Linda, Jon and I both had handheld radios to use as backups during the checkride. But I may have found the problem.
Yesterday, we went to do the flying part of the practical test late in the day and the engine wouldn't turn over. The battery was dead. There was still enough juice to get the radio to come on but not enough to turn the engine. A few weeks ago I put my original battery back in the Coupe. I had taken it out last year when I was having trouble with a dead battery. It had been on a charger in my garage, and for some idiotic reason I wanted to exchange the battery that was in it with the original battery (maybe because it was a bigger battery). I recently learned that an alternator needs a current in order to generate electricity. In other words, you can't put a dead battery in the system and expect the alternator to recharge the battery. (I didn't know that.) Since my troubles with the radio and with not being able to start the engine can be correlated to the switching of the battery, it seems probable that a dead or nearly-dead battery might have been the root cause. I should know more after I put the other battery back in. I am currently scheduled to complete my checkride on Sunday. Hopefully I will have the Coupe running again by then. Thanks for your offers to help. Frank Nelson N51DV - 415C TOA --- In [email protected], Linda Abrams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Frank, > > If it's any consolation: when I flew to Gillespie with Jon Thornburgh > in the brand new Zodiac he had 2 yrs. ago, the intercom cut out after > about an hour in the air...both on the flight there and on the flight > back...just about as we were setting up to approach and land. It made > him take over the landing at Gillespie because he couldn't hear me > when I read back ATC's instructions. But that didn't stop him from > endorsing the trip as my BFR. I agree with those who think that > calmly switching to your hand-held will impress the examiner. In > fact, if you'd like to borrow a 2nd one as "insurance", feel free to > phone me; I have an ICOM handheld. Works adequately in the pattern, > but it's marginal far out unless it's hooked up to the back-up > antenna system that I have. > > There also seems to be a radio-static-devil's-zone, just north of LGB > airport along the 91. That one bit me more than once. > > One caution on borrowing or buying a used tray-mounted-type (if you > have the tray): some of those out there don't have the correct # of > channels to be legal with current requirements. But Wayne Woollard > kindly loaned me one of those ~18 months ago, just to test whether > old radio's problems were in fact coming from the old radio, or from > somewhere else like antenna. Wayne didn't want it back afterward, > and I gave it to a local electronics geek who likely still has it in > storage. Though it won't be usable for the checkride, if you need to > use it for testing to narrow down the source of the problem, allow me > to pass along to you Wayne's favor to me; and call me if you want me > to track it down for you. > > All the best on your check ride! > > Linda > N3437H ("SkySprite") > L.A. >
