New addition to the MGL iEFIS family: Welcome Challenger

The MGL iEFIS challenger is now being released and is available for viewing at Oshkosh on MGL's stand, Booth 2139 as usual.

High resolution XGA 10.4" 4:3 format with sub-pixel sampling, pressure sensitive touch screen (usable with gloves and in turbulence), high brightness, non-reflective, full 180 degree viewing angle in all directions including up/down.
Of course, fully compatible with the existing iEFIS Explorer. More details below the pic lifted from Matt's Oshkosh brochure.

Rainier
(CEO MGL Avionics)



Some of the iEFIS features (for more go to www.MGLAvionics.com)

iEFIS system compatible (single or dual iBOX)
Wifi access point (view demo apps at our booth)
Up to 8 panels per aircraft, any mixture
Ideal mix of user interfaces: Buttons, Rotary controls, Touch screen and Joke/stick mounted controls. The best solution for every task.
Dual power supplies (master-backup)
Monitoring of up to 4 engines (NA, diesel, turbine and electric)
Up to 4 Gyro based AHRS plus GPS based AHRS
Simple and quick installation due to iBOX system, very minimal wiring behind panel (just power and a single screw in LAN cable)
Compatibility to a wide range of third party and MGL products (radios, transponders, Nav radios ECB, ADSB, etc)
Standard interfaces: ARINC, RS232, CAN and others including analog and digital inputs
Built in high performance, attitude aware autopilot (lateral and vertical control), up to three axis (including yaw) using MGL servos
Support for internal or external autopilots (NMEA or ARINC). Internal autopilot can be slaved to external navigation system (such as G430 and compatible) including GNSS.
Standard support for up to 4 video feeds for use with FLIR, taxi, wing, tail or survey cameras (compatible with standard PAL or NTSC signals)
Very high performance built in 50 channel GPS system (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, RAIM) with anti-jamming technology. Compatibility with external cerified GPS sources (NMEA or ARINC) for compliance where needed.
Map touch navigation - including autopilot follow.
Vertical airspace ahead graphics - get the full picture when flying in complex airspaces with warnings ahead of airspace entry (or exit if enabled).
Fastest boot time of any complex EFIS system on the market. As little as 5 seconds from power on to fully usuable EFIS system including GPS fix (if position was known when power was removed and you have not moved a large distance it takes just 1 second to re-aquire a fix).

Navigation databases: Jeppesen, PocketFMS, EasyPlan, MGL user group maintained data including maps as well as others. Support includes geo-referenced approach plates. Other commercial data and map sources are in development.

Easy to follow upgrade path. On average, MGL releases a new firmware update once a month with new features or improvements. Upgrades are very simple to install (just copy a single file you download from our website onto the SD card, insert and switch on - takes just a few seconds). Firmware updates are free.

As with our other systems, the iEFIS allows selection from many built in, pre-made screens, engine and fuel displays. However, it extends on the user definable screen layout design which allows a user to create his own screens from scratch or freely modify the built in screens.
Built in library of many unusual flight, engine and navigation functions to cater for unusual applications including space flight.

Oh yes - the price. It's good. Of course it is.

Oh yes, mgl phone will be ringing today

Bird

Dual com, nav radio, GPS, transponder, and ADSB-------all in one box.

Somehow I never thought such would be incorporated into the EFIS when I tossed out this idea a few years back. My mind was wandering off into two units land with the EFIS and radios in separate little boxes of magic.

Rainier, looks good for sure, and eats up less panel real estate than my concept.

Now, if I could only convince the CFO to let me start a nine..............

I would take a poke around the MGL avionics users forum for a bit before I wrote a check. Just saying...caveat emptor.

ColoRv said:

I would take a poke around the MGL avionics users forum for a bit before I wrote a check. Just saying...caveat emptor.

Click to expand...

Yep, nuf said. I just read the thread and can only feel sorry for all those guys.

Poor docs, poor customer support. Money not well spent

The docs are improving. Matt at MGL USA has given perfect service. MGL still has greater assortment of functions than the others at substantially lower price. Also, the others don't even attempt to offer their level of customization, usually without additional cost. There's like two hotheads on the forum making ninety percent of the noise while a couple thousand others are busy flying them.

Support from MGL has been excellent for me so far, and the Odyssey unit I have has stood up to all of my ham-fisted abuse so far.

On the positive side, the fact that a forum exists that serves to air issues in public is a good thing. All too often, a company will remove or cause to be removed posts or other items not in line with corporate messaging.

List

I am on the list for a complete iefis with the challenger screen. Can't wait to get my paws on it, hurry up mgl!! In the meantime I'm just studying the manuals and playing with the simulator. I like that I don't have pay additional money to have the efis interface my vertical power.

Bird

Happy MGL Customer

I have the Odyssey G2 in my RV-8 and find it has great functionality and I am very happy with it. I don't know about the iEFIS, but the Odyssey is great. So is their V-10 radio

ColoRv said:

I would take a poke around the MGL avionics users forum for a bit before I wrote a check. Just saying...caveat emptor.

Click to expand...

I have no dog in this fight, and don't feel one way or the other about MGL. Never seen one in person. I will say, though... customer support forums are not where you will go to see/hear people sing the praises of a product. They are where people go to report bugs, ask for help with problems, and generally complain, gripe and cajole. So when looking at a string of complaints in a support forum, what I personally look for are:

1. What's the nature of the complaint? Is this a minor bug, or a "Good Lord, how could they have possibly screwed this up" kind of thing?
2. Is this something that will affect a lot of users, or something that affects one guy with an oddball application or preference?
3. How does the company respond? Bug fix or brush-off? Do you get a lot of, "Yeah, we'd like to do that but we're too busy" responses?

That said... yes, I'd check out their user forums as well as those of any other vendor I was looking at, if they have 'em. For those vendors who don't, Google and various forum (VAF, for example) search functions are your friends.

Some MGL experience

We've used MGL products in our small-panel applications on the Murphy (ALT, EMS-1, V-6 and formerly V-10 radio, G-Meter) and after solving a few installation riddles with the radios they are working very well.

For shallow installations there are few radio choices that pack the punch of a V-6 - only MGL at that price point. For small EFIS's the Gemini and Xtreme (X is going in a Onex I'm helping with) seem to be the color choices and the Xtreme is probably better bang for buck but we've not flown behind it yet. I'm sure the gemini is bullet proof. The perceived build quality of MGL is not up to Garmin or Dynon but the MGL instruments seem to be holding up in our high-vibration, open-cockpit environment very well. The EMS-1 in particular has been really great for our Rotax monitoring.

Matt is very helpful but they could use more support staff and MUCH better manuals. One good doc writer on contract would make a huge difference for their product manuals.