Please help me spend $50,000

[Glen Davis]

I need some help with panel updating ideas.  This is what you need to know to answer my request accurately.

1. I'm 64 years old

2. I've been a pilot for 45 years

3. I've owned many aircraft

4. I bought this Mooney about 6 months ago

5. It has 1100 hours SMOH and 4000 TT

6. I have a commercial, Instrument and CFII (I don't instruct in this Mooney)

7. I file IFR always but never in really bad/low weather.

8. I will keep this aircraft until my flying days are over (hopefully 15 more years if all goes well)

9.  It's hangared

10. My wife said "do whatever you want".

11. I feel comfortable spending 50K on the panel, not more.

12. I live in the North East

13. The Garmin 530 is WAAS and was recertified at the factory last year.

14. My time behind glass is very limited but I am not afraid to learn.

Now the question:  What should I do to the panel?  See the picture attached of the current panel.  Also, what do you think I will realize when I sell the items coming out of the old panel.  Everything works except the ADF.

 

[KLRDMD]

This is what I'm doing to my 310. I recently upgraded my JPI 760 to a 790 and had the LHS kit installed. Personally I'm not a Garmin fan.

Evolution 2000 MAX (Pro MAX PFD, MFD1000 Multi-function display with External Battery)

Evolution Synthetic Vision for PFD and MFD

Dual flush mount kit

Avidyne SkyTrax 100 ADS-B In Receiver (Note: there is a free software upgrade to make it a Skytrax 200, dual band IN. I already have a GDL82 for ADS-B OUT)

IFD540

PSE450B

Have a new panel fabricated and install the above. In your case swap your 530 for a 540. All of the above will be under your budget.

[ragedracer1977]

Was the upgrade to the 790 pretty straight forward? I'm thinking of doing the same.  The 760 has been back to EI 4 times for failing displays.  Not sure I want to send it back a 5th

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, Glen Davis said:

I need some help with panel updating ideas.  This is what you need to know to answer my request accurately.

1. I'm 64 years old

2. I've been a pilot for 45 years

3. I've owned many aircraft

4. I bought this Mooney about 6 months ago

5. It has 1100 hours SMOH and 4000 TT

6. I have a commercial, Instrument and CFII (I don't instruct in this Mooney)

7. I file IFR always but never in really bad/low weather.

8. I will keep this aircraft until my flying days are over (hopefully 15 more years if all goes well)

9.  It's hangared

10. My wife said "do whatever you want".

11. I feel comfortable spending 50K on the panel, not more.

12. I live in the North East

13. The Garmin 530 is WAAS and was recertified at the factory last year.

14. My time behind glass is very limited but I am not afraid to learn.

Now the question:  What should I do to the panel?  See the picture attached of the current panel.  Also, what do you think I will realize when I sell the items coming out of the old panel.  Everything works except the ADF.

 

I like your plans to fly for another 15 years in a well equipped plane!

Personally I’d go Garmin, but others might have different ideas.  If I was you, I’d get a G3x 10” w/eis, g5 backup, GTX345 transponder, and gfc500 autopilot.  Just keep the 530w.  This will involve getting a whole new panel.  All of this will be roughly $50k.  I might have put you slightly over, but not terribly. It will get you engine monitoring, adsb in and out, glass panel, and a very capable autopilot - trust me, you’ll definitely want the autopilot.

Id strongly recommend researching the shop you use as much as the actual gear you choose.  There are several that are well known a do fantastic work.  I’ve heard good things about Beagles in Colorado.  Where do you live?  What type of autopilot do you currently have?

Edited July 3, 2021 by Ragsf15e

[Glen Davis]

3 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

I like your plans to fly for another 15 years in a well equipped plane!

Personally I’d go Garmin, but others might have different ideas.  If I was you, I’d get a G3x 10” w/eis, g5 backup, GTX345 transponder, and gfc500 autopilot.  Just keep the 530w.  This will involve getting a whole new panel.  All of this will be roughly $50k.  I might have put you slightly over, but not terribly. It will get you engine monitoring, adsb in and out, glass panel, and a very capable autopilot - trust me, you’ll definitely want the autopilot.

Id strongly recommend researching the shop you use as much as the actual gear you choose.  There are several that are well known a do fantastic work.  I’ve heard good things about Beagles in Colorado.  Where do you live?  What type of autopilot do you currently have?

