Digitrak power interuption

[N13BN]

While flying home from Bakersfield today, my Digitrak lost all power for about 10 minutes. Then it just as suddenly powered up. I punched it and it worked fine for 5 minutes. Then it stopped following the heading and showed the single dashed line across the screen. I powered it off, then on and it worked fine for the next 25 minute ride home.\
What gives?

Bill Newkirk
RV-3

[PhantomPholly]

Usually wires, more specifically usually a bad connector (wire to connector, or pin-to-pin).

Take the control head out of the plane and rig a really solid connection for +/- power. Now shake it really hard. If the power cuts out then, send it in. Otherwise, start tracing your wires and connections for a fault.

[TrutrakTech]

As usual, Pholly gives good advice. Post up the results of that little test. Intermittant reboots like that are usually caused by a bad connection to the unit or a heavy draw on the electrical system that causes the voltage to drop and the unit to reboot. Thanks!

[N13BN]

Thanks.
I'll try it, but it will be a couple of weeks.

Bill Newkirk

[N13BN]

I put off taking off the boot-cowl and removing the Digitrak as suggested until power was permanently lost on a flight back from San Diego last week. I have become so spoiled by the A/P. So, on Saturday the cowl came off and I was just about to remove the Digitrak, when I noticed that the plug in the rear was loose. During installation the two little screws for tightening the plug were misplaced. So I used longer ones by taking up the extra length with short sections of shrinkwrap. Bad idea. Over a few months of use the shrinkwrap lost its ability to keep pressure on the plug. Screws of the proper length fixed the problem.
Thanks for your collective help.

Bill Newkirk
N283RV

[TrutrakTech]

I put off taking off the boot-cowl and removing the Digitrak as suggested until power was permanently lost on a flight back from San Diego last week. I have become so spoiled by the A/P. So, on Saturday the cowl came off and I was just about to remove the Digitrak, when I noticed that the plug in the rear was loose. During installation the two little screws for tightening the plug were misplaced. So I used longer ones by taking up the extra length with short sections of shrinkwrap. Bad idea. Over a few months of use the shrinkwrap lost its ability to keep pressure on the plug. Screws of the proper length fixed the problem.
Thanks for your collective help.

Bill Newkirk
N283RV

Glad to hear you're all fixed up Bill!