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Panel porn - how the sausage gets made

DXB

By DXB
in Avionics/Panel Discussion

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DXB Grand Master

DXB

Posted
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It's been over three weeks since my plane went in the avionics shop to get an all new panel.  Predictably, the weather has been beautiful during that time.  And delays are inevitable for such a complex job. But I miss my plane, so I swung by  shop today.  It looks a bit...um...naked.  These are bits of the plane that decent, god-fearing folk who don't do avionics for a living were never meant to see.   :blink:

 

 

 

Anyone else experience Mooney separation anxiety?   When is it time to seek professional help?   ;)

 

 

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Marauder Grand Master

Marauder

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LOL Dev! My plane was down for quite a while during the upgrade and I was getting withdrawals. Hopefully, the next series of pictures will be the "construction" phase.

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DXB Grand Master

DXB

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  • Author
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We had planned to do plug and play on the KT74 and new PMA audio into the old trays/ harnesses to save a couple bucks.  But apparently the wiring was so confusing from being repeatedly jury-rigged over the years that he decided to tear it all out and start fresh.  And without charging me extra over my quote, so I can hardly complain. There was also tons of other sketchy stuff found back there like unlabeled breakers that were never mounted into the panel, Jimmy Hoffa's remains (pending DNA confirmation), etc.  

Marauder Grand Master

Marauder

Posted
Posted

We had planned to do plug and play on the KT74 and new PMA audio into the old trays/ harnesses to save a couple bucks. But apparently the wiring was so confusing from being repeatedly jury-rigged over the years that he decided to tear it all out and start fresh. And without charging me extra over my quote, so I can hardly complain. There was also tons of other sketchy stuff found back there like unlabeled breakers that were never mounted into the panel, Jimmy Hoffa's remains (pending DNA confirmation), etc.

When I had my panel done, I had them build all new harnesses since I knew that my panel had been through a number of changes in the late 70s and 80s. I also knew that I saw a number of inline fuses that installers used in place of actual breakers.

It is a scary sight to see a plane you own in the state of disassembly. It'll get better...

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Marauder Grand Master

Marauder

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Yep I am doing that myself! What was supposed to take two weeks is now 10 months!

I hope that "0" in "10 months" was a mistake. What could any avionics shop be doing to a plane that would take 10 months?

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mike_elliott Grand Master

mike_elliott

Posted
Posted

It's been over three weeks since my plane went in the avionics shop to get an all new panel.  Predictably, the weather has been beautiful during that time.  And delays are inevitable for such a complex job. But I miss my plane, so I swung by  shop today.  It looks a bit...um...naked.  These are bits of the plane that decent, god-fearing folk who don't do avionics for a living were never meant to see.   :blink:

 

 

 

Anyone else experience Mooney separation anxiety?   When is it time to seek professional help?   ;)

When I had my panel redone in the F I owned, a friend stopped by Tim Matthison's shop in GA and sent me a photo. I cried, I thought it would never fly again. I was truly amazed at how beautiful and reliable it all turned out. There for a while, I thought I condemned my aluminum mistress to a slow painful death. 

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carl Proficient

carl

Posted
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Do you have the updated sloped windshield .?

 

The access behind the firewall and before the windshield is not present in my e with the sloped windshield.

How do they work on those types?

 

carl

Glenn Community Regular

Glenn

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It is worth the wait.  Mine took about 7 weeks, including autopilot replacement.  Weeks of waiting yields years of enjoyment.

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Houman Mentor

Houman

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It is worth the wait.  Mine took about 7 weeks, including autopilot replacement.  Weeks of waiting yields years of enjoyment.

 

That's alot of GPS for 1 plane :) I guess I see 2 430 and another portable ???

jezzie Rising Star

jezzie

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After reading all the comments above, I went into my pictures of before, during and after. After 170 hours of enjoyment would not want to go back to what it was.

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flyboy0681 Grand Master

flyboy0681

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Anyone else experience Mooney separation anxiety?   When is it time to seek professional help?   ;)

 

Don't take it to heart, and don't worry about all of those wires. My panel essentially looked the same when the GTN was installed, yet the professionals seemed to be able to get everything back in order. Miraculously, everything worked right on the first flight, from the A/P to suction gauge.

Oscar Avalle Grand Master

Oscar Avalle

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Mine took about 3 months to rebuild initially, and then over the last year I started adding additional things... now I am broke...but happy
 
Oscar
 
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robert7467 Proficient

robert7467

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I am doing the work myself with AI signature as a weekend project. Its a lot of work, pulling out old crummy wires, updating the schematics.

 

Plus I have fabricated the panels.

 

I made all the wiring harness's myself. Every time I get into it, I find things that are not right.

  • Like 1
Glenn Community Regular

Glenn

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Posted

That's alot of GPS for 1 plane :) I guess I see 2 430 and another portable ???

The portable is really for XM WX.  The 430s are so I don't get lost if one quits.

DXB Grand Master

DXB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Do you have the updated sloped windshield .?

 

The access behind the firewall and before the windshield is not present in my e with the sloped windshield.

How do they work on those types?

 

carl

No I just have the regular 1 piece windshield-  suspect this does save some labor costs.  

DXB Grand Master

DXB

Posted
  • Author
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It is a scary sight to see a plane you own in the state of disassembly. It'll get better...

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Yeah, trying to keep perspective on my obnoxious 1st  world problems. ;)   So to post something positive, I finished reconfiguring my design based on various constraints found at install (attached, in comparison to current panel).   It's going to be one straight piece all the way across now with a 8 degree tilt.  

 

BTW if there's any old components in the pic that someone really wants, send me an offer. Otherwise I will let most of it go on ebay eventually.  The only things being reused are airspeed, altimeter, AI. The KT76A transponder and KN53 (2nd nav on right) are getting traded in, so not available.  Everything works besides ammeter on engine cluster.  The VSI and manifold/fuel pressure gauge have original Mooney logos on them.

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DXB Grand Master

DXB

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You might want to keep your LOC/GS indicator as a backup to your primary Aspen in your new layout

Yeah that's reasonable - I wanted to but neither of my ancient NAV heads will work with the new equipment.  The GTN650 does provide a digital CDI that could be used as backup if the Aspen croaks.  I'll consider installing a real backup LOC/GS indicator if I ever get into flying challenging IMC.  I'm a long way from being that level of pilot right now.

OR75 Veteran

OR75

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Anyone installed an Approach Fast Stack system in a Mooney ? The 80s and 90s were brutal from a complexity of wiring behind a panel . 

What used to require 12 wires now requires just 1 or 2 with an RS232 or ARINC 429 

Raptor05121 Grand Master

Raptor05121

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I may be a simpleton, but I would LOVE to have that panel in my plane. It is perfect. Simple, clean 6 pack with a 430W and ADS-B out and an engine monitor. 10/10. Mine is a spaghetti of crudely-placed instruments tacked over pieces of funky metal and its HORRIBLE

Bob_Belville Grand Master

Bob_Belville

Posted
Posted (edited)

100_2707.thumb.JPG.d792324c4507aa81a3faf2012-12-26_N943RW_Port_Side.thumb.jpg.f25-16-2013_Panel_with_RAM_Mount_696.thumbDo you have the updated sloped windshield .?

 

The access behind the firewall and before the windshield is not present in my e with the sloped windshield.

How do they work on those types?

 

carl

I have the 201 sloped windshield. It is obviously possible to deal with the change in access from the top. 

 

 

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Edited by Bob_Belville
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carl Proficient

carl

Posted
Posted

thanks Bob . I know your panel is "too the max" . So when the time comes I won't worry about the inside acess

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