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-   -   Glass Panel Upgrade Rumors? (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=109553)

scard 02-06-2014 04:25 PM

I've been telling people for a couple of years that I'll finish my -8 project when Garmin updates the now very old G3X displays.

AlexPeterson 02-06-2014 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petehowell (Post 851472)
Are you saying my Garmin 396 is no longer state-of-the-art??? :D

Why just last week it found Madison all the way from Minneapolis.....

It really is amazing the innovation we have access to. Wait and reap the latest and greatest!

Someday I will upgrade.....someday........

Hah - just before I do! Pretty soon our antique panels will be all the rage, with their stylish round dials and radium coated needles...

Ironflight 02-06-2014 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexPeterson (Post 851602)
.... and radium coated needles...

Aha! So that's what you're using to keep warm this winter!:D

BillFear 02-07-2014 07:37 AM

your right, they are always out of date
 
Our panel was built in 2005 with GRT EFISs, Garmin 300 and SL30 and TT autopilot. I am still blown away by how well it works and what it can do.

We added a 696 a year ago to get weather and better mapping. Now foreflight on the ipad has taken care of charts-plates and offers more backup.

I have often thought about upgrading the autopilot but this one works so good, I can not justify the spend just to get climbs/descents and vertical on approaches.

Anxiously waiting for our experimental vendors to help us solve the ADSB out challenge at an experimental price!

humptybump 02-07-2014 09:24 AM

I caught a glimpse of the WideView prototype which they claim is the first true glass panel for the RV-8. It will be interesting to hear what the response is at Sun-n-Fun.


ppilotmike 02-07-2014 10:54 AM

What if...?
 
..I know it's all the rage to go for the most adept, technologically advanced setup possible. However, one thing that keeps nagging at me is the whole "software dependency" that's growing. Even if you've jumped on the "properly designed softawre and backup systems can never fail" bandwagon and don't assign risk to an all glass panel, the other concern is future costs. Software upgrade costs, subscription costs, software to software sync/patch costs, etc. In the software world, isn't planned obsolescence part of the design criteria? ..as well as industry non-standardization? By giving up our steam gauges, are we really signing up for a never-ending continuous billing cycle?

Brantel 02-07-2014 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ppilotmike (Post 851761)
Software upgrade costs, subscription costs, software to software sync/patch costs, etc. In the software world, isn't planned obsolescence part of the design criteria? ..as well as industry non-standardization? By giving up our steam gauges, are we really signing up for a never-ending continuous billing cycle?

Most of the hardware that brings with it the majority of the cost you are describing above are related to IFR operations and you are going to have those cost with steam as well as glass. Ground based IFR navigation is slowly going away whether we like it or not.

Most experimental EFIS makers have made these cost virtually disappear in their systems. The decision to upgrade to the latest and greatest hardware mostly lies in the lap of the end user. For instance: Dynon still sells and supports a glass product that is over a decade old. The G3X platform is many years old and is even backward compatible with the new products that were introduced to freshen up the line and fill some holes. AFS and GRT still support many of their older products.

I still have a warm place in my heart for a well designed panel full of round steam but the reality is that that ship has sailed and the world is moving on.

DFlyer 02-07-2014 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humptybump (Post 851723)
I caught a glimpse of the WideView prototype which they claim is the first true glass panel for the RV-8. It will be interesting to hear what the response is at Sun-n-Fun.


Glen, do you have a spy in our offices?

-Robert
Dynon Avionics

sbalmos 02-07-2014 02:03 PM

Dunno about you Robert, but I'm wondering what Rob H & AFS are going to increase to now. We've kinda run out of numerals to go to, 5400 > 5600 > 5800... What now, the AFS Super-Jumbo Neural Link 10000? :eek:

ppilotmike 02-07-2014 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brantel (Post 851769)
Most of the hardware that brings with it the majority of the cost you are describing above are related to IFR operations and you are going to have those cost with steam as well as glass. Ground based IFR navigation is slowly going away whether we like it or not.

Most experimental EFIS makers have made these cost virtually disappear in their systems. The decision to upgrade to the latest and greatest hardware mostly lies in the lap of the end user. For instance: Dynon still sells and supports a glass product that is over a decade old. The G3X platform is many years old and is even backward compatible with the new products that were introduced to freshen up the line and fill some holes. AFS and GRT still support many of their older products.

I still have a warm place in my heart for a well designed panel full of round steam but the reality is that that ship has sailed and the world is moving on.

Valid points.


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