Wearing Gerbing's heated clothing keeps you warmer than you have ever been. To get the most warmth out of your heated clothing, follow the instructions below.
Information
1. Choosing the right size
I work on a Large size fitting a 40"- 42" chest and 34" waist. Sizes go up and down in 2" - 3" steps.
Liners are worn under the suit and over a single layer of clothing for the most effective use.
2. Connecting your Gerbing's battery harness to your battery
Your aircraft's electrical system directly powers your heated clothing. Your Gerbing's battery harness connects your Gerbing's clothing to your battery. To use your clothing you must first attach your battery harness to your 12 volt battery.
REMEMBER THAT YOU MAY NEED TO APPLY FOR A MODIFICATION TO YOUR AIRCRAFT WHEN FITTING TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FITTED BATTERY.
1. Access your aircraft's 12 volt battery.
Positive Terminal
a) Remove the bolt that holds the positive battery terminal in place. The positive terminal is marked on the battery post with a +. b) Identify the positive wire of your battery harness. The positive wire has the fuse in-line. c) At the end of your battery harness positive wire is an eye connector. Place this eye connector over the bolt on your positive battery terminal and tighten the bolt.
Negative Terminal
a) Remove the bolt that holds the negative battery terminal in place. The negative terminal is marked on the battery post with a -. b) Identify the negative wire of your battery harness. The negative wire does not have the fuse in-line. c) At the end of your battery harness negative wire is an eye connector. Place this eye connector over the bolt on your negative battery terminal and tighten the bolt.
2. Route the battery harness to the left side of the aircraft. Make sure the wires will not rub or be pinched between the frame and the seat.
3. Let the battery harness plug hang a couple of inches out from under the seat on the left side.
4. Zip-tie or use electrical tape to safely attach the wire to the frame or other points on the aircraft to prevent the wire from moving.
5. Tighten the battery terminals over the O rings.
3. Connecting your heated clothing to the battery harness
Gerbing's heated clothing forms a true interconnected system in which every item connects to everything else. You can wear a jacket, gloves, pants, and socks with only a single connection to your battery.
1. The long wire coming out of the jacket is the power cord, which connects to your battery harness. 2. The shorter wire coming out of the jacket connects to the pants. (If you are wearing Gerbing's pants without the jacket, then connect the pants cord directly to the battery harness.) 3. The gloves connect to the plugs at the end of the jacket sleeves (or to a connecting harness when ordered alone). 4. The socks connect to plugs inside the bottom of the pant legs (or to a connecting harness when ordered alone).
4. Connecting your temp-controller (or on/off switch) to the battery harness
Gerbing's heated clothing is designed for serious warmth, warm enough to keep you comfortable in below freezing temperatures. So when flying in less than extreme conditions, there must be some way to control the heat and reduce your power draw at the same time. When using our heated clothing, you can use a simple on/off switch. We strongly recommend a Gerbing's temp-controller, however, so you can dial in your comfort level and enjoy the rest of your rflight without having to manually control the heating system.
1. The temp-controller or on/off switch is plugged into the garment on one side and plugged into the battery harness (or modified Accessory plug) on the other side. 2. Make sure that the positive (+) wire from your temp-controller is hooked up to the positive wire on the battery harness and the negative (-) wire from your temp-controller is hooked up to the negative wire on the battery harness. Reverse these wires and the temp-controller will not work. Be sure to read all instructions provided with the temp-controller. 3. Use only Gerbing's temp-controller for a solid connection and proper operation. 4. Do not attach the temp-controller to a different power source other than your bike's electrical system. Otherwise your temp-controller may malfunction and void the warrantee. 5. The portable temp-controller fits in your pocket or attaches with Velcro&Mac226; to the aircraft. The permanent temp-controller hides the unit and mounts the control knob and LED in the fairing. Do not try to mount the portable unit as a permanent model.
5. Electrical Draw
Having your heated clothing run at optimal levels depends in part on the health of your electrical system.
1. If you have a problem, first check all connections for tightness and wires for proper routing and insulation integrity. Also check the fuse. 2. Some aircraft charging systems do not put out full power when the rpm's drop, such as when idling. 3. Other accessories use up electrical power needed to power your heated clothing. Add up your power needs and subtract them from your aircraft's peak power output (available from your dealer). For example, if the engine puts out 280 watts, and 130 watts are needed to run the aircraft, then 150 watts remain. There is plenty of power for a Gerbing's jacket or jacket liner at 77 watts.
6. Wearing your Gerbing's heated clothing
How your wear your heated clothing with other clothes can either enhance or detract from their comfort. Follow the tips below to obtain the most warming heat.
1. Jacket liners, pant liners, and vests work best when worn under windproof clothing. Wind takes the heat away. 2. Our outerwear is windproof due to the urethane coating on the fabric. 3. Wear only one layer under Gerbing's clothing. A long-sleeved turtleneck under a coat or liner is ideal. 4. Pant liners don't work well under denim pants. If you wear denim its best to wear Gerbing's outerwear. 5. If its real cold outside, wearing raingear enhances the warming effect by sealing out more wind.
7. Caring for your Gerbing's heated clothing
Care of your Gerbing's heated clothing is simple. Just hand wash any of our clothing except for the leather gloves. Remember, our heating system has been sold for over a quarter century, with the constant stream of improvements of a product that has been keeping our customers so warm for so long. Washing your clothing does not change your lifetime warranty, so do not worry about breaking any wires or connections. Our stuff is durable, and if a problem ever develops with the electrics, we will fix it for free.
