Anyone taking advantage of JPI's upgrade of an older EDM930 to a newer EDM930 for $500?

[Moonbat]

My EDM 930 is p/n: 790000-C-624, s/n: 01834. The newer EDM930 units obviously have newer firmware and feature a much faster sample rate than the 1 sample every 6 seconds that mine has. The newer units are also the tiniest bit larger than the old units and simply can't fit into my panel without cutting into structural tubes!  See the attached drawing for the gory details. The last few times I have tried to download data from my EDM930, after happily doing this same thing for many years, the EDM930 unit began behaving differently. For example, when I plug in the memory stick to the USB port on the front of the unit, the unit detects that event as before and asks if I want to download the new data only, or change the settings. I usually select new data only. Instead of downloading the data file as it has for many years, the screen displays “Syncing… “ and then a countdown of sync files from about 50 or so down to 1 is displayed, then a very abbreviated download occurs. It produces only a tiny 3-4KB file on the memory stick. I can see that the file contains only some header information and contains no real engine data at all. I can tell this is the case, because I compared the abbreviated download file to some previous downloads. When I try to read that small data file in EZ Trends, the EZ Trends software can’t even load the data file, complaining that there is “No Flight Data in Download”. Indeed that is the case. 

Tech Support at JPI is... well, not helpful. I'd happily pay the $500 upgrade and move up to the newer EDM930 units BUT IT WILL NOT FIT INTO MY PANEL WITHOUT MAJOR CHANGES TO THE PANEL. The Tech Support guy there just keeps repeating, "we don't support the older units any longer..." rather than giving some real help. 

JPI will "upgrade" an older EDM930 to a newer EDM930 for $500 plus your old unit as a "core". If any of you folks are planning to do this upgrade with JPI, AND your old EDM930 is still working 100% properly including data downloads to a memory stick, I would like your old EDM930 and will give you mine plus $100 if you give me your working unit. You can then send in my unit for the exchange core for an effective $400 exchange, and I will use your old unit, and, with luck, have the data downloads working properly once again. 

[carusoam]

If you are really stuck at a sample rate of one every six seconds....

And you can get one every second... do it!

If you have ever tried to diagnose a cylinder or timing challenge... the run-up for six second sample rates takes forever.... and often misses the data you are trying to catch...

PP thoughts based on some data we have seen around here...

Here’s my run-up.... why does my graph not show the two independent peaks I heard while doing the run-up?

Sound familiar? 

Best regards,

-a-

[Awful_Charlie]

I have no idea what a 930 does, but an 800 increases the sample rate to 1 per second when you go into lean find mode.

For your existing download issue, I would first try clearing all the files from the USB stick, and if that's no good, then (re)setting the clock, do a full download and then go fly and try an incremental download.

Good luck with your upgrade if none of the above is any use

[bradp]

There’s a setting on my 730 to increase data sample rate. Hard to believe the 930 doesn’t have that. 

[Moonbat]

I know it is hard to believe, but I have gone beyond "knee deep" into this with the tech support person at JPI. For certain serial numbers and older, there is no feature in the firmware to do this AND there is no upgrade to the firmware to fix this problem, presumably because the firmware memory is not large enough to absorb the newer firmware releases. The older firmware versions of the EDM930, like the one I have, sample and store once per six seconds normally, and once per second during Lean Find operation. To get the newer firmware releases, one must do the $500 upgrade and turn in the old unit, BUT the upgrade unit is dimensionally different enough that I can't use it. 

[LANCECASPER]

2 hours ago, Moonbat said:

I know it is hard to believe, but I have gone beyond "knee deep" into this with the tech support person at JPI. For certain serial numbers and older, there is no feature in the firmware to do this AND there is no upgrade to the firmware to fix this problem, presumably because the firmware memory is not large enough to absorb the newer firmware releases. The older firmware versions of the EDM930, like the one I have, sample and store once per six seconds normally, and once per second during Lean Find operation. To get the newer firmware releases, one must do the $500 upgrade and turn in the old unit, BUT the upgrade unit is dimensionally different enough that I can't use it. 

