Check out this wiring diagram.. voltage regulator question

[C5Engineer 1170]

I posted this on the Rotax forum but wanted your guys opinion as well. The picture is of my current wiring set up. It's a simplified schematic of course. Looking at the Rotax schematics it appears that on a 3 phase Voltage Regulator-rectifier like I have the output wire goes straight to the battery. My output wire goes through a fuse, through the bus, to the key switch, and finally back to the battery. This causes one pole on my bus to be hot all the time though even when the key is out which I'm trying to avoid.

Any reason why I cannot run the output from the Voltage Regulator through a fuse and straight to the positive post of the battery?

My wifes awesome wiring schematic

Rotax schematic

http://www.rotaxaircraft.com/forum/download/file.php?id=24&mode=view

[Av8r3400 1178]

I don't have a plane (yet) but I do know a little about wiring and your system is kind of f'ed up.  That's putting way too much action through the ignition switch. 

It may be better for you to rewire this to the schematic that was put up over at "Rotax".

[C5Engineer 1170]

On that schematic the bus is still powered through the ignition switch. You have to have a way to cut power to the bus. It's no different than the ACC position in your car. Besides my panel is super basic. I'm not going to be pulling even 10 amps of power. All that is running off my bus are the engine gauges, the strobe, and my handheld radio. I'm just going to move that wire from the BATT post on the switch to the IGN side so it's only hot when the ignition switch is on. The battery should charge through that circuit off the voltage regulator.

[akflyer 1427]

No master switch?  I have everything running throught a master.  I will pull the cowling later tonight and check it out but I think I have pretty much the same setup you have, but it goes through the master.  I have an aircraft key with L/R/ both and start.

[akflyer 1427]

I just pulled the cowling and checked... mine is just like your except I have a master instead of the key.  Battery + to solenoid, same post on solenoid to master, master to power buss and key.

[C5Engineer 1170]

My key is not a Left Right Both. It's set up like a car key. It has Off (Master), IGN which turns the bus on, and start. My mags are separate switches. I wanted my electrical system totally independent of the engine ignition. I can turn off my whole electrical system and throw the key out the window and the engine doesn't know any different it just keeps on running cept you have no engine gauges but if it came down to being on fire or no gauges.... Thanks for taking a look at that far me.

[C5Engineer 1170]

Changed some stuff around today to make it work how I wanted it to. Did a 30 minute ground run and some tests with the voltmeter. Aside from a small coolant leak that a tightened clamp fixed everything checked out good.

[akflyer 1427]

My key is not a Left Right Both. It's set up like a car key. It has Off (Master), IGN which turns the bus on, and start. My mags are separate switches. I wanted my electrical system totally independent of the engine ignition. I can turn off my whole electrical system and throw the key out the window and the engine doesn't know any different it just keeps on running cept you have no engine gauges but if it came down to being on fire or no gauges.... Thanks for taking a look at that far me.

mine is the same way.  When the engine is running I can shut off the master and it will keep chugging untill I turn the key and ground the mags.

[Av8r3400 1178]

My key is not a Left Right Both. It's set up like a car key. It has Off (Master), IGN which turns the bus on, and start. My mags are separate switches. I wanted my electrical system totally independent of the engine ignition. I can turn off my whole electrical system and throw the key out the window and the engine doesn't know any different it just keeps on running cept you have no engine gauges but if it came down to being on fire or no gauges.... Thanks for taking a look at that far me.

So what you are saying is you have a keyed master switch that combines the function of a start button.  My misunderstanding lead to the f'ed statement.  My apologies.

[C5Engineer 1170]

No worries that schematic was very basic and I didn't explain it that well to you guys. What I ended up doing was just taking the regulator away from the bus entirely. There is now one 15A fused wire running from the regulator to the BATT post on the key. The IGN post on the key now acts as the master and shuts off the bus. I originally moved the regulator wire to that post but because they were touching each other behind the screw that holds them to the post with the engine running even if I turned off the key I still had power to the bus.. no good. It works pretty good now and nothing on the bus is hot anymore with the key off like it was before.