Dynon D3 portable EFIS

[AJ88V]

Thought this was pretty cool.  Portable EFIS that uses Dynon's 3-axis IMU package used in their non-certified/experimental panel mounts.

https://www.dynonavionics.com/pocket-panel.php

Attitude, turn coordinator, GPS derived speed, altitude, and heading + synthetic vision.

Given that my vacuum pump died on my 'rescue' flight two years ago, thought this would be a nice little backup instrument.  Even better on sale through 13 Sept for $800 ($130 off).  

 

 

[bigmo]

Thanks for posting this. Might put this on the radar for a future add-on. Not crazy expensive for an emergency backup. I'd like to see if people can get a good GPS signal without running the antenna, but I expect it could be tucked away on the glare shield someplace. 

[MikeOH]

Thanks to @AJ88V I went out and bought a D3 last week before the 'instant rebate' expired.  Since I'm one of those fools that is still happy with my vacuum driven AI and DG, backed up with my electric turn-coordinator (which also drives the STEC-30), I thought this was an inexpensive backup should I lose both vacuum and electrics on the same IMC flight  It works great even in the hangar without using the supplied external GPS antenna.  Headed out today to fly with it for the first time.

One thing I learned is that here in Kalifornia you get to pay sales tax on the FULL price amount; the 'instant rebate' is applied AFTER the sale!  So, the State got an extra $10 out of me!

 

[MikeOH]

PIREP for the D3:

Took about an hour flight today and the D3 performed well.  D3 altimeter was spot on with the panel altimeter; the D3 is a GPS derived altitude so I was a bit surprised despite the altimeter setting coincidently being 29.92.  Similarly, heading was within a few degrees of my compass and, not surprisingly, GPS speed matched to the knot the other three on-board GPS readouts (430W, 496, and Foreflight).  Pitch and roll were stable/no glitches and responded smoothly and accurately to turns, climbs, and descents.  Bright day and no washout, display remained easy to read.

While it is NOT a TSO/certified device I would certainly be comfortable trusting it if my gyros failed in an emergency.  TIme will tell how the battery fares...POH says 7 hrs without using the external GPS antenna (which doesn't seem to be required) plus I can run it off the supplied USB power cable.

For less than one AMU I feel pretty good about the purchase as a safety backup.

[AJ88V]

Thanks for the PIREP, Mike.  I have only played with mine on the ground, but the unit seems very well thought out.  The attachment gear supplied with the D3 looks really nice - either a 3" hole mount or a full RAM mount with suction cup. 

This should be good training for moving to a EFIS in the future.  Unfortunately, I won't be testing in the air for at least another week. Completed my BFR in a Cessna last weekend, but not planning to fly the Mooney without a rated instructor just for safety's sake.

Headed to the airport tomorrow (just got a hangar !!!!) and will see where to mount the D3.  Have a 3" hole available in the lower left corner of my panel, but will also see if my tiny vacuum gauge can be relocated so the D3 can move into that spot on the top row. 

Cheers!

[bigmo]

This is going on my Santa wish list this year.

Pro tip - grab your wife’s phone, open instagram and say what you want to buy 3x. Do this daily for a week and her feed will be nothing but what you want.

I'm batting 1000 and she thinks she’s crushing Christmas!

[LANCECASPER]

Thanks for the PIREP, Mike.  I have only played with mine on the ground, but the unit seems very well thought out.  The attachment gear supplied with the D3 looks really nice - either a 3" hole mount or a full RAM mount with suction cup. 
This should be good training for moving to a EFIS in the future.  Unfortunately, I won't be testing in the air for at least another week. Completed my BFR in a Cessna last weekend, but not planning to fly the Mooney without a rated instructor just for safety's sake.
Headed to the airport tomorrow (just got a hangar !!!!) and will see where to mount the D3.  Have a 3" hole available in the lower left corner of my panel, but will also see if my tiny vacuum gauge can be relocated so the D3 can move into that spot on the top row. 
Cheers!

I got my D3 about 2-1/2 years ago and mounted it on the compass post shortly after buying the airplane. Not the greatest picture but you get the idea.


