flight time calculating

[AirSportAdventures]

The advantage to using an EIS is that it has both a flight timer and accumulative timer. If your using just a Hobbs meters, you'll need to write your start and stop time to know your "flight time". The hobbs meter is very reliable whereas an EIS is subject to memory loss.

[Alex WD-1]

Good looking panel you have there for your current avatar, Michael- is that your DM?

I just have a little pod of 3 analog gauges-- RPM, Hobbs meter, and CHT/EGT, with a Tiny Tach under them. The only thing I ever look at in the air is the temps, and the RPM on the Tiny Tach.
Aside, this is the same Tiny Tach that came on the plane in 1998, and is still ticking. How that battery is still going after 12 years, I don't know, but I figure it'll be time for a new Tiny Tach any minute now, heh-

[phil]

Originally Posted by AirSportAdventures

The advantage to using an EIS is that it has both a flight timer and accumulative timer. If your using just a Hobbs meters, you'll need to write your start and stop time to know your "flight time". The hobbs meter is very reliable whereas an EIS is subject to memory loss.

Michael,
I've never experienced a memory loss on a Grand Rapids EIS, and I've been using them on ppc's since 1997.
I had a taskem like yours on an Eagles Wing Scout, and I remember there was a battery on it (9 volt I think, but correct me if I'm wrong) If that battery dies, would that cause memory loss?

I use the timer on the GPS to get flight time.

[indoruwet]

Originally Posted by phil

Michael,
I've never experienced a memory loss on a Grand Rapids EIS,

I do not think there is a back-up battery in the GR EIS .

[flynlow]

I've had it happen on one of mine. Not sure what caused it, but luckily I knew how many hours were on the plane.

I don't like the way it doesn't start counting for 3 minutes after you start the engine.

It's also annoying that if you shut off your engine while flying, it sometimes resets your flight time. I'm sure there's a way around this one.

Originally Posted by phil

Michael,
I've never experienced a memory loss on a Grand Rapids EIS, and I've been using them on ppc's since 1997.
I had a taskem like yours on an Eagles Wing Scout, and I remember there was a battery on it (9 volt I think, but correct me if I'm wrong) If that battery dies, would that cause memory loss?

I use the timer on the GPS to get flight time.

[AirSportAdventures]

Originally Posted by phil

Michael,
I've never experienced a memory loss on a Grand Rapids EIS, and I've been using them on ppc's since 1997.
I had a taskem like yours on an Eagles Wing Scout, and I remember there was a battery on it (9 volt I think, but correct me if I'm wrong) If that battery dies, would that cause memory loss?

I use the timer on the GPS to get flight time.

Phil

I've never had an EIS failure either, but over the years I've heard of memory loss in some units. My Taskem has two 9 volt backup batteries. These batteries will operate the unit in the event of an electrical power failure. The memory is maintained by an internal battery. Rare though it may be, an EIS can experience memory loss. My first guess would be an internal battery failure, although moisture in the box could cause any number of problems.

[AirSportAdventures]

Originally Posted by flynlow

I've had it happen on one of mine. Not sure what caused it, but luckily I knew how many hours were on the plane.

I don't like the way it doesn't start counting for 3 minutes after you start the engine.

It's also annoying that if you shut off your engine while flying, it sometimes resets your flight time. I'm sure there's a way around this one.

Hi Jack

I think the 3 minute hold is to give the pilot time to record the prior flight time after restarting the engine. This is a feature on a Grand Rapids EIS. I have a Taskem which resets immediately on restart. I make a note of my flight time before taxiing back to the hanger. I don't think there is a way to shut down and keep the timer going.

When you shut off the engine in the air, you'll reset the flight timer just like when you're on the ground. I use to shut the engine off in the air all the time. I would make a note of the flight time before shut down and add it all up.

[AirSportAdventures]

Originally Posted by Alex WD-1

<snip>Good looking panel you have there for your current avatar, Michael- is that your DM?<snip>

Alex

Yes, it's a Dream Machine LX with nose cone and glide shield. I think Buckeye should have named it the Mini Breeze since it's the same airframe as the Breeze, just shorter. Also it doesn't look anything like the original Dream Machine. Go figure!

[Alex WD-1]

Originally Posted by AirSportAdventures

it's a Dream Machine LX with nose cone and glide shield.

Ah yeah, I see by pics that's a good looking airplane, easy on the eyes. I'd think the nose cone and shield also help draw admiring looks from curious folks getting their first gander at a PPC-- it might look more like a "real" airplane to them, heh-

[phil]

Originally Posted by indoruwet

I do not think there is a back-up battery in the GR EIS .

Joey,
No battery on a GRT EIS.

[phil]

Originally Posted by flynlow

I've had it happen on one of mine. Not sure what caused it, but luckily I knew how many hours were on the plane.

I don't like the way it doesn't start counting for 3 minutes after you start the engine.

Mike answered this one for you.
I also use that 3 minute count to re warm the engine after I have laid out the chute. no chance of a cold seizure for me. I use my GPS to get the total flight time anyway.

Originally Posted by flynlow

It's also annoying that if you shut off your engine while flying, it sometimes resets your flight time. I'm sure there's a way around this one.

One thing to be careful of is when you restart, make sure you have enough altitude to re warm the engine properly, or if you suddenly add power, you could have a cold seizure from shock cooling.

[135Boomer]

Yes a hobbs starts counting as soon as you start your engine. All fixed wing guys count taxi time as flight time. My first few flights as a student pilot I logged like 1.6 hours were I only actually flew about an hour of that. The rest of the time was spent on running checklists and taxiing super slowly. It's just another way of doing things. If all you want is flight time a stopwatch is probably your best bet... I always had a hard time remembering to start and stop it right when I took off and landed. On a PPC with a Hobbs your maybe only counting a .1 if that for your warm up. My Hobbs doesn't even click over sometimes on my fixed wing before takeoff and that includes a warm up at the hangar and a 1/2 mile taxi before take off.