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EFIS you would buy poll

What EFIS manufacturor would you use?

  • Advanced Flight System

    Votes: 38 13.4%
  • Dynon

    Votes: 87 30.6%
  • Garmin

    Votes: 86 30.3%
  • GRT

    Votes: 59 20.8%
  • MGL

    Votes: 14 4.9%

  • Total voters
    284
  • Poll closed .

rvator51

Well Known Member
So if you already have a glass cockpit. what Manufacturer would you you get it from now if you had to do it again.
Note: Advanced Flight Systems shown separately from Dynon as it used to be separate company and still seems to operate separately.
 
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I've got Garmin and neither Garmin nor any of the other brands has given me any reason to switch. However, I'm pretty sure I'd have said the same if I had another brand.
 
Tried most, but AFS my choice

I looked at them all, closely, flew behind some ---- I choose AFS for (1) buttons and knobs rather than drop-down menus, and (2) compatibility with my autopilot TTV385, and (3) compatibility with many ADS-B solutions, and (4) compatibility with nearly all Dynon peripherals.

Ron
 
They have the same parent company but remain autonomous in the product line. So therefore 2 different product lines.

Poppycock. That's like saying Skyview and D1xx are not both Dynon.

And someone please spell Manufacturer correctly.
 
Rob and family still maintain their own facility ( I drive by it all the time) and very much appear to operate on their own path with AFS product line and development, coordinated I am sure with Dynon.
I would say it is more like the GM of old, with Buick, Chevy, etc... maintained as separate brands.
I think it is correct to separate them as they are very much different product lines.
 
So apparently the poll is of product line, not manufacturer?

That's a horse of a different color.
 
Garmin in Australia

Dynon or AFS with an Avidyne gps
-Full Australian Mapping
-Direct to finds ALL local and outback airports and Cattle Stations.
-Wireless flight-plan transfer with Avplan or Ozrunways
-works well with other 3rd party auto-pilots
-Full approach charts on your screen for less than $100.00 AUD
-well supported with great service costs

Garmin G3X with GTN
-Very limited Australian mapping,
-You need an Ipad with Avplan or Ozrunways
-Direct to only finds main Airports
-Manual flight plan entry (use the Mark 1 finger )
-Chart View on your GTN, $2900.00 AUD !!!!!
-More expensive to service

Garmin have been saying for over 3 years that Australian mapping will be fixed,still waiting..............
 
Just to clear up any confusion...we manufacture the Advanced Flight Systems line of EFIS screens at our facility in Canby. It's also where we build all the Quick Panels. Yes, we integrate with Dynon components, but we design, manufacture, and service the AF-5000 line right here in Canby.

We're only 10 minutes away from Van's, so if you're ever in the neighborhood stop by for a visit and check it out for yourself. :)
 
Having been a Dynon user since 2004, and in recent years been helping others with installation etc.....including some G3X, I have an opinion. But bare in mind this is just an opinion.

Garmin make nice hardware, I have their radio stack including a GTN750.

BUT

In choice of EFIS and EMS...........Dynon or AFS. Two reasons for this, the EMS in the Dynon is far better (and it is still lacking normalise mode....anyone listening at dyne?) and the customer service is far better.

I have skin in both games and the less risk skin is in the Dynon camp.
 
Just to clear up any confusion...we manufacture the Advanced Flight Systems line of EFIS screens at our facility in Canby. It's also where we build all the Quick Panels. Yes, we integrate with Dynon components, but we design, manufacture, and service the AF-5000 line right here in Canby.
And a great job at that I might say! :)
 
Dynon

Complete Dynon System:
- Skyview Touch
- D10 EMS
- Autopilot
- Com Radio
- Intercom
- Transponder
- ADS-B

Would buy it all again in a second. The Skyview Com/Radio integration is fabulous.
 
AFS

Advanced flight integration with avidyne is phenomenal and easier/more fun to use than garmin. Buy Seattle avionics annual Black Friday data special and you have lifetime Nav data for the price of a single year of garmin data.
 
Dynon is the way to go.
I use a G3X - it is very limited in Australia - basic and uncompetitive with the Dynon offering that a friend has.
I am also tired with Garmin’s long expressed but unfulfilled reassurance that they will improve the offering to Australian users.
 
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I Love my G3X here in America!

But I can understand if they haven't provided good mapping in other country's how you would prefer something different. I had the Dynon D10a before the G5 came out and before I added the G3X. I also had the AFS 2500 engine monitor before the G3X.

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I hate that Google bought Picasa then pretty much made it useless. It amazes me that someone makes a program that works perfect then someone screws it all up. I’ll post a picture from Google, it shows up correctly when I check it, then the next morning it’s not showing up. Can’t fix it from work, maybe when I get home.
 