- - -

Buying the D3 and comparing the airspeed to my primary airspeed indicator carried an unexpected benefit. My pitot tube had a partial blockage and my ship’s airspeed indicator was reading about 10 kts low. This solved the mystery of why it wanted to come off the ground about 10 knots early on take-off . . Lol


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[MikeOH]

1 hour ago, AJ88V said:

Thanks for the PIREP, Mike.  I have only played with mine on the ground, but the unit seems very well thought out.  The attachment gear supplied with the D3 looks really nice - either a 3" hole mount or a full RAM mount with suction cup. 

This should be good training for moving to a EFIS in the future.  Unfortunately, I won't be testing in the air for at least another week. Completed my BFR in a Cessna last weekend, but not planning to fly the Mooney without a rated instructor just for safety's sake.

Headed to the airport tomorrow (just got a hangar !!!!) and will see where to mount the D3.  Have a 3" hole available in the lower left corner of my panel, but will also see if my tiny vacuum gauge can be relocated so the D3 can move into that spot on the top row. 

Cheers!

Figuring out mounting mine was the most difficult part!  I considered mounting above the compass but didn't like how much it blocked my view.  I wanted to mount in the panel but I have no room!  Plus, I'd really want it on the top row like you're thinking; didn't seem very usable mounted down low.

I ended up using the included RAM suction cup mount (which is a seriously 'beefy' well thought out design, IMHO) and placed the mount in the lower left portion of the windscreen and positioned the D3 just down and to the right of the A-pillar.  It's out of line-of-sight so it doesn't block my view, but is easy to scan with a quick glance to the left. It does block my view of the upper left corner of my panel but that is a slave compass that I never even reference (drives the auto-slew feature of my StrikeFinder).  I'll get a picture next time I'm at the hangar.

[RescueMunchkin]

1 hour ago, LANCECASPER said:

I got my D3 about 2-1/2 years ago and mounted it on the compass post shortly after buying the airplane. Not the greatest picture but you get the idea.


- - -

Buying the D3 and comparing the airspeed to my primary airspeed indicator carried an unexpected benefit. My pitot tube had a partial blockage and my ship’s airspeed indicator was reading about 10 kts low. This solved the mystery of why it wanted to come off the ground about 10 knots early on take-off . . Lol


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The D3 displays gps ground speed, not airspeed, so please do not rely on it to calibrate your airspeed indicator.

[LANCECASPER]

32 minutes ago, RescueMunchkin said:

The D3 displays gps ground speed, not airspeed, so please do not rely on it to calibrate your airspeed indicator.

I didn't.

On a zero-wind morning take-off, observing it alerted me to the fact that something was off so I checked the pitot tube and had it cleaned out. Once that was done since I was only a month away from my pitot static check I had the avionics shop re-certify. 

I was highlighting the benefit of comparing the two airspeeds, nowhere did I advocate using a portable device to calibrate a certified device.

[RescueMunchkin]

30 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

I didn't.

On a zero-wind morning take-off, observing it alerted me to the fact that something was off so I checked the pitot tube and had it cleaned out. Once that was done since I was only a month away from my pitot static check I had the avionics shop re-certify. 

I was highlighting the benefit of comparing the two airspeeds, nowhere did I advocate using a portable device to calibrate a certified device.

It's the fact that you stated the dynon displays airspeed....which it does not.

[bigmo]

@LANCECASPER Did you run power to the pillar? Any tricks for that? I like that setup.

[LANCECASPER]

33 minutes ago, bigmo said:

@LANCECASPER Did you run power to the pillar? Any tricks for that? I like that setup.

I hate wires all over the cockpit so what I did a couple years ago was take off the glareshield and run a usb-c cord up under the glarshield and then up the compass post to the D3. It's set up so when the Master turns on the D3 turns on. If I lose all power I still have the D3 battery.  I mounted it on some RAM u-bolt parts on the compass post.

 

[LANCECASPER]

53 minutes ago, RescueMunchkin said:

It's the fact that you stated the dynon displays airspeed....which it does not.

