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AUTOPILOT UPGRADE


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My M20C have still functional vintage 2 axis Autopilot P2A (Astronautic). Considering upgrade to 3 axis.

Please, can anyone advise an reasonable option?

Somewhere heard, that some time ago a company offered add-ons to turn that into a full-fledget, navigation-tracking three axis autopilot.

Thanks,

milos


 

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Mine was Pathfinder as well in my 76F.  However it is INOP.  I am being patient for the Garmin GFC 500.   There are several threads about the AP market today with Trutrak, Trio (they bailed out on Mooney) and Garmin all coming in with a more reasonably price option for our vintage birds.

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2 hours ago, wcb said:

Mine was Pathfinder as well in my 76F.  However it is INOP.  I am being patient for the Garmin GFC 500.   There are several threads about the AP market today with Trutrak, Trio (they bailed out on Mooney) and Garmin all coming in with a more reasonably price option for our vintage birds.

According to this ad on Barnstormers, Looks like Trio (STC Group) is back in the race for the Mooney: « The Trio Avionics Pro Pilot Autopilot is STC’d for Cessna 172, 175, 177, 180, 182, 185, 190, 195, LC-126 (C210G - C210J - Fall 2019, Grumman AA-5, AA-5A, AA-5B, AG-5B, & Piper PA-28, (PA-32 June 2019), Socata TB models - Fall 2019, Mooney M-20 & Navion - Winter 2019. »

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One of my fly buds is installing a pro pilot in his skylane as I type... looks like a great little unit. More buttons than trutrac. I’m waiting to see if trutrac will have the stc for mooney at Oshkosh this year as predicted. I’m hopeful they will get it done and it’s whoever gets one to market first besides Garmin for me.

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I am upgrading an STEC 50 to the new STEC 3100 in my old short body.

Both are 2 axis (pitch, roll) but while the 50 can only do p-altitude hold the digital 3100 will track a glide-slope, maintain rate of climb/descent or maintain IAS. It has safety features like straight and level and upset recovery.

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I am upgrading an STEC 50 to the new STEC 3100 in my old short body.
Both are 2 axis (pitch, roll) but while the 50 can only do p-altitude hold the digital 3100 will track a glide-slope, maintain rate of climb/descent or maintain IAS. It has safety features like straight and level and upset recovery.

Are you going to add auto trim?


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  • 1 month later...

Having just returned from Oshkosh, I can report there is no Trutrac stc announcement...in fact, they haven't finished testing on the mooney much less turned in the paperwork to the FAA. Best case will take another 4 months according to the gentleman behind the counter working the booth. Unfortunately, I've learned 4 months in aviation time is sort of like Tulsa time...maybe worse. What complicates even more, BK has purchased Trutrac, so who knows what that might turn out like.

I did pop into the Garmin booth to check out the new G3X touch coupled to the GFC500 which still won't work without a G5 (unless you have room to leave some steam gauges, which you won't)...Garmin has managed to get that setup to cost 35,000 with trim option.

Thankfully my old autopilot worked so I didn't have to handfly all the way up there from Texas and back, but I am very disappointed.

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So, I'm wondering what my options are at this juncture. Currently have a Century IIB that works about 3/4ths of the time...have affectionately renamed it "Crazy Ivan" after the Russian Submarine maneuver in the movies. What I'm hoping is, one of you J model owners might have found a decent setup...something that has altitude hold at least. I've seen some S tec units coming on line for sale (take-outs) and maybe I could hanger ferry one to work in my airplane. Hoping someone with product knowledge can weigh in.

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27 minutes ago, Sandman993 said:

So, I'm wondering what my options are at this juncture. Currently have a Century IIB that works about 3/4ths of the time...have affectionately renamed it "Crazy Ivan" after the Russian Submarine maneuver in the movies. What I'm hoping is, one of you J model owners might have found a decent setup...something that has altitude hold at least. I've seen some S tec units coming on line for sale (take-outs) and maybe I could hanger ferry one to work in my airplane. Hoping someone with product knowledge can weigh in.

