VAF Forums

VAF Forums (https://vansairforce.net/community/index.php)
-   Glass Cockpit (https://vansairforce.net/community/forumdisplay.php?f=35)
-   -   Glass Panel Upgrade Rumors? (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=109553)

JackinMichigan 02-06-2014 07:59 AM

Glass Panel Upgrade Rumors?
 
My plans are to purchase my Instrument Panel electronics as late as possible, most probable in mid-summer 2014. Talking to one of the RV-10 accessory suppliers yesterday, he suggested going to Sun-n-fun in the spring because rumors are that all the glass panel suppliers are introducing major upgrades...

So..... Anybody heard any rumors? Would love to hear em...:D

jjhoneck 02-06-2014 10:54 AM

This rumor must be 100% true -- simply because I just ordered a GRT Horizon box last week. lol!

:D

airguy 02-06-2014 11:04 AM

Pretty safe bet the rumor is true - they do that every year.

Brantel 02-06-2014 11:06 AM

This is no rumor. None of the current manufacturers are sitting on their bums watching the world go by.

I can guarantee you that you will see something new introduced at this year's big events. And next year's, and the year following that, and the year following that etc.....

The advice is to wait till the last minute because at the rate this stuff changes, there is always that next best thing around the corner.

petehowell 02-06-2014 11:59 AM

Huh??!!??
 
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!

Soemday I will upgrade.....someday........


Quote:

Originally Posted by Brantel (Post 851459)
This is no rumor. None of the current manufacturers are sitting on their bums watching the world go by.

I can guarantee you that you will see something new introduced at this year's big events. And next year's, and the year following that, and the year following that etc.....

The advice is to wait till the last minute because at the rate this stuff changes, there is always that next best thing around the corner.


rzbill 02-06-2014 12:25 PM

Don't get caught in that trap.
Buy what is available and fits your budget at the time you need it.
By the time you are flying, the electronics will be a couple of revisions ahead of you. Buy and don't look back

Look at it differently. How much better will you be than a spamcan rental if you buy LAST years stuff? A LOT.

NovaBandit 02-06-2014 12:34 PM

Come on Garmin 10" TouchScreen G3X!!! Or maybe even 12". I gotta lotta panel to fill up!

Canadian_JOY 02-06-2014 12:34 PM

As somebody who is re-doing a panel which was frozen in time in 2006 (and has never been installed, let alone flown!), I heartily support Bill's statement above.

Do your research. Buy from vendors who have a track record of backward compatibility or an excellent trade-in/trade-up program in place.

Our panel's "technology refresh" will set us back less than $10K, but that includes moving from a solid VFR panel to an IFR panel including a GNS480 and the autopilot to fly GPSS/GPSV, and punting all the steam gauge backups in favor of a second, stand-alone EFIS for backup duties. That's pretty good bang for the buck!

JackinMichigan 02-06-2014 02:50 PM

I did hear one rumor...
 
I did hear that Garmin is getting a bigger screen.

RV7Guy 02-06-2014 03:31 PM

Acceptance
 
One of the facts that every builder must come to accept is that your panel will always be out of date in some way, shape or form. Things change so quickly that you can never finish a plane with the latest and greatest. Acceptance:eek:

At some point you have to hit the Purchase button and clear out the cart knowing this fact. If you don't, you'll never finish and forever be frustrated.

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.

ppilotmike 02-07-2014 03:00 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.

grayforge 02-09-2014 02:51 AM

Ditto on Garmin.

I heard from 2 sources (one a builder, the other an avionics shop employee) at Oshkosh last year that Garmin is coming out with a larger display. I certainly hope so! I'd love to have a single display that does what 2 of their current ones do. Save a bit of money, weight, complexity... all good things.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:22 AM.