Thoughts on Lynx 9000 with recent events?

[tigers2007]

This is what a software engineer and former employee of L3 Aviation Products says. His opinion of his former employer is very interesting and very telling.  "Do yourself a favor and keep looking somewhere else. L3 has a lot of great people but the corporation is just worried about making the numbers look good instead of actually making greats products." 

Yeah but this is more likely a simple software fix. I certainly don’t expect them to bring serious feature upgrades the table but I feel confident they’ll at least fix the stupid GPS/Mayan calendar problem.

I just wish I waited a couple months to get the free ATAS that is like standard now. I have read anecdotes that they hand out free upgrade certs at Oshkosh, SnF, etc. I suppose that might dry up if they indeed decide to back away from the GA market.

Regardless, L3 isn’t a newcomer to the avionics field and it’s certainly not going out of business.


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[Marauder]

This is what a software engineer and former employee of L3 Aviation Products says. His opinion of his former employer is very interesting and very telling.  "Do yourself a favor and keep looking somewhere else. L3 has a lot of great people but the corporation is just worried about making the numbers look good instead of actually making greats products." 

Can I ask you a few questions? You seem to be plugged into a series of sources for information on the GA avionics market. Some of which I find interesting. Like announcing to us here on MooneySpace that the Garmin G3X was going to be released as certified product.

As someone who works in another industry making electronic equipment, I am trying to understand how someone who is not an insider has NPI information way before even authorized dealers are made aware.

Are you a Garmin employee? Do you have ties to Garmin employees? Are you a supplier to the industry? Are you part of the investment community who are doing market analysis of the GA avionics industry? There are just too many statements like this one about a former L-3 employee that just aren’t mainstream. I’m just curious how an individual can provide this much detail without a tie into the industry.


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[Skates97]

43 minutes ago, Marauder said:

Can I ask you a few questions? You seem to be plugged into a series of sources for information on the GA avionics market. Some of which I find interesting. Like announcing to us here on MooneySpace that the Garmin G3X was going to be released as certified product.

As someone who works in another industry making electronic equipment, I am trying to understand how someone who is not an insider has NPI information way before even authorized dealers are made aware.

Are you a Garmin employee? Do you have ties to Garmin employees? Are you a supplier to the industry? Are you part of the investment community who are doing market analysis of the GA avionics industry? There are just too many statements like this one about a former L-3 employee that just aren’t mainstream. I’m just curious how an individual can provide this much detail without a tie into the industry.


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And perhaps the most important question, if you answer Marauder's questions, will you have to kill us?

[Igor_U]

19 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

And perhaps the most important question, if you answer Marauder's questions, will you have to kill us?

I doubt about Garmin but L3 is another story. Company is supplier for Defense, communication, surveillance and intelligence systems and AFIK their commercial (let alone GA) segment is very small portion of the portfolio. They acquired a lot of smaller companies over last couple of decades in US and internationally. GA avionics is just a blip on their radar and could be dropped or sold as easy as it was acquired if board decides "it's not their core business" ... I've seen it before .

 

 

[sw1024]

Alot of great comments and insights--which is why I am a habitual Mooneyspace lurker.  Seriously, my wife makes fun of me.

Guess the real question comes down to L3's future in GA.  I can understand glitches and the need for software fixes--even if they do require travel to a dealer, as unappealing as that sounds in today's crowded avionic shops.  But if they are planning on exiting GA, that's a tough pill to swallow for those that own the units or maybe thinking about getting into one late in the game (me).

I appreciated what they brought to the table when they introduced this box--in many ways they were a "disrupter" despite being a large company.  Nobody was doing what they did--especially Garmin--at the time.  I am surprised that there aren't other in/out option at this point from other companies--start ups or big corps.  They marketed the Lynx in some respects as being a future proof option--the idea that more capabilities could be added to the existing hardware down the road.  The ability to display what it does...or upgrade to something like active traffic is very appealing.  Not sure who else is doing that...

Wish they would provide some insight as to the their future plans--sort of was hoping they might say or do something when Garmin released the new 375.  But maybe they just want to do big money military stuff now.  Too bad...sadly it appears that I'll end up rolling over and capitulating to big G.  I have no beef with Garmin--have three of their products in my panel now...just don't like their approach to keeping every single thing Garmin centric.  If I fork out thousands for an in/out solution...would at least hope to have the flexibility to run the data to a non-Garmin owned app--like Fly Q.  That's a $200 problem though...back to Foreflight.

