Adding KAS297 and JPI EDM 700 to Mooney 252

[jlunseth]

If you fish around on the www.seaerospace.com website, you might find recond. units available for that altimeter, but they would still be in the 6k range if I recall correctly.  And that is the altimeter alone, without the install. 

I looked at the alt. pre-select at one time also, and came to the same conclusion you are coming to.  If I wanted to put 15-20k into the plane, I could think of a number of other things that would come first.

[Earl]

Final decision on this post.  First, I have abandoned the idea of adding the KAS 297 to my Mooney.    It just doesn't make sense to spend $15K for yellow-tagged equipment to get pre-select/vertical speed.  Used KAS 297 will run around $7K to $8K and a used encoding altimeter was around $7K.  Add $2K for the install and I would be better off putting in a brand new STEC autopilot for about the same price.  I do plan to add the JPI EDM-730 with all the bells except fuel flow.  Will cost around $4K with labor.  Thanks to everyone for the advice.

By the way I spoke to Mooney Mart (had a message into them before I got the feedback).  He was very informative and knowledgable but also put the hard sell on.  That always gives me the willies.  I am going to use a local Mooney Service Center shop for the install and will update this with photos.

[KSMooniac]

Good choice with the EDM-730.  Unless you already have fuel flow, I'd strongly recommend that you add it too!  Having the fuel flow/totalizer system gives you peace of mind and much finer loading flexibility when you're trying to maximize payload for any given mission.  Connecting it to the GPS also gives you lots of nice additional features.

[Earl]

Thanks Scott. I already have fuel flow and a totalizer so I avoided the extra cost of either the 730 wiith totalizer or the 830 (which, if you are going to add the totalizer to the 730 you might as well buy the 830 as they aren't far apart in price).  I am looking forward to getting it installed next week but at the same time am dreading to see how I have been running my engine. 

[Magnum]

You can connect the existing fuelflow to the EDM, too. You will then have a indication on both units. It is mentioned in the installation manual of the EDM (Figure 9, Fuel Flow Wiring), so it is legal to do it. It works with Shadon, Hoskins, Rnav and Alcor.

It is not much work (mabe 30 min) but really worth it.

 

Edit: To "tell" the EDM 730 that it has FF installed, you have to set the FuelFlow/EGT switch to FF before switching on the unit for the first time. Otherwise it won't work and you have to do a Factory Reset and start over.

[Jerry 5TJ]

Before you sink a lot of money into an electromechanical altimeter, consider putting in an Aspen or Garmin PFD.  That may be a path to integrate the autopilot and altitude preselect functions at about the same price as the KEA346 / KAS297 system.

 

 

[Earl]

Quote: Magnum

You can connect the existing fuelflow to the EDM, too. You will then have a indication on both units. It is mentioned in the installation manual of the EDM (Figure 9, Fuel Flow Wiring), so it is legal to do it. It works with Shadon, Hoskins, Rnav and Alcor.

It is not much work (mabe 30 min) but really worth it.

 

Edit: To "tell" the EDM 730 that it has FF installed, you have to set the FuelFlow/EGT switch to FF before switching on the unit for the first time. Otherwise it won't work and you have to do a Factory Reset and start over.

[Earl]

Quote: jerry-N5911Q

Before you sink a lot of money into an electromechanical altimeter, consider putting in an Aspen or Garmin PFD.  That may be a path to integrate the autopilot and altitude preselect functions at about the same price as the KEA346 / KAS297 system.

 

 

[TonyTDMD]

I use the heck out of my pre-select in my 252, but I had an avionics shop quote me 18,000$ for the new Garmin G500 installed, so that probably makes alot more sense than installing a 297. Mine just happened to come with one from the factory.

[DAVIDWH]

KEA 130A  ENCODING ALTIMETER