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How many hours to wire the system?

TXFlyGuy

Well Known Member
How many man hours to completely wire a dual battery, dual bus electrical system for a typical RV installation?

And, how long to install a complete Garmin dual G3X system, dual com, GTN-650, etc., etc.?

We have been told 250 man hours. Is this a bit high?
 
seems high

I'm not to the wiring stage on my RV8 yet, but I recently did a Dual G3x Touch system when I built my Murphy. I also have a two battery, EFII dual bus system, dual EFII electronic ignition, lots of lights, two servo AP, heated seats, smoke system, etc.
I bought all the avionics from Aircraft Spruce and had them make the harness that ties those components together. Money well spent. Of course I still had to actually install all the components and run power and grounds, solenoids and connect to all the engine sensors. I would say I have a maximum of 40 hours in my portion and the Spruce portion saved me at least that much. This is because a lot of time would have been spent studying the G3X installation manual because I am not as familiar with it. For the money spent on the harnesses from spruce, taking into consideration how much all the wire and terminals would have cost me. I would have been paying myself less than $5 an hour to do that portion. I say let the pros do that portion.
But to answer your question, I think that 250 hours is a bit long even for a newbie who hasn't wired up a car stereo. If a pro is saying 250 hours labor...then I would call that outrageous.
Just my opinion, I hope this helps.
 
Thanks. I thought 250 hours was a bit high. Especially for a shop that knows what they are doing.
But that was for the complete package, wiring the entire plane from spinner to tail, wing tip to wing tip, plus all avionics installed.
 
I'm not to the wiring stage on my RV8 yet, but I recently did a Dual G3x Touch system when I built my Murphy. I also have a two battery, EFII dual bus system, dual EFII electronic ignition, lots of lights, two servo AP, heated seats, smoke system, etc.

Do you have any details on your power distribution system that you're willing to share? Your setup sounds very silar to what I'm planning, except I'm baselining dual a AFS package instead of the G3X.


Thanks!
 
System

Do you have any details on your power distribution system that you're willing to share? Your setup sounds very silar to what I'm planning, except I'm baselining dual a AFS package instead of the G3X.


Thanks!

pM'd you rmartingt
 
Have Stein Air do the wiring harnesses. I spent 2 years on and off wiring my 9A and I'm in the electronics industry. I had issues with combining 2 comm radios. Danny at Stein had a beautiful harness back to me in 4 days. I should have had them harness the entire panel for me. Mark C.
 
Caw-cips or cavior.

Just a personal comment. It really is not that hard to wire, and configure the whole airframe and instrument panel, and when you get it done and draw up the plot of it all, you will know every peace, wire and how and why it works the way it does. That will make problem solving both on the ground and in the air a lot quicker and more comfortable down the road.
Yours, R.E.A. III #80888
 
Design and scratch fabrication of the panel and all avionics plus 12v power systems wiring totaled 500 hrs for me. Around one calendar year.
 
Design and scratch fabrication of the panel and all avionics plus 12v power systems wiring totaled 500 hrs for me. Around one calendar year.

A year? Dang. I guess I better start devoting some brain cells on that part of my build......
 
I had 230 hrs in all wiring tasks. I did all panel wiring (dual GRT displays, etc) but had Stein make up a harness for the Garmin radio/ponder stack, which I purchased from them. I'm a mechanical engineer by profession and have never done any wiring work like this before.
My two best decisions were a) getting my Garmin radios, etc from Stein, and b) attending a Bob Nuckolls weekend workshop , and then following his Z-11 diagram, albeit slightly modified. Everything worked the first time it was powered up. :)
 
I had 230 hrs in all wiring tasks. I did all panel wiring (dual GRT displays, etc) but had Stein make up a harness for the Garmin radio/ponder stack, which I purchased from them. I'm a mechanical engineer by profession and have never done any wiring work like this before.
My two best decisions were a) getting my Garmin radios, etc from Stein, and b) attending a Bob Nuckolls weekend workshop , and then following his Z-11 diagram, albeit slightly modified. Everything worked the first time it was powered up. :)

We figured 300 hours, but the shop will not charge for more than 250. This is for the complete wiring of the wings/fuselage, servos installed, landing lights installed, nav/strobe lights installed, dual battery, dual bus system, Garmin IFR panel installed / wired, all testing done also.

Included in the cost is a water-jet custom cut panel, powder coated and laser engraved labeling.
 
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