alioth wrote:
If you’re going to completely rewire it, does it matter what you find – since it’s all going to go anyway?
Finding issues doesn’t have to do with new installation going in. For example, when doing wiring I see a poor hose, leaking actuator, cracked bulkhead etc, I will always inform the customer. During this kind of work, you can detect issue which were invisible / inaccessable during normal inspection work.
AdamFrisch wrote:
They say it should be ready in mid Feb. I don’t believe them for a second…
Sure it’ll be ready in mid February …. 2018 
Temporary fitting. Some things had to be moved around a little bit, and it’s still a huge mess, but maybe getting a little closer. Once all instruments have been test mounted in place, the thing goes off to get CNCed, engraved and painted.
God, things take time.
I think we’re on our 4th temporary panel now, and certain things have had to move again… It’s very tight behind there. Now, I just found out that the flush panel mounted iPad mounts will only fit the mini in the upper panel and the second mini mount in the pedestal won’t fit at all… Since I really want two mini’s mounted, I’m now looking at doing some extension metalwork in the lower pedestal to accommodate the flush mount from Guardian Avionics. They keep suggesting me to do a RAM mount, yoke mount or some more off-the-shelf solution, but I’ve flown with those things for years and they drive me nuts. They shake, they take up place, they look junky, the drop in your lap when air pressure drops, they leave suction marks, etc.. No. It has to be panel mounted. Don’t care that it costs more.
But why am I so hell-bent on two, they keep asking me? Well, for multiple reasons: the new IFD100 app acts as a second IFD540 for me, so I could have that on a completely different page. It could show a flight plan, traffic, or even synthetic vision, when the main box is doing something else. Or, I could run ForeFlight on one mini with IFR and the other in VFR for situational awareness. Or just have one on as an electronic backup PFD. There are many reasons to have two iPads and that need will only increase over the years with new apps etc, so that’s why I’m so adamant.
I hope I don’t go to the loony bin before it’s all over…
We all need projects in our life, Adam
And if the project can be combined with something nice elsewhere e.g. flying to nice places, meeting up with nice people, that’s a bonus.
Adam, aren’t you risking Apple changing the size of the mini at some stage and needing different sized mounts? I just use a nice glareshield mount. A second IFD might be cheaper than all these changes….
Did you tried the IFD540 before chosing them ?
I have two off them in a plane and I find theme very hard to use. Less friendly than the GTN750/650 i have in a other plane…
They have a lots of options but not so easy to reach.
For example the vnav profile is not easy to put in with the touch screen. The windows are two narrow to use them efficiently in turbulence…
My two cents
Romain
Less friendly than the GTN750/650 i have in a other plane…
They have a lots of options but not so easy to reach.
I can’t speak from experience of this box but usually the user reports are very positive, so this is interesting. What is the VNAV profile used for?
OTOH the users who have them would have chosen them after playing with them at some exhibition, or in some avionics shop which has a demo unit, and only the people who liked the user interface would have bought the box, so the people who like it are a self-selected population
JasonC wrote:
Adam, aren’t you risking Apple changing the size of the mini at some stage and needing different sized mounts?
I think Jason has a very valid point there. I’d suggest cutting the holes a little larger than the current iPad size and putting a plastic / rubber / whatever frame in there that can cheaply be removed / re-cut. I know, I know…..space…..
here a just finished avionics project on a Commander 690a based in Belgium
dual GTN750+GTX33D+GTX345R
