first I was confused, partly bec

2021/05/21

At first I was confused, partly because I had assumed without thinking that everything would be sterile and spartan, an assembly line operated by colorless, robot-like workers performing the same mindless tasks over and over again. It seemed almost as though we were old friends. Lets leave well enough alone in an airplane intended for fun flying. Toll Free: 1-877-288-8077 The new UMA tach is certified to FAA TSO C49b standards for fixed wing aircraft. View cart for details. (There are periods in the company name above the front door and on her business card, but nowhere else that I know of. The gear train in that little gauge looked exquisite, with tiny, tiny gears and shafts, and jeweled bearings. Is it all right if I put you on hold for a minute?. I had several other UMA gauges, and they had always worked reliably and were, as far as I could tell, perfectly accurate (unlike a few other gauges Id had). And as I learned that afternoon, it makes nearly every part that goes into those gauges: gears, bellows, pointers, dials, caseseverything. There was no good in arguing with an email message. It says right there on the website. Theres not a pick-and-place robot in the building. The owner does have some discretion, they choose the RPM the hour meter starts counting. Kitplanes.com and the Kitplanes logo are protected properties under international copyright law. Sure, Friday will be great. His prototype had two concentric pointers, each with its own numbered scale, to indicate feet and thousands of feet. Keep in mind that this is a mechanical gaugeno electricity needed. Colors were special order, too. And unprepared; I was already on speakerphone with the keypad displayed, ready to press 1 to place an order. Everything was different from what I had imagined. Several highly skilled machinists work there, making parts ranging from rugged ammeter shunts to the most delicate brass gears, some only 2 or 3 millimeters in diameter. It hadnt occurred to me to wonder. I hadnt expected any of thishumanity. rotax tachometer tachometers Now that she is the operations manager at UMA, she finds all aspects of her work fulfilling. Finally, the order is weighed and labeled. As I learned that afternoon, she knows how to do almost every job the company has. A portion of the machine shop, with Valeriy preparing to turn an altimeter part. It has white numbers on a black dial, with colored bands to indicate the 914s speed ranges of red for 0-1800 rpm (too slow), green for 1800-5500 (just right), yellow for 5500-5800 (for five minutes), and a bright red line at 5800. 10-02116 is specifically for 6 cylinder engines and has a different sender. I opened the boxand it was, in fact, gorgeous! This was getting a little strange. She said she was Sharon. This story is about a company that makes aircraft gauges, but bear with me a bit while I set the scene. I built your tach, she said as she ducked through a doorway. Pilotshop assumes no responsibility or liability for any issue or problem which may arise from any repair, modification or other work done from this knowledge base. And now you know why I asked you to bear with me, back at the beginning. Bellows for altimeters during the assembly process. So, when my Seareys original 2-inch round tachometer went berserk recently, I had to decide whether I was analog or digital for engine rpm. Youve paid for the tach, but we havent shipped it yet. Apparently, it can. She said that about 75% of their business nowadays is for aircraft instruments, but in the very beginning, back in 1936, UMA stood for United Medical Apparatuses, and one of its early products was a sphygmo-oscillometer, a complement to the device commonly used to measure blood pressure (a sphygmomanometer). Ive seen this tach in rental airplanes where the hobbs is double tach time. Position lights, repairman certificate and builders log. Not done. A few days later, an email arrived from the big-name retailer, saying that installing a dial light made it a special order. UMAs customers also include restorers of older aircraft who want the gauges to be as close as possible to the originalsor at least to resemble the originals closely enough that the aircraft appears to be completely original, even if they are more effective. Fortunately, they have been able to recruit several local residents who grew up in countries where technical education is more highly valued than it is today in the USA. Q: Do I need special approval to install this UMA TSO'd tachometer into my Canadian