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Bad time to upgrade?


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I have a standard gyro and DG setup in my aircraft with a STEC 30 and an IFD 440.

for the most part I like the system it's easy and straightforward. I have alternate vacuum for the gyro too.  I don't necessarily fly hard IFR (keep myself to 1000/3 limits).

I really don't like having a DG instead of an RMI or HSI. So I have been looking at upgrade options to include G5 and Aspen. 

For the Aspen does it seem like a bad time to upgrade? With Garmin/Dynon/TruTrak stirring the pot - if everything is working should I wait out the process a bit? 

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Set a waiting period for yourself.

Otherwise you will never stop waiting as good stuff seems to be ever approaching...

This also requires being happy with what you bought.

If you suffer from buyers remorse...?

PP Thinking out loud.

Best regards,

-a-

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Id generally agree but with all the stc activity this isn't a typical 18 month period, and there are probably a number of things coming. I'd certainly at a minimum wait for Oshkosh...


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58 minutes ago, gsengle said:

Personally I'd wait, lots in motion. But you have one of the scenarios where the G5 might work out. I assume you need the heading bug to work?


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I do not have GPSS so that was one aspect of upgrading that I was thinking about with the Aspen. But otherwise yes I need the heading bug to work for my STEC.

i have a lot of work travel over the next couple mo this so I think I will just wait until after Oshkosh and see what is out there. 

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I do not have GPSS so that was one aspect of upgrading that I was thinking about with the Aspen. But otherwise yes I need the heading bug to work for my STEC.
i have a lot of work travel over the next couple mo this so I think I will just wait until after Oshkosh and see what is out there. 


As someone who has done a few upgrades, I echo those recommending waiting a bit. Ironic I should say that when my plane looks like this:

76069c3ba308d968e6c5878c4f0542a1.jpg

I am guessing there will be some offers around Oshkosh time. When I decided to install the Aspens, it was just before Oshkosh and they were offering decent rebates.

With the STEC already in the plane, if any of the new autopilots do become available, you will have a decision to make.

I personally love the GPSS capability of the Aspen.


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Yeah.....just wait.  There's always something better, cheaper, more advanced coming out in a month, or two.  If you do commit, it will be obsolete before you get your plane out of the shop and someone on Mooneyspace will be chortling about how antiquated your "new" equipment is.

So wait.

If you wait long enough and just keep putting all the money you would have spent on those interim up-grades into the bank, you can up-grade to this:

A share of NetJets

FIKI and full automation standard.  :D

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Of course you could always ask yourself what "new" buys you if your personal mins are 1000/3. Pretty is pretty though, I guess...

Just a steam gauge realist here who has flown MD-88's and C-130's into lots of crappy weather and landed just fine, and gone around a time or two. Not technology leaders there, but they work, most of the time. The bigger thing than fancy panels is knowing your equipment and sticking to your limits, in my book.

Patrick

 

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I think the bevy of STCs that the underdogs will be issuing over the next year will have the big boys taking note and adjusting prices accordingly.   I have flown G1000 and 430W.  I downloaded the Avedyne simulator and played with it....  I still like the phone and tablet better.  Sure it does some auto things for you....  but have you ever noticed that even with the 40AMU panel there is still a tablet on the yoke....

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I'll agree with the consensus, wait until Oshkosh... but then pull the trigger on something.  I'd either go Aspen/G500 or take an interim step and replace the DG with an HSI.  Used HSI's can be had all day long for $1 AMU on Barnstormers and other places. You can add GPSS for another $1AMU. So either go Aspen now for $10+ AMU or HSI/GPSS now for $3 AMU with install.  You'll do the Aspen the next year... as per @Marauder.

No matter what you buy, you might wish you would have waited another year for the next available thing. But flying is a ticking clock and at some point I'm not going to be medically fit to fly. I gotta log the hours now. So I don't put stuff off. Rather I subscribe to the @donkaye method of airplane upgrades... or at least the lower budget version of Don Kaye upgrading.

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9 hours ago, mccdeuce said:

I do not have GPSS so that was one aspect of upgrading that I was thinking about with the Aspen. But otherwise yes I need the heading bug to work for my STEC.

i have a lot of work travel over the next couple mo this so I think I will just wait until after Oshkosh and see what is out there. 

Mark, are you planning on going into KOSH with the Caravan? Clinic with MAG is June 23-25 at Lynchburg.

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15 hours ago, Johnnybgoode said:

Of course you could always ask yourself what "new" buys you if your personal mins are 1000/3. Pretty is pretty though, I guess...

Just a steam gauge realist here who has flown MD-88's and C-130's into lots of crappy weather and landed just fine, and gone around a time or two. Not technology leaders there, but they work, most of the time. The bigger thing than fancy panels is knowing your equipment and sticking to your limits, in my book.

Patrick

 

I'm not sure I 100% agree with you here. I have also flown plenty of bad weather, dark scary nights with steam gauges but there's a reason they are being phased out. There's a reason that Dynon/Garmin were able to pass these AIs through and it was in the name of safety. They are more reliable. And when you were flying the heavies on steam I bet you had more than 1. 

I agree 5000% that knowing your equipment and limits is the most important - but I  have also lost a steam based attitude gyro in IMC before. So I don't think my limits of 1000/3 are wrong to want a very reliable modern AI or wanting a heading system that doesn't drift. Nothing worst than estimating your heading when given a vector. 

-Mark

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13 hours ago, Bob_Belville said:

Mark, are you planning on going into KOSH with the Caravan? Clinic with MAG is June 23-25 at Lynchburg.

I really want to but at the moment I am scheduled for work.  So I don't think it's going to happen this year. 

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18 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

I'll agree with the consensus, wait until Oshkosh... but then pull the trigger on something.  I'd either go Aspen/G500 or take an interim step and replace the DG with an HSI.  Used HSI's can be had all day long for $1 AMU on Barnstormers and other places. You can add GPSS for another $1AMU. So either go Aspen now for $10+ AMU or HSI/GPSS now for $3 AMU with install.  You'll do the Aspen the next year... as per @Marauder.

No matter what you buy, you might wish you would have waited another year for the next available thing. But flying is a ticking clock and at some point I'm not going to be medically fit to fly. I gotta log the hours now. So I don't put stuff off. Rather I subscribe to the @donkaye method of airplane upgrades... or at least the lower budget version of Don Kaye upgrading.

GPSS for 1 AMU?  How about for a century 2b with a 430w? How does one do it for that price tag? Thanks

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You just need a GDC31 connected to your Century IIB and you'll have GPSS.  A new one is about $1900, but they often come up on the used market. @Alan Fox has sold a couple of them on here in the $1200 range and you can often find them on Barnstormers or Ebay.  I've got one I'd let you have for $200 but it's missing the button. I think DAC wants $1000 to recertify and include a button. Depending no how handy your hangar elves are, you might come up with your own button.

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You can do the Aspen VFR PFD plus ACU (links to the Century) for about 5 AMU plus install. Upgrade to Pro via software upgrade later for 4-5 more AMU. Note that you can still fly IFR with the Aspen VFR PFD. IFAIK, it just doesn't have glideslope info and a couple other things. Reference the factory matrix.

Remember that the Century IIB needs guidance from the AI and DG to function. Hence my attraction to Aspen (with the ACU). Lets see what Garmin does at Oshkosh...

 

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