Experienced Avionics Shop for Ovations Advice Needed

[Little Dipper]

When I bought my Ovation it was equipped with some of the most advanced avionics in the market place.  After upgrading the engine and propeller to a 550-N last year I am now planning on upgrading the entire panel this coming winter and it is time to start planning.     My first step is the selection of an Aviation Shop then I'll work with them and narrow down the equipment.    I am looking for a shop who has an excellent reputation.  A shop with extensive past and present experience on upgrading Ovation panels.    A shop who does what they said they would do and does it when they said they would.    The geographical location of the shop is not much of a concern to me.   I'd appreciate any advice/information you could provide.  Thanks.

Norm Clemmer

N995K,  M20R

 

 

 

  

[gsengle]

Where are you? What year Ovation?


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[Little Dipper]

I am out of KCKZ...South Eastern Pennsylvania.   1995 Ovation Serial Number 40

[gsengle]

I swear by Islip Avionics on Long Island. I have 1996 serial number 89. I know they've done full Ovation glass panels. If you talk to em say Greg said hi.




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[carusoam]

Steven757 also went with Islip (?)...  he has given great detail of the process he went through...

Best regards,

-a-

Edited April 12, 2017 by carusoam

[gsengle]

How did you do the 310hp conversion? Trade in for factory engine? Or who did overhaul? Looking for recommendations.


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[carusoam]

GS, I also went with the N during the factory reman process.  It has the modern cylinders to go with the rpm upgrade... cylinders are lighter than the (g) version by a couple pounds each X6...

Best regards,

-a-

Edited April 12, 2017 by carusoam

[gsengle]

So you got a new engine from continental? You're comfortable those cyl are as robust?


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[Little Dipper]

54 minutes ago, gsengle said:

I swear by Islip Avionics on Long Island. I have 1996 serial number 89. I know they've done full Ovation glass panels. If you talk to em say Greg said hi.




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Thanks

[Little Dipper]

53 minutes ago, gsengle said:

How did you do the 310hp conversion? Trade in for factory engine? Or who did overhaul? Looking for recommendations.


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I went for Factory New and am pleased with it.    The takeoff roll is substantially shortened.

[Little Dipper]

55 minutes ago, gsengle said:

How did you do the 310hp conversion? Trade in for factory engine? Or who did overhaul? Looking for recommendations.


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I went with factory new and so far am pleased with my decision.

[Bob_Belville]

You might want to talk to Robbie Greer, Twin Lake Avionics, Mocksville NC. I think you'll find that he has a great reputation. He did my panel 4-1/2 years ago. Not an Ovation but 8 weeks turn around as promised, cost as promised, zero squawks or call backs. Mine was their first GDL 88 which was released by Garmin as we were finishing install.

[Godfather]

IMO no reason to travel across the country for avionics work. Find the best shop in your region and go with them. I'd rather have a quality shop that knows my aircraft close to home to fix problems down the road. It's nice to be able to call the owner and have him fit you in the same day to save a week long trip. 

[Zwaustin]

www.fliteelectronics.com if you don't mind traveling that far.

Talk to Mark over there. Top shop who has been around for a while. Do a lot of high end work. I have a one piece panel in my plane from them with a G600, dual 750's, jpi 960 and more and am very happy. 

[Rmag]

@Little Dipper 36 nm south west of you at KMQS is SureFlight.  Chris Vinciguerro is our Avionics Manager.  He has multiple decdes of experience.  Agape Avionics and Penn Avionics before that.  Attached is a photo of my Mooney M20J panel we just did. We would be happy to work with you.

 

•    Garmin G500 flight deck with Synthetic Vision
•    Garmin GAD 43e autopilot interface for G500
•    Garmin GTN 750 GPS/Nav/Comm Navigator
•    Garmin GMA 35c bluetooth enabled remote audio panel
•    Garmin GTX 345R ADS-B In/Out remote transponder
•    Garmin GNC 255 Nav/Comm
•    King KFC-150 autopilot
•    L3 Avionics ESI-500 Standby Instrument with:  Altitude, Attitude, Slip/skid, Vertical speed, Aircraft track, Synthetic Vision option, Navigation option. Magnetic heading option.
•    JP Instruments EDM 930 Primary computer for RPM, Manifold Pressure, Oil, Fuel, Battery, Engine data.
•    AirGizmos iPad Mini 4 panel dock
•    Nimbus Aviation Electroluminescent Circuit Breaker overlay.
•    ACK E-04 GPS Emergency Locator Transmitter

 

[N6758N]

20 hours ago, Rmag said:

@Little Dipper 36 nm south west of you at KMQS is SureFlight.  Chris Vinciguerro is our Avionics Manager.  He has multiple decdes of experience.  Agape Avionics and Penn Avionics before that.  Attached is a photo of my Mooney M20J panel we just did. We would be happy to work with you.