I have a KFC 150 AP and I’m in Maine. 

[Glen Davis]

52 minutes ago, KLRDMD said:

This is what I'm doing to my 310. I recently upgraded my JPI 760 to a 790 and had the LHS kit installed. Personally I'm not a Garmin fan.

Evolution 2000 MAX (Pro MAX PFD, MFD1000 Multi-function display with External Battery)

Evolution Synthetic Vision for PFD and MFD

Dual flush mount kit

Avidyne SkyTrax 100 ADS-B In Receiver (Note: there is a free software upgrade to make it a Skytrax 200, dual band IN. I already have a GDL82 for ADS-B OUT)

IFD540

PSE450B

Have a new panel fabricated and install the above. In your case swap your 530 for a 540. All of the above will be under your budget.

What is it you like about the evolution over the Garmin?

[KLRDMD]

3 minutes ago, Glen Davis said:

What is it you like about the evolution over the Garmin?

Pretty much you have to be all Garmin or no Garmin. As a general rule, mixing is a bad idea. I think Garmins are overpriced and lack functionality, as compared to Avidyne as an example. My panel will be built around the Avidyne 540. That's not Garmin therefore nothing else I add will be Garmin either.

There are plenty of people with Garmin blinders on that can see nothing but Garmin and I'm sure they'll be along soon enough.

[KLRDMD]

27 minutes ago, ragedracer1977 said:

Was the upgrade to the 790 pretty straight forward? I'm thinking of doing the same.  The 760 has been back to EI 4 times for failing displays.  Not sure I want to send it back a 5th

Very straightforward. I was going to recommend you do the same but you don't have the extra room around the 760 that I did so it will take a bit extra effort. It took me about four hours because I didn't know what I was doing. It is no more than a two hour job if you don't have to move it. I had an IA inspect and sign it off for me.

[KLRDMD]

Here is before and after on the JPI 760/790 upgrade.

Edited July 3, 2021 by KLRDMD

[ragedracer1977]

Yeah, I'll have to move mine.  I have a blank spot below the transponder.  It just has some switches mounted in it.  I can put the 760 there and just move the switches around.  Only question will be, how much extra wire is back there. Hopefully enough to move it a foot over 

Looking at your picture, my transponder is above where yours is. The bottom is the same as the bottom of your 760. So I could put mine in that space

Edited July 3, 2021 by ragedracer1977

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, Glen Davis said:

I have a KFC 150 AP and I’m in Maine. 

If you want to keep the kfc, then my setup wouldn’t work.  The g3x / g5 won’t drive that.  The gfc500 autopilot is modern and full function.  It’s definitely a significant upgrade.  If you don’t want a new autopilot, only new avionics, that will limit your choices.  From Garmin you will need either gi-275s or g500txi.  Nothing wrong with those, but it could drive cost and functionality.  Or Aspen will work as well.

Id think a lot about upgrading the autopilot before deciding on what else to put in because it will drive what you can or cannot do.

[Glen Davis]

I’m upgrading the AP. 

[Ragsf15e]

Just now, Glen Davis said:

I’m upgrading the AP. 

Well that decision alone makes it easier, because the only autopilot available is the garmin gfc500.  To run that you’ll need g5, g3x or GI275s.  I’d take this chance to get a full function digital engine monitor which is why I recommended the g3x 10” with eis.  It will be ballpark, but i bet @PT20J can give us an idea of cost for the gfc500, g3x w/eis, GTX345, g5 combo.

[PT20J]

I got four quotes. The low one seemed way too low and the high one seemed way too high. I picked the lower of the two in the middle because I'm familiar with that shop and they've done good work for me before and it is nearby for any follow up service. The project is to rip out everything retaining only the GTX 345, make new panels and install:

10.6" G3X Touch with EIS

G5

PMA 450B audio panel

GTN 650Xi GPS

GNC 255A Nav/Com 2

GFC 500 (roll, pitch, trim)

CiES fuel sending units

Guardian 451-101 CO detector

Equipment is $49,729. Installation is $28,600 (260 hrs.)