registered certified aircraft? The TSOd version must be set up exactly to POH or engine STC. Id have to contact the manufacturer. (Whether they should also have mechanical backups for other instruments may be more complicated.). I never felt like anyone wanted to resolve this issue. It works realy fine. Q: Can I install this tach in my certified aircraft with a simple logbook entry or does it need a field approval? A few years later, I replaced those six gauges with a Dynon D10A EFIS, which did everything they did, and more. Done. Q: Does this UMA tachometer (part number 10-00120) come with the sending unit? That gave me a hybrid, poor mans glass cockpit, with the two digital displays for flight info and residual round gauges for engine and fuel, plus 2-inch gauges for airspeed and altitude in case the electrical system goes pfffft, which it did two years ago when the voltage regulator died a long way from any place I wanted to land. Round gauges have square bezels, so for area, square a side instead of multiplying it by pi.). Nadia says that their sales have increased steadily during the glass-cockpit era. She says she enjoys working with customers and loves listening to them brag about the airplanes they have built. Ste. A year after that, I added a big GPS and, more recently, an even bigger GPS (an iFly 740). 6 in the name UMA TACH PICK UP FOR BENDIX MAG 6 LEAD means 6 ft lead. Analog gauges still have a place in the digital era. And theyre made in America, too. Yes, indicate current hours on the order to have hobbs meter set to engine time. It is nice to ditch the failure prone mechanical tach cable and yet not give up the analog needle. Yes, this product includes the sender that screws into the tach drive. She majored in biology, and after college worked in a lab for a while. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Is this sending unit included into the UMA 3-1/8 ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM W/ SENDER 6 TSO(10-01221)? In the next room, toward the front of the building, workers paint cases, silkscreen dials and pointers, assemble mechanical parts, and so on. An ultrasound wattmeter, ready for testing. There are heavy-duty metal lathes, drill presses, power saws, and two giant CNC machines that convert chunks of aluminum and brass into instrument parts. The UMA building is on Main Street. Eventually the assembled gauges are tested and calibrated. {"modules":["unloadOptimization","bandwidthDetection"],"unloadOptimization":{"browsers":{"Firefox":true,"Chrome":true}},"bandwidthDetection":{"url":"https://ir.ebaystatic.com/cr/v/c1/thirtysevens.jpg","maxViews":4,"imgSize":37,"expiry":300000,"timeout":250}}. Electrical instrumentation, whether presented by a pointer on a dial or a glass computer display, can be extraordinarily powerful and helpful to a pilot. They can set the hours as well, they would just need to know that when the order is placed. - Grants Pass, OR 97526, East Coast Store: Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm EST813A Flightline Blvd. This unit has a FAA TSO approval. Simplex Aeroplanes offers discounted plans for its Cloudster Ultralight, and Superior Air Parts has resumed shipping its Experimental XP Series engines to dealers. 1 - Deland, FL 32724. Midwest - West Chicago, IL So I had open the Tachometer housing and solder a bridge between pin 2 and 3. Sharon was back in less than a minute. UMAs sphygmo-oscillometeran updated version is still in productionmeasures blood flow with precision, and that ability has saved many diabetics limbs from amputation by proving that blood circulation was sufficient. Her answer surprised me. Several companies make non-precision 2-inch altimetersUMA made the one in my Searey. Copyright 1997-2022 Chief Aircraft Inc. All rights reserved. That was Marieand I was so tickled to see that she was, indeed, a real person. Please check the boxes for the options that you would like to add. Any product eligibility information provided here is based on general application guides and we recommend always referring to your specific aircraft parts manual, the parts manufacturer or consulting with a qualified mechanic. Fax: 1-951-372-9213, West - Corona, CA Security code. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. I entered my credit card number. Whoops. Prices range from about $75 to $300, with UMAs basic model listed at $140. The other two carried on together until Nadias father, Awad DaMes, bought his partners share. Bought UMA 3-1/8 ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM W/ SENDER 6 TSO. One of the most obvious things about UMA is that they make gauges by hand. You have entered an incorrect email address! Q: Is the hours counter resettable to the current aircraft hours as in mechanical tachometers. Mitchell Clockwise Mechanical Tachometers, Electronics International R-1 Rpm Tachometer, Vena Ht (SCAT Equivalent) Flexible Aircraft Ducting - Cut To Length, UMA MAGNETIC TACH SENDING UNIT 2 PULSE 1A3-4, UMA 3-1/8 ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM W/ SENDER 6 NON TSO, UMA 3-1/8 ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM W/ MARKINGS NON TSO, UMA 3-1/8" ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM SLICK 6C SENDER NON TSO, UMA MECH DRIVE 3-1/8" ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM W/ SENDER 6 TSO, UMA 3-1/8" ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM W/ MARKINGS TSO W/O HOURMETER. For the same reason, it isnt gauge versus glass, either. With WW-II and Americas sudden need for warplanes and the myriad gauges they required, UMA became United Medical and Aircraft. This would be UMA PN:T19-801-112 and Per UMA, this Tachometer would work with the Plasma III. UMAs custom, hands-on construction is able to meet those needs. Is the replacement of a mechanical tach in a certified aircraft considered a minor alteration by the FAA? Refresh your browser window to try again. I asked Nadia what UMAs biggest problem is, expecting shed say something about competition from cheap foreign labor. UMA 3-1/8" ELECTRIC TACH 0-3500 RPM MECHANICAL DRIVE 500-2700 GREEN 2700 REDLINE, Unbelieable ! Not to mention a free tour of the factoryand meeting the person who built my tach! UMA no longer stands for anything, she said. I phoned the number for UMA. But there was a problem with wiring: there was no power at the sending unit. Welcome to the 21 century -). Calibrating a 1-inch diameter oxygen sensor. MRP/MAP/Sale Items & Others), Keep an eye on your inbox for your $25offcode.Valid on Orders Placed within 14 Days of Code Request, Some Exclusions Apply (GA Batteries/Plugs/Filters/Tires/Oil, MRP/MAP/Sale Items & Others), West Coast Store: Mon-Fri 7:00am-4:00pm PST1301 Brookside Blvd. After a product is finished, it goes to the shipping department. Electrical failure stays in the back of your mind forever, by the way. Learn how your comment data is processed. Its more like gauge and glass because theyre complementary. I still do not have a working tach. Even though the company is located close to a large state university and in an area with several major industries, she says they have trouble finding skilled workers, especially machinists and mechanical and electrical assemblers. I felt Aircraft Spruce should hav e immediately sent a replacement. Engineering is also where research and development happens. Through one doorway a woman sat between a sturdy desk and a computer table. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. I sputtered out about my big-name retailer order as best I could, and right away she was explaining in clear but technical language what needed to be done. Oh, well. He is in his 80s now but still comes in to work, although Nadia is the operations manager and takes care of the day-to-day activities. The door opens right into a practical room, a lobby with a couple of large tables and a photocopy machine, and several doorways leading to other parts of the building. These can be custom marked by adding part number 10-02792. Part of my confusion came because people dont stay at one workstation all the time. Sefik, eh? But calling it shipping is convenient shorthand. A woman answeredsurprising in this age of Siri, Alexa, and robot phone systems. It was about then I noticed that UMA was located not too far from my home. Q: How is the rpm value for recording set?

And one result was that it took me a while to get oriented to how gauges are created and how the 25 employees interact with each other. This will only be a minor alteration if the tach you are installing the same model of the one you are replacing. OK, I figured, a tach is a tach, right? Used on a small bi-plane that had a very long tach cable to reach the rear pit. Yes, the sender is included with 10-01221. Just bring yours along, and Sefik will check it and let you know whether it will work.. Think carefully about that fact. Please note, Pilotshop's personnel are not certified aircraft mechanics and can only provide general support and ideas, which should not be relied upon or implemented in lieu of consulting an A&P or other qualified technician.

