fuel site gauges

[Mynor M B]

Hello everybody, does anybody knows how to do that nice looking fuel site gauges that looks like a clear plastic tube?, I have seen them in many EZs pictures and they look great, vary easy to read from the front seat. Can somebody tell me how to find them?.

Thanks

[Jon Matcho]

They're made by Vance Atkinson. Here's his web site: http://home.comcast.net/~nostromo56/

[Mynor M B]

Hello Jon, thanks, these are exactly gauges the I was looking for, thank you very much.

Cheeers.

[mfryer]

They're made by Vance Atkinson. Here's his web site: http://home.comcast.net/~nostromo56/

That link is now dead. Does are these sight gauges still available?

[rviglierchio]

Try these (may also be old....):

Fuel Site gauges Vance Atkinson 817-354-8064

Vance Atkinson

nostromo56@attbi.com

[Cozy1200]

I tried that email last night and it too is dead. I may try calling him tonight.

[rickh]

Wahoo! I can finaly contibute something useful

 

www.atkinsonfuelgauges.com/

nostromo56 at tx dot rr dot com

 

I mailed a check, got the gauges 5 days later.

 

Rick

[John D. Wages]

Wahoo! I can finaly contibute something useful

 

www.atkinsonfuelgauges.com/

nostromo56 at tx dot rr dot com

 

I mailed a check, got the gauges 5 days later.

 

Rick

Wow! I'm glad I bought mine ahead of time. It looks like the prices have gone up since I bought mine. I don't think he even had a website when I bought them. When I called, his wife (I believe that's who I was talking to), told me to send him $45.00, and in just a few days I had them sitting in my cabinet waiting for installation. BTW, that's where they are still! Good luck to you, Rick.

[Edge 513]

45.00 to 55. for unassembled-not too bad of an increase. Unless he sent them as the assembled version for 45. I would think the lighted version would be possibly useful.

The assembly is no big deal.

I think having these installed as backups are a good idea, to the capacitor/ I.P.fuel gauge L+R units. They might be a bit overkill to just having the 'glass laid up as the fuel window- if used as backups. Wjat thnk?

[mfryer]

Wahoo! I can finaly contibute something useful

 

www.atkinsonfuelgauges.com/

nostromo56 at tx dot rr dot com

 

I mailed a check, got the gauges 5 days later.

 

Rick

Awesome! Thanks for the link!

[mfryer]

Wahoo! I can finaly contibute something useful

 

www.atkinsonfuelgauges.com/

nostromo56 at tx dot rr dot com

 

I mailed a check, got the gauges 5 days later.

 

Rick

Awesome! Thanks for the link! I was at first going to go with the plans method but I am using EZ-Poxy which has a pretty yellow tint to it and I don't think the resulting gauge would be very readable.

I also would like to have a couple of electrical gauges, but do I understand corectly that it can be difficult to find a location for them?

[John D. Wages]

I also would like to have a couple of electrical gauges, but do I understand corectly that it can be difficult to find a location for them?

There are sensors and/or probes that are solid state and should be quite easily adaptable to our airplanes. Here's just one example for you to consider: http://www.wicksaircraft.com/catalog/product_cat.php/subid=428/index.html I'm going to install my sight guages as well as fuel probes. That way, on those days when the ol' arthritis is actin' up, I'll rely on the probes rather than having to turn my head to such a degree that I inadvertently inflict an undo amount of pain upon myself. "Know what uh mean, Verne?"

[macleodm3]

I would think the lighted version would be possibly useful.

Yeah, I think so too. I didn't purchase the lighted versions, but instead bought two 12v LED's at Radio Shack.

 

The gauges don't really fit properly in a Cozy IV without sanding away some of the upper foam spacer. If you don't sand it away, it appears to me that the bottom of the fuel site gauges will be below the bottom of the strake. Anyway, here' a picture of what I did to get them to fit.

[Wayne Hicks]

I also would like to have a couple of electrical gauges, but do I understand corectly that it can be difficult to find a location for them?

 

---> Not at all! I installed capacitance probes under the cosmetic strake fairings.

[aviator_edb]

Wayne,

out of curiosity (Total noob). How do you calibrate a capacitance probe?

