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Lightspeed Battery Box Warning
Lightspeed seems to know everything about all of their problems and
they all seem infrequent. Just too many infrequent problems for me. On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 21:45:22 GMT, Sydney Hoeltzli wrote: Just got back from our annual jaunt to NW MA. Might write more later (have I mentioned recently how much I abhore flying or driving through the state of Ohio, no offense intended to anyone living there) Anyway, landing at a fuel stop on the return trip, husband said batteries were low in my new Lightspeed 30 3G (pilot gets to use it). Went in the FBO, lunch, wx, came out to preflight while husband filed (VFR in 1800 ft ceilings, wanted me to fly it, such a nice guy). Replaced batteries in Lightspeed 30 3G. Went back into FBO to change 3 yr olds wet undies for pullup, get the glad tidings on who gets to fly in what from DH. Thanks. I think. What does Louisville Approach have against small airplanes bopping around in 6 miles vis at 2000 MSL? You'd think I was scud running or something. Anyway, I digress. 10 minutes later opened plane to hop in, stench of burning plastic. Sniffer traced to 30-3G battery box, which had been left lying across the yoke. Batteries were almost too hot to touch. Hot enough to have melted the plastic of the battery box. Holy S***. Lightspeed is sending replacement UPS red. But. This is a known (though infrequent) problem. Caveat Lightspeed User; don't leave your **** battery box lying on anything expensive or any plastic part of the plane it would be a PITA to replace. 'Cuz that puppy was Hot Hot Hot. Love the Lightspeed comfort; like the Lightspeed NR; Lightspeed QC needs some d*** ketchup. Maybe they oughtta try to hire someone away from Dave Clark (alternatively maybe someone at Dave Clamp ought to hire an ergonomics guy away from Lightspeed). Hola! Sydney |
#2
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Justin Case wrote: Lightspeed seems to know everything about all of their problems and they all seem infrequent. Just too many infrequent problems for me. I take your point. As a matter of curiousity, would you prefer that to hearing "Never heard of that problem before." That's what I get out of Maule Air. I would never accuse them of lying, but I can think it. George Patterson The optimist feels that we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist is afraid that he's correct. James Branch Cavel |
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Just got back from our annual jaunt to NW MA. Might write more
later (have I mentioned recently how much I abhore flying or driving through the state of Ohio, no offense intended to anyone living there) Driving I can understand, but flying through and around Ohio is a wonderful. With the exception of the southeast corner of the state, you are almost always withing gliding distance of a landing field. Where's your beef? (Pun intended, Wendy's is based in Columbus OH). |
#4
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EDR wrote:
Just got back from our annual jaunt to NW MA. Might write more later (have I mentioned recently how much I abhore flying or driving through the state of Ohio, no offense intended to anyone living there) Driving I can understand, but flying through and around Ohio is a wonderful. With the exception of the southeast corner of the state, you are almost always withing gliding distance of a landing field. Where's your beef? (Pun intended, Wendy's is based in Columbus OH). Our beef is that flying through OH in summer no matter what the forecast is when we take off from MA or NY, we always seem to wind up with the worst kind of convective activity to dodge (convective activity with clouds in multiple layers). Ohio seems to be like a cork in a bottle with Lake Erie to the N holding the wx in place and the gulf to the s. pumping in moisture whenever there's a high in the right place (often). The forecast may be for benign IMC (no tstorms, no ice), one gets into the clouds and .... uh-oh. Or, the forecast is for reasonable VFR 2 hrs later .... uh-oh. Or, as the FSS briefer said to me when I responded to his forecast with "well, I'm concerned if we do *that* we'll run into *this*, even though it's not forecast": "you've done this before, haven't you?" He was also somewhat amused that I responded to his canned "VFR not recommended" with "well, this isn't good IFR weather" Ohio is one of the main reasons a stormscope is tops on our want list. Florida is the other. Anyway, as far's I'm concerned Ohio is a giant flight-block lying between the NE and the midwest. When we visited IAG several times a year we flew home N of the lake half the time just to stay away. Yesterday we flew from Ohio to St. Louis via Lexington KY. Gack. Coshocton, OH is a really nice place, though. Cheers, Sydney |
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Pretty good observation of local weather phenomenon in Ohio.
Our aviation state motto could be, "Welcome to the convergence zone! Where west meets east and north greets south. Where Bermuda High's stall the North Plains Low's." One of Duane Coles early books mentions the more common local conditions he met during his years as an airshow pilot, ferrying his Tayolorcraft across the country. The one that sticks out in my mind is the line between snow/freezing rain/rain that exists about Fort Wayne Indianna. Personally, I have also learned that a low pressure system moving northeast out of the Gulf of Mexico will either track up the east side or the west side of the Appalachian Mountains. Depending on which side it moves up will determine the best route to fly between the North Coast and the South Coast. Lake Erie presents some interesting contrasts between Lake Huron and Lake Ontario. The Lakes make their own local weather phenomenon. Of course the weather patterns we have been experiencing this year have added a whole tome to how to fly anywhere east of the Mississippi. |
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EDR wrote in message ...