So, my cost seems very reasonable: $250 for a custom-made 2-inch precision tachometer with electroluminescent lighting and a brightly colored dial. Q: Can the range markings on 10-01222 be adjusted along with the hourmeter setting? Yes. Difference between 10-01221 and 10-01222 is that 10-01221 does not include range markings and 10-01222 does include range markings. It doesnt duplicate a digital altimeter; its an entirely different animal. All reproduction in part or in whole prohibited. But not just anybodys mom. I want to know about how much airspeed I have without doing math, especially when landing. When all that is complete, the order is ready for pickup by FedEx or UPS for delivery to the customer. (Its hard to make useful comparisons from a catalog because types of specifications vary by manufacturer and theres little indication of quality.). R&D: Brian showing off a 2-inch precision altimeter prototype. Everyone checks their own work against established criteria, and someone else double-checks before the gauge can be moved to the next stage or department. Aircraft / Avionics Orders: 800.447.3408 Radio Control Orders: 877.219.4489, Keep an eye on your inbox for your Yes, please contact our sales department for pricing and lead time on this special order. My only complaint, the hour meter is to small and hard to read, otherwise it would be 5 stars. Not responsible for typographical or misprint errors. But maybe Friday would be safer, just to be sure nobodys child gets sick or anything like that. How could she help me? Q: What is the difference between 10-00120 and 10-02116? Item Qualifies for Free Ground Freight (48 States) on Orders Over $350, Tachometer Mechanical Drive Port Electric, 3 1/8" 0-3500 RPM, TSO'd, Electric Analog Tachometer, 3 1/8" 0-3500 RPM TSO'd, Tachometer Mechanical Drive Port Electric, 3 1/8" 0-3500rpm, TSO'd, Electronic Tachometer, 3 1/8" 0-3500 RPM, Jabiru. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Leave feedback about your eBay ViewItem experience, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new window or tab, - for PayPal Credit, opens in a new window or tab, Learn more about earning points with eBay Mastercard, - eBay Return policy - opens in a new tab or window, - eBay Money Back Guarantee - opens in a new tab or window. UMA makes precision gauges, not digital displays. Prices subject to change without notice. When we arrived at the very back of the building, I was beginning to figure it out. The system uses a tach sender mounted on the engine in place of the mechanical cable and is connected to the indicator with a single, 3-conductor cable. What is difference between 10-01221 and 10-01222? I still cannot fly my airplane. The CEO and president of the company is Nadias father, Awad DaMes, a brilliant and genial man. Expiration date. It refers to the length of the lead. The main assembly room, where everything comes together. We just go by UMA, and she said it like the letters names, You Em Ayy. While Nadia was describing the various types of assembly activities, a woman passed by, carrying a tray of gauges. Marie says it will be ready on Thursday. (It was then Tuesday afternoon.) Take my tachometer as an example: The big-name retailer sells about 13 different 2-inch round analog tachometers for Rotax four-stroke engines, five of them made by UMA. Thats when mechanical gauges really shine. Or she was a friends mom. But it also has many different failure points, any one of which can suddenly make the screens go dark. Adjacent to the assembly rooms is engineering, with easy access for workers to discuss any problems and ensure that assembly goes well and instruments work properly. Precision 2-inch altimeter prototypes. In 1974 three Grumman engineers bought the company and, seeking a better environment for their children, moved it from New York City to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Its just numbers. I was actually a bit shocked. They make precision instruments. The range markings for 10-01222 are GREEN ARC 500-2700, RED LINE 2700 RPM. Something went wrong. Of course, Sharon said. Owners of Lycoming and Continental powered airplanes now have an electronic, analog alternative to the old cable driven tachometer. So, aircraft need mechanical displays of critical flight informationairspeed and altitude at the very least. So itll be easy to open the case and silk-screen the dial and install the electroluminescent light.

