tmo

There is always the option to replace the GNS430 with an IFD440.

Also possibly antenna cable might need to be redone, if the old one is crap. If you end up pulling a new cable, just do RG400.

@AH-1 Cobra Pilot if memory serves. 3D printed Klixon switch covers.

For me it'd be a matter of putting my money where my mouth is in terms of promoting competition / the "little" guy. I'm pretty sure you'll end up with the same amount whichever way you go.

Does it even make sense to test the AP without the engine running? The AI (attitude indicator, KI256) is a reference for the AP and without the engine running, you have no vacuum, hence no reference for the AP to use. Or do you have electric / standby vacuum? My notes say "with engine running and AI fully spun up".

Thanks for confirming; this bears on the ground checks of the AP - I propose that it might be difficult to be able to hold it level enough for the pitch trim to not kick in. Ah, the joys of our hobby...

How does your elevator look when on the ground? Mine points down, as in yoke is all the way in towards the panel, and it does take some effort to pitch it up (I probably should measure it and maybe adjust the balancing weight under the panel). It is fine when flying, in all regimes, but prop wash alone won't raise it when taxiing.

Does your AP eventually end up pitching down as well?

About 24h via Greyhound. Did it once, never again, I'd rather walk.

I was having similar issues, and haven't managed to trace the root cause yet. Mine would randomly start trimming down for no apparent reason. @Jake@BevanAviation was very, very, very helpful in tracking down the gremlins, but weather got in the way. I would suggest you start with a through and proper ground test (as suggested to me by Jake): With a level attitude gyro engage FD and A/P on. Hold CWS and position the yoke to about mid travel then release CWS. While supporting the yoke use the up or down modifier button in the KC-290 to provide a pitch command. Resist the movement of the servo and see how long it takes for auto trim to start. Note the effort on the yoke from the pitch servo and the direction of auto-trim. Hit CWS and reposition the yoke if needed. Do the same test but in the opposite direction and note the results. Hit CWS and reposition the yoke. Without using the Up/Down modifier in the KC-290 apply pressure on the yoke with a push/pull for constant pressure. Note the time it take for auto trim and the direction. Repeat the test in the opposite direction and note the results. Quoting Jake: When supporting the yoke with no input command from the KC-290 or pressure on the yoke there should be no auto-trim. If you notice a disparity in the effort needed to start auto trim we might have a switch or spring that has moved inside the pitch servo. For this installation the pitch servo needs 11inlb of torque to close a micro switch per the MM for the servo. Also, make sure you're doing this on level ground, so that the plane's attitude is "sane" (no bank). Pitch will, obviously, be different than in cruise. Interestingly, my AP, also a KFC200, also in a M20K, never beeped during the self tests, but I didn't trace that down yet, either. For me, I'm focusing on some stiffness in the trim jack screw - it takes more force to turn the manual trim in some spots / trim settings than in others, and I'm thinking this might be confusing the auto-trim feature. Good luck!

Are you sure the audio ground and the connector itself is properly isolated from the aircraft frame?

On a tangent - is it OK to have cowl flaps closed on the ground, when things are getting warmed up? So perhaps between startup and runup?

Your post is great. Much of what you say is "above my pay grade" but I hope that in time of need the right neurons will fire and it will all "click". Thank you!

You can go through the logbooks and see if any unit that provides GPSS has been installed. Quite possible you do not have GPSS, I don't, with a KFC200 and GNS430W.

Should there be a separate breaker for the AI, that is primarily vacuum driven anyway? I don't think my panel has one.

Looking at posts made by @Jesse Saint it seems they do work with Garmin, and do so extensively. Perhaps he'll clear this up.

Which begs the question where is the massive inflation that would normally follow such overabundance of money hitting the wild... Not to rain on anyone's parade, but I've been wondering that for longer than I care to admit...

Wouldn't it be grand if the house was at a place like Spruce Creek? Now I'm wondering how much of a hassle it would be to move back to the US...

Grass can be made to drain well and would be my choice for sole/private usage; with the modern grass reinforcement methods (think Terra Grid and Perfo as examples) it can easily handle turbine twins and even jets (I know of a PC24 being bought to live on a Terra Grid airfield where a Beech 1900 is already based). As much as I love our Mooney, I wouldn't want a 2500x150 ft blob of black goo in my back yard. For a community, it'd be a wash. I'm sure properly installed Terra Grid would withstand the usage of a sizable community, but doing the grass reinforcements properly is not inexpensive.

A year has 8760=24*365 hours, just sayin' (I prefer to have the 1st hour of flying be really expensive, all the subsequent ones less so)

I believe all LED lights have integrated power supplies. IOW, you feed them DC (14, 28 volts) and possibly a sync signal for strobes and you're good. No high current power supplies like the old strobes.

Stig, you did see the brand new Ultra that Jonny posted in some other thread? I know it is expensive, but if this is a business purchase maybe you can swing it, with money being cheap.

So let me get this straight - our dogs can now log PIC? Can @201er's parrot?

Damn time difference

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