Haven't gotten any response in the Facebook group, so I'll post it here....

I have an "Int Alt" switch in my 4 and there's nothing in the checklist other than to check that it's "on", but I wonder if I should be checking this in some way.

My charging circuit diagram seems to suggest (tell me if I'm wrong) that if it's "On" then the Internal and External Alternators are sharing the load via the VPX, but it's "off" then it's only the External which is supplying current as the Internal is disconnected by the relay.

How should I be checking/using that switch/circuit?

Yeah, I'm an EE, but I'm 100% a digital guy... I can design a CPU or an Ethernet switch in my sleep, but this kind of stuff isn't my bag at all. 😎

Haven't posted much, but I've been flying, mostly for my instrument rating.

Though, the weather has been crappy, so not as much flying as I'd like.

Tucked into the hangar on a cold winter day.

The plate I made to cover up part of the oil cooler so I can keep the oil temp to at least 190F (ish) during the Winter months.

Updated the G3X (and LRU's) SW to the latest revision, which came out a few days ago.  The biggest change I saw in the revision notes was an improvement to the glide ring in that it takes into consideration terrain and obstacles (I'm surprised those weren't already in there...).

My CFII Alan.

Quabbin Reservoir.

Some rolling hills in Massachusetts.

6B6 at dawn.

I installed the latest G3X SW and an oil cooler blocking plate.  I've found (as have many other Rotax users) that in the cold temps the oil stays cooler than desired.  According to some experts on Rotax-Owner.com you really want at least 190F and preferably 200F for the oil temperature.  On a recent flight, I was seeing it get no higher than 140F and sometimes lower.

So, taking some advice from others I fashioned a simple piece of aluminum sheet that wedges into the fiberglass holding the oil cooler.  It covers about 2" of the cooler.  I'll post a pic next time and report the temps I'm seeing.

Updating the SW (it doesn't just update the G3X, but any of the other connected avionics (except the 650, which is separate).  Here it's doing the G5.

I'm definitely a fanboy of Wyze.com and buy nearly any product they come out with (because it's decent quality and cheap!).  I couldn't resist their new color LED strip.  It looks especially cool in the dark.  I can remotely check on the plane (2 video cameras), turn on electric heat, or a floodlight, and now turn on the LED light strip. 😁

I never tire of looking at the plane...

Some minor tweaks to my flap control config., looking at the AOA config, and a cool way to make a POH booklet I saw on Facebook.

Made slight changes to the Up and Down Endpoints based on further reading of the VPX Manual.  Also enabled slow retract for go-around scenarios.  So now, it'll slowly retract the flaps if the engine RPM is above 4500 RPM.  "Continuous Flap Enabled" allows you to click again before it reaches the next stop point and it'll skip that stop and continue to the next one.

In my last post, I said you needed an initial click to activate up or down movement, but that no longer seems to be the case.  Not sure why, but it's not necessary - The first click and it starts movement.

I've been wondering why the AOA display doesn't show when I'm on final and I think it must be because the "Approach Target AOA Calibration" has not been done.  I'll have to figure that out.

Someone on one of the FB Sling groups came up with a way to make the POH into a compact booklet.  I must do this.  My current printout is pretty big.

The way my flaps were set up (down in OK, of course...) has been the annoying "momentary" setting.  You have to hold the switch either up or down to get it to move and you had to watch the position to know when to stop.

But, the VPX can be set to "position" to be much easier to use.  Click it down or up and it goes to the next preset position.  I just hooked up the VPX via my crossover Ethernet cable to my laptop and did the change.

I set it to one click is about 8% (I used what I've been using on takeoff and downwind), next click is half flaps (base) and the last click takes it to full flaps for final.

I noted that you need to do an initial click before the first click to move it down from 0 or up from full.  I assume that's to prevent an inadvertent flap movement.  So it's Click to activate, Click to 8%, Click to Half, Click to Full.  Much easier!!

The laptop all hooked up and connected to the VPX.

The settings before changing them.

The settings after.  Initially, I had the default 255 in the "Down Endpoint", but that caused the flap breaker to fault.  It needs to be a lower number (this is described in the VPX manual).  I did confirm that the flaps were fully up and down when using this mode.

Finally got around to extracting the filter material.  Looked good and nothing stuck to the magnet when I moved it around the material.

A Sling Grin! :-)

Removed the spark plugs and I could see that the #1 and #2 cylinder plugs were fairly carbonized.  So, since I'm getting close to the 100 hr replacement (I use 100LL), I just replaced all the plugs with new ones.

Did the run-up and all was well.  Then did two circuits and the engine purred like a cat. 😎

#1 Top plug.  Pretty carbonized

Especially when compared to the #3 plugs.

I don't tire of this sight.

I was going to do a flight this morning with my instructor (instrument lesson) and I did the run-up (It was 34F (~1C) outside, but the airplane was in a 50F hanger all night) and the drop was about 300 on the Right and a more typical 140-ish on the Left. Normally it's about the same 140-ish drop on both sides.

It was also running rough on the Right and I noticed the EGT's for #1 and #2 were much colder (Maybe 250F to 300F) than #3 and #4 (maybe a red herring).

All other engine parameters were normal (oil temp was about 130F to 135F). The engine/airplane has about 80 total hours on it and I did an oil change 2 weeks ago (oil analysis was fine).

Hmm.... It's been running fine up until now (it's been at least 20 degrees warmer until now). Maybe some plugs are fouled? Extra cold air revealed the issue? I'll pull the plugs this weekend and see what's what.

It was beautiful this morning at 6B6... Too bad we didn't fly.

Screengrab from a Rotax-Owner.com video on installing plugs. Not much thermal paste should be applied.