Steven wrote: I was thinking of doing like others and placing them on the firewall shelf but wasn't sure because of the close proximity of the fuel tank.
Steven, As long as raw fuel cannot get to them, the shelf if a good location. Use the location of the battery to balance out your weight and balance if needed. My battery has migrated from the shelf to right in front of the spar on the passenger side. It moves the CG aft a bit, which is good for my plane. Put the fuel cutoff switch where you can reach it without moving your hand more than a few inches. This was a lesson Jim Morehead and I learned hanging upside down from the straps in his plane after flipping in a mishap. Neither one of us could reach the fuel cutoff switch, even though it was on the bottom of the center console. In my own plane these switches are right below my thighs on the front of the main spar. I would have expected Jim's location to be perfect. It turned out not to be. Only the experience can teach on this one. IHS, Dave "Zipper" Goodman Vertical Avionics, Inc. www.verticalavionics.com