cnoe

Good point Dave, and it didn't sound like a rant at all. I appreciate the input. In my defense I did hike down to the airport manager's office/FBO but they were closed and locked up tight. Plus I did inform the resident CFII that the broadcast persisted as I departed. It was pretty obvious as I circled the area while departing that the signal was emanating from the airport. Monitoring 121.5 while enroute is something I often do and I'd absolutely inform ATC if I heard a distress broadcast. But for some reason I never considered it important on the airport grounds. I guess some poor soul could have activated it on purpose to summon medical help or similar. That's somrthing to consider. C.

Funny, or not funny; this happened to me a few days ago. I was installing a new nose-gear tire and tube at my t-hangar one afternoon and had pulled off the cowl for a quick look-see inside. About this time a C172 comes idling by with a couple of guys looking around oddly. Their plane made a 180 at the end of the hangar row and came back by, this time stopping in front of my hangar. With the engine still running the right-seat occupant got out and walked into my open hangar and introduced himself. A bit befuddled I offered my name as well and asked him how I may be of assistance. The gentleman said he was a CFII instructor on the field and that my "ELT is going off". Really? Oh crap; that's not good! I quickly leaned into my plane and verified that my manual switch was in the "armed" position, but was not "on". And the LED wasn't illuminated. So I hit the master and avionics switches and set Comm 2 to 121.5. Grabbing my headset off the seat I immediately heard the unmistakable sound of an ELT transmission. I couldn't believe this was happening but thanked the man and told him I was gonna figure out what was going on right away. He got back in the plane with his student and off they went. I imagined that this faux pas was the new topic of instruction for this instructor and student as they taxied away. About the time they left a hangar buddy and fellow pilot asked about the commotion and I told him that my ELT was "possibly" going off and that I was just starting to troubleshoot the problem. He pulled out a handheld radio, set it 121.5 and listened as it wailed away. Now I have a fairly new Artex 406 ELT which broadcasts both on 121.5 and 406. The battery was replaced only 7 months ago. Being very familiar with the unit's installation I quickly pulled the access panel (where the battery resides) and unfastened the ELT from its mount. The toggle switch was not "on" there either and the LED was also not "on". So I disconnected the antenna and sub-D connector then removed the unit from the plane. My buddy's radio was still wailing. I thought "how could he still be receiving the signal with no antenna" so I decided to stick the unit in my metal tool box to block the signal. Even then my buddy's radio wailed. Holding the radio behind the metal hangar door didn't stop it either. I was beginning to think that "I" wasn't the culprit, but to be CERTAIN I went ahead and opened up the ELT and REMOVED THE BATTERY. While my buddy's radio continued to wail I was finally relieved and convinced that my plane was not to blame. About 45 minutes later I'd zipped everything back up and was headed down the taxiway to fly out when the CFII radioed me while doing touch-and-goes. I was a bit miffed that he'd wasted 30 minutes of my time, and had me in a bit of a frenzy. But I bit my lip and told him thanks for letting me know about the ELT, but that the problem wasn't mine. He apologized and said that the signal seemed strongest in front of my hangar. But as I departed the area the 121.5 signal quickly faded then died completely. Whew! What would YOU have done? C.

Hank, I vaguely remember reading that post back when I was partner in an E. The pic I posted was taken on the return trip (Michigan to the Texas coast) from picking up my J about a year ago. It seems to me like the horizontal stabilizer must be providing at least a little "downforce" or the elevator wouldn't be down a bit. Next time I've got the back seat and baggage compartment loaded I'll take another picture to note the difference. I'd expect the elevator to be more neutral then. But if the rear stabilizer is "lifting" then the elevator should be even lower with an aft CG (which would cause more drag). Does this sound right guys? Chuck

FWIW I have a pic of my '78 J's tail showing results similar to those of Byron's. The pic was from about a year ago and shows the horn slightly up (elevator slightly down). I was in level cruise flying solo (145# pilot) with approximately 50 gallons of fuel aboard. There was about 35 pounds in the baggage compartment. Altitude roughly 7,500 MSL with airspeed likely around 150-155 Kts. To the best of my knowledge I have no known rigging issues. Chuck

