Delayed Aspen Pirep

[N513ZM]

In late November I had an Aspen PFD1000 and EA100 installed in my 2000 Ovation 2, replacing and removing my King KI256, KG102, KMT112, KR87, Sandel SN3308 and the rest of my entire vacuum system.

I gained 34 lbs of useful load, and hopefully the reliability of electronic vs iron gyros.

Unfortunately I suffered 2 failures of the infant mortality type and poor performance of the EA100 coupled to my KFC225 AP.

After making an initial post or two of the WTF!! variety I elected to remain silent on all matters Aspen until they had a fair chance to resolve my problems.

They have proved to be excellent for support. When my PFD1000 spontaneously reset on it's maiden flight they had a replacement unit to me within days - the only delay being a short one so that we could have a unit with the latest software revision. The PFD has been rock solid since then - about 40 flight hours.

Aspen has been communicative, responsive and responsible all up the chain - from tech support to field service to sales to the CEO. None have ducked and dodged, all made the appropriate noises of mea-culpa, and all worked hard to "make it right". Stuff happens - I'm not sure what more one could ask for when it does. 

My EA100 also suffered an initial failure and was replaced immediately. That unit worked OK for approx. 30 hrs but had poor performance in pitch and exhibited a continual "hunting" en-route - I likened this to the install of this device being akin to removing my KFC225 and replacing it with a Stec55x - rate based sucks!

Aspen refined the software for the AP adapter to more closely mimic the analog output of the KI256 it was meant to replace - I was able to get that software loaded end of Jan, but due to horrendous wx patterns and equally horrendous personal scheduling I didn't have the opportunity to test it until this past week.

It's good and I am happy to now say that I'm a very happy and satisfied customer.

With about 40 hrs on the PFD though all kinds of wx, including IMC, ice, moderate turbulence (butt leaves seat, head hits roof), and in and around some very congested airspace (NYC, Washington DC) I'll state that this is a great device and a worthy replacement for my Sandel.

With about 9 hours on the new EA100 software load it behaves as if it was always there - ie; it's like we put the KFC225 I always had back into the airplane - smooth, accurate and robust. No porpoise, no hunting, no jerking in smooth air or rough.

I flew a route of KISZ-KLKU-KBDR on Monday and then KBDR-KISZ on Friday. The flight from ISZ-LKU was a climb through 4000' of ice into smooth air on top and a 60kt tailwind - the airplane was making 245kts across the ground. Midway across the Blue Ridge Mountains I flew through and extended area of moderate turbulence that required me to hand fly, hang out the speed brakes and the gear in cruise and I was still doing 200kts GS! After landing Louisa County with winds 18G35 variable from 260-300 (rwy27) I picked up my passenger (Senor Uphoff) and set off to Bridgeport. We encountered continuous light to moderate chop at various altitudes and landed rw29 with winds of 290@22G34.

Friday I flew back to OH - my 3 hr trip took 4 hrs as now I had the 60kts on the nose, not the tail! Although forecasts were for light to moderate turbulence the entire route, I only encountered a few small areas of same and by changing altitudes up and down was able to remain in basically smooth air most of the trip. I couldn't get away from the headwinds though! Landed Blue Ash rwy 24 with winds 300-340@12G18 - direct xwind and somewhat "sporting".

The Aspen/KFC225 combo worked flawlessly the entire trip - AP disconnecting in turbulence only twice (although I hand-flew the worst of it).

I'm a happy chappy.  Aspen good - go get you some. (usual disclaimer - dont work for them, dont have stock, they didn't pay me to say this, Peter Lyons is not my brother-in-law, etc).

[jelswick]

I'll 2nd the experience with Aspen.  My PFD1000 has had no issues, but I'd received a database failure in the MFD500 on the way home from the install and Aspen had a new data card to me in days.  The 2nd one appears to be doing the same, so we'll see what the issue is whether the data card or the unit, but either way, they are very responsive and I'm very pleased with the decision to go with Aspens. 

Mike are you based at Blue Ash?  Our company (Sogeti) is right across the street and loved flying there for meetings until someone at corporate afraid of airplanes/liability put the k'bosh on that for those of us that fly...too bad.  Blue Ash let me walk out of the airport and right across the street to the hotel and office.  And let me know the next time there's a mini-meet at I69.  I'm always in the mood for Sporty's hot dogs!

[N513ZM]

Quote: jelswick

Mike are you based at Blue Ash?  Our company (Sogeti) is right across the street and loved flying there for meetings until someone at corporate afraid of airplanes/liability put the k'bosh on that for those of us that fly...too bad.  Blue Ash let me walk out of the airport and right across the street to the hotel and office.  And let me know the next time there's a mini-meet at I69.  I'm always in the mood for Sporty's hot dogs!