[m20kmooney]

3 hours ago, Marauder said:

Are you a Garmin employee? Do you have ties to Garmin employees? Are you a supplier to the industry? Are you part of the investment community who are doing market analysis of the GA avionics industry? There are just too many statements like this one about a former L-3 employee that just aren’t mainstream.

Try to follow: No, No, No and No. I'm just that good! If you were as good as I am you would know too. As you would know that the info from the former L3 employee is public record. But you're just not as good!

Edited April 25, 2019 by m20kmooney

[m20kmooney]

5 hours ago, tigers2007 said:

 

Yeah but this is more likely a simple software fix. I certainly don’t expect them to bring serious feature upgrades the table but I feel confident they’ll at least fix the stupid GPS/Mayan calendar problem.

I just wish I waited a couple months to get the free ATAS that is like standard now. I have read anecdotes that they hand out free upgrade certs at Oshkosh, SnF, etc. I suppose that might dry up if they indeed decide to back away from the GA market.

Regardless, L3 isn’t a newcomer to the avionics field and it’s certainly not going out of business.


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I agree. But their GA boxes will be (are) orphaned and it's not good news for those who bought into them. 

Edited April 25, 2019 by m20kmooney

[Andy95W]

[flyingcheesehead]

59 minutes ago, m20kmooney said:

Try to follow: No, No, No and No. I'm just that good! If you were as good as I am you would know too. As you would know that the info from the former L3 employee is public record. But you're just not as good!

*hard eye roll*

That's a copy and paste from indeed.com, not an avionics recommendation:

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/L3-Technologies/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Sarasota%2C+FL

(about halfway down the page)

[Oldguy]

11 minutes ago, flyingcheesehead said:

*hard eye roll*

That's a copy and paste from indeed.com, not an avionics recommendation:

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/L3-Technologies/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Sarasota%2C+FL

(about halfway down the page)

From 2017.....

[MBDiagMan]

Until the 175 and 375 were released I was a Lynx proponent.  Even without the Lynx bugs, the 375 is so much more for a little bit more money.  You can’t use a Lynx as a Navigtor, only a graphic transponder.

[flumag]

latest update from L3:

This message intends to provide our valued Lynx customers with additional information on the solution for the Lynx FIS-B weather product unavailability occurring after the GPS Epoch rollover.  A software update has been implemented. Flight test, formal testing and certification activities are in process.  A field loadable software release will be provided via the L3 ACSS customer support portal (https://support.acsscustomerservices.com/ACSS/support.aspx ) to address this issue prior to the previously scheduled Traffic Display Improvement software release.  Details and timing of both software releases are provided below to help the user determine the best timing for update of their Lynx system.  All registered users of the L3 ACSS customer support portal will be notified when the software releases are available. 

FIS-B Weather Restoration (version 3.2.1) – Projected availability on or before May 15, 2019.

·         Resolves the issue with NGT-9000 panel mounted Lynx units where weather product data has not been available since the GPS Epoch roll over on April 6, 2019.

Traffic Display Improvement software update (version 3.2.2) – Projected availability on or before June 20, 2019.

·         Includes Weather product update above (3.2.1)

·         Addresses traffic fail symptom seen intermittently, primarily in New Jersey region. 

·         Low speed heading availability update, addressing some Alaska operators with no external heading source

 

Both software releases are highly recommended.

As a reminder, the transponder and ADS-B Out functions are not impacted and the system continues to comply with these regulatory requirements.  

If you have any questions, please contact ACSS Customer Support at (623) 445-7070 option 3 orcrc.acss@l3t.com.

We appreciate your patience as we resolve these issues.

[Mac80]

https://www.indeed.com/companies/compare/2dd9d24593bb99ad-51950f33b6a590d5
 

Garmin vs L3

appears employee ratings are same

Sure did like the features of L3 ABS-D  transponder 

I wish L3 ACSS was still innovating in the general aviation sector

Recently replaced bad screen on Lynx 9000 from factory trade in

2 great employee helpers 2 not so great

Overall satisfied with cost and service.

Garmin has seemed to nailed it with their auto land on new Cirrus Jet

Come on L3 show us your stuff again

[jamesm]

I have pretty much has been nothing but nightmare on the installation of my NGT9000+ in a 67C. When I did have  to contact L3 they were very knowledgeable and helpful  and patient on help update the software on NGT9000+ about 2 years ago. I was going to wait let someone else be the guinea pig on the latest software. 

The original installer hosed me royally. I have had to redo their all of their coax cables  assembly and WiFI which wasn't entirely their fault but they are such pita to deal  with I did myself and help from L3 and I was able  to get WiFI issues  resolved.

 

James '67C

Edited September 23, 2021 by jamesm