PTK

So am I to understand that GA is a dead end for Aspen? And has decided to leave GA?

The ones who need to “get it” are the ones at Aspen and don’t alienate but educate your potential customer base who may or may not “get it.” And you don’t “get it!” It’s too late for “patience and understanding!” You are the one who opened your mouth and put out this “vagueness” causing “apprehension!” In direct contradiction to your pres! Do you “get it” how confusing and alienating this is and how it drives potential customers away? If you are confused how do you think your potential customers feel? At least proof read your scripts and try to be on the same page!

Not according to your pres who wants to focus on drones... “General aviation is a good, solid business, but not high growth,” Uczekaj said. “We see all that [drone and UAM technology] as part of the growth cycle, and we want to accelerate that.” I don’t agree with his opinion btw. I think there’s tremendous growth in GA and Aspen missed the boat. Look at Garmin and look at Aspen! All you have to show is a, as in “one”, display!

Your opinion is irrelevant, but you're certainly entitled to it!

As I said earlier, pay the invoice and say thank you!

Irrelevant. Hardly a comparison.

Which he didn’t do when they were in the hangar working!

This is always a good idea and an expression of gratitude. As long as he includes a check in payment of their invoice. He was present when they were performing the work and by not stopping them, then and there, he effectively consented to the work. It would be unethical to have someone work for you and not pay them! Also it is embarrassing to post it on the internet! If he truly felt that they trespassed and entered the hangar unwanted he should’ve stopped them immediately and investigate. Not post on the internet after the fact questioning if he should pay for their services or not! What is that?!

Does it not make a difference that the op was present when they were doing the work? And by not challenging and stopping them he effectively consented and accepted their services?

So you were there while they were performing the work? You may not have specifically requested the work but you didn't stop them and object either. By not stopping them you allowed them to continue and complete it. So you accepted it. I would pay their invoice and thank them. I would also speak with them to be sure they understand that in the future they need to contact you first. Consider this example: after a heavy snowfall you get a couple kids to shovel your driveway. Then on the next snowfall they show up and in good faith they shovel again. You see them from your window but don’t stop them. Are you going to question paying them?! Even though they did the work and you accepted it! It would be very unethical to not pay them!

These need to be lubricated every couple of years occasionally. Spray some Triflow into them and work the twist ring back and forth. Also work the ball swivel in different directions.

You can remove those steam gauges and the Aspen while you’re at it by installing a second GI275!

I was away from home the other day and while getting fuel I asked if they had something I could use to clean some bugs off of the windscreen! I had ran out of plexi cleaner. They brought me a can of something I had never used it before. Prist Acrylic, Plastic and Glass Cleaner. Curious what the general opinion of this product is.

Probably not the exact same Aspen malfunction that is the topic of this thread but yet another Aspen issue. As someone said above this Aspen failure stuff is really nonsense and dangerous. Shame on those of us in GA who put up with this bs by excusing and carrying water for Aspen or for any manufacturer who just can’t cut it. Shame on GA for not holding them accountable and not demanding better. We are GA and shame on us! I will say it again and I don’t care if some on here get a bad case of the hives. Take some Benadryl, sit up straight and please stop complaining about GA’s woes. It’s hypocritical. We need to wake up and own up. If it causes pause for thought and concern it’s worth it: The irony is that one of GA’s deadliest killers is spatial disorientation and we teach instruments students to “trust” their instruments! We’ve all been taught this and we continue to teach it. Personally, I cringe when people's lives depend on these boxes in IMC. In readIng these reports I cannot tell some trusting soul “trust your failure prone Aspen instruments” as I wouldn’t trust them myself. (To be fair it appears from reading this report that the airplane was in the shop and the repair not begun or completed. It appears this pilot, with full knowledge of the malfunction, took it up anyway for night currency. He trusted a little too much.) “...During startup at FAY for the flight to INT, the attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) fail amber caution light illuminated in the cockpit at engine startup and remained illuminated for 12 to 15 minutes, which included the initial portion of the flight. The pilot remarked during engine runup that the light usually extinguished by then. They discussed continuing the flight under visual flight rules because the autopilot would not engage, which would require the accident pilot manually Page 1 of 4 ERA19FA201 This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. fly the airplane. The friend added that during the time the caution light was illuminated, he did not observe any anomalies with the electronic flight information system (EFIS) display. To the friend's knowledge, the autopilot would not engage with the caution light illuminated and would not remain engaged if the caution light illuminated. After the caution light extinguished, the pilot engaged the autopilot for the remaining trip to INT. The friend spoke to the pilot after they both returned to FAY. The pilot reported that the light remained extinguished and he utilized the autopilot on the return flight to FAY; however, after landing at FAY, he turned off the avionics and then back on, the light illuminated for 3 minutes before he shut down the airplane and planned to take the airplane to an avionics maintenance facility. The pilot also commented that he planned to perform three night landings to maintain his night currency... During startup at FAY for the flight to INT, the attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) fail amber caution light illuminated in the cockpit at engine startup and remained illuminated for 12 to 15 minutes, which included the initial portion of the flight. The pilot remarked during engine runup that the light usually extinguished by then. They discussed continuing the flight under visual flight rules because the autopilot would not engage, which would require the accident pilot manually Page 1 of 4 ERA19FA201 This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. fly the airplane. The friend added that during the time the caution light was illuminated, he did not observe any anomalies with the electronic flight information system (EFIS) display. To the friend's knowledge, the autopilot would not engage with the caution light illuminated and would not remain engaged if the caution light illuminated. After the caution light extinguished, the pilot engaged the autopilot for the remaining trip to INT. The friend spoke to the pilot after they both returned to FAY. The pilot reported that the light remained extinguished and he utilized the autopilot on the return flight to FAY; however, after landing at FAY, he turned off the avionics and then back on, the light illuminated for 3 minutes before he shut down the airplane and planned to take the airplane to an avionics maintenance facility. The pilot also commented that he planned to perform three night landings to maintain his night currency...”

