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New Garmin install runs HOT to touch !

jeffsvan

Well Known Member
Thanks to everyones help on here, I have a quiet and clear intercom and all my new radio/GPS units work well together.

I DO have some other issues.

ISSUE#1
I spaced (height) my Garmin SL-30 and Garmin 430W even a bit further apart than the manual calls for when I mounted them in the panel. I wanted good air circulation around them. I have a new cooling fan connected to the 430. I verified excellent airflow into the 430W tray.
BUT the sides of the faceplates on Both the SL30 and 430W are very hot to the touch when they have been on for about an hour. Is this normal?
Would running another cooling hose (I can have up to 4) from the avionics fan to the SL30 help any? Any ideas?

ISSUE#2
I have a panel light dimmer that is from an older aircraft.
It is the style that has two knobs (inner and outer).
I elected to let the entire radio stack use their internal
optical dimmers. They are NOT connected to this dimmer knob.
The only items connected to this dimmer are a
gooseneck panel light with a incandescent red bulb, a LED lighting strip, both the Garmin OBS indicators, and the light up buttons on the autopilot.
The knob and dimmer assembly are hot to the touch after an hour of flying. I feel I do not have much of a load on the circuit so I wonder why this is?


ISSUE#3
My other issue are the comm radios.
They have the exact same length individual antenna cables, and each has their own identical new antenna. I am able to pick up AWOS and Tower from much further away on the 430W than the SL30. I am thinking the menu controlled sqwuelch on the SL30 needs to be setup? The 430 radio just seems to be 20% better performing all around. Any ideas??
 
Heat issue

Hi Jeff

I have the same issue with my SL-30 and I'm curious to see the responses you're gotta get.

I had an SL-40 installed in the same spot before and had no heat problems whatsoever so I guess the addition of the Nav side on the SL-30 will explain the heat issue.

I'll keep an eye out for the replies.

Thanks for posting it

Bruno
 
If you defeat the squelch, does the SL-30 still seem weaker? If not, then adjust the squelch setting.
Where are the antennas located? That can be important. If possible swap the coax so the SL 30 uses the other antenna. Is it still weaker?

The Garmin 430 has a built in temperature sensor. If it thinks it's too hot it is supposed to automatically dim the display.
 
Very Hot Installation

We installed a new panel in our 182 a few years ago --- (2) SL 30s, MX20, Apollo 50 GPS, and Apollo TXP ----- the SL 30s and the MX20 got so hot you could not touch them ---- called Apollo (at that time) and talked with engineers -- they said very normal, and not to worry ----- they did come out with a later mod on the MX20 because the heat was causing premature failures.
 
I am worried about both the 430W and the SL30. They both seem equally too hot.

I will try my idea of running another air hose from the avionics fan, this time connecting to the SL30 tray. I have to come up with an idea of how to do this. If I recall correctly the tray has no orafice to connect a fan hose.

Going to play with my SL30 Menu controlled Sqwuelch tonight also.
 
Is your glare shield flat black? Do you have two 80 mm computer cooling/defrost fans pulling the heat out the top of glare shield? Where does your existing cooling fan get its air? Is that air cool?

I have 8000B, G430W, SL-40, G327 in the stack. I also have 2 GRT HX, D6, G496, GRT EIS, TT AP and no heat issues. I have no other cooling fan, just the two 80mm fans. I bet that w/o these I would be overheating this summer.
 
Thanks to everyones help on here, I have a quiet and clear intercom and all my new radio/GPS units work well together.

I DO have some other issues.

ISSUE#1
I spaced (height) my Garmin SL-30 and Garmin 430W even a bit further apart than the manual calls for when I mounted them in the panel. I wanted good air circulation around them. I have a new cooling fan connected to the 430. I verified excellent airflow into the 430W tray.
BUT the sides of the faceplates on Both the SL30 and 430W are very hot to the touch when they have been on for about an hour. Is this normal?
Would running another cooling hose (I can have up to 4) from the avionics fan to the SL30 help any? Any ideas?

ISSUE#2
I have a panel light dimmer that is from an older aircraft.
It is the style that has two knobs (inner and outer).
I elected to let the entire radio stack use their internal
optical dimmers. They are NOT connected to this dimmer knob.
The only items connected to this dimmer are a
gooseneck panel light with a incandescent red bulb, a LED lighting strip, both the Garmin OBS indicators, and the light up buttons on the autopilot.
The knob and dimmer assembly are hot to the touch after an hour of flying. I feel I do not have much of a load on the circuit so I wonder why this is?


ISSUE#3
My other issue are the comm radios.
They have the exact same length individual antenna cables, and each has their own identical new antenna. I am able to pick up AWOS and Tower from much further away on the 430W than the SL30. I am thinking the menu controlled sqwuelch on the SL30 needs to be setup? The 430 radio just seems to be 20% better performing all around. Any ideas??

Jeff, do you notice any difference in the dimmer temp between full bright and full dim? Most dimmers (electronic excluded) are simply rheostats that reduce the down-line voltage by creating a voltage drop across their resistance. That creates heat. If you are creating a big voltage drop (full dim) you would expect some increase in heat. Full bright, with a small drop, you would expect less heat. At the full bright setting, your rheostat is essentially a short circuit and should not be heating up unless is not designed to handle the current in the circuit.

The real issue is current. Compare the current your down-line devices are drawing against the current rating for the dimmer. An undersized rheostat can be a fire hazard.

Hope that helps.
 
YES the glarshield is flat black. The only air the fan gets is what is under the glareshield behind the panel. I did notice a small 'kink' in the air hose that goes to the 430Waas. I cut the hose at that point, and inserted a plastic 90 degree elbow to eliminate the kink.

I plan to add up the current I am drawing, and examine the dimmer this weekend. Will install one which handles more current if needed.

I adjusted the menu driven squelch on the SL30 radio. It seems to work better now. that may have been the issue.
 
UPDATE:

I played more with the Squelch on both the 430 and SL30. I think I solved my problems.

Since I took the kink out of the cooling fan hose, I think the 430 is getting more air and running cooler. It has been cooler here, so we shall see.

I had trouble re-swinging my Airpath compass.
I posted this issue in the Steam Gauges Section of the forums.
If anyone has any experience with additional balls or higher powered
compass compensators, please post your results for me. So far No One has chimed in.

thanks to all who helped me.
 
Years later bringing this issue back to the front ( It sounded like a line from the Back to the Future movies )...

Anyways, I've purchased a new to me plane and it has SL30 and SL60 on it. Both are performing ok in what they supposed to do.

Except;

Both SL30 and SL60 power/volume knobs are feeling too hot to touch. I have to admit that CA sun doesn't help on those 100F days but even on days when I go to flying at 7 am when temp is only 70F on the ground and 60F-65F at my flying altitude, in 15 20 minutes later those knobs I mentioned feels like they were just taken out from a boiling water cup.

Strangely no other knob or buttons or even screens on these units feels similarly hot. Just those power knobs...

Is anybody still here from those days or still own an SL30 or SL60 and had similar experience? If so how you guys overcome or fixed the issue?

Thanks guys,
 
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