standard runs, add a couple feet to them, then cut multiple wires at the same time, and run them at the same time. 2. only rough label one end (masking tape) until it is terminated on the other end and installed. 3. Run the wires from either end, but first terminate the wires in the panel (firewall for grounds). 4. Neaten the wires from the panel back out to the wing roots and tail. Then label and terminate. 5. Crimp and install wires as you go (each set or bundle) that way you wont have to search through a whole bunch of wires for the one you are looking for.  Wires run, starting to connect things.  Trim wires run  Tail light wires secured. Ended up going with adel clamps screwed into J-stiffenners. Later I added the Static line in to the same adel clamps. Nav antena is run on oposite side.  Rockrack switch wiring. These have 2 leds that are separately wired, and then the item that is switched. I have wired it so one is always on, the other is on if the switch is "on". With the VPX, the switch being "ON" means it is grounded. So separate power has to be supplied to the LED's.  Switch with both Led's lit. Top is always on (with master) and is blue, bottom is "ON" indicator and is red. I ordered these switches from ACS in September, (14 of them). So far 4 have arrived, the rest are backorded still (Now Febuary), so if you plan on using the RockRack switches you should order with your empenage kit :) (Love the switches though) (7/30/13 - Switches finally arrived in May 9 months after order. Rumor is these switches and covers are being discontinued. If I had it to do over again I would not recommend these switches to anyone based on the very poor customer service & ordering experiance and cost. Still love the look. Someone needs to come up with a replacement)  First 4 switches wired in the panel. This is just the lights wired, not actually what needs switched. Need 8 faston connectors per switch.  Garmin 650 installed. That is currently the only avionics I have, the rest I just bought the trays. April (Sun'n Fun) I will order the rest of my avionics.  RayAllen sticks are the first thing I have had to sauder.  Sticks wired.  Stick wiring is going to run just under the seat bottoms. Mollex connectors connecting the sticks. I don't think the stick will be removable without removing the seat. May have to change this at some point for the co-pilot.  Fabricated bus-bars to go from firewall passthrough to starter solinoid and alternator fuses. Made out of Copper pipe flattened first with vise, then with rivet squeesers. Still need to cover with shrinkwrap. I did not have any 3/4 " shrinkwrap, but today found that Fry's Electronics had a great supply of all colors and clear shrink wrap up to 2" and down to 1/32. 4 ft lengths for 1-2$. As good of prices as I had found on the internet, and no shipping. Everything is now wired that I can until I get the rest of the avionics and switches. |
Mounting Equipment
Made mounting brackets for most of the equipment including ADHR, radio stack, Electronic ignition. Cut holes in plane and riveted doublers on.  Fan cutout. Used rotozip to start, then niblers, then finished with dremil with sanding drums. Installed sound insullation, and cooling fans. Dark green is doublers under the cooling fan cutouts. You can also see the radio stack supports.  Final install of main electrical bus to firewall.  Installation of backup battery in tail. Was planning on putting it under the dash, but instructions specifically say not to put it under the dash. You have to run 5 wires to front of plane, so that sort of sucks.  Installation of flap motor wires.  Wires coming up to the VPX, and VPX mounted |
More wiring and Mounts
8/10-8/30 Mounted Flap position sensor.  Created rear fuse box mounting bracket. Just riveted it to the bottom skin.  Mounted rear power socket. This is wired with 12 gauge wire and a 15 amp fuse, so it can be used to plug the battery charger into to charge the battery. (or used as a power outlet) It is before the master solinoid, so it is always on. Started on Raido Stack construction.  Additional wire run. Still need some antena runs, and runs for the backup battery, but most is complete (other then pinning out and securing.  Mounted transponder Mounted ADHR  Also mounted heat controls to make sure they would not interfere with ADHR Mounted backup battery (in rear) |
Installed VP-X Mount and main power bus
8/1-8/12  VP-X installed between main & sub panel.  Grounding Block installed. and Adel clamps for wire routing. Started running wires.  I do plan on re-routing some of these wires before final install. |
Pannel / Rudder Trim
Laid out panel and switches. At Oschkosh decided to go with the G3X as the avionics. I am still hoping that they will come out with a 10" screen before I have to purchase the screen, but I am moving forward with the G3X either way. Started figuring out where to put the rudder time. It needs to be mounted on the left side to avoid interferance with the break lines. I ended up resessing it a little more then I would want to to avoid the air vents. Easy to use if you know where it is, but not very visible.  The trim knob shown connects to the rudder pedals with a wire and springs causing tention on the cable one way or the other. Simple and hopefully effective. |
Started Main bus wiring
Started with installing a firewall bulkhead passthough.  Having the firewall passthough bolt allows me to easily connect the main power to the VPX on the bolt inside the firewall as well. Then installed mounts for fuseable links.  |
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