SL30 with 4/530W

[rob]

Anyone flying with a 430/530 and an SL30 in their plane? If so, do you find that the SL-30 adds anything over any-other-navcomm?

 

Thanks!

[Ron McBride]

I have a 430 and a KX155. the 155 is just a nav com #2 radio.    I do have a 496 that receives the flight plan and info from the 430, plus XM weather, this is very nice to have.

Ron

[KSMooniac]

I believe the SL30 can be wired to a 530/430 to receive frequencies from the database without having to manually tune them.  Minor functionality boost, IMO.  The ability to monitor the stanby frequency with an SL30 is the best benefit over other comms.

[rob]

I agree that the ability to monitor standby is the major advantage for both the Nav and Comm side of the SL30, but what I'm trying to determine is if it's worth it to put one in (replacing a KX-155). The King is the only non-Garmin unit in my panel - so aestetically it'll look nicer with the SL-30, but is that it...

 

[KSMooniac]

If it were me, I'd keep using the KX-155 until it gives up the ghost.  I got my plane with a Garminized panel (340, 530, 430) plus the original KT-76 (not A!) xponder.  I put the upgrade money into fuel tanks, paint, mods, etc. since the KT-76 kept on trucklin' until this year.    Now I have a GTX-330ES and no more King stuff, and a better climb rate due to a much lighter wallet.  Unless you think you can get some decent money in trade or sale of KX-155 I wouldn't do it just yet.

[Ron McBride]

See the panel pictures of my of my F with a G430 and KX155 and more.

My album is N9154V

Ron

[Parker_Woodruff]

The SL30 is a nice unit, and I like the standby feature...keep in mind, you'll probably be buying a new indicator unless you're glass.

[testwest]

I have a 430W with an SL30 beneath it in a twin pressurized Mooney (Aerostar 601P). It is a fantastic combo, and with the reversionary GPS in the Aspen I feel like I have sufficient redundancy in GPS, even though I don't have 2 x30W GPSs.

However, a human factors nit....the frequency knobs for the 430W are on the left, and for the SL30 they're are on the right. I have already scrolled off my desired nav pages on the 430W several times by grabbing the right knobs on the 430W when trying to dial in a freq in the standby window ....usually after a few changes of freqs on the SL30.

[rob]

That's exactly the feedback I'm looking for. I'll definitely have a 430 and an Aspen in my M20, but I'm debating putting a KX-155 (which I already have) or an SL-30 (additional cost) under the 430. Do you think that the SL30 offers enough of an advantage to justify the costs?

Parker: I'm told that I can re-use my KI-209 with the SL30. Why wouldn't that be the case?

[PTK]

Quote: rob

I'm told that I can re-use my KI-209 with the SL30. Why wouldn't that be the case?

[OR75]

I have a 430 and a KX-155 (but no experience with the SL30)

I like the robustness of the KX-155.   I once left the plane on a ramp where the temperature was very high and a beating sun (south TX !)

The 430 went blank at start.  The KX-155 worked.  (the 430 came back after take off).

Only issue with KX-155 is the orange lenses tend to age with the film peeling. You can get replacement faceplate at Chief that will make the unit look like new. expensive for a simple plastic piece but will make the unit look new !!  

 

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: rob

 

Parker: I'm told that I can re-use my KI-209 with the SL30. Why wouldn't that be the case?

[Guest Anonymous]

Bendix King VOR receivers (generally) output a composite signal to the VOR indicator when tuned to a VOR, and CDI + GS + flags when tunned to an ILS.  The VOR resolver that changes the composite signal to a VOR bearing is in the indicator.

The SL-30 has the resolver in the receiver, and needs only CDI + flags when tuned to a VOR, and requires a simple indicator that does only CDI + GS + flags.  Same functions, but spread out differently in the boxes.

If you have a Bendix King nav indicator, some of them can take CDI + Flags.  So do most HSI's.  The problem with the KI-209 is that some versions (perhaps all, I do not know) expect composite VOR as an input, something the SL-30 does not have.  Honeywell sells a converter that converts the composite output of most Bendix King VOR receivers into something that a simple nav indicator can use (or that an HSI or glass display can use), but I am not aware of any converter that works the other way (CDI+flag to composite signal).  So the SL-30 may not play with the KI-209 if it only expects composite inputs when tuned to a VOR frequency.

RFB

[Nate]

I prefer the gas discharge of the bendix/king display over the LCD.  Seems easier to read in all light conditions, probably just nostalgia/myopia.

 

Nate