Finally home from avionics visit

[TWinter]

Finally got 7741M home after a long visit at the avionics shop. Annual, GTN750, Aero Comfort leather work and had to have a cylinder reworked (unexpected-low compression on #1 found at annual). The 696 displays weather and traffic. Zaon on the dash with the Zaon XRX and the new Zaon MX1090 ADS-B Receiver. Still have to make one more visit next month for the Stec. Pardon the crappy pic quality, I did not realize the sun was glaring through the hanger doors. You get the idea though. Fairly pleased with the outcome so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rainman]

Sweet...AeroComfort does a great job. 750 looks good. Ray

[rbridges]

nice panel, but I'm most jealous of the visors.

[Marauder]

Looking good!

[MB65E]

Finally found the spot for the checklists!! Looks good!

[mikesalman]

Very nice.

[triple8s]

Looks very nice I love the yokes! Just curious about something......how long is a "Finally" ? I just experienced a finally and drove me NUTS to have no wings.

[TWinter]

Looks very nice I love the yokes! Just curious about something......how long is a "Finally" ? I just experienced a finally and drove me NUTS to have no wings.

LOL..I feel your pain    I dropped it off at my avionics shop about two+ weeks before Oshkosh. I needed an annual, 750 install and the yoke removal, we sent them to Hector at Aero and then re-install. I knew I was headed to Oshkosh and we were driving this year so I really was not pushing them to get done. Unfortunately, they really took advantage of my term "Take your time, I'm in no hurry".  I picked it up last Tuesday. Total time was about four weeks +/-. We had a spell of steady bad weather over the past month so time went by quickly.

 

To say the least..even three to four weeks makes me "rusty" without a flying fix. I was even more apprehensive considering I felt like it was a totally different plane. Different feel of the yokes, different vision scan with the change in dash color and layout of the new radios. Not to mention I knew in the back of my mind that they did a cylinder repair, that little voice in your mind asking, does the engine sound right?, you know they replaced a cylinder.

 

To say the least, my landing back home was just okay, not what I would call a "Greaser" LOL. Another rainy day here today..Maybe it will break later today for a quick flight to check-out the 750.   

[RocketAviator]

tell me about your 696 mount?  any issues with mounting to the windshield?  

[HopePilot]

Nice yokes.

[TWinter]

tell me about your 696 mount?  any issues with mounting to the windshield?  

No issues at all. Just a basic suction-cup style I got off EBay. The side of the 696 also rests against the edge of the glareshield and helps with support and vibration. Still gives enough room to view MP/RPM etc. also plenty of room to get to CBs if needed. Works well.

[jetdriven]

tell me about your 696 mount?  any issues with mounting to the windshield?  

 

Lacee your windshield in that spot is 4-6" further forward that his.

[Piloto]

I have no experience with suction cups holding something that big. But I would be concern about developing localized micro cracks on the windshield. Another option I would explore is attaching the 696 to the hand strap screws next to it, or to the center post 

 

Having the GTN-750 why would you need the 696?

 

José 

[TWinter]

I have no experience with suction cups holding something that big. But I would be concern about developing localized micro cracks on the windshield. Another option I would explore is attaching the 696 to the hand strap screws next to it, or to the center post 

 

Having the GTN-750 why would you need the 696?

 

José 

I use the 696 primarily for weather and traffic. The coverage in this area is still weak for the condsideration of installing the GDL88. I'm going to wait for the coverage area to continue to fill-in before considering installing the GDL88 (no need to use up warranty on something not available yet). By using the 696 for traffic and weather it allows me to keep the screen uncluttered on the 750. I'm pretty anal about keeping the plane clean and detailed so the suction cup get removed and windshield cleaned pretty frequently. Mounting it this way over the past year has worked pretty well. It's about the only place that I've found that does not obscure forward/ side field of vision, gauges or access to fuse-box. I've tried and considered a yoke mount and just can't get comfortable with it right in front of me. I'm about 5'11 and 250 so I feel it's shoved right up on me when on the yoke.    

[Piloto]

I had similar concerns and opted for the Aera 560 on the yoke. It is in view of my primary scan and I can easily do entries with my wrist resting on the yoke, very handy during turbulence. I use the Aera XM for weather with the antenna underneath the glareshield. For traffic I have the Traffic Watch connected to the 530W. Since I travel in the Bahamas and the Caribbean ADS-B would not work for me. BTW my hangar neighbor has his GTN-750 tied to his Traffic Watch on his B58. He flies often to Cozumel and Cancun where there is no ADS-B coverage.