[jelswick]

Sorry to hear you're moving out of the area, Mike, but wish you luck with the move back to CT.  We'll have a Sporty's Hot Dog there in your honor then this spring.

[N513ZM]

Quote: jelswick

Sorry to hear you're moving out of the area, Mike, but wish you luck with the move back to CT.  We'll have a Sporty's Hot Dog there in your honor then this spring.

[TLSDriver]

 

I just got my Aspen with an EA100.  I have a KFC-150 a\p.  Traking courses seem good and I don't think it is doing much hunting.

Altitude control seems all over the place in all but the smoothest of air.

Finally, the AP knocks itself off-line at least 2 or 3 times per flight.

 

Is there an easy way to check the version of the EA100 software?

 

Thanks

 

 

[jackn]

David, I also have a KFC-150 a/p that was giving me the exact same problems. Turned out that the AI wasn't putting out pitch info(KFC-150 is an attitude based a/p)

[TLSDriver]

Jackn,

What was done to test for it?  Correct it?

My 'problem' is I never flew this plane before it was upgraded.  So I dont know where to start.  But it seems like you are on to something.

The autopilot seems to hold altitude ok but it is terrbile in a climb and decent.  Today I was out with it and set up a 500fpm decent.  It was stable for a minute or so.   I looked down again and it was around 200fpm.  30 seconds later I was going downill at 1500fpm.

[jackn]

Boy does this sound familiar. I too had just purchased this plane and had no previous experience with the 150. The problem was that the 150 also uses the static port to hold alt, so it 'sort' of worked. All of the sudden(especially in a climb or decent) the plane would start the roller coaster thing, then the a/p would shut off. To make a very long story short, the avionics shop has an instrument that goes between the AI and the a/p. This showed us the AI pitch outputs weren't there. Overhauled, now everything works perfect.

[TLSDriver]

You overhauled the autopilot?  That doesn't sound cheap! 

[John Pleisse]

Great news Mike. I have decided not to do the G500 and I will do a two teir Aspen install. I am adding a flight director to my Stec 55X and the Aspen EFD1000 this Wed. Rate based does suck, but when you loose a system, it still works. In fact, I have mine set up for on a 45 minute battery back-up with direct GPSS from GNS430W#2 and I can literally turn everthing off and the plane fly itself for almost an hour. King and Century can't.

[jackn]

No, overhauled the AI. A/P was fine.

[TLSDriver]

What is the AI? I would have thought attitude indiatior but that can't be correct if you have an Aspen.

So I am confused?  Was the repair expensive?

 

David

[jackn]

Sorry, I don't have the Aspen or know a lot about it. I relayed my experience in order to advise you that your Aspen is probably not getting pitch info to your a/p for whatever reason. I would bring your plane to the shop that installed the Aspen to find out why. Good luck! Jack

[N513ZM]

Quote: TLSDriver

What is the AI? I would have thought attitude indiatior but that can't be correct if you have an Aspen.

So I am confused?  Was the repair expensive?

 

David

[TLSDriver]

Mike

Did you experiance similiar iissues  in climbs and decents?  That is,  I am watching decent rates oscillate from 200fpm to 1500fpm. Climbs are a little less exciting but still at  +/- 400 FPM of what I start at.

Holding altitude seems ok.  Tracking seems ok to good.

And then there is a\p just quitting.  I have about 10 hours on my new plane and bet it went off-line 10 times.  There was probaly one solid lump in the sky but other that that fairly benign weather.

It seems like, for you, the firmware really changed it around.

The Aspen PFD itself has been glitch free.  Very happy with it.  Would recommend to anyone.  

I almost hope my firmware is not up-to-date.  A\p work sounds expensive and the ink isnt dry on the check for the plane or the avoinics upgrade. 

[TLSDriver]

.

[N513ZM]

Quote: TLSDriver

Mike

Did you experiance similiar iissues  in climbs and decents?  That is,  I am watching decent rates oscillate from 200fpm to 1500fpm. Climbs are a little less exciting but still at  +/- 400 FPM of what I start at.

Holding altitude seems ok.  Tracking seems ok to good.

And then there is a\p just quitting.  I have about 10 hours on my new plane and bet it went off-line 10 times.  There was probaly one solid lump in the sky but other that that fairly benign weather.

It seems like, for you, the firmware really changed it around.

The Aspen PFD itself has been glitch free.  Very happy with it.  Would recommend to anyone.  