If it has always been on a battery minder in the hangar, 4 years is too short and outside the norm for Concord. Definitely check your voltage regulator to be sure its not overcharging it. That will boil the electrolyte and shorten battery life. Monitor closely bus voltage and adjust as necessary to keep it tight to within a few tenths of 14 volts. Also temperature affects battery life. Are you using the temp sensor with the battery minder? That’s the only way to regulate the voltage output of the battery minder and to protect against over or under charging your battery over ranging temperatures. As has been mentioned, capacity test at annual is the determining factor weather to change battery or not. I think Concord’s publishes 8 years life expectancy and recommends to change it when its at <85% rated capacity. To give you a data point, I keep my Concord on a battery minder plugged in year round when my airplane is in the hangar. I replaced it at last annual after ~12 years.

I hope this is not the end for them because they have followers. Albeit with misplaced or excessive admiration for Aspen but nevertheless followers! For any serious flying I wouldn’t depend on Aspen either. The irony is that one of GA’s deadliest killers is spatial disorientation and we teach instruments students to “trust” their instruments! We’ve all been taught this and we continue to teach it. Personally, I cringe when people's lives depend on these boxes in IMC.

This is wisdom! The key is properly rigged. Also it is important to respect the VLO speeds. The system sees the most stress in retraction. This also applies to the 40:1 gear as well.

Position lights are either on or off. There are two types of lights: the white strobes on the wingtips and tail (aka anti collision or ACL), and the nav lights, (aka position lights), red on left wingtip, green on right wingtip and white on the tail. Synchronizing refers to the strobes and as I said there is the yellow wire there for that purpose for the wingtip strobes. You can if you want add a wire to sync the tail strobe with them as well. The position lights are on separate switch and either on or off.

There is a synchronization wire in the wings already. It is the yellow wire and syncs the wingtip strobes. If you want to sync the tail strobe with the wingtips you'll need to run a wire back to the tail strobe. I don't find it necessary imo but if you want that a wire needs to be run to the back.

In the BK ap the left side powers the trim servo clutch while the right side controls the servo motor direction of travel. Both must engage in order to operate the electric trim in the desired direction.

From personal experience, Garmin support is the gold standard. As is their equipment.

Yes, I know! I was trying to illustrate the point that when doing major panel upgrades it's better to stay with one manufacturer. And that manufacturer is Garmin, imo. Life is too short for trial and error and trips back and forth to avionics shops! I understand competition is good and people wishing to support others like Avidyne, Aspen, etc etc but they're not doing anybody any favors and neither is Garmin. For the money these things cost there is, in my book, "zero" room for trial and error. Garmin works!

Do you need a G3X? Why not put in an Avidyne pfd? Don’t they have one? I can’t remember the model no. but I thought surely they had one. Another option may be to get a Garmin navigator. It is best to stay with one manufacturer and not mix and try to match.

Have you considered returning it for a refund or cutting your losses by selling it and installing a Garmin? That would solve all your issues. No need to have all that money tied up in an Avidyne brick for VFR only. You can do that with a portable!