SonexBuilders.net

As anyone used a fuel level sender successfully to a MGL panel other then the one Sonex sells??

Thanks
Phil

Gday Phil
Sorry cant help with an alterative sender. I used the sender sonex sells and fortunately I got a good one. I have MGL velocity instruments and find the fuel level indications extremely accurate, the readout is in litres. I calibrated with avgas and nowadays mostly use 98 octane. The level readings don't change when alternating between the different fuels.

Steve
Sonex 892

I have a Belite fuel sender (measures fuel weight) and used it with my MGL xtreme. The problem I found was the Belite produces a voltage of 0 to 5 V. The MGL likes 0 to 4V. So when full, the MGL displays ERROR. Once the level goes down below 4V, it reads fine. I also use the MGL calculated fuel level and the Red Cube flow transducer. The levels are very close in flight once I get below the 4V level.

fastj22 wrote:I have a Belite fuel sender (measures fuel weight) and used it with my MGL xtreme. The problem I found was the Belite produces a voltage of 0 to 5 V. The MGL likes 0 to 4V. So when full, the MGL displays ERROR. Once the level goes down below 4V, it reads fine. I also use the MGL calculated fuel level and the Red Cube flow transducer. The levels are very close in flight once I get below the 4V level.

Wow - that sounds like a great idea for a sensor (http://www.beliteaircraft.com/avionics/ ... system.php). How do you like it?

Have you considered using two resistors as a voltage divider to shrink the voltage range to 0-4V? ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_divider )

I thought of some sort of resistor, but its only an issue when the tank is full. As soon as I burn off a few gallons, it reads fine. The nice thing about it is it compatible with ethanol mo-gas, unlike the capacitance probe it replaced. It also seems susceptible to electrical noise. I was having some issues that would spike the sender voltage at higher RPM. I tried all sorts of shielding, isolation, filtering then the problem just went away. I suspect a dodgy voltage regulator now.

Has anyone had any experience with the Belite fuel guages or other instruments?

Tom Jones
Onex #0133
Aerovee Turbo

HI Tom

Yes. I bought their sender and their universal gauge. Jury is still out as I have had challenges getting it to calibrate in my Sonex. The gauge works but the sensor showed incorrect levels when I first calibrated it.

Their instructions, while good, never mentioned calibrating it in flight attitude. I have a taildragger and originally calibrated it sitting on its tail, so I recalibrated it last Sunday in a level attitude and have not been able to fly since.

Robbie Culver
Sonex 1517
Chicagoland
N1517S

Belite update.
I had to replace my MGL RDAC because of an unrelated failure which the fuel level sender connects. Recalibrate everything and on the ground its dead on accurate. In flight however it reads low by a few gallons. Upon landing, it reads correctly again. With the old RDAC the sender would freak out at high RPMs. New RDAC is better but still off at high RPMs.
I have the xTreme and use two fuel level measurements, the Belite to verify fuel level on the ground, and a calculated fuel based on flow.

Thanks for the update. I like the idea of the belite fuel level sender. If I ever have problems with my capacitive sender, I might give it a try. It's interesting that it is effected by engine RPMs. Do you have any way of isolating whether it is electrical noise or mechanical? I suspect it is likely to be some ripple from the alternator, but wonder if it could also be caused by mechanical vibration.

gammaxy wrote:Thanks for the update. I like the idea of the belite fuel level sender. If I ever have problems with my capacitive sender, I might give it a try. It's interesting that it is effected by engine RPMs. Do you have any way of isolating whether it is electrical noise or mechanical? I suspect it is likely to be some ripple from the alternator, but wonder if it could also be caused by mechanical vibration.

I'm pretty sure its electrical noise. A combination of the noisy Jabiru alternator/regulator and the buggy MGL RDAC. But I suppose it could be vibration related, really hard to isolate that.