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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!wanttaja
From: wanttaja@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ronald J Wanttaja)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Wanted:  Cessna Ghostbuster
Message-ID: <215@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Nov-84 17:56:23 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.215
Posted: Mon Nov 19 17:56:23 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 22:31:05 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 37

An interesting occurence:

A week ago, I went out to fly my 1965 '150, and the battery was dead.  I had
flown it two weeks earlier, starting it with no difficulties.

I jump-started it, and noticed a good rate of charge on the ammeter (why do
we call it "ammeter" when it is an "amp-meter"?).  Therefore, I assumed the
problem was in the battery.  I pulled it out, took it home, and put the 
charger on it.  It charged up normally, and held the charge for the rest
of the week, sitting on my workbench.  I shrugged off the problem, assuming
I had left the master on the previous time I had flown it... although I was
sure the switch was OFF the day I found the battery dead.

Yesterday, I installed the battery, and everything worked fine.  I flew a   
couple touch-and-goes, then landed and shut it down to wait for my wife to
pick me up.  I sat in the cockpit, as it was raining a bit, and read the
logs to determine how old that battery was.

As I was reading, I listened to the gyros winding down.  Suddenly, it hit me-
the noise was now INCREASING in pitch.  I looked, and the fuel guages were
coming up, just like the power was on.  The master switch was pushed in (off
position).  I pulled it out (to on) and pushed it back in again, and the guages
dropped, and the gyros wound down again.  I reset the clock to 12:00, and
nothing else occured before I left.

I went back today at noon, and the battery was dead... again.  The clock had
stopped at 4:00, so it took either four hours or sixteen hours to run down.

I'm suspecting the master solenoid,  but a "Fail on" from the off condition
seems a little far-fetched.  Does anyone have any ideas?  Could the master
switch itself be bad?  Is there some other route that could apply power
(My owner's manual doesn't have a wiring diagram)?  Does it need an exorcism?
Where's Bill Murray when you need him?

					     Ron Wanttaja
					     (ssc-vax!wanttaja)