Master left on, dead battery

bluerooster

bluerooster

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I'm certian that no one here is guilty of this. :rolleyes: But was wondering if there would be a market for a simple, easy to install device, that would shut down the main buss, in the unlikely event that the master switch is left on. (after shutdown)
 
And how is this device going to determine that the master was "left on" rather than "on by intent?"
 
kc4wsd said:
:: sarcasm alert ::

Pressure switch under the pilot's seat . . .
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LOL Just like a lawn tractor I once owned. First time that stupid seat switch failed and it wouldn't start, the switch was removed and the wires soldered together.

bluerooster said:
I'm certian that no one here is guilty of this. :rolleyes: But was wondering if there would be a market for a simple, easy to install device, that would shut down the main buss, in the unlikely event that the master switch is left on. (after shutdown)
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Anything else on the checklist you would like to have automated so you don't have to pay attention to it? Mag switches? Fuel selector? Gear retract mechanism? :D
 
GRG55 said:
LOL Just like a lawn tractor I once owned. First time that stupid seat switch failed and it wouldn't start, the switch was removed and the wires soldered together.



Anything else on the checklist you would like to have automated so you don't have to pay attention to it? Mag switches? Fuel selector? Gear retract mechanism? :D
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That's why I'm studying to become a wire-puller . . . somebody might need a pressure switch installed in a plane . . . or a lawn tractor. :)
 
flyingron said:
And how is this device going to determine that the master was "left on" rather than "on by intent?"
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That's not part of the question here. But has been taken into consideration.
 
GRG55 said:
LOL Just like a lawn tractor I once owned. First time that stupid seat switch failed and it wouldn't start, the switch was removed and the wires soldered together.



Anything else on the checklist you would like to have automated so you don't have to pay attention to it? Mag switches? Fuel selector? Gear retract mechanism? :D
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Sure! why not!? :D
I know that there is no one here that's ever been guilty of this, but I have gotten into airplanes before, all primed for a nice flight, only to either have to scrub, or delay, due to ded batt, and master found in the "on" position during preflight.
 
+1 beacon switch always on
 
bluerooster said:
But was wondering if there would be a market for a simple, easy to install device
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As stated above, leaving the anti-collision/beacon light on is standard SOP at most GOM helicopter ops. It's cheap and easy. However, for the more sophisticated crowd, simply tie in a 70 db electric horn to your hour-meter oil pressure switch and you'll remember to turn off the master switch every time.
 
Another vote for leaving the rotating beacon on. Never run a battery flat after doing that.

If you discover a flat battery within a day or to you can usually rescue the battery with a smart charger and a trick or two. Longer than that with an AGM battery and it is pretty much irreversibly sulfated.
 
If there is a tow plane on your field just have them pull you up to about 5K, detach, pitch down, then full rich, mags on both, and watch the plane roar to life. Just like popping the clutch from a rolling start




..no, don't actually do this
 
Wire the rotating beacon hot, the master is in the light is on. Even then you must look at it, so some ditz will mess that up.
 
I guess hooray for noisy DC gyros? I can't imagine walking away from that racket. But now I'll probably do it on my next flight.
 
You could hardwire one of the lights to the master, but then that would have its own disadvantages. Maybe a sensor to the mags with a timer. But then what if it triggers inflight?

My turn coordinator makes a racket. Plus the low vac light is BRIGHT. And I leave my beacon on. And checklist. Four items that weigh strongly against my leaving the master on.

Plus, the shutdown should just be a flow. After P-lead check and mixture out, just 3 simple steps - avionics master off, then mags off & master off in whatever order flows best.
 
Put me in the beacon never gets turned off camp. That is my visual safety check when leaving the plane or futzing with the tow bar or prop.

...now I do that cuz I also once left the master on during a XC trip...so been there.
 
Hotwiring the beacon on isn't a good idea. There are times you want it off: in cloud or on a busy ramp at night. Checklists are better. They also catch those mag switches left on.

Flattening a battery just once is enough to reduce its lifespan a whole lot.
 
Tantalum said:
If there is a tow plane on your field just have them pull you up to about 5K, detach, pitch down, then full rich, mags on both, and watch the plane roar to life. Just like popping the clutch from a rolling start




..no, don't actually do this
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Won't work anyway. I once pulled the mixture at altitude and raised the nose until the prop stopped. Pitching down to Vne wouldn't kick it over. That was in a little old low-compression Cessna 150. Had to bump the starter to get it going. The airflow over a stopped prop is so badly stalled (and the airflow is against the cambered side, too) that there is little rotational force.
 
We leave the beacon on. I've had two students recently that I told to look back at the plane and see if anything is amiss. Yup, left the master on and the beacon was, uh, beaconing....
 
Master and Mags, may I leave the aircraft? (Touching both are confirmed down (off) while saying the mantra)

Two mag toggle switches on left side, one big master toggle switch on right side.
PA-25, Pawnee.
 
The fuel transfer pumps in the tip tanks make such a racket that I could never leave the master on, however, I also leave my beacon on.
 
I don’t get how you can forget to turn the plane off. As a student, sure, but I question your ability to handle the multiple tasks of flight if you can’t remember to turn off the master switch when there’s virtually nothing else going on to worry about.
 
Salty said:
I don’t get how you can forget to turn the plane off. As a student, sure, but I question your ability to handle the multiple tasks of flight if you can’t remember to turn off the master switch when there’s virtually nothing else going on to worry about.
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I don’t know. I’m still a low time guy but mental mistakes can happen anywhere, anytime. I always do a last check on the electrical switches before closing the cabin door though, including beacon on.
 
As others have said, checklist and then either Hotwire or leave the beacon switch on.

That will also give you a good heads up if the switch goes bad. It happens.
 
Maybe FF or GP can add a notification to their apps, since they do auto logging and know when you land, they can post a reminder notification.
 
teejayevans said:
Maybe FF or GP can add a notification to their apps, since they do auto logging and know when you land, they can post a reminder notification.
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An auto text message would be the way to go. Not sure how it would read.

“Hello Woodchucker, we noticed that your plane is parked. Have you verified the ignition and master are off, tie downs and chocks are in place, and small children and animals removed from the cabin?”
 
woodchucker said:
I don’t know. I’m still a low time guy but mental mistakes can happen anywhere, anytime. I always do a last check on the electrical switches before closing the cabin door though, including beacon on.
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Do you use a checklist? If you use one, it should be almost impossible to miss. Mental mistakes can definitely happen though even when using a checklist.
 
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