“Staged” panel upgrade M20J

[Fly Boomer]

  On 1/7/2025 at 7:22 PM, Pinecone said:

It is funny.  I see mostly people without YD saying it is not needed.

Most people WITH the YD, say it is great.

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Human nature.  People used to say the same thing about power windows or automatic transmission -- "Don't Need It".

[DC_Brasil]

I just had my panel upgraded to a G3X (with EIS) + G5 + GFC500 (4 servos) + GMA245R audio box (I have posted some pictures on a different topic). Budget constrained me to keep my ancient GNS430 (non-W), KX155 nav/comm2 and old transponder (no ADSB mandate in Brazil yet).

I am a PP IFR-rated and had most of my flying done on piper analog planes (archers and arrows). However, my IFR was all on a C172 G1000. So the GNS430 was very familiar albeit way less capable than the G1000.

Some takeaways:

• G3X is incredibly capable and easy to operate. If you use Garmin Pilot on the iPad, the buttonolgy is seamless.
• Digital EIS is a must! Being it a G3X or any other brand (JPI, for example), the ability to carefully monitor and add advisories to the engine instruments brings a whole new level of operational awareness and a higher sense of care for your engine. Also, the ability to download the data (or reviewing it in Garmin Pilot) is incredibly valuable.
• Those who say you don't need YD have not flown with one on a turbulent warm day with the wife complaining that she's getting sick . I was one of those guys... I am SO glad I added YD. But this is personal: I wouldn't have traded my YD for a new NAV/COMM.
• GFC500 is amazing. Very stable and comfortable ride even in very choppy air. Makes you kinda feel like a Boeing pilot (configure the FD as dual-cue and you can almost smell the jet fuel).
• G3X will not talk with old NAV/Comm, so I had to keep an old analog CDI for NAV2.
• Even though my GNS430 doesn't have VNAV, the G3X has a very basic Vertical Navigation calculation function and it will work with any waypoint prior to the FAF. The GFC500 will even follow the vertical profile. But it is on a waypoint-by-waypoint basis. So the "Cross 10nm before XYZ at 5000 feet" instructions is a breeze.