Post a picture of your panel. There are some creative people on Mooneyspace.

[LANCECASPER]

On 5/19/2021 at 8:58 PM, Moonbat said:

Tech Support at JPI is... well, not helpful. I'd happily pay the $500 upgrade and move up to the newer EDM930 units BUT IT WILL NOT FIT INTO MY PANEL WITHOUT MAJOR CHANGES TO THE PANEL. The Tech Support guy there just keeps repeating, "we don't support the older units any longer..." rather than giving some real help. 

That may not be the answer you want to hear, but if parts aren't available to support the unit there's not much they can do. The older less accurate analog instruments could be repaired and we all got used to that. The newer instruments with LCD displays are much more accurate and offer a lot of advantages, but electronics change very rapidly and the longevity and 20-30 year repair by an independent instrument shop is not going to happen.

@Aerodon here on Mooneyspace is good at building panels

[Aerodon]

Yeah, send me a pm, I can supply and EDM900 for you with a panel to match your old cutout to make this work.  Or take JPI's offer and get a nice new EDM930 and find a way to make it fit.  I have several Mooney panel templates in my library, I can do a special deal on a new panel for you.  Use the opportunity to do some other upgrades too.

Sometimes you gotta look at things as 'I got enough mileage out of those old tires'.  Its not like you were totally burned like Navworx and Sandia instruments turning into bricks.  My MacBook is 7 years old, battery failing, time for a new one.  Just hanging in for the next generation.

 

 

[2105T]

Can you provide information about the upgrade?  I don’t see anything offhand on their website.  I’d be interested.  Where did you find out about it?

[carusoam]

Welcome back 2105T!

Long time no see!

Let’s ask @LANCECASPER your question...

Best regards,

-a-

[LANCECASPER]

There's nothing on JPI's website since this is a service item, but it's something that they are apparently offering to users of the older stye JPI930. For $500 that's a deal since the new display has better resolution and it's a faster processor, more memory, etc. I have always found JPI to be extremely fair in their service pricing- they replaced the display in a EDM700 that I had for $300 and gave me the choice of going to the larger 3-1/8 size. 

To give you a comparison Electronics international charges $1495 for a new display on their MVP-50 

 

[Moonbat]

1. I am not concerned over the $500 upgrade from a JPI EDM930 (early serial number) to a JPI EDM930 (newer serial number). That seems very reasonable.

2. For those who are *really* into this, note that even the older firmware goes into a higher sample rate mode of 1 sps (up from 1 sample per 6 seconds) during LeanFind operations. 

3. The upgraded unit does have better color display, updated firmware and a higher sample rate capability... along with the increase in dimensions of the frame. The upgraded display is what causes the small increase in dimension. 

4. It is just my bad luck that the JPI EDM unit in my panel layout is right up against the structural member of the aircraft frame. The “201 style” windshield mods, cowling mods, turbo mods, etc., all come into play.

5. Below are pictures of Casper’s (N3215F) panel. I really love it as is! I suspect moving the Avionics switch, the autopilot and the EDM930 downward in a new layout would solve the dimensional problem with the EDM930 “upgrade”, but I do not judge it to be worthwhile... yet. Especially after gaining a “0 SMOH” entry in my engine log book less than a year ago! 

6. My experiences with Tech Support at JPI is not the worst I have experienced in the industry. (I reserve that title for a vacuum-powered HSI manufacturer.) Definitely “mid-range” though. ‘Nuf said, as I am sure they are trying their best. 

7. I should stop whining... life is pretty darn good as is. 
panel. 

[LANCECASPER]

1 hour ago, Moonbat said:

4. It is just my bad luck that the JPI EDM unit in my panel layout is right up against the structural member of the aircraft frame. The “201 style” windshield mods, cowling mods, turbo mods, etc., all come into play.

Is it the additional .07" height of the new unit that is the problem? Or is the additional .22 width the problem? Or both?

The reason I ask is that if it's just the height, .07", is it possible to make screw holes a little bigger in the panel and have washers painted the color of your panel or same length screws with larger heads to cover up the larger hole?