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In this upgrade we totally gutted everything in the 2003 panel, retaining only a Garmin GPS/Com (GNC-300XL), a clock, two back-up instruments, and our TruTrack autopilot.
In addition to the GRT Horizon Hxr, we installed a PS Engineering PAR 200 Audio panel/Intercom/Com, a Skyradar ADS-B unit, and GRT's own standalone GPS. We removed a bunch of switches and wiring that were either redundant or unneeded. (The original builder had switches to control the speed of the trim, and the ability to switch the tach from one side to the other. Those circuits went away, along with some interesting lighting circuits.)
The autopilot is slaved to either the Garmin or the GRT, controlled by a switch that controls 26 (!) lines.
The project took nine days. We could have done it in 7, except the panel blueprints that Stein provided showed a cross-member behind the panel that wasn't there. Since we had planned to build a shelf for the AHRS, back-up battery, and remote radio that attached to that member, we had to make an on the fly redesign.
We are now down to configuring the unit with the 200 parameters it can measure. We are also having a problem with the Trutrak talking to the GRT, but should have that ironed out today.
Many thanks to my friend Tom Berge, who flew down with his wife for a "working vacation" on the island to do this job. I was there the entire nine days (it really is a 2-man job) but my role was "gopher" and "student avionics tech". I did some of the sheet metal work, and pulled a bunch of wires, but the brains of the operation was all Tom. I stand in awe of his knowledge and abilities -- the workmanship is gorgeous -- and I learned so much about avionics in the process.
I haven't figured it out, yet, but I'm guessing we gained 10 - 15 pounds of useful load by ripping out the vacuum system and instruments. We shall see after I add the numbers.
In this upgrade we totally gutted everything in the 2003 panel, retaining only a Garmin GPS/Com (GNC-300XL), a clock, two back-up instruments, and our TruTrack autopilot.
In addition to the GRT Horizon Hxr, we installed a PS Engineering PAR 200 Audio panel/Intercom/Com, a Skyradar ADS-B unit, and GRT's own standalone GPS. We removed a bunch of switches and wiring that were either redundant or unneeded. (The original builder had switches to control the speed of the trim, and the ability to switch the tach from one side to the other. Those circuits went away, along with some interesting lighting circuits.)
The autopilot is slaved to either the Garmin or the GRT, controlled by a switch that controls 26 (!) lines.
The project took nine days. We could have done it in 7, except the panel blueprints that Stein provided showed a cross-member behind the panel that wasn't there. Since we had planned to build a shelf for the AHRS, back-up battery, and remote radio that attached to that member, we had to make an on the fly redesign.
We are now down to configuring the unit with the 200 parameters it can measure. We are also having a problem with the Trutrak talking to the GRT, but should have that ironed out today.
Many thanks to my friend Tom Berge, who flew down with his wife for a "working vacation" on the island to do this job. I was there the entire nine days (it really is a 2-man job) but my role was "gopher" and "student avionics tech". I did some of the sheet metal work, and pulled a bunch of wires, but the brains of the operation was all Tom. I stand in awe of his knowledge and abilities -- the workmanship is gorgeous -- and I learned so much about avionics in the process.
I haven't figured it out, yet, but I'm guessing we gained 10 - 15 pounds of useful load by ripping out the vacuum system and instruments. We shall see after I add the numbers.