Autopilot works
I made up the last blocking diode to put on the master contactor. I shrink wrapped it before installation. Then I moved on to getting the autopilot wrapped up. I needed to get the data input source select switch (DISSS :) installed which involved identifying and soldering six wires onto the small switch. With that done, I worked out a couple of other things like adding the remote disconnect switch wire and serial input from the GPS. I’ve probably had the A/P connector shell apart four or five times by now. Finally it was time to fire this thing up for some amusement. I put in a fuse and applied power and it came to life. Very cool. One push of the button and it goes to altitude and heading hold. The pitch servo became active and was working properly. I have the A/P controller very loosely screwed to the panel and found that if I moved it up and down in pitch, the pitch servo in back would react. Very cool. This was good for at least 20 minutes of fun.
After I got over my excitement with the autopilot, I dove into how exactly I was going to transition the left side bundle of antenna wires. Not so fun. I concluded that I would chomp a big cutout in the forward left corner of the center tunnel cover. I’m splitting some of the standard vans wiring conduit to cover the wires as they transition into the center floor. I certainly have not finished (far from it) my wire chaffing protection measures. I’ll be sure I have everything secured and protected before we’re done. I also did some re-routing of antenna wires back behind the fuel selector valve. I can’t say I’m all that happy with how this routing has worked out, but it will do just fine.
Finally, with all of the antenna wires run, it is time to terminate them at the radio stack. First I took a few minutes to setup my tools and do some practice. It took a bit of tinkering to get the cutter blades set to the right depth. Before long, I was doing BNC antenna connector installs that look great. It took a couple of hours to terminate all of the antennas at the radios but they’re done.
