Steve W

Also, at least right now for the cheaper models(not that Trio will be competing for Mooney business), "Flying coupled approaches legally." and "Flying an ILS"

What? No, that's not how this works, that's not how any of this works. The Autopilot gets attitude from a single EA100, if it fails then your autopilot loses attitude, the displays have on-board AHRS and send that to the EA100 to pass to the autopilot and function independently(as mentioned except for shared connections such as pitot-static and electricity). You don't even need an EA100 if you're not driving an autopilot.

Personally I'd go with a RAM ball mount, but then again maybe that's because I already own enough RAM parts to start a store. (And apparently the hangar fairy helping the A&P with the install of my new backup battery made the holes in the panel accidentally match the AMPS pattern for RAM balls.)

I do find it interesting that anyone puts any stock in what the founders/employees say after a purchase. They're under a ton of NDAs as well as probably on the hook for 1-2 years to get a full payout. Of course they're going to continue saying whatever their new corporate overlords want. Maybe it's just that I've been in the tech world and not the aviation world.

Well, a fair number of us J people(like Lizard People, but different) have the siamese mags so we can't use them. Except of course people like you who have done the conversion.

Having looked at the Avare code... No, I'll stick with Garmin Pilot, at least there I don't know if it's bad or not since I can't see it.

Man, that panel needs to be taken out and shot... but anyway, consider a backup(not-G5) attitude indicator in place of upgrading to a larger T&B/TC(per AC 91-65).

Straight from their FAQ: "However, based on feedback, we have designed the APA-10 Autopilot Adapter to address the wide variety of autopilots found in legacy aircraft. The APA-10 will provide roll, pitch, heading datum, course datum and flight director to/from the autopilot. " So, yes, they are aiming for the FD component.

Well, it's $725 to purchase. I haven't contacted them recently but the cost to replace the battery in 2017 was $150, but it's not user servicable so you'll be out for however long it takes to get to them and back. Looks like list on the G5 battery is also $150 but much easier to replace.

Remote switch with a button to control it, power and ground in and out , the installation manual is more useful. I'm not sure it actually shows the 15 pin pinout as it always seems to have to come with a harness. I bought one for my RCA2610 backup digital AI. Finding a place to hide it in the Mooney was a pain. For now it's in my right radio stack.

Come on, you totally forgot the King AeroCruze 230.... er, never mind, sorry.

The TXi can't drive a GFC500 alone, it requires a G5 as technically the G5 is the autopilot computer for the GFC500 system. Now, as to the GAD requirements, no idea there.

Well, the certified version has to be lovingly blessed by your avionics tech when they install it. There's probably some incantation requiring black candles. Of course, since the price listed on Garmin's site is list, your shop can/will likely sell it for less.

Interestingly, no. You wouldn't even need a CDI with a GS, the GS data comes directly from the GS receiver to the autopilot, the HSI or CDI only displays the same data. Admittedly, trying to fly a glideslope with the autopilot without a display would be a bit of a challenge. Same with course deviation but in that case without a CDI and OBS you couldn't actually set the course, which means you could fly LOC but not VORs. (Source: KFC 150 installation manual) This is also why it was so 'easy' for the Garmin G5 to replace the HSI, the only output sourced from the HSI to the Autopilot is the heading bug. The course deviation and glideslope goes straight from the nav radio to the existing autopilot as the normal analog signals and the G5 gets the digital versions.

STEC's new 3100 looks to be listing for about $20k for parts. But you don't get any displays with that so if you want something other than what you have that would be extra.

Newport. Only a few hundred miles from Medford.

Well, first off it's a KFC150.... No IAS or VNAV modes, no native GPSS. No VS or Altitude preselect without a preselector which don't seem too common. Stupidly expensive repair prices(you want HOW MUCH for a trim switch?), really expensive integration with modern glass and no G5 type low-end compatible digital AI(yet... only a few short years until the KI-300 has an autopilot adapter) Heavy system, heavy vacuum system. If it weren't for having to put money to an engine this year I'd have signed up with a shop already to replace mine.

Personally I would have jumped at the chance to do some more work on my plane while the engine was out(well, it still is, but I think it should be back soon-ish). I did the wiring for the JPI and installed a new backup AI with my A&Ps supervision, but, for instance, I want a GTX-345, which technically I could probably do much of the install, but they won't sell it to my A&P. Since I'm in Greg's neck of the woods, I may well be in touch once I figure out when the heck my engine is going to return.

With the G5 you'll be following the green/magenta needles on the AI head instead in the most likely case. In my mind my #2 nav is less important than my #2 Attitude Indicator. (Admittedly I moved my backup AI to the TC spot, but that's because I don't have an STEC TC I had to keep)

I'd make the 'suction mount' actually be a nice AMPS style hole pattern so that a RAM ball could be mounted there for more security. I'd also consider having the AI in the top slot instead of the bottom if you actually want to use it as a backup.

Moisture, bad switch, etc. Plenty of random reasons. One of the the most common ones on the ramp going off was the plane that hadn't been touched in years and had a couple flat tires and was covered in dirt.

That's what they told me, I haven't tried to take them up on it, but as more alternative autopilots get approved I expect many King parts to become available for much lower costs as they're removed. Especially if you tell the shop you just need to keep running until autopilot X is approved and then you'll have them do that install.

My local avionics shop said they had KI-256s sitting on the shelf as they weren't worth trying to sell and would basically give me one for the price of installation/alignment. So you might check with any moderate sized shops and see if they have similar.

The standard 24V Concorde battery for the M20J is 3lbs lighter than the 12v, the wiring should be lighter or at least no heavier (unless they went to copper from aluminium or some other similar change)

Beechtalk had this as far as the bugs go: >> Will the Pro MAX PFD be able to crossfill settings (such as speed/heading/altitude bugs and altimeter setting) to other EFIS such as Garmin G5 ? > There will be no "pass through" interface capabilities. So if you just treat the G5 as a standalone install then it would probably work, but it looks like it would be annoying to operate.