I may need a new regulator?

[aurfalien]

Hi,

My air compressor seems to work well.  However my inidicator never seems to go below 10PSI

Attached is a picture of it off and empty.

I'm curious if a new regulator would allow it to register 0 as well as allow dialing it down to below 15PSI as anything below that seems to not work too well.

Thanks in advance.

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by aurfalien

[Miatatom]

Here's what I use from Harbor Freight,

https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-air-flow-regulator-68245.html

[Psychographic]

When you turn the regulator all the way down (off), is any air coming out of the regulator? If not it is the gauge, not the regulator that is bad.

[aurfalien]

52 minutes ago, Psychographic said:

When you turn the regulator all the way down (off), is any air coming out of the regulator? If not it is the gauge, not the regulator that is bad.

Hi,

I see.  Well turning it down all the way with the compressor on, yields no air coming out of the regulator.  So the gauge is and has been since I bought it, sorta broken.

Thanks for the tip.  I'll see about replacing it.

[Psychographic]

1 minute ago, aurfalien said:

Hi,

I see.  Well turning it down all the way with the compressor on, yields no air coming out of the regulator.  So the gauge is and has been since I bought it, sorta broken.

Thanks for the tip.  I'll see about replacing it.

Do you know what brand the regulator is?

[aurfalien]

28 minutes ago, Psychographic said:

Do you know what brand the regulator is?

Hi,

It's a PointZero air compressor and came complete with the regulator etc...    I'm unsure what exactly it's a knock off of.

PS Looks like any 1/4" side mount gauge would do.  I'll probably look for one with lower max PSI as I rarely have it over 30.  Seems like 0-60PSI gauges are common enough.

Edited May 23, 2018 by aurfalien

[aurfalien]

Hi,

Curious if any one can answer weather it's possible to have a liquid filled side mounted air pressure gauge?

I've read a few that advice not to mount horizontally as the liquid may leak.

Edited May 23, 2018 by aurfalien

[aurfalien]

Hi,

While I prefer analog as it gives me the warm and fuzzies, in some cases digital is more convenient.

So I bought this gauge which looks to have a very nice accuracy rating.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0783PYQ27/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by aurfalien

[peteski]

Cool, but now you will have to change batteries in it every so often. Good old analog is still the best in my book.

[aurfalien]

3 minutes ago, peteski said:

Cool, but now you will have to change batteries in it every so often. Good old analog is still the best in my book.

Hi,

True, true but how often, I don't know.

I couldn't find a nice cool analog gauge for under $15.  I live by the beach and humidity is an issue.  So I've had odd gauge issues throughout.

A fluid filled gauge would do the trick but they are not in general side mount due to possible leakage.  The side mount ones with a large face seemed expensive.

This gauge is very precise, large faced and irrelevant with humidity.  Plus the back light is very cool to me.

Besides, I'm already changing the batteries in other things so one more device to manage won't make a difference.

 

 

[Psychographic]

A 3v wallwart would fix the battery issues.

[Pete J.]

Still prefer analog gages.  Frankly they are easier and quicker to read especially if you have a row of them.  Digital require that you read the number and then mentally process it.  Analoge just requires that you "look to see if it is the right position".   This is my old "office"

 

[aurfalien]

2 hours ago, Pete J. said:

 This is my old "office"

 

Hi,

Now that's some analog love right there.  Yes LED/LCD back lite would drive you nuts in that situation I would think.

[Pete J.]

1 hour ago, aurfalien said:

Hi,

Now that's some analog love right there.  Yes LED/LCD back lite would drive you nuts in that situation I would think.

This is the new version of the same aircraft 45 years later.  Notice they still kept the analog engine gauges. 

[peteski]

Those are renderings of analog dials on a computer display.  Virtual gauges.  But yes, those are easier to read than digital ones. 

Funny that many cars have mechanical analog gauges but unlike in the old days, where the speedometer and some older tach were mechanically linked to the transmission and driveshaft, the pointer is actually rotated  by electromagnets which are driven by the on-board computer (which is digital). 

[Pete J.]