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Advanced flight integration with avidyne is phenomenal and easier/more fun to use than garmin. Buy Seattle avionics annual Black Friday data special and you have lifetime Nav data for the price of a single year of garmin data.

I missed that sale. What was their Black Friday pricing?
 
If we compare features, reliability and service, I believe GRT is the top dog, specially for IFR flying but sadly they are a smaller company and competition with the bigger companies may effect their long term survivability.
 
Well I for one will be very happy to keep on supporting GRT.

GRT has been supportive of the RV world right from the start of sport glass.(years before heavy G entered the sport aviation venue)

IMHO GRT continues to lead in innovation and IFR friendly features.

On top of that I really like a machined aluminum housing vs injection molded plastic.

For what it is worth IMHO the ultimate small format EFIS is yet to be made. If I could have it I would want the GRT Mini X screen with it's mapping and syn vis features but in a machined aluminum version of a G5(plastic) housing that bolts directly into a 3 1/8" hole.

It could also have a HUD projector built in to the top of the back side to project through a hole in the glare shield to project the same bare bones pitch ladder, air speed and altitude as in the F18 hud that was designed as a primary flight instrument. Just the bare bones minimum to keep you wings level on GS and LOC with your head up.

So the door is still wide open for somebody with the motivation to raise the bar.
 
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+1 for GRT

I am a GRT fan. I installed a GRT Sport SX in my panel redo a couple years ago. Absolutely love it. The people at GRT are awesome. They are always there if you have any questions. Their support and service rock!
One thing that I really like is the openness to connect to other systems. I have; a GRT EIS, Garmin 430, and TruTrac A/P all connected to the EFIS, the connections work flawlessly. I have also connected a Stratux ADS-B receiver I built to it as well, really nice interim ADS-B in solution. It looks like I will be going with their ADS-B solution as well.
 
AFS for me.

I've got a pair of AFS3500 in my 7. I'm currently updating one of them to an AFS5500.

I did look at other options. I was impressed with the Garmin and if I had changed that is what I would have gone for. But in the end I do like the display on the AFS, there is nothing else quite the same.

But the one important thing is that there is no deep menu system. Nothing is more than one button push away. And that's pretty important for ease of use.

I've had no complaints about the support from AFS either, and I'm a bit fussy.
 
Count me as a GRT supporter. Yes, they?re a small company. But so was Garmin once. And Narco and King were once the big names. There are no future guarantees, big or small.
I am continually surprised by how few people talk about the basic robustness of their EFIS. Do all of you brand x people know that you may lose attitude information if your pitot tube suffers a hit by a bug, or icing?
Final comment: Silly survey. People nearly always think they made the best choice, it?s human nature.
 
Count me as a GRT supporter.
Final comment: Silly survey. People nearly always think they made the best choice, it?s human nature.

Actually I made the decision to go with GRT because I was being cheap. I always thought I would go with AFS. But since I already had the GRT EIS and really did not want to throw it out I chose GRT so save money.
Turned out to be a great decision, even by accident, IMHO.
But as the saying goes, opinions vary.
 
It could also have a HUD projector built in to the top of the back side to project through a hole in the glare shield to project the same bare bones pitch ladder, air speed and altitude as in the F18 hud that was designed as a primary flight instrument. Just the bare bones minimum to keep you wings level on GS and LOC with your head up.

You should talk to GRT with your ideas. Their web site says they have just teamed up with Hudley to produce heads up displays.
 
All the Dynon hardware (ADAHRS, servos, engine monitoring module, etc.) will work with the Advanced Displays, BUT an Advanced Display won't work with a Dynon Display. I wanted to use an AF-5600 (I liked their knob system) with a SV-D700 (I liked the smaller size more than the AF-5500T) but they won't talk to each other. Going with all Dynon.
Allen
Very Slow Build 7A
 
I went with MGL after quite an exhaustive and somewhat agonising selection and research process, though it was a photo finish between the final three (the other two being Dynon and GRT).

They all have good points and they all have things they could improve.

One thing I discovered is that if you stick 2 pilots in a bar who are fans of competing systems and get them to debate it, all that?ll happen is they?ll fall off their bar stools 4 hours later still not having changed their minds.
 
MGL was my choice 7 years ago. I have the legacy Odyssey 10 inch EFIS. It has served me well and has great features and adaptability.
 
Advanced flight systems

I had dual AFS 3400s in my RV7A in the past, and am putting an AFS 5600 and power control module in my adopted RV8A that had a mix of GRT and Dynon screens. I considered a full Dynon EFIS/Com/ADS-B system this time around but went with the AFS EFIS.

