I will also add a vote to install it (even though it looks like you have made up your mind to do so). I now have 10 hours on my plane and I wish this thread was out while I was building my panel:(. I will also install one if I ever decide to change my panel.

I have a GMC305 with G3X Touch installed with around 100h on it of which 40h are IMC. The main reason for the upgrade from the previous EFIS/AP was to reduce button pushing IFR. I love the GMC305.

Now IFR, I rarely touch the screen at all, using the GMC for all the AP controls and the knobs on the G3x for bug control.

I personally like to minimise using the touch during busy IFR - so more dedicated buttons/knobs the better IMHO.

Cheers

Good thing no one took bets on those odds.

I had reason to pull my panel and true to my prediction, I called Stein and had him ship me out a GNC305.

Wiring was easy (although I have now run out of RS232 portion the G3X).

It took me about 2hrs to remove my panel and 4hrs to put it back in. RV-8's are for contortionists!

As others have said, the GNC305 is very intuitive. I'm glad to have dedicated buttons again.

You will love it.

If you ever need another serial port, you can just use the connection to the roll servo although you will lose the connection redundancy.

Thanks Brian, but I'm not following. My roll servo has a CAN BUS connection fre the G3X and a serial connection direct from the GMC305.

My G3X is serial from the GMC305, GTN MAPMX, GTN Connext, GDL39, and my backup COMM.

If I drop anything it would be the serial connection to by backup COMM.

Up-Date
 

You guys may like to hear of the progress on this one. We looked at putting the 305 on top of the glair shield, but liked it better below the glair shield. On the far left side we put the 305 at the top as high as we could. Just bellow that we put 340 audio panel and just below that GNC-255B. Then moved over as close and high as we could and placed the GDU-460.
By making the 3/4" angle rails on the radio stack a little long we found that we had room for A GTN-650 if we want to install one at a later date and we still had room below the radio stack to place all the little push-pull breakers to go to these new black boxes. This hole system is under construction and is all new world to us so it well be a couple of months before we understand how it all wires together. Placing the units in this order gave plenty of air space on top of the stack and putting 3/16" gaps between the units will get air around everything for good cooling. Sorry I am not good at posting JPG's to this site, but it is looking to be a great system if an old man like me can ever understand all its full utility. Thanks for the help on this. Yours as always. R.E.A. III #80888

If you ever find yourself needing another port, you can disconnect the GMC305 from the GDU and just use the connection to the servo...it works fine that way although you do lose the redundant connection.

Thanks Brian. I didn't know that was an option.