Cotton Waiex 191 - N191YX

[Bryan Cotton]

Here is a closeup of the battery mounted.

Here is a view further away.

[Bryan Cotton]

I'm in the throes of electrical. Power plug for my TC. I've added a switch to turn it on and off.

Power and ground wires for my KX155. I had to buy contacts on eBay. Cost $46 for 26. Also got the right Molex removal tool from digikey.

Initially I thought my KX155 had an audio amp, based on the part number. But I realized the card was not there. So I've added a switch to select either com or nav audio.

If anybody wants details on my awesome label maker let me know.

[GordonTurner]

Yes. Please post details on those exotic blue colored professional labels. What font are you using?

[Bryan Cotton]

Long time no post. When I was last posting, I couldn't get my KX155 to turn on. Then the temperature toggle button on my orphaned Alpha MFD died. I was derailed. I got distracted with some projects on my car, Adam got a motorcycle that we brought back to life, I brought one of my old motorcycles back to life, and that took time. Then we got a couple of foam sailboats. Those are a lot of fun, but for one I had to make a new sail, mast, and rudder. Did a little work on the hovercraft but nothing on the airplane. But, I'm back.

First the KX155 - I sent it out and had it repaired for $350. Came back and still did not work. I did some digging and realized the connector pin definition was different than what I wired to. I had it flipped. Now it works.

Much other wiring has ensued. Here I am wiring up headset jacks. The bigger the blob, the better the job.

I made a mockup of the area behind the turtledeck and the crossmember so I could wire this on the bench.

Another week or two of work and I'll open up my Alpha MFD. I assume it is one of those cheesy contact buttons and I'll use a normal pushbutton if needed.

[Bryan Cotton]

Pilot jacks, to be mounted behind the copilot on the tailcone bulkhead. Headphone wires are shared, mic wires are not. I made my junctions here. Side to side is 3 conductor shielded, and to get up front 4C shielded. I am keeping the mic grounds independent all the way forward.

[Bryan Cotton]

Jacks are installed. I just have to figure out how to route them, and I'll terminate them when the panel is in.

I've trimmed the tie wraps since I took the picture.

[Bryan Cotton]

Here is my PTT wire routing. Small service loop for the aileron motion. Wires leave the assembly down low near the pivot for a small service loop for elevator motion.

Headset wires from the back.

PTT and headset wires meeting up.

[Bryan Cotton]

One of the buttons on my primary display has died. This is a Bräuniger Alpha MFD. It appears to be an orphan. I've opened it up, further ruined the ribbon cable, and have reverse engineered the cable schematic. I'll be making my own button box and installing it.

[Bryan Cotton]

We have a box design and printed out one button worth as a trial run.

prototype switch box apart cropped.jpg (51.88 KiB) Viewed 5434 times

prototype switch box together cropped.jpg (52.18 KiB) Viewed 5434 times

I'll be soldering in wires to the holes where the ribbon cable connector was. I've removed said connector.

removed ribbon cable connector cropped.jpg (43.01 KiB) Viewed 5434 times

[Bryan Cotton]

Adam finished designing the switch box. Our printers were too small, so a neighbor printed it for us. Here I've soldered my wires to the buttons.

Here are the wires soldered on the PCB. I used E6000 adhesive for strain relief both in the switch box, and the PCB.

And the test - all the buttons work!


To test my oil pressure sender, and its compatibility with the Alpha MFD, I adapted it to an air collet. Then I plugged in a hose, and put an air chuck on the other side. I made like I was filling up the tire with the pressure sender, which of course pressurized the hose and sender. Initially I had 35 psi according to my tire gauges, but the display was reading 2:3. Turns out the MFD default to bar instead of PSI. After I figured that out, it read very closely at 29 psi. I cranked the tire up to about 60 psi on the tire gauge, and it read 55. My other tire gauge that went high enough read 50. So, I'm declaring success.

Continued on the next page for the 5 picture limit...