xshuttlefa
D'oh
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2005
- Posts
- 72
I was taught during my initial private pilot training that doing the "Alternator Check" on a piston airplane during run-up involved:
1.)Turning the alternator side of the master switch off.
2.) Look for the ammeter to indicate a discharge and...
3.) for the "Low Voltage Light" to illuminate
4.) Turn Alt side of master on.
Then, the school I was at ( the same one I am instructing at now) stopped that practice and now says to "turn on the landing light or lower the flaps" to test the alternator.
My feeling is that you do not get an appropriate "alternator check" just loading up the electrical system. So, my question is, am I harming anything in the airplane doing a "proper" alternator check? The only damage I can see possibly being done is to the voltage regulator.
Thanks for any help. I'd like to show the students my way but I don't want to damage anything either.
1.)Turning the alternator side of the master switch off.
2.) Look for the ammeter to indicate a discharge and...
3.) for the "Low Voltage Light" to illuminate
4.) Turn Alt side of master on.
Then, the school I was at ( the same one I am instructing at now) stopped that practice and now says to "turn on the landing light or lower the flaps" to test the alternator.
My feeling is that you do not get an appropriate "alternator check" just loading up the electrical system. So, my question is, am I harming anything in the airplane doing a "proper" alternator check? The only damage I can see possibly being done is to the voltage regulator.
Thanks for any help. I'd like to show the students my way but I don't want to damage anything either.