Pretty good observation of local weather phenomenon in Ohio. Our aviation state motto could be, "Welcome to the convergence zone! Yeah, but it all spills into PA with alarming regularity. We were headed from Western NJ to Gettysburg last Sunday when we ran into multi-layered hazy scud at Lancaster. Made it to Gettysburg okay, ate breakfast and looked up to see convective stuff starting on the boil overhead. High-tailed it out of there and ran back into lovely weather at Lancaster. I've been made concerned or turned back a half-dozen times by such stuff on a summer's day in Central PA, when the Western 1/3 of the state has been just fine. Greg |
#7
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LS owners seem to fall into two groups... Those who have never had any
problem over a number of years of continuous use, and those who seem to lurch from crises to crises... Strange... Denny "Justin Case" wrote in message ... Lightspeed seems to know everything about all of their problems and they all seem infrequent. Just too many infrequent problems for me. |
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Dennis O'Connor wrote:
LS owners seem to fall into two groups... Those who have never had any problem over a number of years of continuous use, and those who seem to lurch from crises to crises... Strange... Well, I guess I must be the exception which "proves" your rule, since in general we have been very pleased with our Lightspeeds and while we have had a previous problem with my 20Ks, I certainly wouldn't describe it as a 'crisis'. Nor would I personally describe 2 problems in 5 yrs ownership of 3 different headsets as "lurching from crisis to crisis". What seems strange to me is your perception, actually, but that wouldn't be the first time. Cheers, Sydney |
#9
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What seems strange to me is your perception, actually, but that
wouldn't be the first time. I believe Denny is perceiving this: The only reason many Lightspeed owners have NOT had repeated problems with broken wires at the plug is because they specifically lay the battery box on the floor, or tuck it in a side pocket. This removes the weight of the battery box from the inadequately designed wire and plug assembly, and keeps the wires from breaking. NOW it has come to light that laying the battery box on the floor (or tucking it in a pocket) can result in a conflagration of your aircraft. This is, indeed, a "crisis" of quality control, in my opinion. And, as I have repeatedly stated in the past, is truly a shame, as we absolutely, positively LOVE our Lightspeed headsets. -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" "Sydney Hoeltzli" wrote in message ... Dennis O'Connor wrote: LS owners seem to fall into two groups... Those who have never had any problem over a number of years of continuous use, and those who seem to lurch from crises to crises... Strange... Well, I guess I must be the exception which "proves" your rule, since in general we have been very pleased with our Lightspeeds and while we have had a previous problem with my 20Ks, I certainly wouldn't describe it as a 'crisis'. Nor would I personally describe 2 problems in 5 yrs ownership of 3 different headsets as "lurching from crisis to crisis". Cheers, Sydney |
#10
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Jay Honeck wrote:
Actually, Jay, if you reread Denny's post carefully, I don't think this is what he's seeing or refering to as "some owners lurch from crisis to crisis" but it's not worth addressing further. The only reason many Lightspeed owners have NOT had repeated problems with broken wires at the plug is because they specifically lay the battery box on the floor, or tuck it in a side pocket. This removes the weight of the battery box from the inadequately designed wire and plug assembly, and keeps the wires from breaking. NOW it has come to light that laying the battery box on the floor (or tucking it in a pocket) can result in a conflagration of your aircraft. Actually I think that's overstating the possible outcomes considerably. What happens is this. The battery box shorts. The batteries get hot. The battery box gets hot. The battery box begins to melt. The batteries lose contact w/ the deformed battery box, the short circuit is broken, and the heating stops. The worst case is if the battery box happens to get hot enough to melt low-temperature plastic trim, which can be expensive and costly to replace. The fabrics used in the interior of the aircraft had durned well better withstand a much higher temperature without igniting, or someone installed the wrong stuff. Likewise, it should not get hot enough to ignite paper. I discussed this in detail with the Lightspeed engineer. DH, who has extensive training in fire hazard prevention, concurs. Of course, there can always be some combination of factors which lead to a different result. So I wouldn't worry that your Lightspeed battery box is likely to cause conflagration of your aircraft. However, I would make sure you don't place it somewhere which might melt and cost you time and $$. For example, we've been securing our 20K and 25XL battery boxes with velcro (sewn to the plane interior, glued to the battery box). This is gonna stop, because velcro melts at rather low temperature and melted velcro would trash my interior panels. A fabric pocket should actually be a good place, provided the fabric meets standard aircraft flammability tests. Cheers, Sydney This is, indeed, a "crisis" of quality control, in my opinion. And, as I have repeatedly stated in the past, is truly a shame, as we absolutely, positively LOVE our Lightspeed headsets. |
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