The GFC500 is probably the only semi-economy model currently available for the J, you might be able work with an official Garmin shop so the hangar fairy/A&P pre-installed the G5s and pre-wired everything else so that all the avionics folks had to do was the actual GFC 500.

The problem with the STEC used gear  is that STEC is generally very protective of their STCs so that it can cost almost as much as new gear if you want to use a used STEC.

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Dynon said Mooneys are "on the short list" for autopilot work. When pressed further, I was told sometime in 2020, probably. Of course you'll need the Skyview HDX system (including backup D10A) to run the autopilot. It is a compelling value against the competition, but sadly not ready for us yet...

I would think autopilot approvals will go steadily for them now that they have the expanded AML for the basic HDX system.

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1 hour ago, Sandman993 said:

So, I'm wondering what my options are at this juncture. Currently have a Century IIB that works about 3/4ths of the time...have affectionately renamed it "Crazy Ivan" after the Russian Submarine maneuver in the movies. What I'm hoping is, one of you J model owners might have found a decent setup...something that has altitude hold at least. I've seen some S tec units coming on line for sale (take-outs) and maybe I could hanger ferry one to work in my airplane. Hoping someone with product knowledge can weigh in.

Have you taken it to Mineral Wells? They straightened out the C III in another Mooney from here well enough the owners almost regretted selling the plane. They had fought with it for years before taking it to the factory, and the folks there found so much out of whack they wondered how it ever worked at all.

Just a thought, as I seem to recall you might be in Texas somewhere?

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Yes... I have spoken with someone in mineral wells earlier this year and was about to make an appointment, but rumors had tru trak about to launch so I was waiting. The early rumors started last January and built up to a big let down at Oshkosh. I should call century back and see what if anything they could add to this setup to make mine a 2 axis. A few yrs ago someone said they heard there was an stec add on for alt, but I never pursued that. I’m just completely tired of the lip service and tired of waiting on the joy of a reliable autopilot. People say jump on the Garmin, but they made their affordable autopilots cost way over 20k... and that’s for the bare bones one... 35k if you want the A game.

i already have 140 in this 100k ship so another 35 just is a bad economic decision. If people would only do what they say, without all the “piss on your leg and tell you it’s raining” life would be a lot simpler.

can you tell how disenchanted I am? The rose is off the bloom! 

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  • 1 year later...
On 6/9/2019 at 3:17 PM, wcb said:

Mine was Pathfinder as well in my 76F.  However it is INOP.  I am being patient for the Garmin GFC 500.   There are several threads about the AP market today with Trutrak, Trio (they bailed out on Mooney) and Garmin all coming in with a more reasonably price option for our vintage birds.

Check eBay for Pathfinder P3B with all the parts removed for upgrade. Missing alt hold module.

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1 hour ago, Dfili said:

Check eBay for Pathfinder P3B with all the parts removed for upgrade. Missing alt hold module.

My P2Ais Working again. In any case thanks for your offer.

Link?

Considering Garmin GFC 500 + 2x G5 Glass combo next year.

 

P.S. VFR warrior only

lg,

m

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That's the system I have. I don't have the pitch control but I have nav tracking. Its a high maintenance autopilot with a row of pots that require somewhat regular tuning to work well. Ultimately I just set the heading bug and it follow that. Anything more isn't really worth it.

 

-robert

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1 hour ago, RobertGary1 said:

That's the system I have. I don't have the pitch control but I have nav tracking. Its a high maintenance autopilot with a row of pots that require somewhat regular tuning to work well. Ultimately I just set the heading bug and it follow that. Anything more isn't really worth it.

 

-robert

Hi Robert,

Please, could you send me instructions for  "Tuning & setup"?

I have P2A system (Aileron only, single axis), because of  short circuit the replacement of Amplifier Servo was needed (from C182...)

Now (after Servo replacement) in "HDG" mode my bird does not fly straight, but makes "S" turns.

According what I found the "Dither amplifier adjustment"(with Dither Adjustment Pot?) is needed.

How should I do it? 

P.S. 

Below link to thread about P2A

Thanks in advance,

Milos

 

 

 

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