Breakers and switches

I am getting ready to wire up my panel Some of the people that I talk to are of the opinion that while everything has some kind of breaker on it, anything that is switched on and off could use a breaker-switch and save the breakers only for the stuff that is not switched on or off.

Here is my electrical requirements:

Breakers
MFD1 (3)
MFD2 (3)
Radio (5)
Txp (3)
Flaps/Trim (5)
Fuel Pump (5)
Intercom (2)

Switches

Master (Alt/Battery - Dual)
MFD1
MFD2
Avionics
Nav Lights
Strobes
Landing
Panel lights

How would you all do this?

 

Something I read, forget where, recommended that everything with a breaker should be switchable, so you can disable it if necessary (problems that aren't enough to trip the breaker). Just make everything a breaker-switch? Unless there are things where one breaker supplies more than one switch.

 

Potter Brumfield makes a line of bat handled breaker switches in a wide range of currents. I would use them for all of the electrical loads. You might also want to consider an avionics bus which is fed from a breaker switch. Makes it easy to shut down the avionics without turning a bunch of on/off knobs. When you are deciding on how you want to distribute your electrical loads, consider the effect of losing two devices fed by a single breaker if one of the devices fail, and what are the current draws of the devices. You wouldn't want to pair up a 15 amp device with a device drawing 1 or 2 amps.
You can find the above mentioned items at all of the major electronic parts distributors. Allied Electronics, Newark Electronics and others, they all have websites.

 

You might want to check out the "AeroElectric Connection" by Bob Nuckolls and the AeroElectric forum on www.forums.Matronics.com. Bob has a chapter in his manual on breakers vs. fuses & switches. There are several wiring diagrams in the "AeroElectric Connection" appendix to choose from for almost any aircraft application. I would recommend installing fuse blocks and standard single and double pole toggle switches instead of breakers or switch breakers because they are simpler, cheaper, lighter, and just as dependable.

 

I'm with AL!

Anything that already has a switch on it, put it on a fuse.

Check out www.aeroelectric.com and drink the Kool-Aid!

Bob is a really sharp guy and I think he is right on the money. His "Z" diagrams are great!

I am using a derivative of Z-13 in my RV. It looks like it will work well for you too!

Check them out!

CJ