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New (to me) plane - advice on first avionics purchase


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Hi everyone. Long time listener, first time caller.

Short intro: I am a student pilot, about 30 hrs in - well past solo, etc - purchasing a M20F. Now, I know some have their opinions about not having a billion hours and flying a Mooney so I hope this thread doesn't take a dive in that direction. My CFI is a Mooney pro and I will have to spend 20 hours with him due to insurance requirements anyway. A Mooney is what I've always wanted and I figured, why waste any more $ on renting a plane for training when I can train with a CFI that flies Mooney's in the aircraft that I plan to own for many years to come. I digress;

My question to all you Mooney pro's is:

My banker has structured my loan in such a way that instead of putting a down payment on the loan, he wants me to put $3k in a savings account that I must use on "an upgrade" in the first year. Pretty cool, right? :) . Anyway, this aircraft is very original and the only "upgrades" I can find is a Bendix KX125 and a handheld GPS with in-panel dock. Everything else is stock and per the pre-buy, works as it should.

My initial thought is to go with an engine monitor like the EI CGR-30P which has a $700 rebate right now, making it about $2,000. With install I figure that is around $3k, maybe a bit more. The engine is high/mid time with strong compressions, however I would think being able to closely monitor that thing is flight would be a benefit.

What I would like feedback on is, what was your first "upgrade" to your first plane? Also, what upgrades do you think a new pilot would benefit from more than others? Do you think I'm better off getting new radios?

I appreciate all the feedback and I look forward to the time I will be able to contribute on this forum. Happy flying!

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Engine monitor makes sense, but remember that some of the new possibilities especially the dynon hdx will include engine monitoring. Are you ADSB compliant? That's pretty important looming upgrade....


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Engine monitor is an excellent investment, but if you plan on flying around a bunch of airspace that requires ADS-B compliance, you're gonna have to tackle that before 2020.

my first upgrade was bladders.  Even though I asked and checked, I got hit with the dreaded tank leak and fuel smell in the cockpit pretty soon after purchase.  My next major purchase was a WAAS upgrade to my 430 since it had a malfunction anyway.  Peruse some of the gallery pics, you'll see some vintage planes with panels that will make you very jealous.

btw, congrats on the purchase!

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The CGR30-P will not cover all the primary functions in an "F". If you go this route, you will have to buy the "c" as well to cover all primaries.
Look at a edm-900. It's only slightly more and will allow you to ditch all your primary engine gauges. If somebody install it for you, count on 40-50 hours. It's alot of work! I did mine last summer.
To me, good engine monitoring is a must and will pay for itself in MX costs and being able to run the airplane more efficiently.
Congrats on the new plane!

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Welcome. An engine monitor is a very fine choice, and that is all I would recommend if everything else works. Resist the upgrade urge and just fly it and fix squawks as needed for the first year. You can start formulating a plan for bigger panel work while watching how the market develops over the coming year. You'll have to do something for ADS-B, and you will likely want a lot more! A modern WAAS GPS should be next on the list, especially if you plan to get your instrument rating.

That EI monitor can be primary for some instruments, so you can remove some of the old ones. I'd start with fuel pressure and oil pressure if they run fluid lines into the cockpit like they did for my early J model, which was a bad idea. I'm not familiar with the options for that monitor as I went for the JPI EDM 900 to replace my 700. If you're mechanically inclined, you can assist with the tedious installation of the monitor to save money and learn more about the plane too.

Good luck.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

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Just now, KSMooniac said:

Welcome. An engine monitor is a very fine choice, and that is all I would recommend if everything else works. Resist the upgrade urge and just fly it and fix squawks as needed for the first year. You can start formulating a plan for bigger panel work while watching how the market develops over the coming year. You'll have to do something for ADS-B, and you will likely want a lot more! A modern WAAS GPS should be next on the list, especially if you plan to get your instrument rating.

That EI monitor can be primary for some instruments, so you can remove some of the old ones. I'd start with fuel pressure and oil pressure if they run fluid lines into the cockpit like they did for my early J model, which was a bad idea. I'm not familiar with the options for that monitor as I went for the JPI EDM 900 to replace my 700. If you're mechanically inclined, you can assist with the tedious installation of the monitor to save money and learn more about the plane too.

Good luck.

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk
 

great advice.  Fly it and see if you come across any major squawks first.  Panel upgrades are nice, but they are second to a solid plane IMO.

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An engine monitor is definitely the right answer. ADSB will be required in a lot of airspace, in 2020. But an engine monitor will pay dividends on EVERY flight in ALL airspace starting today.

On the other hand, I don't recommend the EI CGR-30P. Either go with the JPI EDM-900 for all primary instruments or the Insight G2 for a low cost but full featured monitor that is primary for EGT/CHT. It also includes fuel flow at no extra cost.

Unless I can afford a new engine anytime I like, I wouldn't fly a Mooney without a good engine monitor. Do it.

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55 minutes ago, Chupacabra said:

My first upgrade was shoulder harnesses. If you don't have them, get them. Arguably the most important upgrade.

Absolutely !!!!  That's the first and most important upgrade you can do !

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2 hours ago, Chupacabra said:

My first upgrade was shoulder harnesses. If you don't have them, get them. Arguably the most important upgrade.

I'm living proof. 

If you don't have them, getting them installed should be top priority.

cheers,

Dan

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6 hours ago, nightmoves said:

Hi everyone. Long time listener, first time caller.