 

José

[TWinter]

I had similar concerns and opted for the Aera 560 on the yoke. It is in view of my primary scan and I can easily do entries with my wrist resting on the yoke, very handy during turbulence. I use the Aera XM for weather with the antenna underneath the glareshield. For traffic I have the Traffic Watch connected to the 530W. Since I travel in the Bahamas and the Caribbean ADS-B would not work for me. BTW my hangar neighbor has his GTN-750 tied to his Traffic Watch on his B58. He flies often to Cozumel and Cancun where there is no ADS-B coverage.

 

José

Nice set-up     I'm more jealous that you get to fly in the Bahamas, Caribbean and Cancun .     

 

Kind of takes the wind out of my sails considering my usual flights consist of fetching the $100 hamburger by flying over farmland, beanfields, cornfields or cotton-fields. The brighter side it's only three hours Mooney speed to the Gulf Coast.

 

I think I could learn to enjoy flying the Bahamas on a regular basis though  .

[Marauder]

Finally got 7741M home after a long visit at the avionics shop. Annual, GTN750, Aero Comfort leather work and had to have a cylinder reworked (unexpected-low compression on #1 found at annual). The 696 displays weather and traffic. Zaon on the dash with the Zaon XRX and the new Zaon MX1090 ADS-B Receiver. Still have to make one more visit next month for the Stec. Pardon the crappy pic quality, I did not realize the sun was glaring through the hanger doors. You get the idea though. Fairly pleased with the outcome so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know that a requirement exists if the GTN screen is a certain number of inches from a point in front of the pilot, a remote annunciator is required. Was this required for your installation. I don't see the annunicator in the pictures, so I am guessing not.

[chrisk]

Nice!  I like the panel and interior.

[TWinter]

I know that a requirement exists if the GTN screen is a certain number of inches from a point in front of the pilot, a remote annunciator is required. Was this required for your installation. I don't see the annunicator in the pictures, so I am guessing not.

My shop did not mention anything about needing the annunciator. I'm assuming it did not meet the criteria. These guys are pretty up to date on the avionics end, pretty much their "bread and butter" of the business. So far so good.

[fantom]

I don't see the annunicator in the pictures, so I am guessing not.

 

Good guess....and that homework is not due on Monday morning

[Marauder]

I don't see the annunicator in the pictures, so I am guessing not. Good guess....and that homework is not due on Monday morning

Hopefully I get a gold star. The reason I asked is I have a friend who got caught up in this. He was required to go back and have it installed. It was mentioned as a possibility when I got my first quote, but was told that my vintage Mooney would not require it.

[fantom]

Hopefully I get a gold star. The reason I asked is I have a friend who got caught up in this. He was required to go back and have it installed. It was mentioned as a possibility when I got my first quote, but was told that my vintage Mooney would not require it.

Bet he was caught by a shop that insisted on installing a remote annunicator, rather than the FAA. I have the written specs somewhere and they are much more reasonable that shops would have you believe.

 

 

On most single engine aircraft, the distance from the attitude indicator (AI) to the center of the instrument panel is 10"-14". Since it is really the proximity of the radio stack to the attitude indicator that is of concern, any radio stack that is centered within 14" of the centerline of the AI qualifies as a "center radio stack", per AC 20-138A, regardless of whether the radio stack is in the center of the instrument panel or not. Considering newer radios are a standard 6.25" wide, this means that if the AI centerline is within 11" of the closest edge of the radio stack, that radio stack qualifies as a "center radio stack".

 

Cavaet Emptor.....

 

P.S. I don't know if the about is still current, my point being that worrying about it is a waste of time. We can better concern ourselves with how long it takes for oil to run down a dipstick

[Marauder]

Hopefully I get a gold star. The reason I asked is I have a friend who got caught up in this. He was required to go back and have it installed. It was mentioned as a possibility when I got my first quote, but was told that my vintage Mooney would not require it. Bet he was caught by a shop that insisted on installing a remote annunicator, rather than the FAA. I have the written specs somewhere and they are much more reasonable that shops would have you believe. On most single engine aircraft, the distance from the attitude indicator (AI) to the center of the instrument panel is 10"-14". Since it is really the proximity of the radio stack to the attitude indicator that is of concern, any radio stack that is centered within 14" of the centerline of the AI qualifies as a "center radio stack", per AC 20-138A, regardless of whether the radio stack is in the center of the instrument panel or not. Considering newer radios are a standard 6.25" wide, this means that if the AI centerline is within 11" of the closest edge of the radio stack, that radio stack qualifies as a "center radio stack". Cavaet Emptor..... P.S. I don't know if the about is still current, my point being that worrying about it is a waste of time. We can better concern ourselves with how long it takes for oil to run down a dipstick

Actually it was the FAA that came a calling. When the paperwork was filed, the person reviewing it knew the specs and also what planes that did not. Like an older Bo with a throw over yoke.