Kit Aircraft Modifications

Hi Everyone,

Since I last posted about my wish to develop a Cellular based switch for turning on your aircraft engine pre-heater many things have been happening.

I was contacted buy a board manufacturer that makes a product that exceeds my requirements and along with them we have refined the design to meet the specific needs of the piloting community.

We now have a product that will independently switch 2 circuits. The circuits can be turned on simply by calling the unit which comes out of the box with its own phone number. The board has a 4 mode GSM module built into it which, along with the supplied SIM allow you to call it or SMS text it.

To trigger the pre-programmed functions you simply call the supplied phone number. The unit will not answer when you call. It senses the incoming call though and this triggers the board to turn on the relays in a pre-programmed fashion.

To configure the unit you have to send it SMS text messages. These messages have a cost that is deducted from the pre-paid T-Mobile card that is supplied with the unit. This card is re-loadable on the T-Mobile website and the SIM in the unit has no life limit.

I am excited that this unit is going to be able to be called to initiate a two circuit sequence that will see your battery trickle charger turn on for a predetermined amount of time before the engine heater is switched on.

This unit will address the two major problems we encounter when wanting to fly infrequently in colder climates (can you say winter time!) It will charge up your battery for the best performance in cranking over the engine and will pre-heat the engine for you without you having to go to the hangar to plug it in and wait.

This system is also a superior way to approach pre-heating your engine from an engine longevity stand point. Many out there have their engine pre-heaters on a timer circuit where the engine is preheated every morning in anticipation of good flying weather. This is not good for the engine as it promotes corrosion in the crankcase. These engines should be pre-heated then flown then allowed to cool to aviod unnecessary moisture build-up.

The units we are going to market are of very high quality and have been tested here for some time. The only issue we had wiwth the initial prototype was the signal strength in the all metal hangar. We have overcome this with the use of an external antenna and extension lead. The units will be UL tested for compliance in the North American market.

Below is a photo of the board sitting in the clear lidded box. We are going to be marketing them through distributors such as Aircraft Spruce and the price will be under $300.00 US