GRT Mini-X!

I just powered up a panel upgrade today with a GRT Mini-X with the backup battery and the GPS antenna. Extremely easy install as a stand-alone backup. Only 2 wires (power and ground) and the GPS antenna. It fired right up and the EFIS came on with the synthetic vision and the map looked great. I'm extremely impressed, especially at the price point. I don't see anything else in the market that provides this kind of functionality for the backup $.

I love my MiniX's very bright displays, synthetic vision, airport info, maps, HSI, the list goes on.

GRT is a sponsor of ours, but i gotta tell you, it just works.

Mini X

I put one in my 4. Love it! I had a small problem on calibration, made one phone call to GRT and done. Great product, great service.

Love the Mini-X!

Like they said, "it just works." Lots of value for today's avionics dollar. Completely plug-and-play. I wish my HXr had so straightforward a set-up, but it's far more capable, so, it has that going for it.

The inevitable Apple comparison makes me realize how much the performance/cost equation is driven by company and market size. If Apple made a Mini on an iPhone platform using the phone's existing accelerometers and with a mass-produced air data sensor block, the iMini would have phenomenal pixel density, unlimited software expandability and would cost about $700. It would also be too dim to see well under an RV canopy.

Given the size of their staff and facilities and the comparatively minuscule market, GRT delivers phenomenal value in the Mini. It must be difficult to make a profit on them vs. the rest of their product line - but we benefit.

-Stormy

photo

Mjuckes said:

I put one in my 4. Love it! I had a small problem on calibration, made one phone call to GRT and done. Great product, great service.

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Can you forward me a photo of it installed in your 4. I'm looking at putting one in mine also and trying to gather size and fit options.

[email protected]

Thanks.

Yeah, there is that.

The Mini needs a square hole, and some very tiny (#4) cap screws. (About the only thing the Dynon competition has over it, that I can see.) I ended up tapping the #4 mounting holes in my panel rather than fooling with tiny lock nuts, Easier, IMO.

You will love the shallow comparative depth, too - no holes needed in the sub-panel like you do with 6" deep units.

-Stormy

Yeah, the #4 mounting screws are a bit of a pain... they are very close to the edge of the square mounting cutout so there is very little edge distance. I, too, ended up tapping the holes in my panel, through the .063 aluminum as well as an .063 doubler riveted behind the panel at each of the 4 mounting screw locations.

There's been another long-standing thread on the Mini-X here on the forum. In that thread I recently posted information gleaned from testing the Mini-X's internal battery. Impressive performance!

#4 nutplates work just fine for mounting

Bill Boyd said:

The Mini needs a square hole, and some very tiny (#4) cap screws. (About the only thing the Dynon competition has over it, that I can see.) I ended up tapping the #4 mounting holes in my panel rather than fooling with tiny lock nuts, Easier, IMO.

You will love the shallow comparative depth, too - no holes needed in the sub-panel like you do with 6" deep units.

-Stormy

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I used #4 nutplates. (Four different instances so far)
Took a while to find them but they simplify things.

You will also find that the "boot time" is MUCH faster as well.

For those installing them as backups, be sure to take the time to run the additional wire to a switch so it can run the A/P as well if your other EFIS fails.
I know of one case where it has been called in to do just that THREE times!

James

James

jclark said:

For those installing them as backups, be sure to take the time to run the additional wire to a switch so it can run the A/P as well if your other EFIS fails.
I know of one case where it has been called in to do just that THREE times!

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Three times??

Has the red flag gone up yet?????

Mike S said:

Three times??

Has the red flag gone up yet?????

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The other equipment was pulled and checked out. No problems found.
We think it is maybe a bad wire/crimp in a certain area.

The good news is when the strange behavior occurred (including during IFR), the pilot just threw the switch and says that the Mini was "rock solid".

He also now says he "loooooovvves" his Mini. (He now thinks that it is worth a lot more than he initially thought.)

What this all speaks to is the value of some sort of BACKUP. No matter what brand or type. It gives a certain peace of mind ... beyond what you might initially expect.

