blaine beaven

Thanks for the clear explanation of some of the benefits of the 650. The main issue I am running into is, with what I have decided to do at this point (G5s, GFC500, GNC 255, GNC 355, GMA 345, EDM 900, 2x USB ports, and new cut panel, with labour to install, and tax) I am presently 125% over the budget I originally set. So although I think a 650 would be awesome… I’m tapped out.

I appreciate my response to you did conflate the issue of ADSB and the 650. I guess that, at bottom, I don’t see what the added benefits of a 650 are to me, in my application.

I have some used avionics that were removed working from a BN2A Islander in 2017. I ended up with them after the charter company closed doors in 2019. There is no paperwork on these. Shipping will be from Canada. Prices in USD: Garmin GNC250XL - $1500+ shipping Garmin GMA 340 - connector on rear of tray bent - $1000 + shipping King KX-155 no glideslope - note, I used this in an aircraft I ferried in Sept 2023 and it worked flawlessly - the display is perfect. $1000 + shipping typical disclaimer - no warranties express or implied, no holds, first come first serve, etc. I’m happy to entertain offers! Blaine

@chriscalandro I have considered the thought of a G3X vice dual G5s and the JPI 900. Keep in mind that with a G3X, I would still require a GI275 or G5 as a backup. With a GI275 backup, the price difference is about $7k USD or $11k CAD (after taxes), which is close to a 20% increase over what I currently have planned. I know there are benefits to “buying once, crying once”, but I still have a budget, and just had our second child… @EricJ That’s the advice I was given about the Century III as well. I won’t hold my breath that brand new tech will last forever or be without issues (I follow the GFC500 threads closely…), but what man made thing is perfect? The Mooney is close, I’m just trying to get it closer.

Haha yes, I always appreciate that we spend another’s money faster than we spend our own… I live about 200nm north of North Dakota. From others that have done the ADSB install, I’ve been told they receive nothing here, and it’s only significantly further south that they do. Although Canada has a pending ADSB mandate (that continues to shift further away all the time), our main provider is going with a space based system, as opposed to ground based. Most of my flying is north of where I live, where there are less weather reporting stations, so even XM Weather is of limited utility. This means that even if I were to install a system that will eventually be mandated here in Canada, it will not work in the US, unless I want to spend significant money to get a system that will do both. I do have plans to fly to the US again in the future. If necessary, I may install a GDL82 or something similar which will provide “out” to my GTX 327. I could always add a Sentry or something similar to my iPad/ForeFlight for “in”. I just can’t justify the big ticket price for what is a minimal benefit. But if anyone wants to let me know their thoughts on doing a GNX 255 v a GPS 175 for my second required IFR source, I’m all ears! Thanks,

Given the considerable price difference, lack of ADSB benefits in the part of Canada I live and fly in, I’m not sure that a 650 makes sense for me

On this topic… fuel pumps can lie. Unless you’re using the same fuel pump each time, your lack of consistency could be caused by a variation in calibrated fuel pump displays.

Hi everyone, So an update on my project. The advice you have all given me so far has been really helpful - I’ve decided to get rid of the old Narco 121; it’s taking up left side panel space I don’t really have. - I’m likely going to do the EDM 900 and get rid of all the original engine instruments, just sorting out the price difference from the 830 I bought and has arrived. It looks like my shop will sell the 830 for me. -I am installing a GFC 500 with pitch trim So the question now is what do I do for my second IFR nav source? I see my options as: -GNX 255, which will give me VOR/ILS on the G5; if I do this I won’t do the PS Eng audio panel with radio, because I don’t need 3 radios. I’ll do a GMA 345 with Bluetooth instead. or -GPS 175, which will give me GPS navigation to the G5; in this case I keep the PAR200B to give me two comms (the audio panel and the GNC355) Any other ideas I might be missing here? I’m not sure the odds of a gps unit failure that would require me to rely on a secondary, so is it worth it spending the money on a second GPS? Thanks everyone!

I’ve used an InReach for 10 years, on the cheapest subscription. About 5 years ago I realized that if I pair it to my ipad it would provide GPS info to ForeFlight up to 5m accuracy. It took me from using a beat up old 396 yoke mounted to a moving map touchscreen navigation tool. So worth it for me.

Good thing most hangars where they do annuals are heated…

Hello all. 1978 J model. When parked on the ground, with the rudder lined up with the vertical fin, my yoke is rotated to the right about 30 degrees. It is responsive to rudder pedal movements, and goes straight once there is airflow over both ailerons. is this something to worry about? Does anyone know the cause? I’m doing some avionics and panel upgrades soon, and I’ve been looking at a lot of panel pictures and realizing mine is an outlier in this regard. Note - it has been like this since I bought it in 2013. Thanks!

Glad to see a bird being repaired and not heading for the scrap heap! Good luck!

Living somewhere that sees below freezing temperatures nearly 50% of the year, if I didn’t use a battery minder I would be lucky to be able to start my plane in -20C, regardless of engine preheat.

Beauty! Always great to get help from a fellow Seinfeld fan! @ArtVandelay I like the cute little white switches way over on the left hand side; what type are they?

Hello all, I am getting some avionics work done this winter on my 1978J. My panel has the old leatherette finish on it. I intend to cut new panels as I’m rearranging my gauges in a unique way. The far left has a small subpanel with the ammeter, clock, and ignition switch. It is angled from the main panel. Has anyone gotten rid of this subpanel and just had a larger main panel without the angle? Is it a big job, or require any special tricks? Thanks in advance!

