FLYFST

Thanks for reaching out Bob, I will give you a call later today to discuss further, after 1430 EST if you are available. I just flew a couple of short flights to collect more troubleshooting data and my results appear to be inconclusive.

Thank you! I plan to start the research this weekend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks will look there first. That is one cramped space in the J. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes I have blade antennas and the issue has been developing over time. Baker Avionics also suggested swapping the coax to see if the issue moves to Nav #2. Thanks for the suggestion! Where should I expect to find the antenna duplexer? By the GNS or in the tail close to the antennas? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, I will Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Issue is with reception on NAV #1 (low to poor) compared to NAV #2 (good) on KX-155. Doing air-to-air checks between them at ~20 NM yields a difference of ~2 degree, after confirming I can hear the identifier on both. However, on some larger distances < 40NM and above minimum reception altitude, I do not get the audio identifier on Nav #1 but the station ID, radial and distance show on the GNS-350 VLOC window. Sometimes I do not get the NAV flags on NAV #1 and the correct ID shows on the GNS-530, but I can tell it is just not tracking the signal as in trying to intercept or follow a victor airway. Nav #2 generally identifies the station at the same conditions, I can hear the station audio ID tones, and works correctly.

Anyone out there with experience troubleshooting NAV/COMM radio issues with the GNS-530W and willing to provide troubleshooting advice? I am experiencing some problems with my installation and want to troubleshoot as much as I can before handing over to avionics shop. thanks in advance - Hank

Be very CAREFUL and make sure there is an approved STC for this installation on the aircraft in question. Winglets change the load distribution on the wing, how much depends on the winglet design and the wing in question, and can result in unexpected problems, possibly severe. The installation without an approved STC can invalidate the aircraft's airworthiness certificate and for very good reasons. The ones referenced do look very nice -- Caveat Emptor

MattyD, I have owned by J model since 2011, and willing to discuss my experience. PM your information and we can talk on the phone.

PM sent with details Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Definitely feeling better and planning for the next flight. Stay safe- Hank

There is another related post on this topic below, but the last updates were in June of 2019, so I thought some others may benefit from my recent insights from testing the "Engine Saver" I keep my J hangared in Central FL and since moving here in 2018 I have been concerned about the high humidity and temperature combination. With the door closed the relative humidity (RH) can easily range between 50% to well over 80%. In researching the dehydrators I came across the post above and decided to give the "Engine Saver" a try, which I purchased from Aircraft Spruce. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/engsaver.php After running a simple experiment with only modestly accurate home temperature and humidity sensors, I was surprised to find the Engine Saver dropped the measured humidity at the oil filler port by a high difference, consistent with other reported test data with more accurate and sophisticated sensors. At the start of the test, the ambient conditions inside the hangar (with the door closed) was 50% RH and 81F, and the conditions were 51% RH and 79F at the oil filler port. After 10 hours, the hangar ambient conditions were 50% RH and 77F while the oil filler conditions were 20% RH and 71F. After another 24 hrs, the hangar ambient conditions were 65% RH and 77F while the oil filler conditions had dropped to 16% RH and 77F. The numbers would likely vary somewhat with more accurate sensors (the ones I used are supposed to be accurate to +/-5% RH and +/-1% temperature). But, the drop in humidity was large enough to convince me the Engine Saver works well enough to continue using, particularly when the airplane may go 2-4 weeks between flights. Since I did this test with a fresh oil and filter change after the annual and sent the oil sample for analysis, the next check will be at the next oil change to see if there is any noticeable change in historical traces for the data reported in the oil analysis. Hank

