Instrument panel project

[chuck459]

I have always had a thing about instrument panels.  Being a retired airline pilot, I spent the better part of forty years contemplating instrument panels, nearly all of which I would have liked to have changed in some way.  I had always wanted to design an instrument panel with everything exactly where I thought it should be.  Ever since I've had my Mooney, I have been making sketches of what I intended to do with it's instrument panel.  I was just about ready to proceed when the "great stock market crash of 2008" sent me back to the drawing board.  Instead of replacing some of the older avionics with state-of-the-art equipment, I decided keep what was already there, but clean up the panel and  place everything where I thought it would be the most functional.  

Using the good but older equipment reduced the cost of my original plan by 2/3 while providing the same capabilities I would have had with new equipment.  Here is a summary of what I ended up with.

Century 41 autopilot with altitude hold, auto trim & approach coupler

IFR certified GPS/COMM/ILS  (Garmin GNS430)

Standby battery powered GPS with terrain DB and XM weather  (Garmin GPSMAP-396)

No. 2 COMM  (King KY-197)

No. 2 RNAV/VOR/LOC/GS/DME  (King KNS-80)

Transponder with altitude reporting input to GPS  (King KT-76A)

Intercom with music input  (PS engineering PM-1000 II)

A very old, but very good audio panel with marker beacon  (King KMA-20)

Individual LED lights on every instrument not internal lighted

JPI-700 with all standard plus OAT input

JPI FS-450 Fuel Computer linked to GPS

 

I'm very pleased with how things turned out, and offer this as an example of what can be done with less than state-of-the-art avionics.  

 

Chuck Raines

Santa Paula, CA

[chuck459]

 

This is a followup to my my post below in which I described installing a GPSMAP-396 in my instrument panel.  My advise to anyone also considering doing this is DON'T DO IT!  First of all, this was not a simple project.  Nearly every radio in my panel had to be relocated to make room for the AirGizmos dock, which takes up a lot of room.  Before undertaking this project, I conducted several tests and felt that the placement of the GPS in the location shown would work very well.  Not so!  I found the screen on the 396 to be much more directional in real life than my tests indicated.  In the bright conditions of flight, the screen was unusable unless I leaned over and viewed it straight on.  White writing on a black background was readable, but map detail was completely invisible; and the intensity of the image was greatly reduced.  At night, the situation was even worse.  I have explored the possibility of using the AirGizmos angle dock, but found that unsatisfactory.  The bottom line is that I am now in the process of putting everything back the way it was, and plan to move the 396 back to the yoke.  This project was a real mistake which cost me many hours of work and more dollars than I care to remember.

 

 

Chuck Raines

Santa Paula, CA

[MooneyPilot231]

You did a great job and yes those 396's are very angle particluar. Unfortunately, unless you stick it on the yoke where no one really wants it, you have no guarantee of being able to see it. None the less, you did a fantastic job. You also made me feel a bit more normal. I am always looking at instrument panels in corporate jets and commercial aircraft and wondering why they can't be "nice". You know, cherry wood veneer or something. Just seems odd to look at 35 million dollar jet with 2 milliion in avionics and this flat grey instrument panel. Yes, I probably need therapy!

[KSMooniac]

I wonder if the screen on the 496 is any different or better than the 396?  I can see mine at an angle.  You might consider borrowing one to pop in there and see if the visibility is any better.

I just finished adding the power/data cable to my plane so I can run on ship power and have flight plan data pushed down to the 496.  I can't wait to use it!  My 496 lives on the right side of my glareshield with a RAM glareshield mount.

[Immelman]

Quote: chuck459

 

This is a followup to my my post below in which I described installing a GPSMAP-396 in my instrument panel.  My advise to anyone also considering doing this is DON'T DO IT!  First of all, this was not a simple project.  Nearly every radio in my panel had to be relocated to make room for the AirGizmos dock, which takes up a lot of room.  Before undertaking this project, I conducted several tests and felt that the placement of the GPS in the location shown would work very well.  Not so!  I found the screen on the 396 to be much more directional in real life than my tests indicated.  In the bright conditions of flight, the screen was unusable unless I leaned over and viewed it straight on.  White writing on a black background was readable, but map detail was completely invisible; and the intensity of the image was greatly reduced.  At night, the situation was even worse.  I have explored the possibility of using the AirGizmos angle dock, but found that unsatisfactory.  The bottom line is that I am now in the process of putting everything back the way it was, and plan to move the 396 back to the yoke.  This project was a real mistake which cost me many hours of work and more dollars than I care to remember.

 

 

Chuck Raines

Santa Paula, CA

[Mooney65E]

The last post re: the GPS bracket was posted by Mooney65E. Not sure how I  could have accidently been logged in as Immelman???

[Magnum]

Wow, really nice looking panel!!!

[Mooney65E]

That 201 owner had me machine a new panel for him . He also liked the GPS mounts.

Here's a picture of the GPS bracket in my 65E. (Looks better in his 201)

[Parker_Woodruff]

Looks nice and clean.  What model year do you have?  In other words if you have a 78 or 79+, you got rid of that annoying slope in the glareshield above the annunciators.

[Mooney65E]

Parker,

The 201 in the picture is a 78 model. He was very pleased with his new panel (dual 430s and an EDM 930). I'll try to dig up a picture of the panel before so you can see the transformation.

[Immelman]

Quote: Mooney65E

The last post re: the GPS bracket was posted by Mooney65E. Not sure how I  could have accidently been logged in as Immelman???

[MooneyMitch]

I can vouch for HendricksMfg. Mooney panel.............Top quality, A+.  I inspected the panel at his former location at Whiteman Airport in Southern CA.  I sold my F model prior to beginning the panel project, so I did not follow through.   If you are considering updating, I feel this is the best looking product available.

[Mooney65E]

Thanks for the endorsement Mitch. I wish we could have got that new panel in your F model before you parted with it. Might have increased the sale price a little bit. Looks like you've moved into the ultimate magic carpet ride! I'm envious! Are you still living in San Luis Obispo? We left the rat race of So Cal and bought a small ranch in Northern Idaho. Looking forward to a West coast Mooney gathering.

[Mooney65E]

Jim,

I've got room for my GPS, compass and visors all mounted to the same frame tube. I've tried several different arrangements and found my preference to be with the GPS directly above the panel and the compass just below the visors. The GPS gets a little more sun glare down low, but it's a shorter scan configuration.

I like your idea for the fire extinguisher mount. Ours is sitting loose between the front seats usually banging and clanging around with the oxygen bottle. Not a good situation in turbulence.