Eli goes everywhere with my wife and I. In fact he's already logged 77 hours during his 2 1/2 years on earth. It always amazes me how welcome he is at FBOs across the country, always being invited inside with many offering free dog treats and water! At SAF we even had TSA officers coming over to pet him. His Mutt Muffs are part of the basic equipment list. At 85# he fits the rear seat nicely and will now climb in and out of the plane on his own. I always attach a short leash to a secure harness to assure he'd stay in the back if things got wild. On one flight we caught a nice downdraft that prompted him to sit up in the seat and stare out the window for a minute; I swear he was pondering his location but soon laid back down. For the most part he just sleeps while in flight. I do tuck a blanket over the seats but not once has he ever pawed at a window, YMMV. He also doesn't paw at the Mutt Muffs which stay in place well, but one leg I forgot to put them on him and my wife was none too pleased (though she didn't remember either). One more thing, for his first outing we made a couple of takeoff rolls before taking him airborne just to be sure he'd be okay. He was a bit antsy on the first run but quickly adapted. Take Fido along; it's much better than sticking him in a pen at some boarding kennel while you're out having fun.

In the interest of accuracy you can plan a leg where you fly straight and level on one tank until the engine starves for fuel then switch to the fuller tank. After landing, fill in increments of your choosing (2 gallons is good) and mark the stick of your choice. Soft-wood sticks will wick up the fuel a bit as previously mentioned but you can see the markings with a small light while sticking the tank (don't drop the light). As others also said the stick is useless for gauging tanks with relatively little fuel. I advise against doing this with individuals fearful of a sputtering engine. And don't do it at 500' AGL. Cnoe

Full USA - Cycle 1410 (Sep 18, 2014) - 430/530 WAAS only Will update your card and return it via USPS Priority Mail within a day of receipt. When you verify the update on your system send me a check for $50. This is my first time doing this as I usually update my own every month. You trust me with your card, and I'll trust you to pay once satisfied. I've got a couple of references on Mooneyspace if you need them. PM me for more info.

On a related subject - 1) Does any one know if the GDL-88 will interface with the G1000? 2) Does anyone know what is involved in the upgrade of the GTX 33 to a GTX33 ES - Is it a software or hardware upgrade? I can't answer your first question but I'm 99% sure the GTX-to-ES upgrade involves hardware as well as software. That statement was made early on by a Garmin engineer. For $1,200 + installation & programming my GTX330 now sends out ADS-B 1090 w/ position data from my GNS530-W. With a Stratus 2 unit and an iPad the weather and traffic are as close to complete as possible. I realize that the XM weather is likely a better product but in 12 months time I saved enough (subscription cost) to pay for the GTX upgrade. Note that the setup is a bit tricky as many avionics shops aren't up to speed on all the details yet. Many (most) of the GA ADS-B Out setups are still not compliant and it takes an ATC report to confirm everything's working properly. Firmwares need to be current and the settings must be correct. If you've already got a WAAS GPS you're halfway there. Hopefully somebody like Appareo will get a portable solution certified soon for those of you starting off with older panels.

More input from the peanut gallery here. I partnered in an E for a year, then recently moved into a J. My partner was great, and the E was a fun capable plane. But the J is a much more comforting cross country machine. With the 201 I got more luggage room, more passenger (dog) room, a reliable AP, more fuel capacity, (some) more speed, a standard configuration panel, a WAAS GPS system certified for LPV approaches, easy upgrade to the ADS-B Out mandate (already done and love the full traffic picture with 3 class-B airports in my area), and a feel that the newer plane has a good bit more life left in her. Of course it could all go to hell tomorrow. Another thing not mentioned is that when hand flying the plane the J definitely exhibits more vertical stability. The E would constantly drift up or down, particularly in warm air or with occupant movement. The J trims out flatter and stays there, which I like. Also, the J is smoother providing a less harsh ride. What I do miss from the E was that superb accelleration on takeoff and climbout (we had a 3-blade prop too, but not on the J). The E was more responsive to the controls too. It was really fun to fly but the slower yellow arc and gear speeds were a negative. Descents in the J are in the yellow but I don't worry about busting Vne. I realize there's no significant structural difference but I just feel better not pushing airspeed limits; call me conservative. You'd like the newer J, but I obviously have no idea whether the upgrade(?) is a good idea for you personally. And there's always the risk of getting a lemon. But for me... it was a great decision to buy the J.

