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Let the games begin - MAJOR Avionics Upgrade.


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22 hours ago, toto said:

For those of you with Aera 760 docks, could you post a picture of how that fits on the copilot side? I measured my panel, and the Aera was a very tight fit by itself, and I had a hard time seeing how the dock would fit. Do you mount it vertically or horizontally?

I basically came to the conclusion that it was never going to happen on my panel - at least, not without some major surgery ..

It is possible, the 760 is about 7.3 tall by 4.9 wide in portrait mode.  If you have 'standard' second stack, the Gizmo mount should work, it's designed for a 6.26" stack.

I'm developing a flush mount similar to the Garmin G5 flush mounts - a backplate for the cradle that is set back enough so that the 760 is flush or protrudes 1/8" (not sure what will look better yet).

This is part of my 3/4 panel, but there is no reason I could not make a 'second stack' replacement panel to achieve the same without redoing the whole panel.

And this is the second 760 in the plane for the copilot and to fill the blank space, the other one is on the yolk.

 

Aerodon

 

 

 

 

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On 1/6/2024 at 11:56 AM, Echo said:

So having a different opinion is a trigger to some?  I own an Aera.   I HAVE the yoke mount.  This unit IS a BIG PIG.  That is a positive for panel mount in an air gizmo as the screen is large.  Put it on your yoke and love it.  Fine.  Enjoy.  I live in Iowa.  Having big pigs is desireable.  I had tons of issues with older ipads overheating.  My current mini has NOT had that problem, EVER on the yoke.  I love it.  Enjoy the Aera.  Being able to install and use on a yoke is wonderful.  I would only do this if my ipad AND i-phone die.  Unlikely, but possible.  I am in my 60's so NOT "younger generation".  Do agree that some stereotype that young internet users are mean.  Perhaps stereotyping the old as easily triggered would also be mean and wrong?

The Garmin Aera 760 has a smaller footprint than an iPad mini. Neither are any variety of swine. :)

The length and width dimensions, in inches,  for the newest iPad mini (6) are:  7.69 x 5.3

The length and width dimensions, in inches,  for the Garmin Aera 760 are:        7.29 x 4.85

The footprint goes up for the iPad Mini if it's in a case, especially the case designed to blow cool air on it. (https://x-naut.com/products/ipad-mini-6-pilot-series-cooling-case)  Eleven months of the year Iowa may not need the XNaut case but Texas and other Southern states need it for 5 or 6 of those months.

Admittedly the Aera is thicker, but it  makes no difference whatsoever once it's on the yoke. With the Aera on the yoke my Mooney flys hands off with no effect whatsoever. 

Use a iPad or an Aera or an iPhone or an Android or a Sextant or whatever you'd like but at least look at the facts before you make up your mind. :)

 

"I'm trying to think, don't confuse me with the facts"  Plato

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4 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

The Garmin Aera 760 has a smaller footprint than an iPad mini. Neither are any variety of swine. :)

The length and width dimensions, in inches,  for the newest iPad mini (6) are:  7.69 x 5.3

The length and width dimensions, in inches,  for the Garmin Aera 760 are:        7.29 x 4.85

The footprint goes up for the iPad Mini if it's in a case, especially the case designed to blow cool air on it. (https://x-naut.com/products/ipad-mini-6-pilot-series-cooling-case)  Eleven months of the year Iowa may not need the XNaut case but Texas and other Southern states need it for 5 or 6 of those months.

Admittedly the Aera is thicker, but it  makes no difference whatsoever once it's on the yoke. With the Aera on the yoke my Mooney flys hands off with no effect whatsoever. 

Use a iPad or an Aera or an iPhone or an Android or a Sextant or whatever you'd like but at least look at the facts before you make up your mind. :)

 

"I'm trying to think, don't confuse me with the facts"  Plato

Didn't read the whole thread again but I'm curious how folks are managing their GPS antennas for these additional devices.  I already have two antennas (one for ADSB, and one for NAVCOM).  Don't really want another hole and yet another GPS antenna.  Wouldn't mind having a 760 though.  

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1 hour ago, DCarlton said:

Didn't read the whole thread again but I'm curious how folks are managing their GPS antennas for these additional devices.  I already have two antennas (one for ADSB, and one for NAVCOM).  Don't really want another hole and yet another GPS antenna.  Wouldn't mind having a 760 though.  

