Panel Wiring
I wholeheartedly support the idea of documenting your wiring with a spreadsheet. It has many advantages: 1) It is much easier to keep up to date than a schematic; 2) It is searchable for finding things; 3) It is much more compact than a huge schematic; 4) If you are starting from avionics, it is easier to add/integrate the rest of the plane's electrical wiring in the same data base.
Regarding access and the pain of being upside down under and behind the panel, of course removable panel sections help, though not for the connectors at the back of a radio stack. But, another thing to consider, and I am amazed how we don't see this done much, install all your exiting wiring in such a way that it can allow panel movement, and hinge the whole panel at the bottom. Mine is that way, and when it's time for mods it swings back to a 50 degree angle and I sit comfortably on seats or the spar and work away over the top of the panel.
One more thing - I don't understand the comments about the heavy connectors on the Garmin display - The are tightly screwed to the back of each unit mating connector and have great integrity, and in a flying installation, the cables most likely would get supported and tied off anyway. What else did anyone expect to do to "support those heavy connector"?
I wholeheartedly support the idea of documenting your wiring with a spreadsheet. It has many advantages: 1) It is much easier to keep up to date than a schematic; 2) It is searchable for finding things; 3) It is much more compact than a huge schematic; 4) If you are starting from avionics, it is easier to add/integrate the rest of the plane's electrical wiring in the same data base.
Regarding access and the pain of being upside down under and behind the panel, of course removable panel sections help, though not for the connectors at the back of a radio stack. But, another thing to consider, and I am amazed how we don't see this done much, install all your exiting wiring in such a way that it can allow panel movement, and hinge the whole panel at the bottom. Mine is that way, and when it's time for mods it swings back to a 50 degree angle and I sit comfortably on seats or the spar and work away over the top of the panel.
One more thing - I don't understand the comments about the heavy connectors on the Garmin display - The are tightly screwed to the back of each unit mating connector and have great integrity, and in a flying installation, the cables most likely would get supported and tied off anyway. What else did anyone expect to do to "support those heavy connector"?