I really like the full size screen for my primary iPad display since I can read most of the info without reading glasses. And with the iPad "Air" the device is nearly 1/2" narrower than the iPad 2, 3, 4, etc. and fits much better than my older iPad 2 did. The RAM yoke mount works well with the mid-length arm and a unit-specific cradle. Get the aluminum mount (not the plastic one) and run the arm "under" the yoke rather than on top and your entire panel will remain visible. Works great in my '78 J (201). You can easily tilt it up or down if glare is an issue with a specific sun position (happened once or twice to me). I use an identical setup on the right side with an iPad Mini for my wife to read Kindle books in flight. Don't tell her but in actuality it's my backup unit.

I'm interested too Jim. PM sent.

I too made it to San Marcos; it was a good event. It was good to see the two M20s sitting front-and-center! Lacee and Bucko did a great job spreading the gospel. Ceilings were low most of the day Saturday keeping the VFR attendance lower than expected but with ~2,500 lunches served I'd say the AOPA did a decent job attracting attendees. I hope the other events have better weather.

My question is... do your JPI 9XX engine monitors cover you for removing the annunciator box from your J's (when programmed for appropriate alarms)? I did see a few warning lights scattered here and there on some panels. Cnoe

I'm not sure what process Edison used in the past but he currently uses chemical to soften the old sealant then uses rags to wipe most of it out. He stated that if there's a particularly tough or hard spot he might use a wooden or plastic scraper of some sort, but never metal on metal. I absolutely agree that I wouldn't want somebody scraping out my tanks with steel putty knives or wire brushes. He also pointed out that when he finds any corrosion he will clean it thoroughly with a plastic brush (I assume a nylon abrasive wheel) and then prep the affected area. The metal has to be well prepped for the new sealant to properly adhere. Edison has been doing this for years and years and continues to offer a 7 year warranty on his work. Note that this is absolutely no knock against Paul. From what I know he does outstanding work as well. I'm counting on my resealed tanks (by Paul) to last many more years. Chuck

+1 for Edison in Ft. Lauderdale if you're anywhere in the SE. I took a partnership M20E there last spring and Edison did a great job on our strip & reseal. His stripping process was not excessively aggressive and the end result looks great and performs well (so far). The attention to detail was very good. Also, Edison dropped me off and picked me up at KFLL at drop-off and pick-up. My newly aquired J had a fresh tank job by Paul and it looks equally good. I believe (if you go for reseal over bladders) that it's simply a matter of location and scheduling when choosing Edison or Paul. Chuck 78J

Byron, I've got a label maker (Brother) that does the white print on black tape. You're welcome to use it any time. I've been working on labels too and will pick up another roll of the black tape for us both. For all of you... Is there a best way to re-ink the existing engraving on my current (working) switches? Chuck

Looks like this thread is dying here Chris. I may start a similar thread on a different forum but will get back with you if I find more interest. Thanks, Chuck

The programmer will indeed work for both units. Garmin's description was incomplete at https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/prod1190.html but another site stated... Compatible products for this item are: GNC 420, GNC 420W, GNS 430, GNS 430W, GNS 530W, GPS 400, GPS 400W, GPS 500, GPS 500W I can call Garmin to be sure about compatibility. I intended to say that I want to update my "obstacle data" not my "terrain data" which is obviously more static. This card writer will do either/both but WILL NOT write to the Jeppesen database card. If a couple more people are interested I imagine we can strike a deal that's favorable to all. Anybody else??? Chuck

With great luck I've now found myself in a new (to me) 201 with a Garmin 530W. My terrain database is going on 6 years old now, and as quickly as they put up towers down here I'd like to install a new update (<$50). While I don't mind giving Jeppesen ~$60 for a card writer I find it preposterous to give Garmin $200 for their proprietary card writer. So... I was wondering if others in my predicament might be interested in "sharing" a programmer (card writer) to help keep our individual costs more reasonable. Garmin likely has some legal prohibition on "renting" the units to other people but surely they couldn't prohibit us from "borrowing" the card writer from one another. If there were a few interested individuals I would be willing to buy one and then let others "borrow" it for the cost of shipping (wink wink); perhaps $25? Or if ANYBODY has one of these programmers already I'd be more than willing to give them $25 if I could borrow it for a day. Any interest??? Chuck

Byron, I think I met that guy you wowed with your J. From what I hear his plane won't keep up with yours.