I've never used an external antenna for the 760. The internal one works fine.

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Let’s make this really simple. Put whatever you want in your plane. I have zero opinion on what you put in yours.  Zero. Thickness doesn’t matter. OK. Good to know. 

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4 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

Use a iPad or an Aera or an iPhone or an Android or a Sextant or whatever...

Oooh, Sextant, sounds sexy...is that a new Garmin product?;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Work started on Monday.  I went to the shop on Thursday to See the progress and talk to the shop.

Pictures below.  

1)  Current status of panel
2)  First box of wiring coming out.  They expect 3 more boxes.
3)  The new stuff - top 4 shelves, plus two other big boxes.
4)  All the old stuff
5)  How they keep track of project and install the right things

One interesting thing, is one tech is responsible for the whole project.  With help and oversight, but one person "owns" the project from beginning to end
 

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@hubcap I was thinking the same thing, but was more optimistic sometime in mid April.  But regardless, it will be an awesome update and the time it takes will be quickly forgotten.  Take your time, do it right, and get all the bugs squashed!

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2 hours ago, Marc_B said:

@hubcap I was thinking the same thing, but was more optimistic sometime in mid April.  But regardless, it will be an awesome update and the time it takes will be quickly forgotten.  Take your time, do it right, and get all the bugs squashed!

It's going to be a great upgrade. @Pinecone is going to enjoy the heck out of it. I am enjoying the heck out of my upgrade...I am still unhappy with the process of getting the upgrade.

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On 1/4/2024 at 10:45 PM, donkaye said:

I can see, if you use the Garmin mount, how there could be an imbalance.  I use a RAM mount that mounts underneath the control column, not on top and away from the yoke (creating a possible 760 CG issue), as the Garmin mount does.  I went with the RAM mount because the Garmin mount had no flexibility and was unstable (vibrated).    I've attached a picture showing how the 760 adaptor allows the 760 to be in the center of the yoke and up against the yoke creating no imbalance with yoke movement, since  you're turning around the CG of the yoke.

Daylight Panel N9148W.jpeg

Nice well designed and thought out panel..

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7 hours ago, hubcap said:

So you should have it back by the end of May?

Should be mid-March.   They seem to be running mostly on time.

There was a week delay in starting mine due to some parts issues with a 340 they were doing.  Not avionics parts.

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@Pinecone,Great call on your equipment choices! I did almost the same upgrade, and installed an Aspen 1000 Pro with AoA and Synthetic Vision as my backup unit along with my Txi. While the Aspen unit works, most of the time, mine gets off calibration frequently and needs tweaking, the synthetic vision is not very good, and the built in AOA is difficult to setup up (I have both turned off) and likely not as reliable as the Alpha systems AOA you're getting, which is a great device.

 

+1 on @donkaye's comment about adding the Landing Height system, it's a great addition, and is very useful in ALL landings especially night landings. While it can't guarantee all buttery landings, it helps the buttery landing percentage, and your passengers are very impressed. 

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Update Number 2 - INSTALLATION HAS STARTED

Went back to the avionics shop on Thursday.  They have completed 90 - 95% of the removal of old things and have actually started the install of the new equipment.  So far they have installed the WX500 bracket, the GDL-51R Sirius XM receiver and the tail autopilot servo mount and the pitch servo.  When I left, the tech was installing the yaw servo.

The interior shop picked up the interior for that work.  Next week I will also stop by the interior shop and get some pictures and update info.

Pictures

1)  The inside with the interior out.
2)  Current box of wiring taken out.  This box is maybe 3 times as big at the one the week before.
3)  Autopilot servo bracket with pitch servo
4)  WX500 mount and GDL-51R (black box)

 

 

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Another Update.

Was by the shop yesterday.

All the autopilot servos are installed and hooked up to the controls. All the mounts for remote boxes are installed on the shelf. He had just finished replacing the engine sensors (going with Garmin EIS).

Next couple of weeks will be building wiring harnesses.

I also stopped by the interior shop. Mainly to drop off the yokes for leather covering. The avionics shop forgot to remove and give them to the interior shop. They have not started on my interior, but they have a while before the airplane is ready to get it back.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am headed up tomorrow to see what is going on, but they should still be making harnesses.

But my local FBO has a C-172 that they just did for instrument training.  It has a 10" G3X, G-5, GTN-650Xi, GFC-500, GTX-345.   So I got checked out in it to spend some time with a panel similar to what is going into my plane.

AMAZING setup.  I am SO STOKED to get may plane back.  The G3X is an amazing piece of equipment, and works so well with the other Garmin devices.

I was happy with my choices from watching the Garmin training videos on You Tube, but actually flying it is even better than it seems in the videos.

 

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Stopped by yesterday.

At first glance, not much different looking.  But looking closer, they have mounted several of the behind the panel boxes and a lot of new wiring harnesses waiting to be connected. 

I spend some time with the head guy going over the panel layout.  This was basic concepts and thoughts.  He will do a CAD layout next week and we will tweak it from there.     We covered the main panel items placement. Pretty normal, but the autopilot controller to the left of the stack just above the throttle.

I am going from rocker switches to toggle switches.  We are putting all the engine switches on the left (ignition, starter, master, alternators, boost pumps, primer, prop heat).  All the lighting switches will go on the right (beacon, nav, strobes, recog, landing, taxi, flasher).  We looked at the annunciators and will get rid of the factory setup as most of them will be integrated into the G3X with EIS.   He is getting a quote from Dallas Avionics for some slick rectangular annunciator lights by Eaton.  The gear with be a split light with Amber "Unsafe" on top and Green "Down" on the bottom.  These will be fully lighted with black letters as will be the Speed Brakes one.  The others (Alt Air, Starter Power) with be lighted letters on black.

Things are moving along.

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24 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

Stopped by yesterday.

At first glance, not much different looking.  But looking closer, they have mounted several of the behind the panel boxes and a lot of new wiring harnesses waiting to be connected. 

I spend some time with the head guy going over the panel layout.  This was basic concepts and thoughts.  He will do a CAD layout next week and we will tweak it from there.     We covered the main panel items placement. Pretty normal, but the autopilot controller to the left of the stack just above the throttle.

I am going from rocker switches to toggle switches.  We are putting all the engine switches on the left (ignition, starter, master, alternators, boost pumps, primer, prop heat).  All the lighting switches will go on the right (beacon, nav, strobes, recog, landing, taxi, flasher).  We looked at the annunciators and will get rid of the factory setup as most of them will be integrated into the G3X with EIS.   He is getting a quote from Dallas Avionics for some slick rectangular annunciator lights by Eaton.  The gear with be a split light with Amber "Unsafe" on top and Green "Down" on the bottom.  These will be fully lighted with black letters as will be the Speed Brakes one.  The others (Alt Air, Starter Power) with be lighted letters on black.

Things are moving along.

I’ll be interested to see some photos when your plane is done. I kept my factory annunciator panel, and it looks fine - but definitely crappier than everything else on the panel :)

 

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Little late but welcome to Aera 760 panel mount club. It's a cheap way to get a lot of info for your passenger. I still use ipad primarily but my wife loves messing with the 760 in the panel. She messes with reading the weather, looking at airports, etc. It replaced a 696 that she also loved to mess with.

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I did learn one other thing.  The G3X has 6 digital connections.  So, with my setup, I am maxed out and will not have the comm and nav frequencies on the G3X.  No problem, as they are on the 750 and 650 in the stack.

If I were to add a 7" display on the right, instead of the AERA, that would give another 6 digital connections.  I may change to that, but I would want the right 7" to also be a PFD when desired.  And I don't think that can be done with the Certified stuff.

I am getting rid of the annunciator strip for two reasons.  1)  Stack room.  2)  Over half of them will be no longer needed with the Garmin EIS and such.  We are trying to figure out of the Start Power is required.  If not, the only things left are Gear and Alt Air.  And the 2 gear lights become one split one.

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7 hours ago, Pinecone said:

I did learn one other thing.  The G3X has 6 digital connections.  So, with my setup, I am maxed out and will not have the comm and nav frequencies on the G3X.  No problem, as they are on the 750 and 650 in the stack.

I didn't go back and re-read the entire thread, but I'm curious what the 6 connections are connected to.  Do you know them off the top?

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