Panel review request, IFR

[jcarne]

Originally Posted by Reflex

Jeremy,

What program are you using to lay out the panels? Looks nice.

Fred

Thanks Fred. That is SolidWorks I'm using. A skill acquired when I was an engineer. Now I teach it to high school students. Great program. Now that I'm thinking about it I believe you can get a copy through EAA. You are also looking at a render and not just what you see in the program while running it.

[N941WR]

I would replace the Garmin G5 with a Dynon PocketPanel.

The reason is that the PocketPanel does not tie into your pitot or static system. Should one of them be compromised, the PocketPanel will continue to work while the other systems may have issues. The physical display is the same and it only need an electrical connection to charge its internal battery.

[BobRV7]

This is an interesting discussion since I will be doing mine in the near future. I do have a question about the transmit power of some of the Dynon or GRT internal radios since they are all in the 5 to 8 watt range. Is there anyone using them and what is your review of their transmit range. when you fly into a class B 30 mile range you do need a good radio. I have used the internet and haven't heard of any bad or good things about them.

The other question is what everyone is talking about, Where to get cheaper IFR GPS/Nav/com radio

Thanks-Bob

[jcarne]

Originally Posted by N941WR

I would replace the Garmin G5 with a Dynon PocketPanel.

The reason is that the PocketPanel does not tie into your pitot or static system. Should one of them be compromised, the PocketPanel will continue to work while the other systems may have issues. The physical display is the same and it only need an electrical connection to charge its internal battery.

I already have the pitot and static run up to the front so no problem there. I also wanted a different brand on my redundant attitude indicator. The pocket panel does look like a good option too though.

Originally Posted by BobRV7

The other question is what everyone is talking about, Where to get cheaper IFR GPS/Nav/com radio

Thanks-Bob

haha you figure that one out you let the whole world know. Dang them things are pricey!

[BobTurner]

Originally Posted by BobRV7

This is an interesting discussion since I will be doing mine in the near future. I do have a question about the transmit power of some of the Dynon or GRT internal radios since they are all in the 5 to 8 watt range. Is there anyone using them and what is your review of their transmit range. when you fly into a class B 30 mile range you do need a good radio. I have used the internet and haven't heard of any bad or good things about them.

The other question is what everyone is talking about, Where to get cheaper IFR GPS/Nav/com radio

Thanks-Bob

VHF radios are essentially line of sight, e.g., to the horizon. All the power in the world won?t help if the receiving station is beyond the horizon. Of course, the higher you go, the further away the horizon is, so airliners up in the flight levels usually equip with a bit more power. But below FL180 5-8 watts is all you need. More important is having a decent antenna installation.
As to lower cost ifr (e.g., ?approved?) gps, Garmin?s latest boxes have brought down the price somewhat. The barrier is the very high cost of obtaining a TSO, and the relatively small market. The only hope I see is if the FAA decides to approve the use of non-TSO?d gps for ifr use. I used to say ?this will never happen?. But recently they have allowed the use of non-TSO?d EFIS units (as an AI replacement, only) in normally certified aircraft. I thought that would never happen either, so there may be hope.

[BobTurner]

Jereme - I like your final layout.
I?d like to add a small suggestion for a few others who, like myself, wear progressive lenses. I taped a vertical strip of paper, with fine lettering, to my panel. Then sat in my normal vfr position, my line of sight going thru the top half of my glasses and out the windscreen. Then, without moving my head, I lowered my eyes and noted which letter was in sharpest focus. That?s where I placed my AI, which resulted in my efis being a bit lower than most installations. But I can go from the gauges to vfr and vice versa with no head movement. This kind of customization is one of the nice things about EAB. Build the airplane You want!

[jcarne]

Originally Posted by BobTurner

Jereme - I like your final layout.
I?d like to add a small suggestion for a few others who, like myself, wear progressive lenses. I taped a vertical strip of paper, with fine lettering, to my panel. Then sat in my normal vfr position, my line of sight going thru the top half of my glasses and out the windscreen. Then, without moving my head, I lowered my eyes and noted which letter was in sharpest focus. That?s where I placed my AI, which resulted in my efis being a bit lower than most installations. But I can go from the gauges to vfr and vice versa with no head movement. This kind of customization is one of the nice things about EAB. Build the airplane You want!

Thanks Bob! Now I can finish up my wiring diagram and tap into the VAF brain trust one more time. After that should be smooth sailing... haha jk there is always something

[Tim Lewis]

One item to consider is the long term cost of nav data updates. Assuming full US coverage, nav data only:

- For the GTN-650 you can choose Jepp data for about $480/year, or the Garmin nav data option for $299/year.
- For the IFD440, I think the only option is Jepp at $480/year.

So it seems that using the Garmin product gives you the option to save about $180/year on nav data costs.

[rwthompson67]

If you remove the Garmin COM radio, are you sure you wouldn't have enough room for all 3 Dynon modules in a vertical layout? The capability of your HDX to send all the frequencies to the Dynon radio for single button selection of GND/TWR/ATIS/ATC/WX is a wonderful convenience and capability that you're giving up by going with the Garmin comm radio.

[kiljoy]

The panel looks great. My only question (and this is a generalized panel question) is why do people put the small backup EFIS like the Dynon D10a or Garmin G5 on the left side of the panel?

It'd seem to me that were you actually in need of the backup due to main EFIS failure and say... sitting in the right seat that your angle of vision to it would be limited?

On yours though I love the simple switch layout.