Oh no, I’m getting an 830 installed in the next few months. Luckily I already wear glasses. How far away is yours? I am planning to put it on the far left side of the panel, above the ignition switch.

I’m looking at installing a GFC500 in my 1978J this winter. @PeytonM did you ever get your problem solved?

Unfortunately, I have already paid for the 830 and it’s arrived with all of my parameters programmed. Plus the avionics shop here that is doing all the other work is not keen on installing product they don’t sell. But thank you for the offer. I will make sure the 355 and 830 have a connection.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I am investigating what my autopilot options are. I am not interested in keeping my vacuum system, and the price difference to put a Gi275 v G5, plus repair a 40 year old autopilot that I do not know what is the problem, is all pushing me towards a new autopilot install. The price difference between the 830 and 900, for what does not appear to be added value in features that are important to me, means I will likely stick with the 830. I do appreciate that my thoughts on "redundancy" are not exactly correct because I am still only able to dispatch on the factory indicators. On the actual IFR instruments though - I am not an IFR pilot (yet), but will I be able to fly this IFR with using a VOR (no ILS, no DME) as my backup to the Gnc355? In Canada at least most airports are not repairing VORs because everyone is going to GPS. Here are the regulations I have to comply with: (j) sufficient radio navigation equipment to permit the pilot, in the event of the failure at any stage of the flight of any item of that equipment, including any associated flight instrument display, (i) to proceed to the destination aerodrome or proceed to another aerodrome that is suitable for landing, and (ii) where the aircraft is operated in IMC, to complete an instrument approach and, if necessary, conduct a missed approach procedure. Thanks for your input!

Hello everyone, I know how much we all love to spend each other's money. I am in the process of quoting out an avionics upgrade to my 1978 M20J. I believe I have settled on what I want, but if I am missing something I would appreciate the heads up from the knowledge base here. My current avionics are 1980’s vintage: 1x Narco audio panel 2x Narco coms 1x Narco Nav with ILS 1x Narco transponder 1x Narco NAV 121 VOR receiver and indicator unit Century III Autopilot (inop) with glideslope and altitude hold Original engine, fuel, amp gauges Vacuum driven AH and DG For the last few years I have been using a yoke mount iPad Mini with Foreflight as my main navigation info source I am planning on installing the following: JPI EDM 830 (I want to retain original gauges to provide me with redundancy) Dual G5s with GAD 13 (to give OAT/TAS/DA) PAR 200B (will give me Bluetooth and a COMM) GNC 355 (IFR GPS with a COMM) GSB 15 USB type A & C charging ports – 1 for panel and 1 for rear seats I intend to keep the following Narco NAV 121 VOR receivier and indicator unit (will be my backup for the GNC 355 for IFR certification) I currently have a GTX 327 and tray that was working when removed that the shop is willing to install. I want the aircraft to be IFR capable, and the intention is to get my IFR rating on a sim/rental while my plane is getting surgery or after and on my own plane. I am in Canada so I am not too worried about ADS-B at present as it seems unlikely we will have a decent system, or mandate, here in the near future. Is there anything that I am missing? Are there efficiencies/savings to be had? I have tried to get my avionics shop (the only one in town) to provide me with advice but they are very busy and I think they will just install what I tell them to. Somethings I am wondering about: If the EDM 830 has an OAT sensor, do I need the GAD 13 for the G5s? (my minimal research suggests yes...) Is it worth having an interface between the GNC 355 and the EDM 830 for fuel to destination? I am not sure how big of a job that connection is or what the cost of parts will be I am thinking of putting in either a QuadLock iPad mount on the passenger side of the panel (I expect to have some space - or is an AirGizmos or similar a better choice? this is to keep running foreflight and also let my passengers watch some TV while flying Thanks in advance! Blaine

It made no appreciable change in the smoothness of the running. I’ve got an engine monitor going in this fall that will hopefully allow for some more in depth trouble shooting.

Hi all, Great thread, and kind of timely for me. I’ve been cleaning my injectors on a 300hr/every 3rd annual kind of schedule based on suggestion by my AME. Recently I was having some rough running issues and one of the things suggested was to clean the injectors. Given the amount of smoke and particulate in the air with all of the forest fires up here, it was suggested that could be clogging up the fuel injectors. The last time they were cleaned was 18 months and only 50 hours of flying prior. See the photos to see how dirty they looked. My AME said that they used their ultrasonic cleaner but we’re still getting some black soot out of them so took them to a local engine overhaul shop that had some better chemical cleaning material. I’m likely to now clean these annually for as long as we are having forest fires…

Thanks Skip, I appreciate your opinion on this.

So it looks like my NBS was replaced in 2002, about 950 hours ago. That was the first time it was replaced, and the aircraft had 2000 hours at that time. Since these NBS seem to be impossible to obtain, I am considering having the actuator opened up, inspected, cleaned, and lubricated, but not replace the NBS. Do many of you do this at the 1000hr mark? Or do you just leave it be, and not open it up at all? I’m somewhat hesitant to have a system that is working looked at “just because” and introduce errors in reassembly. Thanks!

Make sure you are wearing a polyester track suit while pouring too.