Godfather

Depends on the shop. If they are not making a profit on the unit you need to cover their time. Do you have anything that would be moved or is there an open space above the 430?

This is the problem. So many long bodies out there flying less than 40 hrs a year. With two batteries, one that might just sit unused for months. I've been slow to change and I'm sure it has cost me dearly with 4 gill doorstops in my garage and two more in the plane. However when I purchased my plane it had two concord batteries that needed to be replaced (1 that was two years old and the other was just over three). So in thirteen years I have purchased 6 gill batteries with the last set due to be replaced next spring. I'll probably just try the concord and see what happens. 'I use the proper batteryminder and alternate between batteries every time I fly.

My Mooney has fuel guages on the wings...I like to roll old school. I think they are calibrated for ground operations.

You need to keep most of your current guages with the 830. The 900 and 930 allow you to ditch the old stuff.

This is my understanding as well. The problem is the unit is not TSO'd to use as a backup of any kind. I think @LANCECASPER is correct the FIKI issue is they did not certify the AI to work without the pitot input working which I assume interferes with the FIKI certification.

What do you currently have in the panel? I personally think the 540 is the better value but I assume the adsb deal only works for the 550.

Not sure if that would be a problem for most aircraft. The thing that amazes me is the tight voltage control between no load and max load 0.2 volts.

If I was buying one my first choice would be an Iota DLS converter the company produces 12 volt and 24 volt units.

No, in fact legally you can't install it in place of your current AI because you have a flight director. I've had one new in box for a few months trying to decide what to do with it. With my plane being FIKI, flight director based AI, and my BK AP needing the attitude output I'll probably just sell it. I'd buy the ki300 but I don't trust BK any more. The Garmin g3x will probably be stc'd next year but the company will probably stipulate no FIKI...

I'd sell the 430 and buy a 530w or the 650 if you have a cheap avionics shop. This will ensure capability with the G5's going forward. Im not sure but I think even with two G5's you can only have one gps or nav source displayed. This would make dual 430's a waste imo. Id try to find a used 330es for under 2k or wait until the new 82 unit comes out.

I think the age of the AP needs to be looked at as well. If the BK AP is from the 90's vs the 70's probably the components are in better shape and able to push on for many years.

The surprising thing to me is the 30k hours of combined experience making the above mistake.

Should be able to get that installed for 15-16 amu's. Are you sure they didn't quote the combined price of a 1000 unit for you and a 2500 system for your closest friend?

I agree with everything you said. However, the BK AP (225) does amazingly well controlling the Mooney. The AP was good enough to control $3 mil turboprops for over a decade. Having said that I really wish they would upgrade the servo durability so I can keep flying with it for another 3k hours.

It happened again?

When I was plane shopping back in 2003 one of my top contenders was a new 182 with the g1000. I made the right choice with an almost new Mooney and have never regretted it. However, buying new or almost new sets you for a solid kick in the balls every time someone says your plane is only worth x dollars. I just put a smile on my face and remember all the places I've traveled and the people I spent time with.

I think you need to find a new shop. The quotes I received were around $3.5-3.7k to install the ea100 and a 2000 system with the external battery. From an earlier post the ki300 will list in the 6k-7k range. Still a good value if you need a backup AI as well.

Did they mention if it was 100% plug and play when removing a 256?

Oil was changed in April and not flown so ~0 hrs...however, I completely agree that oil usage goes up as the hrs increase 0-25 vs 25+.

I ran mine to 2500 and the engine shop said it looked great...could have easily gone to 3k.

The real deal will be the pilots who spend the value of their plane on the panel over the next few years. The value added will be half of what they spent which is great for future buyers. I hope most of the fleet is updated...might bring some new young blood into aviation/aircraft ownership. However, I have to disagree with you. If a buyer goes shopping for a stripped out panel I think they will find a lot of deferred maintenance to go with it.

@M20FanJesse please listen to the posters above about locking down this Mooney. $20k is pocket change to a lot of people (flippers/enthusiasts) and they can find out the proper people to call in a New York minute. They might say I'll take it as is no questions asked or up the offer by $10k... Quickly make an offer contingent on inspection and put a deposit on it if you are interested.

It sounds like you are going to buy the plane, try to write it off, let it sit outside for over a year before working on it, and progress from there very slowly. The above sound like a very BAD idea. If you truly want his plane buy it with the intention of working on it asap and borrow the money to make minimum repairs to get it airworthy. If you need years to build up money to fix the expected please pass on this plane.

I would say go for it! You have everything working in your favor. I'd put a deposit on it if it was a fair price and pay to have someone very knowledgeable with Mooney aircraft to take a look at it. What's a fair price...I have no idea.

Personally I would start a spreadsheet looking at the differences between... 201 vs ovation 231 vs Bravo 201 vs 231 ovation vs bravo