Hello, I sending this to express my thanks and appreciation for Phil Jimenez of PJ Aircraft Services. If you need someone that knows, has owned and maintains Mooneys, and that you can trust to protect your interests, go talk to PJ. When I moved to FL and asked around for a reputable Mooney shop I received many recommendations from MooneySpace. PJ was among those with the strongest recommendations. I took my J to PJ's shop for last year's annual, and learned first hand why PJ is so highly recommended by others, so I became a member of his fan club. Fast forward to this this year, my J just came back from the annual with PJ, and once again he proved to be the expert want working on my airplane. This time around I was expecting to deal with a difficult situation that might take weeks to months to resolve and cost many checkbook busting AMUs. So in addition to his prompt and trustworthy maintenance service, PJ came through with an effective solution for a gratifyingly small fraction of what other reputable shops had projected for me. But he was not done yet. When I arrived at KAVO last week to pick up my airplane and started feeling not well enough to fly safely, PJ again came through. He managed to juggle the busy schedule of his shop to keep my J hangared until I could return, which was further delayed by the weather last week. I flew the airplane home this Monday, and decided I needed to write this note and say THANK YOU Phil! Hank

Good decision not to fly until you find out more. Start by checking the exhaust system for signs of leaks. Depending on the sensitivity of the sensor, a repeatable change from 7ppm with doors open to 80 ppm with doors closed would keep me from flying. The most I sometimes see is 10 to 20 ppm in my J, and only during taxi. In flight the max is typically below 10ppm. Stay safe - Hank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

$2.69 at KEVB Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Same here, great resolution and bright pictures posted by KMYFMS20S. I also use the the VA-400 but my pictures never look as bright or detailed as those posted, so maybe it is not just the camera used but also the software used. My valve pictures look more like yours, which by the way do not seem to indicate any abnormalities, assuming you are showing the four exhaust valves and not one or more repeats of the same exhaust valve(s) from different orientations. The two intake valve pictures appear to show some but not abnormal carbon deposits.

Sometimes the weather makes the decision of whether and when to fly easy, as the attached shows. I was at Daytona the front was moving slowly, and the mission was just an IFR practice flight. I punted to live and fly another day. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I push the throttle in 1/4 inch, mixture full, run the pump for ~6 seconds, then turn pump off, mixture back to idle, turn the mags switch and push in to start, and start pushing the mixture in slowly at the first sign of ignition. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[quote post="567403" timestamp="1583023737" name="Htmlkid" userid="18373"But she almost never starts the first time... so I randomly do the same thing again... Any thoughts on what is wrong? Warm starts are no issue. Are you priming long enough? In my 1990 J I let the pump run for ~6 seconds, less I often have to prime again. Much more is not good either as too much priming is bad too. My Goldilocks time is prime for 6 seconds when cold. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks!

Nationwide, I replaced my Champion Massive Plugs, which had been running fine but were getting a little worn, with the TEMPEST Fine wires. Overall I have seen an improvement in that I can operate further into LOP before getting a small but noticeable engine vibration. There are many variables to consider, such at altitude, initial power setting, and RPM/MAP combination, but overall I can operate around 20 degrees further into LOP (with richest cylinder #4 at ~10 LOP) with the fine wire plugs when compared with the massive plugs. The difference is not great but noticeable when LOP. So in answer to my original post question, the fine wire plugs are good, but for me not worth the extra expense if I was considering switching now. However, I'm keeping the fine wires and will continue to monitor their performance AND longevity as that is a better measure of the projected better value over the massive plugs. Ready to answer any questions you may have - Hank

Thanks for the quick response! I will follow up with Dan at LASAR and with @Hyett6420 as you suggest. It is always better to find a lower cost resource, but at this point I am just looking for a resource that can provide them. I will update this with what I find out. Best Regards - Hank

Carusoam Can you please provide contact information on the source for the springs, I am looking to buy two for the future. thanks - Hank

Yes, all my time was flight test in the R/C, E and F, none operational. Did you fly the F-15E? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Since you have recently updated avionics, make sure the PPI puts some emphasis on them. I did a separate avionics PPI during my purchase and learned the GNS530W was missing a one wire connection to the autopilot. I was an expensive fix but very valuable in being able to fly coupled ILS and LPV approaches. Good luck - Hank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk