I would check the water before and after, but not during the charge. If the water is found to be low, check the water level frequently, like every 2 - 3 hours of flight for a while, as this could be a symptom of overcharging by the plane's generator/alternator.
(We were trained by a CFI who teaches in no-electric planes. We brief the task every time.)
Hubby is training as mechanic. Has serviced battery at annual under eye of IA.
Think we need either an alternator or voltage regulator.
Thanks!.
Handpropping is dangerous...but so is flying. I was very dubious about doing it, but one of my flying buddies did it about 5 times (over the years) when I was going flying with him in his Skyhawk.
Thanks. The PDF attachment worked like a charm. We'll be memorizing it tonight, I suppose.
The Cessna is a little safer than most airplanes because you can hand-prop from behind the prop and hold on to the hand-hold. I believe Hubby has done it about 3 times today. I get to "man" the toe brakes.
Thanks for the good wishes. The POA community and the piloting community in general are the best guys in the world.
It now being noonish o'clock in Noo Yawk, you've probably done some serious screwdriver twisting and wrench bending on that puppy.
Let's sit and analyze what we know. The airplane, so far as you know, was working just fine on Friday. Saturday you departed home and flew for an hour with the alternator side of the master off. Battery volts dropped to near 12 volts or slightly below. In normal charge mode, that particular alternator regulator is set for 14.2 +/- 0.2 volts. Taking the battery out and charging it got you back up to 12.5 volts. You fired the airplane back up and put a load on the battery and it immediately dropped to 11.9 volts.
So far as I can tell, this is what we KNOW. Good analysis.
Questions to help us along a little:
1. When you noticed the master switch half off, did you turn the master completely on at cruise RPM? If so, did the voltmeter and/or the ammeter tickle in the least? At cruise (2300-2400). The voltmeter rose some and the ammeter rose from negative to zero, then no further action.
2. When you re-placed the battery after charging, did you do the load test at higher than idle RPM or down in the 500-600 rpm idle range? I was at 1000 rpm.
3. Did you "cycle" the alternator master a few times? That rocker switch was truly supplied by the lowest bidder. Yes, we cycled one extra time. Since then, it has been off and on several times. We haven't tested the switch itself yet.
4. That battery should accept a charge to at least 13.5 volts ten minutes after a good healthy charge. Why you only got it up to 12.5 volts is a good question that I don't have an answer to. It was on the charger more like 45 minutes and got to 12.5 volts.
Jim
Yup. Like me, that's a reaction to the mandatory dawn patrol except there's a 800nm hurricane in the Tonkin Gulf.
I think it had to do with some fella called Johnson, big ugly Texas guy. Seems I remember him insisting, or some such silliness. Guy just had no sense of humor at all.
Back to our dead battery discussion...
I beg your pardon, sir. How utterly rude of me to let the thread drift for a moment.
Don't worry.
Agreed. We flew to BMG on Monday, then arrived PNC Tuesday. Quit striving for OSH. We'll fly to Tulsa tomorrow, then back to PNC with son. Return him to Tulsa, then back to NY. So far we haven't flown after dark with new alternator or relied on radios.