Installing Grand Rapids Horizon

Van's Avionics Gang,
I have been installing a GRT Horixon rep;lacing a BM Sport. I am down to the last wire, a wire to install to a idiot light to signal a problem. What I wonder is I already have GRT EIS with the idiot light installed. I assume the light it to warn of a over/under condition in the limits put into the EIS.
And if I already have a working light, can I drop this wire from my install and nto have two warning lights telling me the same thing. I am turning to the avionic guru's to help me so I can get back to flying and not be under the panel when the hot weather arrives.

Thanks in advance.

S S Anderson
Lafayette, La.
RV 7A 250 hrs

I just used the EIS indicator. I didn't need 2 lights telling me the same thing.

you need only one warning lite ...

wired to the EIS 4000, so long as your EIS4000 is visible/accessible. that's where you have to acknowledge the alarm when the light flashes. Some builders put the EIS 4000 where it's not accessible; in that case they use the warning light wired to the Horizon display, their only place to hit an acknowledge button.

The Horizon itself will flash to alert you to a problem, e.g., "LOW OIL PRESSURE" so I only wired the red light to the EIS.

You can set different limits on the EFIS and the EIS if you care to, e.g., one operational, the other absolute.

my experience

When I installed my GRT Horizons and EIS4000 in my RV7a 5 years ago and 930 hours of flying ago, I set one alarm in the EIS for oil pressure and wired in an idiot light from the EIS. I also have an alarm light for the GRT EFIS. I also have a backup battery so the EFIS is on when starting the engine and therefore the engine alarms will show up there. So last winter when I upgraded the panel on my RV10 to GRT EFIS, I did not set the alarm for oil pressure in the EIS and decided to only have an idiot light from the EFIS, not the EIS, and have been happy with that decision. So recently I deleted the oil pressure check from the RV7a EIS and therefore have an extra unused idiot light on the RV7a.

That is my experience.

My warning light comes from EIS 6000. I have two HX screens. Whenever there is an out of limits condition I can acknowledge from HX softkey. The only time I touch the EIS is when I refuel to reset fuel totalizer back to 60 gal.

Couple things..

First, the limits in the EIS are in the EIS, the limits in the EFIS are in the EFIS (they can be different).

Second, no reason to have 2 lights. If you have one on the EIS, you already have three warnings because the audio warnings from the EFIS will be blaring in your ears, the message will be on the screen and your light will be flashing from the EIS.

My recommendation anymore is just to forgo the light entirely because it's likely your ears will hear the warning long before you notice the light (that's been proven over the years in the heavy iron world).

That's just my 2 cents.

Cheers,
Stein

THanks for all the replys

As always, you guys are the best. Quick thorough advice from people who have been there before. I have been down for three months and I am feeling the need for some RV time.

Hopefully I can get the last wires set and test it.

Thanks a ton.


S S Anderson
RV 7A 250 hours
Lafayette, La.

Stein,

Are you saying the GRT HX has audio warnings? When I installed mine a year ago, the manual said "future use" with regard to audio output so I didn't connect it! Should I?

Bob

Audible warnings ?

I talked to GRT when I did my set-up last September ... Was told then the audible warning was not active but "possible in the future". has there been another SW release that activated the audible warning?

I mis-typed and was referring to the "beep/tone" on the EIS as I am not aware of verbal warnings from the EFIS yet.

Cheers,
Stein

alarm light

Our plane has an alarm light wired to the EIS4000 that is right in pilots vision. I only have the alarm turned on for oil pressure low at this time. i plan to add an alarm for fuel pressure in the near future.

We use the on-screen warnings from the GRT horizon for all the other alarms and warnings.

Not sure it is necessary, but an audible tone would be nice although I would want it to come from the EFIS, not the EIS.