low fuel warning device???

8 posts in this topic

Posted

I just ran across this on ebay while looking for something else.  Chinese junk I'm sure, and real cheap price.  But they must have copied it from somewhere.  Wondered how I would use this sort of unit for a low fuel warning in a header tank.  It would most likely work real well in a plastic Kitfox header tank  I'm thinking, but from what I read in their add, it doesn't "see" through metal.    JImChuk

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5-24V-Non-Contact-Liquid-Level-Sensor-Waterproof-Water-Level-Detector-IP65-IP67/352165998942?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D57475%26meid%3D4b4f6b7ff7474c5d9a6231fd5af224fb%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D273509782552%26itm%3D352165998942&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
 

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Posted (edited)

Alot of times they are just optical sensor that operate on an on off scenario. The sensors seeing a different wave when submerged vs not. Key is to make sure the submergable sensor won’t be degraded by fuel. So when the fuel level is below the sensor, it turns on a dummy light.

 

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/os-1m-optical-level-sensor-with-mount-neptune-systems.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwk7rmBRAaEiwAhDGhxNX7dagx0ZAsS113iP0K9t3ecwlQ8bkPPYnZv1aagQzlhvZEPwjZCBoCDnwQAvD_BwE

Just drill a hole, seal the sensor...bing o bang o, you have mission complete light :-p

Edited by Matthewtanner

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Posted

The one I was showing never touches the liquid inside the tank. Gasoline and electricity in real close proxsimitry scares me.   JImChuk

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Posted

The one I was showing never touches the liquid inside the tank. Gasoline and electricity in real close proxsimitry scares me.   JImChuk

just thinking out loud here... not sure how that one works but guessing ultra sound... and if so maybe that, like anything operating on hight frequencies, could generate radio interference... I have a 6 liter header tank with a level alarm that goes off if the level starts to go down (i.e. just On/Off, not actaully measuring the level) It is just a magnet floating around a stick with a magnet triggered switch in it. 

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Posted (edited)

 Clearly they use capacitance to detect the liquid level. Drawback: The units shown use 120V as their primary input power. The lying chinese company thinks we can't read their data plate. The SENSOR is 5V, but the processing box has 120V input requirement.

Jim Wiebe of Belite sells a nice one for our use, check out:  http://www.beliteaircraftstore.com/bingo-3-liquid-detector/

Edited by nlappos
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Posted

Thank you guys for your replys. More options for sure.  I do like the one Belite sells, although it maybe would be hard to mount in the round tube Avid used for their header tank.   Would work good on the Kitfox though.  JImChuk

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Posted

 Clearly they use capacitance to detect the liquid level. Drawback: The units shown use 120V as their primary input power. The lying chinese company thinks we can't read their data plate. The SENSOR is 5V, but the processing box has 120V input requirement.

Jim Wiebe of Belite sells a nice one for our use, check out:  http://www.beliteaircraftstore.com/bingo-3-liquid-detector/

If you scroll down far enough, it says the control box needs 100-220v AC.  Not lying, just not designed for our American short attention span.

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Posted

Mark,

I find Chinese eBay listings to be very deceptive. A few weeks ago a Chinese heater on eBay was the subject of a thread, and the listing deceptively claimed 4 times the actual heat capability, the watts it claimed were accurate, the BTUs were fictitious. And this listing says 5-24V sensor, not telling you the system needs 120-240V AC, except the fine print at the bottom, a long way from the deceptive headline.

 

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