Bob - S50

When in doubt, and adding fuel, read the screen. There will be little labels on the screen next to each button. One button is labeled Exit and the other Change. Don't want to exit? Push the button labeled Change. New labels say something like fill main Yes or Change. Don't want to fill the mains? Push Change again. New labels say something like fill aux Yes or Change. Don't want to fill the aux? Push the Change button again. Want to add fuel? If you push change again it will take you back to the start, that is, Change/Exit, so push the other one. If you push change again by mistake it will just cycle through the same options again. Once you have selected Add Fuel, hold down the LF button to add fuel, and tap the LF button to back up if you overshoot. By the way, you cannot defuel, that is get to a negative value for fuel added. The lowest it will go is zerol What I do is measure the fuel in the wings with our fuel stick during my walk around. When I turn on the avionics I wait until the 730 shows fuel remaining. I do a little quick math and take the actual fuel on board minus the 730 fuel remaining to determine how much fuel I need to say I added. I then add that amount and I'm good to go. Bob

Brian, Thanks again. Better price, but by time I pay for shipping to Washington I don't think its enough savings to make it worth my while. I hope I don't mess up your mass order, but I think I'll wait just awhile and order direct from Oregon. It justs seems it will make it easier to get things straightened out if something gets messed up. I'm also hoping they will come out with a USB power cable rather than just a lighter adapter power cable. Thanks again, but sorry. Bob

Brian, Thanks for the effort, but since I want the battery, at $891 I'll pass. I can order for $899 from PCA, no sales tax, and no shipping cost. Thanks again, Bob

I echo what cruiser said. The actual EGT is not important. From what I've read it is just an average of the temperature of the exhaust that flows past the probe. Since the probe is only exposed to hot air for about 1/4 th of the engine cycle, it is much lower than the actual temperature of the gases that flow past it. Can't remember exactly but I think I read those gases are actually closer to 3000F or 4000F. With that said, here is what I see on our '78 J: Takeoff: around 1250 to 1300 (I try to maintain that temp during the climb). Cruise peak: around 1450 to 1520. Bob

When you do a mag check watch the EGT's. Do they all rise when you switch to a single mag? Do any of them fall or disappear when you switch to a single mag? Do the EGT's all drop back down when you switch back to Both? Bob

Do you have a 4 cylinder engine monitor? Did the engine run smoothly or rough when you got the big drop? Bob

When you did your mag check, did you do it full rich or leaned? From what I've read, if you lean to peak or even LOP before the mag check (I lean until just past max RPM) you could get a much larger RPM drop than normal. To be honest, I don't even look at the tach on a mag check. I look for an EGT rise on all four cylinders and listen for a RPM drop. When I go back to both I want to see/hear both of those reverse. Bob

Good info. If I'm not mistaken, under those conditions not only will the CHT be down, but the EGT will be up. Anyone else heard that? Bob

No, I'm pretty sure we are saying something different. I'm saying it does not matter what the actual EGT is on any of the cylinders. One may peak at 1350, another at 1450, another at 1320; it doesn't matter. The coolest may read 100 degrees lower than the hottest in cruise, it doesn't matter. What matters is how close to the same ... fuel flow ... they peak. If they all peak, for example at exactly 9.5 GPH with EGT's of 1320, 1350, 1450 and 1480, it is ... perfect ... and you should be good to go for LOP as long as the engine is still running smoothly. If they all peak at exactly 1450, but the first one happens at 10.5 GPH and the last one happens at 9.0 GPH, you will probably have a rough running engine when LOP and it won't work for you. You, of course have a turbo, I don't. I have not read a lot about LOP on turbos, but from what I remember, the main difference is that you need to watch your TIT as well as your CHT's. Bob

I'm just paranoid. I want a backup attitude indicator just in case mine dies either due vacuum or mechanical problems. After all, I am based in the Seattle area where it rains every day. I hate the thought of flying over the mountains on the way home some time and needing to use the turn coordinator for primary control. A second attitude indicator would be much nicer. Eventually we'll need to put in ADS-B 'out'. It would be 'nice' to have ADS-B in as well. Since we are located under the Seattle Class B, and a fairly busy area (when the sun comes out) I'm mostly interested in the traffic portion. Once I retire I plan to do significant flying to the SFO, DEN, LAX, and PHX areas. All Class B's, busy, and again traffic info would be nice. Before Garmin came out with the 3D version, the cheapest way for me to get the backup attitude indicator was going to be the Dynon D1. That's $1200. The GDL 39 3D is only $900. Garmin Pilot costs $75/year vs the $35 I'm currently paying for Naviator. By going with the GDL, I'll save $300 initially and get ADS-B 'in' to boot. At $40/year difference, it will be 8 years before I'll have spent what it would cost for the Dynon. See? I am just a cheap Mooney pilot ! Bob

I think I'm going over to the dark side. Sometime this summer or early fall (better half permitting) I think I'm going to buy a Garmin GDL 39 3D. One of my partners is interested, don't know about the other two. The more of us that want it the less it will cost me. Anyway, if I buy that, I'll need to use Garmin Pilot to take full advantage of the GDL. With that combination it will give me ADS-B in, both traffic and weather, and a backup attitude indicator (even if it isn't legal for IFR). In the worst case scenario if I have total electrical failure, my Android tablet with the GDL will give me enough information on battery power to hopefully get me to VMC so I can go VFR and land someplace. Bob

