PT20J

I've never taken a 430W apart, but most modern keypads use a silicon rubber pad with molded in bubbles for each key between the buttons and the contacts and the flex of the rubber is what provides the springiness of the key. The feel is designed in. If it were me, I would compare it to another 430W. If it feels similar, I'd leave it alone. If it feels different, I'd either live with it or send it to Garmin for repair. But the flat rate repair for for a 430W is about $2K. At any rate, I don't see how contact cleaner is going to do anything. Skip

Garmin specifies that the antenna for a GTX 345 meet TSO-C66() or C74(). The Comant CI105-20/25 meet TSO-C66b, Class 1, C74c and are electrically identical. The -20 has a BNC connector; the -25 has a Type N connector. According to Comant's specs, the ball antenna (CI-306) is not TSO'd. It has a narrower bandwidth and I would replace it with a CI105-20. Skip

But you are comparing a GTN to the much better GTN Xi and you are stating history, not predicting the future. Still that's only about a 4% inflation rate. Right now, Garmin is selling retrofits like hotcakes. At some point, it will saturate the retrofit market. On the other hand, they have driven out most competition, by excellent products and brilliant marketing moves. Bringing the experimental products to the certified market gave them the centerpiece of the low-cost, fully capable autopilot. So, who knows what a GTN Xi will cost in ten years. But, I agree with you that it will not be less.

Actually, the inflation rate is decreasing because the FED is raising interest rates. The FED’s goal is to get it down from the current mid-6% to a target of 2%. They started out at 7%, so there is a way to go. Rising interest rates make borrowing more expensive which reduces demand for goods, and the reduced demand causes business to cut back production which increases unemployment and that also reduces demand. Decreased corporate growth drives the stock market down and shareholders feel less wealthy and cut back purchases. Reduced demand causes a drop in prices. Or, so the theory goes. The problem is that the theory assumes that people always act rationally, and behavioral economics teaches that they do not. As Neils Bohr famously said, “Predictions are difficult, especially about the future.”

Persistence pays off! It would be hard to tell without taking it apart, but I would suspect a damaged gear, maybe missing a tooth. The reason the ITT / Dukes actuators don’t have a no-back clutch is that the drive train uses a worm and wheel gear (like the flap actuator) which should be inherently resistant to back drive. If replacement 40:1 gears are available, it might be rebuildable. I would talk to Don Maxwell about that. You might also talk to LASAR since they did the rebuild for you and see if they might make it good, but I understand a lot of people (including the guy that was the expert on landing gear actuators) have left the company. Skip

What autopilot do you have? King pitch servos have more torque than GFC 500’s because of the gearing. When you trim down, the whole empennage is moving down with gravity putting the rear jackscrew in compression. If the jackscrew is not well lubricated, it will sometimes be jerky as the friction changes during rotation in this condition. So, I would first clean and lubricate the jack screw per the Service and Maintenance Manual. The eyeballs that pass through the instrument panel for the yoke shafts are supposed to be self lubricating and Mooney’s instruction for later models is to keep them dry. Unfortunately, the M20J manual still says to lubricate them with Triflow. Doing this attracts dirt and causes them to get sticky. It might be possible to flush them out with solvent, but the real solution when they get too bad is to replace them which is a real pain. Sometimes it helps to apply some silicone spray to the shaft and then wipe it off. Skip

Someone with Telligence can speak to that, but I have a Garmin Nuvi in the car and it’s voice recognition is terrible (but its pronunciation is often humotous). I did an all Garmin panel EXCEPT for the PMA 450B. Garmin has copied the best features of the PMA, but I still think the PMA has a much better user interface. I can figure out features I don’t often use without digging out the manual. Skip

It did Paul, you just missed it

Yes, but you’ve got to admit he sure works fast!

A: Yes.

I especially liked the part where he shows the instructions on the filter and then proceeds to ignore them by smearing used oil on the gasket and hand tightening. Watching the shoes fly off the wingwalk was the best part, though. Someone needs to explain to me the screwdriver on the oil quick drain. Maybe it's an Ovation thing? And what's up with that funky oil drain hose? Skip

When the supply of good used Mooneys and Bonanzas eventually dries up, there will be lots of well-equipped, modern Cirrus' to choose from.

That has always been the problem -- an airplane manufacturer always ends up competing with it's used models once there is a significant number of them out there. There just aren't enough differences in airframes over time to justify the increased cost to buy new. And, most of the advances are in avionics. Mooney is on the ropes and Garmin is doing quite well.

Had a spare 3ATI adapter plate?

I notice Garmin has been adding digital signatures to their databases to pair databases with unit SysIDs and adding signature checking to unit software updates. I'm not sure how they plan to handle updating multiple databases from a single point.

It takes a certain kind of evil bureaucratic mind to write a regulation that makes it your responsibility to maintain your aircraft in an airworthy condition, and then write other regulations that systematically close off every reasonable means to do so.

Remember the FAA's motto: "We're not satisfied until you're not satisfied."

But, the 1% makes 99% of the income

The interesting thing is that all the Mooney gear ups have caught the attention of the FAA as well as the insurance companies. Mooney's recommendations boil down to: 1. Understand your landing gear system and how to properly operate it in normal and emergency modes. 2. Maintain it properly. 3. Don't forget to put the gear down when landing. Skip

The GTX 345 has Bluetooth connectivity to an iPad to provide ADS-B In weather and traffic, GPS position from the GTN, and AHRS. So, if you yoke mount an iPad running ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot you get a lot of the value of glass with what you already have. The GTX AHRS didn’t use to be very good, but Garmin has supposedly made improvements, so you might also have a backup for the AI. I would decide if you are ever going to install a G3X before replacing the EDM 700 because the Garmin EIS option on the G3X is a really nice, well-integrated design. If you replace the EDM 700 now, you will have a nicer display and user interface, but really no increased utility. And, there is no such thing as digital senders; all the engine monitors use the same probes and transducers. The driving force for an upgrade is usually when the autopilot becomes unreliable and unrepairable. Then, you have to get a GFC 500 and that limits the PFD choice. Aspen used to be a really good option before the GFC. Skip

There are instrument shops that repair gauges. I would check with my A&P or avionics shop and see who they use. Skip

Here’s how Mooney mounted the Floscan 201B on the J. Not sure if the hose lengths are correct for the F or what transducer you are using. The bracket mounts to the engine sump above the intake tubes.

The only way to know for sure it to remove the belly and look at the label on the actuator.

Most shops seem to charge about an hour of shop time to do the updates and paperwork.

Probably the gauge, but just to be sure, pushing the mixture to full rich after shutdown will relieve any residual pressure in the lines.