New Garmin panel coming!

[rbp]

I am Very Excited! 54x is going in for a whole new panel this week:

G3X 10/7/EIS/GAD29B/GEA24
GNC355
GMA35C
GTX345R
GTN750Xi
GI275 as a backup
GFC500 3axis, with pitch trim and yaw
Micro Kit LHS
CIES fuel senders
Keeping: WX500 and Stormscope

Looking for any and all suggestions/gotchas on installation / setup that I need to look out for

 

[Greg Ellis]

The obvious thing that you will hear form this forum is to post as many pictures as you can along the way and of course the final.  We love photos!!!! 

[carusoam]

+1 for pics….  Before & After!

amus if able… 

-a-

[rbp]

I will try to take pics. its only 84nm away from my home airport, but a 2.5+ hour drive each way, so I don't know how often i'll be able to go

[PT20J]

I assume you are aware that the GI 275 will be a standby instrument only with no connection to the G3X, GFC 500 or navigators and requires it’s own GPS antenna. If so, and that’s what you want, great. But if not, realize that the G5 is a better choice as the G3X can use the G5 ADAHRS should the GSU 25D fail and the G5 can drive the GFC 500 should the G3X fail. See Appendix F of the G3X Touch installation manual for a complete list of limitations for the GI 275 as a G3X standby Instrument. There is also a current thread on BeechTalk about this https://www.beechtalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=203615

Skip

[PT20J]

Since the G3X has a built in VFR GPS that you can use to navigate (except inside the FAF on a GPS approach) do you really need the GNC 355? I installed a GNC 255  for VLOC2 which gives me ILS capability if the GTN fails. This also affords use of VORs  in case of a GPS outage.

Skip

[PT20J]

If you intend to use an iPad with ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot to display ADS-B In traffic and weather, be aware that this data comes from a Bluetooth connection to the GTX not the G3X. So, make sure provision is made in the installation to provide a good Bluetooth connection in the cockpit from the remote mounted GTX 345R.

Skip

[Ragsf15e]

10 minutes ago, PT20J said:

If you intend to use an iPad with ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot to display ADS-B In traffic and weather, be aware that this data comes from a Bluetooth connection to the GTX not the G3X. So, make sure provision is made in the installation to provide a good Bluetooth connection in the cockpit from the remote mounted GTX 345R.

Skip

Skip I thought you determined that the weather and traffic wasn’t coming directly from your-345 anymore with the new setup - didn’t you lose the traffic direction/distance because it wasn’t coming directly from the -345?  Didn’t the -345 send it through the gtn and/or g3x and then to the iPad?

[PT20J]

2 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Skip I thought you determined that the weather and traffic wasn’t coming directly from your-345 anymore with the new setup - didn’t you lose the traffic direction/distance because it wasn’t coming directly from the -345?  Didn’t the -345 send it through the gtn and/or g3x and then to the iPad?

I was confused about this at first because of the way Garmin support described it to me. It is actually described in the G3X Pilot’s Guide, but I missed it at first because the examples used the GDL. But it’s the same for the GTX. 

EDIT: I just noticed that the G3X Experimental Installation Manual has a clearer description. Care must be exercised when using the experimental manual because there are differences in the certified version, but in this case the experimental manual describes the way Bluetooth works in my installation.

[201Steve]

Make sure your emergency gear extension hasn’t been engaged and left that way when you pick it up.  

[Betty_the_Mooney]

7 hours ago, rbp said:

I am Very Excited! 54x is going in for a whole new panel this week:

G3X 10/7/EIS/GAD29B/GEA24
GNC355
GMA35C
GTX345R
GTN750Xi
GI275 as a backup
GFC500 3axis, with pitch trim and yaw
Micro Kit LHS
CIES fuel senders
Keeping: WX500 and Stormscope

Looking for any and all suggestions/gotchas on installation / setup that I need to look out for

 

This is pretty much what I want to do to my M20F in the next 12-18 months - though I'm going to keep my STEC 60-2 for AP, go with a GNC 355 GPS/COM, and keep my GNS430W for the #2 (GPS/NAV/COM). Otherwise, very similar. Hence, VERY interested to see how this comes together! Awesome!

[PT20J]

1 hour ago, FlyingCanuck said:

This is pretty much what I want to do to my M20F in the next 12-18 months - though I'm going to keep my STEC 60-2 for AP, go with a GNC 355 GPS/COM, and keep my GNS430W for the #2 (GPS/NAV/COM). Otherwise, very similar. Hence, VERY interested to see how this comes together! Awesome!