You are absolutely correct I did say that, my bad. However, when the wind is zero, groundspeed = airspeed. 

[MikeOH]

I, too, hate wires.  I'm going to test battery life of the D3  If it really meets its advertised 7 hour life that will cover many of my typical 1 to 1.5 hour flights.  At which point I plan to live with the charging cable to my USB power port for whatever time it takes to recharge.

[MikeOH]

Just now, LANCECASPER said:

You are absolutely correct I did say that, my bad. However, when the wind is zero, groundspeed = airspeed. 

Uh, I don't think that's true at all...at high DA your groundspeed is going to be much higher than your IAS.

[LANCECASPER]

Just now, MikeOH said:

Uh, I don't think that's true at all...at high DA your groundspeed is going to be much higher than your IAS.

Thankfully the one time I was referring to three hours ago was a cool calm February morning.

[MikeOH]

Just now, LANCECASPER said:

Thankfully the one time I was referring to three hours ago was a cool calm February morning.

...and at a low altitude airport, I presume

[AJ88V]

19 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

I hate wires all over the cockpit so what I did a couple years ago was take off the glareshield and run a usb-c cord up under the glarshield and then up the compass post to the D3. It's set up so when the Master turns on the D3 turns on. If I lose all power I still have the D3 battery.  I mounted it on some RAM u-bolt parts on the compass post.

 

I was surprised reading the manual that the D3 turns on any time it's connected to USB power, but now that I think of it as a (euphemistically)  'installed' instrument, it makes perfect sense.

I also like that Dynon supplies a USB charger plug with 2 USB ports.  One for the D3 and one for my iPad!  Very complete package and a nice little safety backup for the price.

QUESTION:  For those who have experience with the D3, do you have to calibrate it every time you start it, or does it remember the previous calibration?  An in a Mooney, is setting the horizon when on level ground close to level in flight attitude at cruise?

[RescueMunchkin]

41 minutes ago, bigmo said:

@LANCECASPER Did you run power to the pillar? Any tricks for that? I like that setup.

I have mine mounted in a similar spot off the windshield center pillar and happen to have a USB out from my PS PMA audio panel that powers it.  

That said, the battery on it lasts a VERY long time when fully charaged - I haven't tested its endurance, but I would assume it's longer than 4 hours.

[MikeOH]

The D3 manual says battery life is 7 hours stand-alone, or 5 hours if using the supplied external GPS active antenna.

[RescueMunchkin]

3 minutes ago, AJ88V said:

I was surprised reading the manual that the D3 turns on any time it's connected to USB power, but now that I think of it as a (euphemistically)  'installed' instrument, it makes perfect sense.

I also like that Dynon supplies a USB charger plug with 2 USB ports.  One for the D3 and one for my iPad!  Very complete package and a nice little safety backup for the price.

QUESTION:  For those who have experience with the D3, do you have to calibrate it every time you start it, or does it remember the previous calibration?  An in a Mooney, is setting the horizon when on level ground close to level in flight attitude at cruise?

I believe it can be shut off when connected to power, but if it's powered off then power applied, it will turn on.  I see nothing wrong with that behavior as mine is connected to my audio panel's usb port.

I don't ever calibrate mine, but I also don't rely on its pitch marking indications.

[bigmo]

Thanks guys, I think I'll wait for a slow Sunday and pull the glareshield and run a USB up there. 

For the guys that have it now, does it turn off when it loses USB power, or do you manually switch it off at the end of the flight? 

I don't want to jinx it, but this is a lot of capability / safety for under $1K.

[RescueMunchkin]

2 hours ago, bigmo said:

Thanks guys, I think I'll wait for a slow Sunday and pull the glareshield and run a USB up there. 

For the guys that have it now, does it turn off when it loses USB power, or do you manually switch it off at the end of the flight? 

I don't want to jinx it, but this is a lot of capability / safety for under $1K.

Deleted

Edited September 20 by RescueMunchkin
incorrect info

[MikeOH]

1 hour ago, RescueMunchkin said:

Manually switch it off or it'll stay on until battery is dead.

@bigmo

The above is NOT true: