'Time To Empty' Feature Is Now Standard
Belite has added several new features to its Radiant Fuel Gauges that improve safety along with usability and compatibility. These features are: compatibility with automotive resistive fuel senders, predictive 'time to empty', and improved on-screen tank labeling. Automotive senders traditionally have reversed polarity from aircraft resistive senders. Belite's Radiant Fuel Gauge (RFGA-022R only) now allows the user to select which style they are using. This allows Belite's Gauge to be used in automotive markets; and conversely, it allows the usage of many more reliable and inexpensive automotive fuel senders in experimental aircraft.
Belite has also added a synthetic 'time to empty' feature in its Radiant Fuel Gauge as a standard feature. Because the Gauge keeps a history and also displays the last 15 minutes of fuel usage for each tank, the firmware now uses this information to predict the time to empty for each tank. The value is calculated in minutes remaining for each of two tanks displayed in the unit.
The new Radiant Fuel Gauges also have improved tank labeling features. Upon startup, the user may choose any of several labels for each tank on the display: Left, Right, Main, Aux, Header, for example. This allows flexibility in panel, aircraft and fuel system design.
James Wiebe, CEO of Belite explained the upgrades as a response to customer feedback. "We've had customers wanting to use our aircraft display technology in their vehicles," he said. "This has been tough to do because automotive senders are usually backwards from aircraft senders. The other features we've added will help users improve their safety by adding an aid to predicted fuel time remaining and usability by helping the user label tanks in a flexible manner.”
Belite’s Radiant instrument line combines many functions into simple, small, lightweight units. The instruments utilize sunlight readable full color high contrast LCD screens which are also friendly with sunglasses. Some of these new units feature a Belite crafted feature: persistence. This feature displays the last history of the information. For example, the last 15 minutes of fuel level information is shown graphically along with the current fuel level. This provides the pilot with the ability to look at information on the display screen and make better informed decisions, as opposed to the lack of history provided by traditional steam gauges.
The Radiant Single or Dual Tank Fuel Gauge from Belite shows current contents of one or two tanks and the system voltage. Time to Empty is automatically calibrated, and it shows fuel consumption trend from two tanks over the last 15 minutes.
All instruments are designed for a standard 2.25” cutout, and use approximately 100 milliamps of power from a supply of 10 to 32 volts. All instruments are dimmable. Dimmer included.
Three versions are available for use with different fuel senders:
- Radiant Fuel Gauge For Resistance Or Float Based Sender. (Part # RFGA-022R). Virtually any resistance sender will work with this gauge. This version is compatible with automotive.
- Radiant Fuel Gauge For Capacitance Fuel Sender. (Part # RFGA-022C). Our new EASILY BENDABLE CAPACITANCE FUEL PROBE is a great choice for this fuel gauge.
- Radiant Fuel Gauge for Belite Liquid Level Fuel Probe. (Part # RFGA-022L). Our Liquid Level Fuel Probe is most compatible with this gauge, but the computer module is not required.
These new displays are priced at $249.95 and are immediately available on Belite’s webstore.
(Image provided with Belite media release)
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