Do you basically add 1 gallon of fuel, record the probe output, add another gallan, record output again..and so on until full. Then input that somewhere to create a best fit curve?

[Lynn Erickson]

Wayne,

out of curiosity (Total noob). How do you calibrate a capacitance probe?

Do you basically add 1 gallon of fuel, record the probe output, add another gallan, record output again..and so on until full. Then input that somewhere to create a best fit curve?

That is the way it is done if you have the type with a programable readout. there are simple types the are not scaleable. on the vision micro system you scale to every 2 gallons.

[Cozy1200]

Not meaning to beat a dead horse until it's bloody....

 

If I'm planning to install Vances gauge flat. What size and depth of an impression should I cut out before glassing the inside?

 

 

Maybe his instructions lays this out, but I neglected to buy them ahead of time. I don't plan to install them until later and didn't think I needed them yet. What I didn't think about was reading the directions ahead of time. If someone would fax or email me a copy, I'd gladly send Vance a check today for what's rightfully his. Being in OZ, it would be a couple weeks to receive them and I'll be glassing the inside within the next few days.

[rickh]

If I'm planning to install Vances gauge flat. What size and depth of an impression should I cut out before glassing the inside?

 

Large enough to hold his gauges!

 

Attached is a shot. If you get them unassembled, you epoxy the clear plastic to the white plastic (shown as sorta brown in the attachment cuz it still has the protective cover sheet), trim to fit, flox to the fuselage side, then a 2 ply BID wrap.

 

There's two holes on the white plastic that get a hollow 'rivet' in each hole at assembly. I assume this rivet is to sleeve any foam in a retro install. The C to C of the rivet holes is 5 7/16".

 

The white plastic is 2.375 x 7.25".

Bubble is 1 x 5.875" and approx .25" tall. Total thick is ~ .437"

Overall (it gets trimmed) is 2.912 x 7.562".

 

Rick

[Cozy1200]

Fantastic, that's what I was looking for. What is thickness of the white piece and flat lexan? I'm looking for how deep to set it into the foam.

 

I'm assuming the .437" is from teh back of the white to the tip of the round.lexan

[rickh]

Fantastic, that's what I was looking for. What is thickness of the white piece and flat lexan? I'm looking for how deep to set it into the foam.

White plastic backer: .125"

Clear plastic front: .090" (it varies a few thousanths)

 

The destructions say when you glue the two halves together, not to clamp. So add a bit for the glue line.

I'm assuming the .437" is from teh back of the white to the tip of the round.lexan

If I'm using my bad eye, sorry. Overall thick with the calipers is .50" +/-

 

So if I read you right, if you depress the foam .205" plus ?? for the flox bedding, plus 2 ply BID perimiter, only the bubble will protrude, no step at the edges. Sweet! Why didn't I think of that

 

Rick

[Edge 513]

Drew,

It sounds like you are just going to almost surface mount them. Most guys are recessing the foam all the way back to the outer skin of the fuse with a nifty mounting area.

I was told by someone to wait to install them until the strakes are in, and that kinda made sense to me.

FWIW

[Cozy1200]

Thanks rick, that's what I was looking for. Next time I may even order parts ahead of time to have a reference. Maybe my forehead won't be so bruised from banging it against the wall!.

[rickh]

Thanks rick, that's what I was looking for. Next time I may even order parts ahead of time to have a reference. Maybe my forehead won't be so bruised from banging it against the wall!.

I'm tending to go with Edge. (there I go flipping an a floppin again...)

I recessed the foam a bit larger than the plans (the gauges do need it), but will wait for final install til the strakes stage. Possibility to further recess the gauge, make an angled mount extending into the strake a bit, ...

 

Rick

[ZUCZZ]

I'll agree with "wait till the strakes are in" mostly because you will be able to adjust for any inaccuracies.

 

Having said that - the plans work - everything ends up in the right place anyway

[TMann]

Another possibility as far as site guage location is just inside the strake (where the strake opening meets the fuse.)

It has a plus and a minus.

• The plus is it is a better angle to view.
• The minus is it could get covered by baggage.