I almost hope my firmware is not up-to-date.  A\p work sounds expensive and the ink isnt dry on the check for the plane or the avoinics upgrade. 

[John Pleisse]

While I am certain pitch issues are a reality of Aspen cutting their teeth on DA converters for autopilits, I understand the number one install issue or flaw that creates similar problems is the RMS not being properly shimmed.

[TLSDriver]

I took the aircraft back to the shop today.  I was told that they did 6 EA-100 installs and all had the same issue that I had to lesser or greater degree.  

He also said that it was his opignion that the faster the aircraft the more pronounced it was.

In each and every case the fix was to reduce the pitch gain.  He adjusted mine 1 unit.  

I was suspect that such a minor change could make a difference.  He said put a few hours on the plane and give him some feedback.  I can say that the auto pilot is substantially better.  Almost a night-and-day change.  It wasn't perfect but it was a whole differnt plane when I got it back.

Short story is the shop wants to lower the pitch gain one more unit.  The shop is telling me that in each case when the gain is 'fine tuned' the results will be very impressive.  I told him I was hoping to get it flying like it had the KI-256 in it and he told me that I was shooting to low.  He claims the EA-100 will outperform once it is 'dialed-in.'

He agrees with you that Aspen is still new to this game and so are they.  In each install they are learning.  For whatever reason the 'factory' numbers are not working as well as expected.

[peter]

Quote: TLSDriver

I took the aircraft back to the shop today.  I was told that they did 6 EA-100 installs and all had the same issue that I had to lesser or greater degree.  

He also said that it was his opignion that the faster the aircraft the more pronounced it was.

In each and every case the fix was to reduce the pitch gain.  He adjusted mine 1 unit.  

I was suspect that such a minor change could make a difference.  He said put a few hours on the plane and give him some feedback.  I can say that the auto pilot is substantially better.  Almost a night-and-day change.  It wasn't perfect but it was a whole differnt plane when I got it back.

Short story is the shop wants to lower the pitch gain one more unit.  The shop is telling me that in each case when the gain is 'fine tuned' the results will be very impressive.  I told him I was hoping to get it flying like it had the KI-256 in it and he told me that I was shooting to low.  He claims the EA-100 will outperform once it is 'dialed-in.'

He agrees with you that Aspen is still new to this game and so are they.  In each install they are learning.  For whatever reason the 'factory' numbers are not working as well as expected.

[TLSDriver]

Peter,

Sarasota Avoinics in Sarasota.  (KSRQ)

You never really know how service is going to be until you need it.  I called them to say that the performance of the autopilot was poor.  They put me on the phone with their AP guru.  I explained what the plane was doing.  He asked me when I could bring in the plane.  I told him I could be there in two hours.  He said to bring it up and they would pull it in as soon as I got there.

Sure enough, I wasn't there five minutes and they pulled my plane into a very busy shop and began to work on it.

He absolutly assured me that they would get it right. He told me that the EA-100 would be superior to the gear that came out.  it just needed some perfomance tuning for us to get there.

It reflects well on Aspen when a shop is committed to good service and making sure the equipment isn't just acceptable but working perfectly.

 

 

[docket]

I've heard Aspen is really doing well on Customer service which is good news.
I think its a great option.

Friend of mine has had 2 major failure in his new G500 so nobody is immune.

Tj

[TLSDriver]

I got bit today - the dreaded spontanious reboot.  Screen went black.  Then it just rebooted like a normal start up.  

I have seen a few guys talk about this but I can't seem to figure out what the common cures are for this condition.

As an aside I have an AP AHRS fail light that has come on once in a while.  Usually goes off in a few seconds and everyting appeared to be working correctly with the light on.

But screens going black are not fun.  Of course it is 100% my fault.  I was flying with a friend and he was quizzing me about it.  I told him it was flawless.  30 seconds later she quit.  I put the jink on it! lol.

[mooniac58]

Quote: TLSDriver

I got bit today - the dreaded spontanious reboot.  Screen went black.  Then it just rebooted like a normal start up.  

I have seen a few guys talk about this but I can't seem to figure out what the common cures are for this condition.

As an aside I have an AP AHRS fail light that has come on once in a while.  Usually goes off in a few seconds and everyting appeared to be working correctly with the light on.

But screens going black are not fun.  Of course it is 100% my fault.  I was flying with a friend and he was quizzing me about it.  I told him it was flawless.  30 seconds later she quit.  I put the jink on it! lol.

 I think the rebooting problem requires a unit replacement - but Aspen should be able to assist you I would bet.