Skip

[Ragsf15e]

19 minutes ago, PT20J said:

I got four quotes. The low one seemed way too low and the high one seemed way too high. I picked the lower of the two in the middle because I'm familiar with that shop and they've done good work for me before and it is nearby for any follow up service. The project is to rip out everything retaining only the GTX 345, make new panels and install:

10.6" G3X Touch with EIS

G5

PMA 450B audio panel

GTN 650Xi GPS

GNC 255A Nav/Com 2

GFC 500 (roll, pitch, trim)

CiES fuel sending units

Guardian 451-101 CO detector

Equipment is $49,729. Installation is $28,600 (260 hrs.)

Skip

So the OP could probably leave out the gtn650, cies senders, radio 2, CO and audio panels and be close to his $50k.  It’s a great setup even with a gns530w and an older #2 radio.

[NJMac]

12 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

So the OP could probably leave out the gtn650, cies senders, radio 2, CO and audio panels and be close to his $50k.  It’s a great setup even with a gns530w and an older #2 radio.

I believe the ceis are required for Garmin engine monitoring.  Personally, if I loose a display,I don't want to loose engine data too which is why I'm doing the 930.

Check my thread.  I'm at 57amu I stalled for my setup. 

[PT20J]

17 minutes ago, NJMac said:

I believe the ceis are required for Garmin engine monitoring.  Personally, if I loose a display,I don't want to loose engine data too which is why I'm doing the 930.

Check my thread.  I'm at 57amu I stalled for my setup. 

Garmin fixed it recently (there’s another thread around somewhere here) so if your resistive sensors are in good shape, it’s supposed to work. One of mine is intermittent so I decided to just go all digital while it’s torn apart. 

[Ragsf15e]

3 hours ago, NJMac said:

I believe the ceis are required for Garmin engine monitoring.  Personally, if I loose a display,I don't want to loose engine data too which is why I'm doing the 930.

Check my thread.  I'm at 57amu I stalled for my setup. 

2x7”g3x is another option to keep eis separate.  Still need a g5.

[MBDiagMan]

If you don’t have an autopilot that would be number one.  Then I would put a JPI 930 to the right of the 530 and put in a GTX345.  But then, I like steam gauges.

[PT20J]

I wanted a GFC 500 to replace the aging KAP 150. Once I decided on that, the G3X/G5 was a logical choice. The rest I could have done without since the GNS 430W is fine and I already had the GTX 345 and that would be a good place to stop if I wanted to spread out the cost. I just wanted to tear things apart once and be done with it.

Skip

[Unit74]

Lets just be painfully honest here. You are not a spring chicken.  Dumping that much money in a toy when all it is gonna take is one trip to the Dr and you are grounded for life is not the best decision. Keep it the way it is, fly it, and take the $50k and blow it on vacations and such. Not trying to deflate you, but think about it from an unemotional viewpoint. The next guy will love you for it, but what will the actual time you get to use it? 

 

Go the doc and find out what the reality of your health is before blowing all that cash.  That's my take.

[Unit74]

4 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I don’t see how a 64 year old dude blowing 50K on his toy instead of vacations is any different than a younger dude doing the same, personally.  

I look at it from ROI. If I spend $50k, I want to use it for XX years. But yea, even if he gets a year out of it, if it makes him grin ear to ear for that year, its worth it to him I suppose. I wouldn't do it myself, but if I wanted to buy his plane, I'd be eggin' him on all day!

[Ulysse]

33 minutes ago, Unit74 said:

take the $50k and blow it on vacations

Vacation is going to last a few days or weeks but the plane can be enjoyed everyday. 

And who says that he prefers vacation rather than flying his plane? 

[ArtVandelay]

Lets just be painfully honest here. You are not a spring chicken.  Dumping that much money in a toy when all it is gonna take is one trip to the Dr and you are grounded for life is not the best decision. Keep it the way it is, fly it, and take the $50k and blow it on vacations and such. Not trying to deflate you, but think about it from an unemotional viewpoint. The next guy will love you for it, but what will the actual time you get to use it? 
 
Go the doc and find out what the reality of your health is before blowing all that cash.  That's my take.

You must be fun at parties.

I disagree with every word in this post.

[aviatoreb]

Lyrics

When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four

You'll be older too
And if you say the word
I could stay with you

I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday mornings go for a ride
Doing the garden, digging the weeds
Who could ask for more

Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four....

 

Go for it!