I'll reiterate here a request made on the other Mini-X thread in hopes the GRT team is reading this...

I'd switch in a heartbeat my engine monitoring solution to a GRT product IF I didn't have to install that boat anchor of an EIS. I would like nothing better than to have an engine monitor based on the Mini EFIS.

(In case you can't tell, I really like the Mini! LoL)

Canadian_JOY said:

I'll reiterate here a request made on the other Mini-X thread in hopes the GRT team is reading this...

I'd switch in a heartbeat my engine monitoring solution to a GRT product IF I didn't have to install that boat anchor of an EIS. I would like nothing better than to have an engine monitor based on the Mini EFIS.

(In case you can't tell, I really like the Mini! LoL)

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Just curious ...

Is your objection, the user interface to the box or the fact that there is a box (one that can be hidden anywhere in the plane)?

I am not sure that I would want them to try to cram the conversion electronics in with the (I suspect sensitive) AHRS and other logic.

Remember, the EIS converts all kinds of "inputs" to a serial out that you use on the "display box".

Now, I must admit, I have been one of the ones screaming the most to them to make the EIS more "plug and play", more "user friendly" but I do understand why having it as a separate box , in my mind, is a "good thing". I just wish I could program it from my Mini, or SX, or HXr.

James

What I'd like is a remote box that connects all the engine and related sensors, and communicates with a Mini EMS, and that has new EMS software as good as the Mini.

Dave

Mjuckes said:

I put one in my 4. Love it! I had a small problem on calibration, made one phone call to GRT and done. Great product, great service.

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What was it ? I haven't been able to calibrate mine but it's not off very far so I don't mind for now.

I am also very happy with the mini- it is my primary not backup and incredible for the money. Can't wait for the ems to replace my old one - get er done !

+1 for the Mini-X

One of the engineers talked to me for over an hour when I was making my decision. No sales pressure - just one engineer to another. I bought it for the specs, but the time they spent with me went a long way as well. They are a small outfit with some amazing products at amazing prices.

Dave

Oh and by the way - Pins 13 and 14 on the harness will be for audio. Not implemented yet, but if you're wiring .... Pin 13 will be audio HI (out) and Pin 14 will be audio lo (GND). Not sure about the other minis, but this is true for the X version.

jclark said:

Just curious ...

Is your objection, the user interface to the box or the fact that there is a box (one that can be hidden anywhere in the plane)?

I am not sure that I would want them to try to cram the conversion electronics in with the (I suspect sensitive) AHRS and other logic.

Remember, the EIS converts all kinds of "inputs" to a serial out that you use on the "display box".

Now, I must admit, I have been one of the ones screaming the most to them to make the EIS more "plug and play", more "user friendly" but I do understand why having it as a separate box , in my mind, is a "good thing". I just wish I could program it from my Mini, or SX, or HXr.

James

Click to expand...

James - good line of questioning. My objection is to the EIS potentially being a remote box BUT still requiring an on-box user interface.

My current engine monitor is an AFS-2500, which, of course, uses a remote computer/interface box and a fairly dumb display. The remote box has no buttons or display - it's just a box that can be mounted totally remotely, and once it's mounted and wired, one never has to touch it again. All settings and other controls are accomplished via the pretty display unit on the instrument panel.

I would love it if I could have an interface box (yes, even the EIS format would do) that could be totally hidden away and never touched after installation, with all calibration and configuration activities being handled by a sharp display unit in the same format as the Mini EFIS. Heck, I'd really be happy if my Mini-X could switch modes between EMS and EFIS, so I could display engine data on the Mini and keep the entire HS EFIS screen for PFD use, or use the Mini as an EFIS and display the thin engine data tape at the bottom of the HS EFIS display.

Your comments on "plug and play" user friendliness are right on the money. Too much of our equipment requires one to use "engineer-speak" to configure it or otherwise make it get up and run.

David I sent you a picture

thank you

Thanks. Looks great.

Erik. I sent you a PM