Charging pigtail connection 172M

[Jdm]

I’d be interested in seeing examples of battery minder connector locations on 172s. Other GA airplanes seem easier to mount in a good location.
Trying for the oil service door area. Using the new Anderson low profile SB50 connector.

Thanks.

 

[Kevin Holbrook]

I put rubber tubing around engine mount near oil dipstick tube and zip tied the connector to that. I used the same connector you mentioned.

 

[Jdm]

Thanks. It’s a very difficult location due to the tube being recessed. Not easy to reach in to connect. Some are leaving excess length to allow the connector to be pulled out just enough to connect easily. Problem with that is it dangles around when not in use.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

Thanks. It’s a very difficult location due to the tube being recessed. Not easy to reach in to connect. Some are leaving excess length to allow the connector to be pulled out just enough to connect easily. Problem with that is it dangles around when not in use.

Velcro for the dangler?

 

[Jdm]

Yep, velcro would be better than nothing I suppose.

 

[Bell206]

seeing examples of battery minder connector locations on 172s.

Trying for the oil service door area.

Why not run your charging wires back into the cabin from the battery and install your Anderson plug under the instrument panel?

 

[Jdm]

Why not run your charging wires back into the cabin from the battery and install your Anderson plug under the instrument panel?

I saw someone do that once. Definitely better mounting options that way.
Cons: Trying to avoid having to leave a window or door open. Can’t lock the airplane up that way. If someone at the airport had to move the airplane they’d have gain access to the inside, or I suppose they could just unplug from the wall and let the charger hang with the plane for movement.

 

[Racerx]

Velcro for the dangler?

Sounds painful

 

[Dan Thomas]

Install a fuse in the charger line right at the battery. A short to ground anywhere on that line would be a bad deal.

 

[Jdm]

Thanks Dan. I’ve got the fuse in place alright. Really just looking for mounting ideas. I might end up going with Bell’s suggestion. I’m convinced there’s no ideal location on this airplane

 

[kshaw]

Just curious on why you are using the SB50 connector. That is a 50 amp connector. It is unlikely that the charging would be over 7 amps. What gauge of wiring?

 

[Hang 4]

Just curious on why you are using the SB50 connector. That is a 50 amp connector. It is unlikely that the charging would be over 7 amps. What gauge of wiring?

BatteryMinder sells a "certified" kit for this install. It uses the SB50. The rationale seems to be that you can fix mount the SB50 to the interior of the aircraft so that you can plug in without opening any interior hatches. There is also a handle for the charger end connection, used for golf cart charging that makes it easy to plug in. The kit is about $70 for ~$20 worth of parts off of Amazon.

 

[Jdm]

Just curious on why you are using the SB50 connector. That is a 50 amp connector. It is unlikely that the charging would be over 7 amps. What gauge of wiring?

I think the Anderson SB50 is hard to beat. It’s light weight and durable as anything I’ve seen. It mounts well in a flat location. Anderson has a lot of new lines. The one I went with is the ergonomic SB. It comes in various colors and also a “chemical reactance” version, which is what I opted for. Sometimes a round plug works much better. It just depends on the application and what you’re trying to achieve.
As mentioned, there is a certified kit that uses the SB50. It’s actually by Audio Authority with a marketing agreement through BatteryMinder. I’ve installed them and they are fine, but there’s a number of things I don’t personally like about the kit. The one thing I do like however is the SB50 connector. So, I’ve learned over the years to make my own kits with what works well and what I prefer as a mechanic. It’s a little overkill. I get that from many years of A&P work at a few top notch airlines. Nowadays I just dabble on my own airplanes and select customers.

 

[Jdm]

Well I think I might have found my new favorite Cessna location for a charging connector