GFC 500 and G3X Touch Ovation

[PMcClure]

Hi everyone - just wanted to update you on 51K. I just passed 7 years of ownership with this bird. My oldest son graduated from Auburn and moved to Dallas and started a career in Civil Engineering! Whoop whoop. Momma sees lot more trips to Dallas in coming years. Once recent return trip was 2.5 hours to East Alabama! What a plane (and tailwind). No wind, it is a 3 hour trip to McKinny airport. 

But the roll servo on my KFC 225 went out (again) in IMC. These servos or the King 256 AI go out like clock work every 2 years. I hand flew the plane with no issues but my wife noted me fighting the A/P before disconnecting and asked me about the issue. It lead to a discussion and new plan for the G3X Touch and GFC 500 Autopilot upgrade. 

We are doing it locally at Holder Aviation (KPLR). We will replace all the steam gauges with the G3X and keep the G500 for back-up. I have a GNS530w/430 for com and nav. Current panel pix here. We will also replace the EDM 700 and Moritz gauges for the integrated engine monitor on the G3X.

I will post some pix during and after. I have read through the threads here and took a lot of good info. Let me know if you have any personal recommendations based on experience with these systems. One question is where to mount the GFC 500. I don't think there will be room in the KFC 225 slot.

[Oldguy]

You might check out the install @PJClark has for his K. Don't know if you have as much height as his panel, but you probably should have similar width.

 

 

[MIm20c]

I’d drop the stack and put it on top. It’ll fit the black piece is just a filler. 

[carusoam]

Stop by and see what DonKaye has in his collection of pics...

Pretty much the latest in G hardware in a Bravo panel.

Congrats on getting the boy through Auburn.  I know somebody scheduled to graduate this year, as a civil engineer. Ask your son if he knows Jake W. 

Go War Eagles!

Best regards,

-a-

[PMcClure]

16 hours ago, MIm20c said:

I’d drop the stack and put it on top. It’ll fit the black piece is just a filler. 

Sounds like a solid recommendation. I'll discuss this with the shop. 

 

[PMcClure]

9 hours ago, carusoam said:

Stop by and see what DonKaye has in his collection of pics...

Pretty much the latest in G hardware in a Bravo panel.

Congrats on getting the boy through Auburn.  I know somebody scheduled to graduate this year, as a civil engineer. Ask your son if he knows Jake W. 

Go War Eagles!

Best regards,

-a-

I saw the pics of Don Kaye's Bravo. My application will be a little different in the Ovation panel and keeping the legacy GTN 530/430 for now. 

War Eagle - technically, it is Go Tigers! But we have a lot of strange customs....

Kevin knows of a Jake but not sure - typical engineer I guess. We are proud of him;  he has a visual impairment and had to work hard to get this far in life. Lots of answered prayers to see that kid start a career and live on his own. He was my first passenger as a new pilot and also my 1st passenger in my 1st Mooney. 

[Oldguy]

5 hours ago, PMcClure said:

Sounds like a solid recommendation. I'll discuss this with the shop. 

 

Lewis is going to love unriveting everything in the stack....

[laytonl]

Okay, let’s get this straight,

The football team is known as the “Tigers”

The rallying cry is “War Eagle”        (This from a legend about a civil war veteran attending a game)

People who go to Auburn are known as “Plainsmen”.      (At one time Auburn was a men’s college and it is located on the plains of Alabama.)

At least this who I think we are!  

Lee

BSEE, Auburn ‘77

 

[PJClark]

Nobody really knows who we are.  Just say War Damn Eagle and have done!

PJ--BSEE Auburn '82

[carusoam]

Sending an invite to @Hank... my other friend from Auburn...    IIRC...

Best regards,

-a-

 

[Hank]

War Eagle, ya'll!  

BSME, Auburn, '86

(the glory years with Bo)

P.S.--if ya'll need any gear, send a PM. I work n Opelika now . . . .

Edited January 17, 2020 by Hank

[PMcClure]

War Eagle!

BSME 1992

Wife, brother, 3 children, niece, nephew future daughter in law all went/go to Auburn. All in  

[PMcClure]

Checking during the upgrade is never comforting......

 

[Andy95W]

"Hey, Bob- where does this white wire go?"

[PJClark]

Yikes!

[ArtVandelay]

I would replace the defrost hoses now while it’s a trivial job, it won’t be if you have to do it later.

[kris_adams]

I didn't have the height to put the autopilot on the center stack (where I originally intended)-so we ended putting it between the g3x and the center stack.  I'll include a pic of one of my test flights.  After many flights, I'm loving the location.  Compared to my old Century IIB autopilot, I do a lot more knob pushing and really like that the autopilot is right at hand.  I'm extremely pleased with the results and the overall capabilities of the g3x/gfc500.  I think the pair could practically put the plane on runway if needed. (as far as being slightly left center, I thought it would be a big deal but I don't even notice it at all).  Sorry not the best of pics but that's all I have right now.

[CharlesHuddleston]

Hey @Kris_Adams, where did you get the lighted rocker switches? Those are also pretty sweet!

[kris_adams]

20 hours ago, CharlesHuddleston said:

Hey @Kris_Adams, where did you get the lighted rocker switches? Those are also pretty sweet!

Precision Avionics installed them. They are such an improvement.

[amillet]

 I first thought 1051K in the thread title meant the cost of the panel upgrade was $105,100.  I see now that is your tail number. How far off was I on the cost?

[PMcClure]

53 minutes ago, amillet said:

 I first thought 1051K in the thread title meant the cost of the panel upgrade was $105,100.  I see now that is your tail number. How far off was I on the cost?

Thankfully way off!

[Davidv]

On 2/25/2020 at 6:43 PM, PMcClure said:

Checking during the upgrade is never comforting......

 

When you turn your landing light on and your gear goes down you'll know why .

Sometimes we complain about avionics shops but given the complexity of this it always amazes me that they get it *mostly* right when you pick it up.  Their hourly rate is still about 50% of what some German car dealerships are going to charge you for labor rates (which is why you only go to them when someone else is paying).

[NicoN]

What's wrong?

In my dreams, after such an avionics upgrade there is only a thin cable left for  the CAN-Bus hopping from one device to the next and maybe a few thin, short cables for addtional RS232 or ARINC for special purposes. And 2 little hoses for static and pitot. That's it. Lots of air and space behind the panel.

But yours looks different. Hope, this picture was taken BEFORE the big pull of cable removing 

[PMcClure]

4 hours ago, NicoN said:

What's wrong?

In my dreams, after such an avionics upgrade there is only a thin cable left for  the CAN-Bus hopping from one device to the next and maybe a few thin, short cables for addtional RS232 or ARINC for special purposes. And 2 little hoses for static and pitot. That's it. Lots of air and space behind the panel.

But yours looks different. Hope, this picture was taken BEFORE the big pull of cable removing 

Not exactly sure, but assume this is still in the tear down phase of the project. I believe a lot of these wires will be removed. 

[PMcClure]

Considering adding a GTN750, Flight Stream 510 (connects iPad to 750) and removing my 530w. That is some serious project creep. Any thoughts from users of the 750 and flight stream? Any experience selling 530w? Seems like they have been going from $7500 - $10k on ebay. 

Another question - keep the OEM clock/timer?