Autopilot - Garmin 500 vs TruTrak

[jliltd]

What Walt said. Garmin GFC is a high mark on any equipment list. It is a phenomenal product based on Garmin $100+ systems and hardware certified for business and commercial aviation. Brought down to small GA aicraft.

Bendix King tends to ruin every GA product line they buy all the while increasing prices and cutting off direct support to end users. Any more, I see Bendix King equipment as undesirable. Unfortunately.

There is an underlying reason the market adds instant resale value and buyer comfort to Garmin equipped airframes. Right or wrong, it's a real factor.

As a multiple airframe owner with avionics of different makes and a person who installs their own equipment there are always questions and concerns with different avionics brands. And I firmly believe that competition is a good thing. But over time I find the comfort, added value, performance and support of Garmin too hard to ignore. The GFC autopilot systems in particular are fantastic. My resistance has become futile. ��

[Ed_Wischmeyer]

Very pleased with the Garmin in my RV-9A. And with a single vendor, good integration is a given.

I would avoid mixed vendor systems under most circumstances. I?m about to install a Becker comm for #2 in my otherwise all Garmin panel, mainly because I already had it on hand, and because I?ve figured out a seamless way to integrate it into normal operations.

[plehrke]

Just put a TruTrak Gemini in last month. Bought it 2 years ago before it was bought by Bendixking. Works great except for slight porpusing during turn. Also the DG is not reading the correct heading although it flies the right track. Been back and forth with emails with customer tech support at BendixKing who has been giving one sentence non helpful replies and then trying to close the case saying completed inquiry. Now he just does not reply.
I like the autopilot not liking tech support now with Bendixking.

[no7rosman]

I too have a TT and it works great coupled to Garmin 430W.

Any comments on turbulence from TT owners? I usually shut mine off when it's bumpy.

[newt]

Originally Posted by no7rosman

I too have a TT and it works great coupled to Garmin 430W.

Any comments on turbulence from TT owners? I usually shut mine off when it's bumpy.

TT coupled to a 430W here too. If I?m on altitude hold and it?s thermic it?ll ?hunt? for height which, depending on the thermals, can involve quite significant pitch and speed excursions.

If I go to SVS mode at 0 fpm it?ll smooth out a bit. If it?s still hunting I?ll shut it off and hand fly.

It?s on default settings for an RV-6. I don?t know if any adjustments I could make would improve it. Most of the time it?s solid, but sometimes ... erk.

- mark

[flysrv10]

Originally Posted by newt

TT coupled to a 430W here too. If I?m on altitude hold and it?s thermic it?ll ?hunt? for height which, depending on the thermals, can involve quite significant pitch and speed excursions.

If I go to SVS mode at 0 fpm it?ll smooth out a bit. If it?s still hunting I?ll shut it off and hand fly.

It?s on default settings for an RV-6. I don?t know if any adjustments I could make would improve it. Most of the time it?s solid, but sometimes ... erk.

- mark

Default setting did not work for me at all. I suggest starting with max and work your way down to match your aircraft. I chased this issue for a long time and finally threw in the towel and made my own setting. Turned out to be quite a bit different that default settings suggested by TT. Mine performs perfect in all phases of flight.

[Tim Lewis]

Originally Posted by jliltd

Bendix King tends to ruin every GA product line they buy all the while increasing prices and cutting off direct support to end users. Any more, I see Bendix King equipment as undesirable. Unfortunately.

I agree

Originally Posted by plehrke

Been back and forth with emails with customer tech support at BendixKing who has been giving one sentence non helpful replies and then trying to close the case saying completed inquiry. Now he just does not reply.
I like the autopilot not liking tech support now with Bendixking.

Sounds like no improvement in TruTrak Tech support in the last 4 months. My (similar) experience is here: http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...=Bendix&page=6

[BillL]

Originally Posted by newt

TT coupled to a 430W here too. If I?m on altitude hold and it?s thermic it?ll ?hunt? for height which, depending on the thermals, can involve quite significant pitch and speed excursions.

If I go to SVS mode at 0 fpm it?ll smooth out a bit. If it?s still hunting I?ll shut it off and hand fly.

It?s on default settings for an RV-6. I don?t know if any adjustments I could make would improve it. Most of the time it?s solid, but sometimes ... erk.

- mark

Originally Posted by plehrke

Just put a TruTrak Gemini in last month. Bought it 2 years ago before it was bought by Bendixking. Works great except for slight porpusing during turn. Also the DG is not reading the correct heading although it flies the right track. Been back and forth with emails with customer tech support at BendixKing who has been giving one sentence non helpful replies and then trying to close the case saying completed inquiry. Now he just does not reply.
I like the autopilot not liking tech support now with Bendixking.

I get both of these in my GX Pilot. Mostly turn porpoise occurs when below 125kts during approach, but not always. Rarely have had significant porpoise straight, but it is usually associated with an out of trim condition. Kinda sensitive to that. Significant tuning effort has not corrected. A 20 ft (peak-to-peak) wave ride at cruise is typical. Not noticeable though, it is only found in the G3X data.

In bumping and thumping air, it has does it's job.

[BobTurner]

Originally Posted by plehrke

Just put a TruTrak Gemini in last month. Bought it 2 years ago before it was bought by Bendixking. Works great except for slight porpusing during turn. Also the DG is not reading the correct heading although it flies the right track. Been back and forth with emails with customer tech support at BendixKing who has been giving one sentence non helpful replies and then trying to close the case saying completed inquiry. Now he just does not reply.
I like the autopilot not liking tech support now with Bendixking.

Disclaimer: I don?t own a TT (I have a Trio Pro which works great).
Let?s be fair. Like many low cost autopilots, the Gemini won?t display heading at all. It only displays ground track. Read the manual! However, it does seem disappointing that the BendixKing tech rep couldn?t explain that to you.