Getting Wired – Old Eyes Need Big Print

Spent some time today with the Dymo Rhino label machine outfitted with heat shrink tubing to create labels for the wiring starting with the pitch servo wires. Discovered 1/4" tubing would just barely fit over the Molex pins already on the autopilot servo wires. Was using small lettering to identify the wire number along with what the function is such as “Pitch Data A”. The print was small but quite legible (although it shrinks considerably with the tubing) but based on comments made by friends Bernie and Mike who dropped in to check on the progress, I decided to use larger print and just identify the wire name such as “F489”. After all, I could barely read it the way it was ... even with reading glasses on … and the eyes are NOT likely to get any better a few years down the road if there is ever an issue with the wiring.

Heat shrink tubing slid over the autopilot pich servo wires ready for the heat gun.

After the printed heat shrink labels were slid over the wires, the dust was blown off the heat gun and label shrinking commenced followed by inserting the wires into a Molex connector.

Inserting the autopilot’s pitch servo wires into a 9 position Molex connector.

Once the wires are inserted in the pitch servo’s 9 position Molex connector Van’s instructs the builder to wire tie the wires to the seat rib the wires pass through making sure the wires don’t chafe on the edge of the hole they are pulled through. Decided it would be a good idea to slip a short piece of heat sink over the wires at this location as an insurance policy.

Heat shrink tubing not called for in the plans was added to location where pitch servo wires pass through the seat rib.

Back view of the heat shrink tubing added to location where pitch servo wires pass through the seat rib.