The International Cessna 170 Association

Ok ya'll,

I have a standard rotating beacon on the tail with an aeroflash power pack. No strobes or anything fancy. Simply a rotating beacon. The one shown in the image below:

https://i.postimg.cc/BZyVC0VN/aeroflash.jpg

The beacon functions normally when the master is "ON" but, the engine is NOT running. The minute the engine is fired up, it quits. Anyone run across this problem before?

Frustrating.

The first thing I notice in your description is that you have a rotating beacon.
Then you state it's an AeroFlash unit.

Aeroflach units FLASH. They don't rotate. So your description is confusing.


However, the complaint that it works when the master is on but engine not running... but will not work with the engine running... leads me to believe it's improperly-powered (wired). One way that might occur is if it's electrical ground is not the airframe...but is instead the field-side of either the master switch or the alternator/generator/regulator circuit. In such a fashion, the battery might power it when the alt/gen is not running (the unit finding a GrouND thru the field circuit)...but there is no proper GrouND when the field is powered.


This description is not definitive... it's only one scenario which might be problem.

Another scenario which might explain this behavior is if the unit is wired TWO ways... one thru the master and one thru the avionics master/relay... which could interrupt the power source.


The SOLUTION is to confirm the actual type/model of beacon and also the electrical wiring SOURCE and GROUND of your beacon.