Or something else? I've been doing some electrical system planning for my Bearhawk using the load planner on the Vertical Power website. One of the first choices is which alternator you plan to use: Internally or externally regulated. Is that the main difference between the B&C and the Plane Power? Looks like Plane Power offers Experimental kits which offers a choice of both types:

http://www.plane-power.com/products%20experimental.htm

The externally regulated B&C:
http://www.bandc.biz/belt-driven-alternators.aspx

Just curious if there is an opinion on this. The Plane Power appears to be a little less expensive.

Are all 540 variants belt drive?

And finally, for a modern, minimally equipped VFR aircraft with LED lighting, a single EFIS, single comm, and maybe some ADS-B goodies, what's a reasonable alternator capability? If you looked at the link above, my all-on load is about 40A. 60A? 70A? What's a practical buffer?

Thanks.

Zane I've used both B&C and Plane Power and they both work well. It depends on 14 or 28 volt .Check AC43 .13 for wire sizes Shoot for system that is 50-70 percent of rated load. On B&C website is a electrical book with lots of really good electrical information.

I replace my Plane Power after 300 hours. It died flying from Green Peter Lake to KONP. It really sucked.

Your Milage may be significantly different.

Mine has a MOPAR with field approval. Same as Cherokee

tim

I just bought the Power Plane conversion from generator to alernator from aircraft spruce. I think what you choose is personal preference like qmdv has a mopar my grandfather had a ford on his 180. My guess is each brand is a quality product.

Quickdraw1 wrote:I just bought the Power Plane conversion from generator to alernator from aircraft spruce. I think what you choose is personal preference like qmdv has a mopar my grandfather had a ford on his 180. My guess is each brand is a quality product.

or not

tim

182 STOL driver wrote:Zane I've used both B&C and Plane Power and they both work well. It depends on 14 or 28 volt .Check AC43 .13 for wire sizes Shoot for system that is 50-70 percent of rated load. On B&C website is a electrical book with lots of really good electrical information.

Thanks Bill. I was directed to AC 43.13 Page 11-12 which gives the rule of thumb that your max load shouldn't exceed 80% of your alternator output capability. So for my current planned load of 40A, a 50A alternator would work.

Now to the question of external voltage regulator or internal? Any advantage to either? Chuck the whole Plane Power unit in the garbage if the VR dies?

This isn't critical for me right now, but I have about 47 irons in the fire in terms of research and subproject starts.

I've used a number of B&C items over the years, and Bill Bainbridge is a personal friend. Bill is a man of integrity, you couldn't ask for a more honest, customer first, dedicated to providing quality stuff kind of business owner. Just saying!

bumper

+1 on Bill Bainbridge.

Gump

When I replaced the wiring and charging system on my pacer I went with the Plane Power, it's performed flawlessly.

One advantage to an external regulator/controller/magic box is the ability to place it somewhere that you can adjust the voltage with the engine running and everything turned on. My box is just above the copilot's toes, it was easy to fine tune the charging voltage in flight this way.

Sam

I had to replace a InterAv regulator, that's no longer in business and found that the Plane Power regulator was PMAd. That worked fine, and year later I had alternator troubles and thought I would just get a STCd Plane Power alt. They wouldn't sell me just the alt and the STC with out buying their kit, which included another $180.00 regulator.
That ticked me off so I just repaired the InterAv alt.

Second B&C being a good outfit. We got lots of stuff from them when we did the electrical on the Rans. I don't know a thing about their alternators. I do know that I went through 2 of the car alternators that you get for $800 apiece in about 50 hours before finding the Plane Power one that held up with no issues.

Halestorm wrote:.... My box is just above the copilot's toes, it was easy to fine tune the charging voltage in flight this way.

Just thinking about doing that made me call my chiropractor for an appointment.

Quickdraw1 wrote: I just bought the Power Plane conversion from generator to alernator from aircraft spruce. ..........

When I posted recently about the starting / charging issues with my new 180, I got several suggestions to replace the 35 amp generator with an alternator system. Checked the Spruce "bible"-- the Plane Power kit to do so is almost $800. After replacing the battery, cleaning up all the electrical connections, and tweaking the regulator down to 14v or so (none of which problems were generator related), the electrical system works flawlessly. Several of the guys I know with 180's also still run the good old 35 amp gen system. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" are good words to live by, and will keep a lot of money in your pockets.
As far as Zane's Bearhawk goes, if it was me I'd look into a small Nippondenso alternator. I think a lot of the Vans RV guys run them. Otherwise Plane Power or B&C. B&C and now maybe P.P. offer less expensive experimental stuff for non-certificated airplanes.

I like my Internaly regulated, off the shelf, ND alternator offered by http://www.airtecinc.us

Especially after replacing a $200 zeftronics regulator in a pa28 yesterday.....

I had the pleasure of being in the booth next to Bill Bainbridge in Oshkosh one year. We spoke frequently, and I was able to watch how he dealt with customers. More importantly, I heard what he said and what his attitude was after the people walked away from his booth. I remember leaving Oshkosh that year saying to myself that I'd be happy to do business with him any time, and that he makes a top quality product. Old school, "customer first"... old aviation school. I know nothing about alternators and starters, but I'd hand him my money without reservation.

Talked to a buddy yesterday who built an RV7 a few years ago. He started out with a cheapie Nippondenso alt from vans, after it took a shit he went to a B&C and was very pleased with it.

A thought to consider: if you intend to install a heated pitot, then you should go for a larger alternator. When I first bought my airplane, it had the original 35 amp generator. While it was down for the new engine, my IA suggested that I should consider converting to a 65 amp alternator, especially since one of the improvements I wanted was a heated pitot.

When I had him install the AOA with a heated probe several years later, he commented that it's a good thing he had done the alternator conversion, because with both the heated probe and the heated pitot turned on, it would exceed the capacity of the original generator. Add landing lights, position lights, wingtip strobes, the anti-collision strobe, and the full panel, and it takes a lot of juice. Yet it's all well within the capacity of my 65 amp alternator.

It's a corollary to the old "nobody complains about having too much horsepower except for the extra gas" issue. Other than a little more $$ to buy it, there's no downside to having a larger alternator.

Cary

Those heated pitots are pretty handy for cooking hotdogs when you feel like a hot meal but don't wanna mess with the camp stove or rustle up any firewood..

hotrod180 wrote:Those heated pitots are pretty handy for cooking hotdogs when you feel like a hot meal but don't wanna mess with the camp stove or rustle up any firewood..

Now you're talkin'! Thinking about building a triple pitot now.