Short intro: I am a student pilot, about 30 hrs in - well past solo, etc - purchasing a M20F. Now, I know some have their opinions about not having a billion hours and flying a Mooney so I hope this thread doesn't take a dive in that direction. My CFI is a Mooney pro and I will have to spend 20 hours with him due to insurance requirements anyway. A Mooney is what I've always wanted and I figured, why waste any more $ on renting a plane for training when I can train with a CFI that flies Mooney's in the aircraft that I plan to own for many years to come. I digress;

My question to all you Mooney pro's is:

My banker has structured my loan in such a way that instead of putting a down payment on the loan, he wants me to put $3k in a savings account that I must use on "an upgrade" in the first year. Pretty cool, right? :) . Anyway, this aircraft is very original and the only "upgrades" I can find is a Bendix KX125 and a handheld GPS with in-panel dock. Everything else is stock and per the pre-buy, works as it should.

My initial thought is to go with an engine monitor like the EI CGR-30P which has a $700 rebate right now, making it about $2,000. With install I figure that is around $3k, maybe a bit more. The engine is high/mid time with strong compressions, however I would think being able to closely monitor that thing is flight would be a benefit.

What I would like feedback on is, what was your first "upgrade" to your first plane? Also, what upgrades do you think a new pilot would benefit from more than others? Do you think I'm better off getting new radios?

I appreciate all the feedback and I look forward to the time I will be able to contribute on this forum. Happy flying!

Definitely go for a JPI EDM-900 engine monitor.  Ditch the idea of anything panel dock-mounted.  They are not approved for IFR-specific operations.

Above all else, focus on completing your certificate first, get used to the airplane as-is with a Mooney-specific instructor, ensure you have a healthy engine, and the rest of your upgrades will fall into place.  Fly safe and a pre-emptive congrats on your purchase.

Steve

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6 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

 

Unless I can afford a new engine anytime I like, I wouldn't fly a Mooney without a good engine monitor. Do it.

If you can't afford to put a new engine on it, you shouldn't buy an airplane. 

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Hi everyone.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I've enjoyed reading them and look forward to any more that come my way. It does seem like the engine monitor is the way to go as far as a panel upgrade is concerned. This money is supposed to be used for something considered to be an 'upgrade' to the aircraft, so technically I can't use it for something considered maintenance, if that makes sense.

I have indeed considered the shoulder harness upgrade for the front seats. I've only been able to find one manufacturer, Alpha Aviation, that sells them. Are there other sources to obtain these parts? I know everything in aviation is expensive but $500 per seat belt seems high to me (but maybe it isn't?).

I don't mind putting in the work to assist installing items to save some cash. I am actually looking forward to my first (owner assisted) annual to really get to know my plane. Let's just say I hope the comment about a $10k annual isn't something that is a rule of thumb. It just went through an extensive pre-buy and I would be disappointed if that many items came up right off that bat. That said, again, everything in aviation is expensive!

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2 minutes ago, nightmoves said:

I have indeed considered the shoulder harness upgrade for the front seats. I've only been able to find one manufacturer, Alpha Aviation, that sells them. Are there other sources to obtain these parts? I know everything in aviation is expensive but $500 per seat belt seems high to me (but maybe it isn't?).

Worth every penny.

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11 minutes ago, nightmoves said:

Hi everyone.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I've enjoyed reading them and look forward to any more that come my way. It does seem like the engine monitor is the way to go as far as a panel upgrade is concerned. This money is supposed to be used for something considered to be an 'upgrade' to the aircraft, so technically I can't use it for something considered maintenance, if that makes sense.

I have indeed considered the shoulder harness upgrade for the front seats. I've only been able to find one manufacturer, Alpha Aviation, that sells them. Are there other sources to obtain these parts? I know everything in aviation is expensive but $500 per seat belt seems high to me (but maybe it isn't?).

I don't mind putting in the work to assist installing items to save some cash. I am actually looking forward to my first (owner assisted) annual to really get to know my plane. Let's just say I hope the comment about a $10k annual isn't something that is a rule of thumb. It just went through an extensive pre-buy and I would be disappointed if that many items came up right off that bat. That said, again, everything in aviation is expensive!

I would not think that an engine monitor which will add value to the plane (collateral) as much as a speed mod or a radio would be a maintenance expense. I suppose that's the spirit of the lender's rather unusual requirement. Money you might spend on new tires, a battery, a starter, an alternator, brake pads/disks,  a fuel pump. or a muffler (all of which could be necessary at almost any time:() would not count toward your $3000 in upgrades requirement.  

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2 hours ago, nightmoves said:

I have indeed considered the shoulder harness upgrade for the front seats. I've only been able to find one manufacturer, Alpha Aviation, that sells them. Are there other sources to obtain these parts? I know everything in aviation is expensive but $500 per seat belt seems high to me (but maybe it isn't?).

I agree--simple thievery and monopolization. I bought a used set of AmSafes that looked new for $200 both sides. The FAA is very 'loose' on shoulder belts in the cockpit--they would rather you have something than nothing at all and for some reason they can't force a mandate.

Installation was trivial until I got to the clamps that hold the shoulder strap for the pilot. I invented a slew of new expletives and most likely will spend eternity removing and reinstalling that damn clamp on Satan's E.

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2 minutes ago, HRM said:

I agree--simple thievery and monopolization. I bought a used set of AmSafes that looked new for $200 both sides. The FAA is very 'loose' on shoulder belts in the cockpit--they would rather you have something than nothing at all and for some reason they can't force a mandate.

Installation was trivial until I got to the clamps that hold the shoulder strap for the pilot. I invented a slew of new expletives and most likely will spend eternity removing and reinstalling that damn clamp on Satan's E.

I purposely did the LH side first, I wanted to get it out of the way. It was indeed a beast... The RH side was a piece of cake.

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