Gotta love computers! The smallest gear visible is about 3 millimeters in diameter and is made in the UMA machine shop. And when it is ready, Ill probably drive up to Dayton, Virginia, and thank its builders personally. Its an instrument factory! Nadia grew up in the business. This is really getting interesting. Uh, what time would be best?, Oh, any time at all. Those colors looked gorgeous on my computer monitor. Hey, and it was a UMA tachcool! The quality control department is connected to the assembly room, tooalthough its somewhat misleading to think of UMAs quality control as a separate entity because inspection and quality control are integral parts of each stage in building any gauge or instrument. They are self contained in rugged metal cases with hinged lids and heavy-duty leads and hoses.

A CNC machine is in the background. The iFly 740 GPS shows a synthetic view of the runway above a sectional-chart moving map. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Nadia and her father, Awad DaMes, with an early sphygmo-oscillometer on the desk. Yes.

Email: Click Here This is where parts become gauges. Sharon, the public face of UMA, talks with customers, takes orders, troubleshoots, and much more. My Seareys instrument panel is caught in a time warp, somewhere between steam gauges and glass cockpit. Original 2003 steam-gauge instrument panel (awaiting the transponder).

HmmCould I pick up the tach at the factory? Very nice unit to replace a mechanical installation. And therell be two more wires for the lighting power.. UMA is a family business. But as far as flight safety is concerned, its essentially electrical and mechanical. She can do most of the manufacturing operations, including painting and silk-screening, and she understands the intricacies of the other work, even if she isnt as expert as some of the specialists. Just whenever you get here.. Wha-a-at? Thats mainly a matter of personal preference. Thats barely perceptible in the best of conditions and rather disquieting in turbulence or at night. However, you will need to contact your local aviation authority office to see what their ruling on installing a FAA TSO'd unit into your aircraft. Less weight, no long tach cable, easy to install. About 75% of UMAs business is custom work that by nature requires humans. (Half? But the tip of the single pointer in my non-precision gauge moves only about 1 millimeter (just over 1/32 inch) for a 100-foot change in altitude. The colored bands were crisp and bright against the matte black face and the white numerals. He came to the USA from Palestine as a young engineer, attended grad school, and then went to work for Grumman, where he met the other two original owners of UMA. This is also where the medical instruments are built. My biggest problem, on the other hand, is waiting for that 2-inch precision altimeter to go into production. They can be used equally safely in sterile hospital operating rooms and in the field where no electrical power is available and conditions arent inherently sanitary. Next (moving toward the front) is the machine shop, the largest room in the building. She worked there after school and in summers and whenever she happened to be around, even when she wasnt working officially. But she said it felt like she was in a cage. My favorite big-name retailer lists only one, made in Germany, for $993. Let me just check with Marie to see when shell have it finished. She said, Therell be an extra charge for the options. Ive already ordered one to replace the non-precision gauge in my Searey. The increase in horsepower brings with it a shift in CG and handling characteristics. Nadia (left) and Marie, who said, I made your tach., Despite the labor-intensive production, UMAs prices are competitive. Remember, Sharon said, for electroluminescent lighting youll need an inverter to power it: 120 volts output, AC. She was knowledgeable, too. I had been calling it You-Ma.). Or you can pick it up any time after that, of course., Friday, I managed to say. Sharon, of course. On Friday I drove up into the Shenandoah Valley, to the very small town of Dayton, Virginia, surrounded by lush, rolling farmland and close to the James Madison University campus in Harrisonburg. It seems to me that the issue here is not so much analog versus digital because a glass panel can display analog information just as well as digital. Engineering: Sefik, who checked my inverter. Brian, the other engineer, was excited about a new 2-inch precision altimeter that he was developing. She had my tach right there on her desk. We love to show customers around. Brians prototype precision 2-inch altimeter, on the other hand, should be just as useful asand more intuitive thanthe traditional 31/8-inch four-pointer gauges that almost all pilots learned to fly with until about 10 years ago, while taking up only half the space in an instrument panel.