APS4A Altitude Preselect

[Aron Peterson]

I am having my panel redone on my 1986 252 and have found this altitude preselect from Avonik

in Germany. It's stc'd. It will integrate with the EFD1000 and the KFC 200 that is presently installed in my plane.

If anybody has any experience with this please let me know.

[Marauder]

You have a link to their website? Google comes up with nothing.

[Marauder]

Is this the company: http://www.aeroshop.eu/manufacturer/dittel-avionik

[Nathan Peterson]

http://www.aspenavionics.com/products/aps4a-altitude-preselect

 

Try this link.

 

Sounds good.

[Aron Peterson]

Thanks Nate

[carusoam]

That's an interesting solution to a long standing memory challenge in the IFR environment.

Keep from overshooting the target altitude while climbing in IFR for $1,300.

Just need an aspen EFD 1000 and KFC200 first.

What does it take to upgrade a KAP 150 to KFC 200?

Best regards,

-a-

[Aron Peterson]

There is an extensive list of compatible autopilots.

Regards

[Aron Peterson]

Climbing or descending

[Marauder]

I didn't know it could interface with the STEC series. It appears to be altitude pre-select only (no pre-set VS). Am I reading it right that it can use the Aspen's PFD altitude select function to set the altitude?

[Aron Peterson]

Yes sir that's what I am reading.

[smccray]

I did a bunch of research on adding an aspen right after I bought my plane.  If this is the same module people were talking about 18 months ago it's a simulated altitude preselect.  It reads your current altitude from the Aspen and then it presses the altitude hold button on the autopilot.  It's great insurance but it's not smooth.  It doesn't work like the King altitude preselect (as I understand it).  Big disclaimer here- I dont' have experience with either the king or the aspen products here, it's just what I read.

[Marauder]

Where's Bennett when you need him to go out and buy a piece of avionics and give us a PIREP?! I would love to hear how this gizmo works in real life. The Aspen altitude alert works fine, but obviously it doesn't stop you from blowing through that altitude.

[carusoam]

If the aspen can hit the altitude hold on the king, that would work. The overshoot is minimal.

If the brain is distracted, the overshoot could be more.

This concern came before my brain aged. Holding my hand up on the glare shield during climb is a usable memory strategy. Unless I take it down accidentally...

Best regards,

-a-

[Aron Peterson]

Where's Bennett

[Bob_Belville]

Sounds interesting. I have the Aspen and a STEC50 w Altitude Hold. Price?

[Bob_Belville]

Looks like $1300 plus install which might not be that bad. The Aspen has an easy to use altitude alert..

[Nathan Peterson]

sure is a safe....  possibly save me from a violation... which we don't need.  

[peter]

The system works just the same as if the pilot pushed the ALT button, except it does it automagically just as the aircraft is reaching the preselect altitude set on the Aspen display.  True, the system does not reduce the aircraft vertical rate before transitioning to ALT hold, but this typically does not produce significant overshoots at normal climb/descent rates, and will be just as smooth as any other vertical transition typical of your autopilot.  If you are climbing/descending like a banshee you will see more overshoot than you will at lower vertical rates.

 

If you want to see exactly how the APS4A will work in your aircraft, next time you are out flying establish a climb or descent at whatever vertical rate you normally use and then push the ALT button while established at your target VS. The response you see from the autopilot will be exactly what you should expect to see from the APS4A.

[Marauder]

Thanks for the explanation Peter. On my STEC 60-2 without vertical speed pre-select (or whatever they call that option), I hit the VS button when established in the climb and then hit the Up or Down button to adjust the rate. As I continue the climb, it requires me to adjust it periodically. Would have been nice if they built the VS in the functionality. At the present time, I have a Sonalert attached to the altitude alert feature on the Aspen and it goes off within 200 feet of my set altitude.

[Bob_Belville]

I talked to the Aspen folks yesterday @ Sun n Fun about this. They will have their own version in a few months. 

[Marauder]

Thanks Bob. Leave it to the guys at Aspen to create another solution. Be interesting to see what they put forward.

[Bob_Belville]

They have beefed up their staff & $$$. I was impressed. Wished I'd waited on the GDL88, I think Aspen and others will have better/cheaper solutions.

[jhbehrens]

I talked to the Aspen folks yesterday @ Sun n Fun about this. They will have their own version in a few months. 

 

Aspen have been promising s-tec 55x preselect integration since 2010. It would be release in the fall of 2010. Then in 2011. Last spring Aspen's CEO himself promised it would be out that year. 2.5 years on there is nothing. Unfortunately Aspen saying it will be out in a few months means nothing at all.

[Bob_Belville]

Time will tell. It would be nice but not critical.

[Aron Peterson]

Just a few words about the APS4A.  I have had it installed and have been using it for the last few months.  My 252 usually climbs at about 750 fpm and descend at 300 to 400 fpm and as the conversations went above, it will over shoot after the Alt hold engages.  But not by much.  Maybe 40 to 60 feet if that, then it will come back down to where the Alt hold engaged.  I am very happy with the system.  And just like at my work I do not rely on the Alt hold to capture.  I try to keep my SA up so that I am always aware to where my air machine is going.

 

Aron