20 hours ago, peteski said:

Those are renderings of analog dials on a computer display.  Virtual gauges.  But yes, those are easier to read than digital ones. 

Funny that many cars have mechanical analog gauges but unlike in the old days, where the speedometer and some older tach were mechanically linked to the transmission and driveshaft, the pointer is actually rotated  by electromagnets which are driven by the on-board computer (which is digital). 

True, but if you look to the other instruments, there are some bizzare combinations.  For instance the altimeter still has an analog 100' hand with a digital read out in the center for thousand foot increments and it still has a manual input for altimeter setting.  The hand is still run by a bellows and mechanical movement.  The backup artificial horizon is still a pneumatic gyroscope with mechanical internals.  No computers or digitals there.  The airspeed indicator is still analog run by a pitot tube and static port even though the central display can give a digital read out in indicated, true and ground speed.  Stuff we use to have to calculate using a "wiz wheel".  Also the Mach meter is still analog.  Of course most of this is backup if the electrical system fails but it is still interesting to see the continued value of the old mechanical

/analog systems. 

[peteski]

23 hours ago, Pete J. said:

True, but if you look to the other instruments, there are some bizzare combinations.  For instance the altimeter still has an analog 100' hand with a digital read out in the center for thousand foot increments and it still has a manual input for altimeter setting.  The hand is still run by a bellows and mechanical movement.  The backup artificial horizon is still a pneumatic gyroscope with mechanical internals.  No computers or digitals there.  The airspeed indicator is still analog run by a pitot tube and static port even though the central display can give a digital read out in indicated, true and ground speed.  Stuff we use to have to calculate using a "wiz wheel".  Also the Mach meter is still analog.  Of course most of this is backup if the electrical system fails but it is still interesting to see the continued value of the old mechanical

/analog systems. 

Yes, it is a good idea to have very basic analog or even mechanical gauge backup system in an airplane.  Unlike in a car, you can 't pull over to the side of the road in an airplane is some fancy digital readout dies on you. I hope that they always keep a mechanical fail-safe instrumentation on airplanes.

Although is seems that they got rid of those fail-safes on some airliners with glass cockpits. This one still shows the blanked out circular openings where I suppose those analog gauges would reside.

 

Edited May 30, 2018 by peteski

[Pete J.]

That is exactly why they are there.  This is getting a bit far from the original thread but I will share one story. and then be done.   Half way between Guam and the Philippines, 2 am, moonless night, full load of fuel, 50 pax on board.  Electrical system kicks off line because the #3 engine has a mechanical failure and dies.   The cockpit goes dark except for the copilot instruments which run on a separate hydraulic generator.  Pucker factor goes through the roof.  After  we get things stabilized and one of the three generators back on line,  we have to start dumping fuel to stay airborne.  "Nav, what is closest Guam or Clark??"  "Guam"  "plot a course"  "Co get on the HF and declare an emergency.  Tell them we are headed to Guam"   Two and a half hours later we stager over the fence at Guam and get it on the ground.  First true three engine landing.  Yup, back up systems.  Don't leave home without them! 

Edited May 31, 2018 by Pete J.

[aurfalien]

1 hour ago, Pete J. said:

That is exactly why they are there.  This is getting a bit far from the original thread but I will share one story. and then be done.   Half way between Guam and the Philippines, 2 am, moonless night, full load of fuel, 50 pax on board.  Electrical system kicks off line because the #3 engine has a mechanical failure and dies.   The cockpit goes dark except for the copilot instruments which run on a separate hydraulic generator.  Pucker factor goes through the roof.  After  we get things stabilized and one of the three generators back on line,  we have to start dumping fuel to stay airborne.  "Nav, what is closest Guam or Clark??"  "Guam"  "plot a course"  "Co get on the HF and declare an emergency.  Tell them we are headed to Guam"   Two and a half hours later we stager over the fence a Guam and get it on the ground.  First true three engine landing.  Yup, back up systems.  Don't leave home without them! 

Hi,

Wow, a delightful story so thanks for veering off topic.

[peteski]

Yeah, good story!  We sure have some interesting participants on this forum!