Avionics News April 2015 - 33

Photo courtesy of Duncan Aviation Inc.

Duncan Aviation's Avionics and Instrument shop in Lincoln, Nebraska, has 78 technicians, many with decades of experience troubleshooting and repairing units.

like a charm. I don't know how many intermittent problems I've
found with this trick.
"I also have a friend who attaches a temperature probe to his
digital meter - say he's working on a power-supply for a KX 155
- he'll put a jumper on the fuse to keep it from blowing and then
use the probe on the tops of various semiconductors and transistors. The one that's the hottest is usually the bad one. I've known
technicians to use their fingers to find the overheated component,
but the probe is safer."

capabilities can save a lot of troubleshooting time and headaches.
"It's a big help for troubleshoots to pitot-static systems," he
said. "You can spend hours and hours chasing down a leak system
wide, but if you 'break' it in half, say the panel side and the aircraft
sides, you can do one then the other systematically. If you take
the time to narrow the issues down one component or section at a
time, you can smooth out the troubleshooting process. It sounds
like the long way around, but it's the shortest path to the solution."

Build up knowledge by breaking down systems

"Good troubleshooting begins with a detailed inspection," stated Rick Ochs, chief executive officer for Spirit Aeronautics. "We
especially concentrate on the little things like grounding leads -
they become corroded and cause intermittent problems.
"Antennas are key, especially those on the belly of the aircraft.
They never get taken off and inspected during the annual. If you
have a low-power issue or precipitation static, those can be corrosion and moisture intrusion issues at the antenna."

"We always start with a complete understanding of all the systems in the aircraft," explained Andy Smith, installation sales representative for Gulf Coast Avionics. "How does everything operate individually and together? Before you can understand what's
going wrong, you have to know how the systems are supposed to
work with the other units in the aircraft. That's especially helpful
when troubleshooting autopilots.
"What if the owner says the autopilot can't fly an ILS approach? Will it fly an LPV approach? If it will, you know it's
basically okay. So what is the difference between an ILS and an
LPV? Well first, there's an ILS energize wire that sends 5 volts
to the autopilot for the localizer signal. Now we know to check
that wire first."
Smith added that breaking a system down into components or

Start with a detailed system inspection

Brush up on the 'law'

Another tip Ochs shared was the need for technicians to have a
strong working knowledge of how to use a multimeter.
"It sounds easy, but too many technicians overlook it," he said.
Continued on following page
avionics news

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april

2015

33



Avionics News April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2015

Avionics News April 2015 - Intro
Avionics News April 2015 - Cover1
Avionics News April 2015 - Cover2
Avionics News April 2015 - 1
Avionics News April 2015 - 2
Avionics News April 2015 - 3
Avionics News April 2015 - 4
Avionics News April 2015 - 5
Avionics News April 2015 - 6
Avionics News April 2015 - 7
Avionics News April 2015 - 8
Avionics News April 2015 - 9
Avionics News April 2015 - 10
Avionics News April 2015 - 11
Avionics News April 2015 - 12
Avionics News April 2015 - 13
Avionics News April 2015 - 14
Avionics News April 2015 - 15
Avionics News April 2015 - 16
Avionics News April 2015 - 17
Avionics News April 2015 - 18
Avionics News April 2015 - 19
Avionics News April 2015 - 20
Avionics News April 2015 - 21
Avionics News April 2015 - 22
Avionics News April 2015 - 23
Avionics News April 2015 - 24
Avionics News April 2015 - 25
Avionics News April 2015 - 26
Avionics News April 2015 - 27
Avionics News April 2015 - 28
Avionics News April 2015 - 29
Avionics News April 2015 - 30
Avionics News April 2015 - 31
Avionics News April 2015 - 32
Avionics News April 2015 - 33
Avionics News April 2015 - 34
Avionics News April 2015 - 35
Avionics News April 2015 - 36
Avionics News April 2015 - 37
Avionics News April 2015 - 38
Avionics News April 2015 - 39
Avionics News April 2015 - 40
Avionics News April 2015 - 41
Avionics News April 2015 - 42
Avionics News April 2015 - 43
Avionics News April 2015 - 44
Avionics News April 2015 - 45
Avionics News April 2015 - 46
Avionics News April 2015 - 47
Avionics News April 2015 - 48
Avionics News April 2015 - 49
Avionics News April 2015 - 50
Avionics News April 2015 - 51
Avionics News April 2015 - 52
Avionics News April 2015 - 53
Avionics News April 2015 - 54
Avionics News April 2015 - 55
Avionics News April 2015 - 56
Avionics News April 2015 - 57
Avionics News April 2015 - 58
Avionics News April 2015 - 59
Avionics News April 2015 - 60
Avionics News April 2015 - 61
Avionics News April 2015 - 62
Avionics News April 2015 - 63
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Avionics News April 2015 - Cover3
Avionics News April 2015 - Cover4
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