Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co.
Corona, CA | Chicago, IL
Wasilla, AK | Peachtree City, GA
Brantford, ON Canada
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BATTERYMINDER AIRFRAME INTERFACE KIT
MFR Model# BM-AIK2A
Overview
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This kit provides standard aircraft parts acceptable under 14 CFR §21.9 for a FAA certificated mechanic to fabricate and install a fused, 2-wire harness for connecting an aviation-specific BatteryMINDer® brand of low-current, continuous-duty, maintenance-type battery charger. The finished harness typically has ring terminals attached to the battery relay connecting to a Anderson SB50 polarized plug at the opposite end by up to 6 feet of MIL-spec unshielded 16-gauge aircraft wire, with a 10-amp in-line fuse. The SB50 plus is encased in a 670-420 SB50 Handle Kit which provides a rugged hand grip. An insulating dust cover protects the plug when not connected to the charger. Anti-chafe sleeving is included.
This kit is eligible for installation by a licensed mechanic as a minor alteration under 14 CFR §1.1 and §21.93(a) as it has “no appreciable effect on the weight, balance, structural strength, reliability, operational characteristics, or other characteristics affecting the airworthiness” of the aircraft. No STC, Form 337 submittal or FSDO field approval is required per FAA Order 8900.1 Figure 4-67. A §43.9 airframe logbook entry is sufficient to document this alteration and return the aircraft to service. Also includes a short harness to adapt the charger’s SAE output connector to a mating Anderson SB50 plug. This harness is connected to and remains with the charger. It is not installed on the aircraft. |
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Reviews
This kit has been upgraded with new instructions that address the difficulty that some reviewers have had with correctly assembling the fuse holder and the SB50 connector. Also, the adapter harness is now made with a molded handle that makes its much easier to use and provides strain relief for the wires.
Great idea ... poor execution. Fuse holder was defective. Main connectors would connect intermittently... Battery Minder could not sense it was connected to a battery. After a few months several attempts to make it work ... we removed it entirely.
Yes, connectors having to be soldered somewhat inconvenient but to the guy with the bonanza(Don), next time just hit em with your purse. Ive installed 2 kits and customers love them.
The provided connectors for this kit are overkill for the 4 amp charge rate of the battery minder and are obviously not a good fit for this application. The engagement / disengagement force is excessive and requires mounting the connector in such a substantial fashion that opportunities to do so will be limited.
I really liked this kit and have installed it for two customers who are happy with it. Installation wise I thought the instructions were very clear.
This kit would have taken several hours to fabricate and install on my Bonanza, including having to torch solder the pins for the connector, which looks like a 240v dryer plug. Its not small. May work better on other models, but my A&P and I gave up trying to figure out a NEAT installation. Were going to look at other solutions.
Andrew is correct, in that the BM-AIK2 Airframe Interface Kit is NOT designed for the high end Model 28252-AA BatteryMINDer. It IS designed for every other aviation-specific BatteryMINDer. The unique aspect of the BM-AIK2 kit is that it provides aircraft quality parts from which a licensed mechanic can fabricate a safe quick-connect battery harness for most all BatteryMINDer maintenance chargers. It was developed in consultation with the FAA and is eligible for installation as a minor alteration, returned to service with the mechanics log book entry. No STC, field approval, or form 337 to file.
This kit comes with two SB-50 connectors, one of which you install in the aircraft and the other that you can use to adapt a charger with a trailer connector to the SB-50 connector. My charger already has the SB-50 connector, but the red SB-50 connector in this kit does not fit the gray SB-50 on my BATTERYMINDER 28252-AA 28V 25A AVIATION POWER SUPPLY / CHARGER / MAINTAINER / DESULFATOR. Be very careful if you plan to use this with a charger that has an SB-50 connector.
Q&A
For experimental aircraft, the answer is yes. For certified aircraft, there are basically two requirements to be legal. The materials from which the harness is fabricated must be aviation grade, conforming to some recognized quality standard, such as military specifications. The installation on a certified aircraft also requires approval. So long as the installation remains within the FAA’s definition of a minor alteration, any licensed mechanic has the authority to fabricate, install, and approve the installation for return-to-service with a airframe maintenance logbook entry. Our Model BM-AIK2 provides a convenient kit of aviation parts from which your mechanic can easily fabricate, install and approve a charger connection.
The instructions that come with our BM-AIK Airframe Interface Kit are generic and will guide the installation on most any aircraft. (see the Documents tab) We also offer a growing list of illustrated installation examples that can be downloaded to show exactly how to install the kit on particular aircraft types.