Minor point and a bit off thread, but the actual values of EGT's do not matter for LOP/ROP. What matters is how close they come to peaking at the same time and smooth engine operation. Actual EGT reading can vary for a number of reasons. Bob

I too am afraid because of the stories I've heard about the last update. Anybody tried it yet (brave soul)? Any idea what it changes/fixes? Bob

That might have been me. I looked into it and decided I could not use it on our J. Can't remember why though. Might be that there was no STC for if. We ended up having ours repaired at Aeromotors LLC. You can certainly check into it though. Bob

Thought of something that might make a difference too. If I order it from Pacific Coast Avionics in Oregon, there is no sales tax. All I have to do is pay for shipping about 100 miles. If we end up making a mass buy, I'm assuming they will all be shipped to one address. Depending on where they are purchased and where they go, there may or may not be tax to be added. There will be the cost of shipping to get them to that one address. Whoever has them shipped to their house will then have to ship them to all of us. Lots of work for that poor soul. Once you come up with a price, please be sure to give us the bottom line including tax and shipping to you. We can then get an estimate for shipping from PA to us. Shipping will of course depend on where we live. It will cost a lot more to ship it to me in Washington than it will to someone in New Jersey. Thanks for going to the effort. Bob

I'm interested in the 3D version as well. Not interested in the non-3D version. I would definitely want the battery too. The street price is $849 without and $899 with the battery. With the battery, that would give me a backup way to fly and navigate if I find myself IFR and have a total electrical failure... at least long enough to get to VMC and land. Bob

I highly recommend Aeromotors LLC in Wisconsin. We had to have our Dukes boost pump rebuilt (the impeller split into 4 pieces) and they were by far the cheapest way to go. We shipped it to them, they overhauled it and had it on the way back in 2 days. It was gone just over a week. Bob

Three ideas come to mind: 1. Stolen plane. No N number, address, or any other information given that can identify the plane. A search of the FAA registry shows no plane registered to the name listed on the ad, although it could be registered under a business or LLC. 2. Scam. Get your money but you get no parts. 3. Worth more in parts than as a whole and the owner does not want to fly any more. Bob

No dumb questions. From my understanding, it does not matter what RPM you use when trying to avoid the red box. At about 60-65% its no longer a problem, you can't generate enough power to hurt anything. Also, as I understand, for any given power setting (i.e. 65%), yes, lower RPM should increase ICP but again, at the lower power setting it should not make enough difference that you need to worry about it. Running at a lower RPM means the crankshaft will not have rotated as far as a higher RPM by the time the peak pressure is reached. That means there will be less space above the piston which means higher pressure. Depending on what your mixture is, it may move that peak pressure closer or further from the optimum connecting rod angle. If you are running at about Peak to 50 ROP, the reduced RPM should move you further (earlier) from optimum. If you are running LOP or well ROP, it should move you closer to optimum. That's because either ROP or LOP create a mixture that is less than optimum for burning. That slows the flame rate and extends the amount of time it takes to reach peak pressure. So either LOP or well ROP move peak pressure to ...later... than optimum. By reducing the RPM and moving the peak pressure earlier, you move it back toward optimum. So mixture moves peak pressure later than optimum and lower RPM moves it earlier than optimum and they tend to offset. It is just a matter of how LOP/ROP and how slow the RPM is as to whether you end up at early, perfect, or later than optimum. Running at lower RPM means less internal friction. That means a higher percentage of power goes to moving the airplane and less goes to keeping the engine turning. That's why if you look at your POH power settings and for any given altitude, and any given power setting (say 65%), fuel flow is lower at lower RPM even though MP is higher. Notice that the speed doesn't change for the power setting, only RPM, MP and fuel flow. How's that? Bob

Another to look at is Naviator. http://naviatorapp.com/ $35/year. Geo-referenced plates for another $75. I don't pay the $75. I should be looking at the instruments, not the moving map. I don't have ADS-B in or out, but it is supposed to work with: iLevel SW/AW, Dual XGPS 170 and NavWorx WxBox Free 30 day trial. Flight planning has a few quirks, but I use DTC DUAT for that anyway. Bob

Steve, Sorry about that. Yes, that is the website. Here it is for others: http://naviatorapp.com/ The program itself is called Naviator. On the features tab, under FAQ you'll find subscriptions and pricing. You can find the price there. You can also try it free for 30 days. Bob

I've been using Naviator for a year. $35/year. $70 more if you want geo-referenced approach plates. Bob

201 for me. Just what we have. Bob

And do a GAMI test too. It could be uneven power in the cylinders due to uneven fuel distribution. Bob

Since our plane sat for awhile before we bought it we started changing the oil at 25 hours but are working our way up to... 50 hours/4 months. Always change and inspect the filter at the same time. We also do an oil analysis every time (the kit costs about $25) and add camguard (10 oz). Even though the sump holds 8 quarts of oil we only add 6 because our plane will spit everything over 6 out the breather. When we get down to 5 qts we add a quart and about 1.5 oz of camguard. Changing the oil filter can be messy. Two ways to deal with that are to put a channel of some sort under the filter to catch the spill and route it out to a bucket rather than let it run down the firewall on to the tire and ground; or loosen it with a wrench and then put a ziploc bag around the filter to catch the spill as you unscrew it by hand. Have fun. Bob