 

•    Garmin G500 flight deck with Synthetic Vision
•    Garmin GAD 43e autopilot interface for G500
•    Garmin GTN 750 GPS/Nav/Comm Navigator
•    Garmin GMA 35c bluetooth enabled remote audio panel
•    Garmin GTX 345R ADS-B In/Out remote transponder
•    Garmin GNC 255 Nav/Comm
•    King KFC-150 autopilot
•    L3 Avionics ESI-500 Standby Instrument with:  Altitude, Attitude, Slip/skid, Vertical speed, Aircraft track, Synthetic Vision option, Navigation option. Magnetic heading option.
•    JP Instruments EDM 930 Primary computer for RPM, Manifold Pressure, Oil, Fuel, Battery, Engine data.
•    AirGizmos iPad Mini 4 panel dock
•    Nimbus Aviation Electroluminescent Circuit Breaker overlay.
•    ACK E-04 GPS Emergency Locator Transmitter

 

Norm,

I remember your aircraft well from my time at Penn/Agape Avionics. If you're looking for the same type of quality I recommend following Chris V. over to Sureflight at KMQS. As Dan said above, Chris just did his Mooney and has done lots of Ovations. 

Terry H.

[glenn reynolds]

I used chris brand at pacific coast avionics.  I got four quotes from four shops and pca was not only the low bidder by far, but their sales team new more about the ovation install than the other three shops!  As an example: wanted the g500 upgraded to synthetic vision, other quotes were six grand,  pca charge me $4500 as that's the cost of the unlock key and they would not charge to install it as all you have to do is insert the unlock chip.  I't takes me about 14 hours to fly my ovation cross country, and I wouldn't do it just to put in avionics but I did learn that getting multiple bids and meeting with several shops really helps figure out what is important and what is maybe not so important.  As an example, I use foreflight and so I installed a garmin flightstream 210 so my ipad can upload my flight plan to the gns530 and vs versa which is a feature I love.  I have flown with both the garmin audio panel and a ps engineering panel and frankly the garmin voice recorder is MUCH better so I will likely scrap the ps engineering audio panel I currently have.  I fly ifr and find that pushing the playback button on the garmin audio panel to repeat the new routing or frequency is really great.  However the PS engineering unit also records MY transmissions!  This is pointless and makes the playback or recordings pretty useless as you have to keep clicking to try and go back to the controller section of the recording.  Good luck

[StevenL757]

Norm, I'll second Greg's and Anthony's (thanks Anthony for the plug!) recommendation.  Your '95 Ovation appears to be a completely "unmolested" airframe.  One of the comments Islip Avionics made (several times) whilst working on my project was that it was a sheer joy to be able to completely refresh all wiring and work with an airframe that was as close to factory original equipment as possible.  This made the whole experience better for them and kept my labor under control (no surprises - at all).  I do understand you could go to anyone close to Pennridge, but seriously believe you should give Rick Kattermann a call at Islip.  Simply the best...couple of pics attached...please let me know if I can help out at all, and/or PM me and we can review my quotes, equipment, labor, actual charges, etc. so you can get things straight in your head.  Big purchase and a very personal decision, so happy to help.

Regards, Steve

[MB65E]

Pretty!What glare shield lights are those?

I have a 201 glare shield in my 65e that I'm about to cut up and make nice again. It never fit correctly after the panel was installed in '91. 

-Matt

[StevenL757]

Had my choice of several colors (went with blue as it has the same night-vision-friendly characteristics as red).  Don't have the brand of lights or pot switches at-hand, but will check my paperwork when I get home and update here.

Steve

**Update - couldn't find the actual light manufacturer, but will ask the shop tomorrow.  The original dimmer switches, however, were both changed out with the Max-Dim switches...very high quality and recommended by many shops.

From my 337:  "Removed existing panel light dimmer system.  Installed qty. 2 Part# 9100-001-B Max-Dim panel light dimmers IAW Seaton Engineering STC # SA01800SE, Max-Dim install manual part# 9150-02, Rev. E, dated 6/8/2009 and appropriate sections of AC43.13-1B, change 1/2B."

Steve

[Rmag]

Happy to report that Norm @Little Dipper is scheduled with SureFlight his new panel upgrade.  He's getting some nice equipment installed, but not to steal his thunder, I'll let him share all the exciting details.

[Little Dipper]

I wasn't going to do this till next winter but after looking at new stuff couldn't stand to wait.  I signed a contract with SureFlight yesterday.  Chris is going to install the equipment.   He used to work at Penn Avionics years ago and has worked on my Mooney before.    I'm going with Garmin equipment which is the GTN750 & GTN 650 GPS, Nav Coms,   GMA 35C Audio Pannel,   GDL69A XM Weather/Music,  GTX345R Transponder,  FS510 WIFI Adapter.   I enjoy flying from the right seat and am installing a G5 EFI with a GL106B CDI on the right panel.   

I'm keeping my current flight director, CDI , Auto Pilot and backup electric AI.     Being removed is the FreeFlight ADS-B IN,Out & WIFI,  Argus 7000, King 155&165Nav,Coms,  90B GPS and Audio Pannel, Radar Altimeter, Ryan TCAD,  DME,  Transponder and ADF.  Hopefully I'll be able to resell the FreeFlight as it is less than a year old.

I'm pretty pumped up.   They can't get me in till July 31.  I'd like to thank everyone for their advice.

[MIm20c]

Sounds like a great package. Only change you might consider is a second G5 (hsi) instead of the 106b...cost is similar and it would make a great pair on the right side. 

Edited June 8, 2017 by MIm20c