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K m
June 7th 16, 02:00 AM
On tow the this weekend I noticed my transponder display was blank. It was lit (Or Backlit) but no 1202. The display may have been in direct sunlight for a few moments (Just a few, I am very careful about this)before launch. After landing I cycled the TX a few times and got a blank backlit display with no start up screen or code. I towed the ship to the hangar and even with the silver canopy cap the cockpit was very hot. I pushed the ship into the hangar and after 30 minutes to cool down the Transponder display worked normal. I am assuming that the display did not like direct sunlight but my other instruments and comm radio were not affected.
Once, I had to replace the display screen on a Dittle radio that had been damaged by the sun. This was in the days before the silver covers and it looked like someone had taken a magnifying glass to the radio (Pretty obvious the sun hitting the canopy at the right angle did this). That one was obvious but my transponder seem to work normal now. Did I fry something? Any avionics guys out there?
Thanks

2G
June 7th 16, 06:01 AM
On Monday, June 6, 2016 at 6:00:08 PM UTC-7, K m wrote:
> On tow the this weekend I noticed my transponder display was blank. It was lit (Or Backlit) but no 1202. The display may have been in direct sunlight for a few moments (Just a few, I am very careful about this)before launch.. After landing I cycled the TX a few times and got a blank backlit display with no start up screen or code. I towed the ship to the hangar and even with the silver canopy cap the cockpit was very hot. I pushed the ship into the hangar and after 30 minutes to cool down the Transponder display worked normal. I am assuming that the display did not like direct sunlight but my other instruments and comm radio were not affected.
> Once, I had to replace the display screen on a Dittle radio that had been damaged by the sun. This was in the days before the silver covers and it looked like someone had taken a magnifying glass to the radio (Pretty obvious the sun hitting the canopy at the right angle did this). That one was obvious but my transponder seem to work normal now. Did I fry something? Any avionics guys out there?
> Thanks

Liquid crystal displays are temperature sensitive; if they get to hot they will not work. Google "lcd temperature limits" and you will find the upper limit is 50C (122F). This is not hard to reach in direct sunlight.

Tom

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