Why? First and foremost, I had flawless performance of the 3400 screens for 550 hours over 5 years of flight, and totally top-notch service -- quick and comprehensive phone help during install and setup, as well as a few questions later. Even by the very high standards of the competitive experimental avionics market, AFS people stand out as the best I have dealt with and I appreciate that a lot. Dynon cannot even return an email on a pitot/static tube after 2 weeks with emailed reminders. Not a good sign.

That said, as to the hardware: 1/ the AFS display size/aspect ratio is better (the 10" AFS is taller (more screen area) than the 10" Dynon) and I prefer the color/discrimination used by AFS (you really need to see them side by side in person or from your computer, 2/ the pilot interface/buttonology is quicker for me to use (matter of personal taste, I know), and 3/ button and touchscreen setup eliminates some separate control panels and back panel boxes. Simpler is more reliable for the amateur installer.

There is plenty of good choices, but after the research I went with AFS. Garmin? Good hardware -- I have one for hiking and one for driving. But in the aviation market, Garmin pricing, product development, and repair service business model doesn't have the experimental aviation focus of AFS or Dynon.
 
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I think about all that Tom, the OP, is going to get out of this one is a survey of market share - the fraction of people who buy a system and then say they aren't happy with it is statistically insignificant.

I can't really vote on any single system in the poll, since I have all but one of these systems installed in various airplanes - and the only one I don't have will go in one the next opportunity I have.

Stein and I used to do an Oshkosh forum on selecting an EFIS, and when we started, there were a lot of significant differences in cost, features, reliability, etc....but we quit doing it because they all pulled each other up to a level of "goodness" that it all comes down to "which operating system works best with your brain". And no one else can tell you which one that is.
 
Paul has hit the nail on the head.

It's a personal decision as now the systems are all so very close to being apples-to-apples comparisons.

At a personal level, I have legacy Dynon gear, a legacy AFS engine monitor and new GRT EFIS gear. They all work well.

If I were doing it again I think my order of preference would likely be AFS, then GRT then Dynon. The choice between AFS and GRT would be a very tough one to make.

Since we've had at least one expression of a wish list item, I'll chime in and say that my opinions on autopilot integration are changing over time. In our new airplane we have GRT EFIS screens and a Garmin navigator driving a Tru-Trak Vizion 385 autopilot. If I were to do it over again I would turf the Garmin navigator in favor of an Avidyne (that's a no-brainer choice). I would likely consider ditching the TruTrak autopilot in favor of the built-in GRT autopilot, if and ONLY if GRT were to come out with a discrete autopilot controller like the Garmin GMC 307. Discreet buttons, knobs and mode annunciators just seem to work better for me.
 
I have been mulling this decision for a few years now as I slowly build my -7. Reading this forum, visiting the vendors at Oshkosh every year and talking with RV builder friends wasn't enough for me to make a decision. Having reached the point of needing engine probes and sensors, I decided to visit SteinAir and spent the morning of Black Friday talking with Christer and playing around with the demo Garmin and Dynon units. I haven't flown behind glass much to speak of, but do use Garmin Pilot on an Android tablet when I fly a 172. Playing around with equipment from both companies side by side for an hour or so made the decision for me to commit to Garmin. It felt more familiar and intuitive with the price being essentially the same as Dynon. Functionality and features appear very close too. Not what the OP on this thread was looking for maybe, but it fits the narrative that Paul expressed above.
 
I am going through the selection process as well, remotely. No hands on yet. I do like the idea of MGL's RDAC, as it cleans up the engine probe wiring. I would say my likes and dislikes are:

1. I don't like touchscreens. I want to put 4 digits on the frame, and use 1 digit to select a button. Especially in turbulence.
2. I don't like "deep" menus.
3. If I have an autopilot, I want discreet, manual controls for lateral and vertical navigation or VS and heading.
4. I would prefer not having to be a software tech to set it up.
5. Good customer support if number 4 rears its ugly head.

I read up on the HUDLY. My first glass was a HUD (F18). The Hornets HUD was focused to infinity. Awesome. A couple of years ago I did a sim in another companies sim center and their 737's have HUD's. I tried it a few times and didn't like it. It was focused at the wrong distance, something closer. I might have a look at someone else's HUDLY to see if I like it, but I doubt I will. Their website says it is focused at 8 feet. You are either looking at the HUD, or the outside world. You can't focus on both.
 
I pulled the trigger on two 12" GRT HXrs two days ago. GRT was at the bottom of my list based on what I saw on the computer. AFS at the top. Garmin and Dynon I just didnt like, but I have all Garmin "other" things in the panel, just cause thats how the good deals fell out.

Bottomline: Just as Paul said, they all do the same thing, and they all do it well. I bummed a look at each from a local guy, and he told me straight up "you'll know with in minutes what you like." He was right. Once I played with each I liked the GRT tactiles the best, and didnt expect that to be my deciding factor. Seems superficial to decide that way, but when you get to choose I guess you get that right.
 
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