My (Dynon, Chelton, Garmin, xxx...) fails Survey

There is a thread on the glass cockpit right now that seems to have some statements such as ...My xxxxx EFIS fails more so then they should.

I'm curious though...is this just one persons viewpoint, or is it systemic with EFISs in general. Is it somewhat an urban legend if you will, in that it was a friend of a friend....

If you have had an actual failure, please respond so we can all learn from it.

1. Who was the manufacturer, model, and release.
2. In your opinion, was it heat, electrical, software issue...or?
3. Did you have an external cooler for the avionics stack?
4. Is/was it a one time issue, or is it recurring?
5. How much time do you have with that particular EFIS, how many hours flown?
6.. Any other questions that might be appropriate please suggest.

BG,

You forgot to ask if anyone had their steam gauges fail as well.

The real problem with this type of survey is it doesn't cover the installation.

Early on I had a problem with my EMS and swore up and down it was bad. After sending the unit back to Dynon and getting it back, at no cost BTW, I found I had one pin in the wrong hole (I won't mention the vendor who made that wiring harness.)

It sort of worked but not really. So do you count that or not?

Today, a friend was working with his EFIS and had an intermittent problem. He is digging into it but it sure looks like his installation AKA wiring.

What I'm trying to say is, take the results of your survey with a block of salt.

BTW, I suspect you will find the MTBF on the electronic items to be much higher than the old steam gauges.

??

Hmm...
Well considering this is the glass cockpit forum...and the concern was around glass, not steam...I don't think I forgot to ask. Using that logic, I might have asked how many engine failures there were ;-)

As far as a block of salt, that's kind of my whole point to either confirm or dispel the "myth" that there is a lot of problems. Either there truly are a lot of problems, or they are just one offs.

Yes I would think that having an electrical wiring issue would be right on track. Much like a steam guage might be plumbing or vacuum etc.

Of course this is entirely unscientific...but may give us some insight into what to look for (like you just mentioned)...

N941WR said:

BG,

You forgot to ask if anyone had their steam gauges fail as well.

The real problem with this type of survey is it doesn't cover the installation.

Early on I had a problem with my EMS and swore up and down it was bad. After sending the unit back to Dynon and getting it back, at no cost BTW, I found I had one pin in the wrong hole (I won't mention the vendor who made that wiring harness.)

It sort of worked but not really. So do you count that or not?

Today, a friend was working with his EFIS and had an intermittent problem. He is digging into it but it sure looks like his installation AKA wiring.

What I'm trying to say is, take the results of your survey with a block of salt.

BTW, I suspect you will find the MTBF on the electronic items to be much higher than the old steam gauges.

Click to expand...

Technological Progress is never easy and never rejected

I think Bill R. makes a good point. Many of the problems that EFIS manufactures sift through each day are installation driven. That is the nature of the beast in the experimental world were you have a hundred different people installing complicated equipment in a hundred different ways.

I have noticed that when OEMs determine there is a systematic problem with their hardware, they usually try to resolve it right away. “Word of mouth “ or maybe more appropriately “word of keyboard” is even more important today then it was pre internet – broad band. As the pipeline to our kitchen tables grows wider, it becomes much easier for consumers to show and tell. This fact is not lost on viable OEMs and they know the clock is ticking when a hardware problem arises.

I have been flying behind an EFIS system going on three years now. The system I operate was installed by an avionics shop and not an individual. There have been only two issues. One was installation related (bad connection to satellite data receiver) and the other was a Hardware problem (Crossbow AHARS). Crossbow methodically evaluated their options and possible fixes, but eventually committed to the expensive (for crossbow) fix that was required. They recalled and replaced, at no cost to the consumer, the defective units. Crossbow’s response lag time while they weighed options before committing to the expensive fix cost them in public relations, but their action did resolve the problem.

So are EFIS systems unreliable? Not at all. They are very complicated, interconnected and sensitive to good installation procedures. They do generate heat that needs to be removed by good installation planning. There will always be small software bugs and updates as long as there is software. I doubt a system that constantly crashes or reboots will remain on the market very long. Data corruption or voltage drops can cause reboots so Round Dial back ups are in order for IFR in my opinion. The bottom line is that the gain in Situational awareness is well worth the expense and installation procedures. Knowing your environment and exactly where you are and what you are doing within it are priceless when the visibility takes a dive.