If you are going to keep the legacy autopilot, you might check the capabilities of the G500TXi vs the G3X Touch. The G3X / G5 / GFC 500 are CAN bus architecture and designed to work together. The G500TXi is designed around legacy interfaces. Perhaps someone with a G500 and STEC AP can comment. But if it were me, I would definitely understand all the pros and cons of each system before deciding.

[PT20J]

Unless you really need the remote audio panel, I would consider the PS Engineering PMA450B because it has a number of features lacking in the Garmin audio panel. 

IntelliAudio spatially separates two received signals making it possible to listen to ATIS and approach at the same time

CPX allows the copilot to be on the intercom with the pilot without hearing the radios. My wife really likes that alot.

Flightmate allows connecting the EIS discrete outputs to create voice alerts for CAS Cautions and Warnings.

Skip 

[Ragsf15e]

2 hours ago, PT20J said:

I was confused about this at first because of the way Garmin support described it to me. It is actually described in the G3X Pilot’s Guide, but I missed it at first because the examples used the GDL. But it’s the same for the GTX. 

EDIT: I just noticed that the G3X Experimental Installation Manual has a clearer description. Care must be exercised when using the experimental manual because there are differences in the certified version, but in this case the experimental manual describes the way Bluetooth works in my installation.

So with this in mind, can you connect Bluetooth from the GTX345 directly to your foreflight or audio panel and get the full traffic calls again?

[PT20J]

Just now, Ragsf15e said:

So with this in mind, can you connect Bluetooth from the GTX345 directly to your foreflight or audio panel and get the full traffic calls again?

Funny, I was wondering the same thing.  I don’t know if the GTX 345 Bluetooth feed includes audio, but I am going to try pairing it with the PMA450B to see what happens. ForeFlight will create it’s own voice traffic alert with range, bearing and altitude, so I could pair the iPad with the audio panel. But it reminds me of 20 years ago when people lugged around portable intercoms and GPS receivers and had wires strung all over the cockpit. Only now the wires are invisible Bluetooth connections 

[rbp]

On 1/3/2022 at 9:11 PM, PT20J said:

Since the G3X has a built in VFR GPS that you can use to navigate (except inside the FAF on a GPS approach) do you really need the GNC 355? I installed a GNC 255  for VLOC2 which gives me ILS capability if the GTN fails. This also affords use of VORs  in case of a GPS outage.

Skip

i thought a lot about this. I'd rather have 2 x IFR GPSes and 1 NAV, rather than 1 IFR GPS and 2 NAV.  The likelihood of a GPS signal outage and a simultaneous VOR/ILS receiver outage is quite low.  

EDIT:
if the 750 fails, I have an IFR GPS in the 355.
if the 355 fails, I have the IFR GPS/NAV in the 750.
if there's a GPS  signal outage, i have fly ILS/VOR approaches in the 355
if there's an ILS outage, i can fly an LPV approach

the only time I'm screwed is if the 750 fails while there's a GPS outage.  I'll take those odds.

[rbp]

On 1/3/2022 at 10:03 PM, 201Steve said:

Make sure your emergency gear extension hasn’t been engaged and left that way when you pick it up.  

is manual gear extension standard operating procedure for avionics?

[rbp]

54X is happily ensconced in the avionics hangar with a Lear 60,  MU-2, S-76, and a Carbon Cub 

[ArtVandelay]

How long ago did you order the hardware?

[rbp]

27 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

How long ago did you order the hardware?

they ordered it in september.  the GTN-750txi is still backordered, but they are loaning me a non-txi until it shows up

[rbp]

Day 2!

[LANCECASPER]

1 minute ago, rbp said:

Day 2!

At this point I would just tell them you changed your mind and put it back the way it was 

[201Steve]

7 hours ago, rbp said:

is manual gear extension standard operating procedure for avionics?

No. They just might move the latch while pulling panels…. And not return it to the correct position. Ask me how I know

[rbp]

16 minutes ago, 201Steve said:

No. They just might move the latch while pulling panels…. And not return it to the correct position. Ask me how I know

I imagine there’s  all sorts of things to screw up!!!

[ArtVandelay]

Now is an excellent time to change your defrost/avionics cooling hoses, they look old.