Tired of slow and unreliable mechanical breakers, excessive wiring and too many holes to cut? Ztron Labs has a solution: the ZL-BP8 or ZL-BP4.
While the typical aircraft circuit breaker may take anywhere up to an hour to trip depending on the overload current, the ZL-BP8 will fault within a fraction of a second, every time the current limit is exceeded. Instead of relying on mechanical or thermal-based trip sensors, a ZL-BP8 continually monitors each breaker “channel” via a microprocessor and electronic current sensor, giving it a response many times faster and more accurate than the best conventional circuit breaker, Ztron says.A sister product, the ZL-BP4, is functionally identical to the ZL-BP8 but with a reduced number of breaker channels, making it useful for managing the number of installed channels or simply upgrading your system in general.
The ZL-BP4 and ZL-BP8 integrate the function of both toggle switches and breakers into a single unit. The toggle switch action is capacitive touch sensitive and will not wear out or suffer fatigue that can cause conventional toggle switches to fail. This is especially important for high current loads, Ztron says.
The ZL-BP8 gives you eight programmable switch-breaker channels in a panel no more than half an inch deep. Each channel is programmable on the fly. At any time after installation you may set a trip point from 2.5 amps to 20 amps. Simply tapping a channel button twice will allow you to view its current settings, as well as change it if needed by then selecting the new value.
Faults and unused channels are similarly dealt with, by holding down on the specified button until the state changes. Everything you need to configure and use is right there at your fingertips; no external systems, controls or sensors are required. Once satisfied with the setup, lock the settings from changing in flight.
The high level of integration of a ZL-BP8 also provides a weight reduction: the ZL-BP8 is the same weight as a single conventional circuit breaker, an eight-fold weight savings, the company says. This could amount to a 1-pound reduction overall in a typical installation. Additionally, panel area utilization may be more efficient, which is helpful when space is limited.
Retail prices are as follows:
ZL-MB50: Main bus contactor ($69.99)
ZL-BP8: Eight-channel power panel/electronic switch-breakers ($189)
ZL-BP4: Four-channel power panel/electronic switch-breakers ($109)
ZL-PSWT: Right and left wingtip position plus strobe light pair ($249)
ZL-PSTL: Tail position and strobe light ($89)
For more information, call 888/740-0917 or email Info@ZtronLabs.com.
