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Help me make a decision - GRT upgrade

shineymoh

Member
Need some guidance on GRT upgrade

I currently have two by Horizon WS units and they’re perfectly functionable. My Maps/GPS is AVMap which drives the Trio Autopilot but it’s old school and time consuming to set up so I use my iPad SkyDemon for simplicity.

I was thinking of upgrading one WS screen to Horizon HS cost $2400 + $495 for ARINC, and for that I would gain Synthetic Vision and split screen, but because I’m in Europe, would also have an annual Jeppesen subscription charge for the GPS.

Alternatively, I could leave the two WS screens as they are, remove the AVMap and replace it with a Garmin Aera 760, that way I get Synthetic Vision, backup AHRS and GPS which will drive the Trio, without the cost of the Jeppesen Subscription, all at a cost of $1400!

Interested in thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks
 
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Alternatively, I could leave the two WS screens as they are, remove the AVMap and replace it with a Garmin Aera 760, that way I get Synthetic Vision, backup AHRS and GPS which will drive the Trio, without the cost of the Jeppesen Subscription, all at a cost of $1400! ...
Garmin Aera 760 data is free?

BTW, you can probably sell your WS screens, so that knocks some off the cost.

Not gonna lie, it chaps my a$$ that I have to pay for the Jeppesen data both for foreflight and for my GRT.

My only comment about synthetic vision is that if you really need it, like inadvertent flight into IMC, you are going to want it right now. You are probably also going to want to quickly get onto the autopilot. Whichever gets you that the most reliably and quickest would probably be my choice. I have both on the GRT with the autopilot servos.
 
1. You said upgrade to HS but I presume you meant EX.
2. I have an Hx but presume the EX is similar. I also have a Trio Pro, and the Hx integrates perfectly with it.
3. Quite honestly I ignore the synthetic vision. But it might be useful if I lost the engine at night, or in IMC.
4. I always split my screen, 2/3 main efis, 1/3 map (or HSI for ifr). Here in the US I get traffic on that map.
 
Synthetic Vision... Meh

Had GRT synthetic vision on my GRT HX display. Never used it in 2200+ hours.
 
Like you I’m thinking seriously about upgrading my dual WS units with EX units. Here’s my thinking on the subject.

1. Not only will you get synthetic vision but you’ll also have a faster processor.
2. All EX serial ports are high speed serial ports vs. only serial ports one and two on the WS.
3. The WS does not have “voice” output but the EX does. This means you can wire up an audio output to your intercom system and get EFIS generated warnings (ie. Stall, Low oil pressure and other engine limits, low fuel and time to swap tanks, altitude alerts, decision altitude, obstacles, etc.).
4. Brighter screen with higher resolution and greater dimmer adjustments.
5. If you have a dual WS system like mine, you can order one Horizon EX and one Advance Sport EX and gain an additional AHRS unit (built into the Sport EX) for system backup. Both AHRS will send data to each EFIS and validate each other via DataInterlink.

Like others have said, synthetic vision is a bonus - not a justification for upgrading. However the other reasons I’ve listed are what I’m considering for pulling the upgrade trigger. My two cents.
 
It's difficult

Thanks for your inputs fellas.

It's a difficult one. This all came about because the AvMap is a pain and pretty much redundant. So I could easily change that over for the Ipad and SkyDemon (Europe VFR) but that doesn't drive the Trio so I need something to drive the Trio. The annunciator is something that my WS doesn't have so that that would be nice, as would Bluetooth

I don't fly IFR and have no immediate intention of doing so, but who knows what might come about in the future, and there's always the chance of inadvertent IFR. I do fly the Alps and Synthetic Vision would be a good thing to have there, so in that respect, the GRT upgrade would work.

With the Aera 760, I would get Synthetic Vision, GPS (no subscription) and AHRS plus EFB and Bluetooth, it can drive the Trio and comes in $1600 cheaper than the Horizon upgrade.

I could go Horizon upgrade and panel mount the iPad for SkyDemon etc and forget the Aera 760, or leave the Horizon WS in place, go with the Aera 760 and use the Ipad on the knee!
 
I have a bit of a hybrid instrument panel consisting of a GRT HX, Mini-X, and Sport EX. In addition I have a TruTrak Vizion 385 autopilot as well as a GNS480 GPS navigator.

There are some pretty compelling reasons to update from the WS displays to the newer EX displays. The glass itself is MUCH better, and it's source of backlighting (LED on the EX versus cold-cathode fluorescent in the WS) is of an entirely different class than found in the WS. The net result is the EX displays have higher pixel resolution as well as much brighter backlight and that backlight can also be dimmed further. I would do the upgrade just to get the better glass. Getting faster processors and serial ports make the EX upgrade pretty much a no-brainer.

I have Synthetic Vision on the HX and Mini-X and wouldn't be without it. While the local area here is reasonably flat, we have had the opportunity to get into some bigger hills where the SynVis really helped in ensuring terrain clearance margins. It's one of those things that's a situational awareness tool that one might not believe they are using regularly but in fact we do absorb the SynVis information and use it in developing our mental picture of our environment. In our case the Sport EX doesn't have SynVis and I find it a bit disconcerting to look out the window at the river fast approaching, then look back at the display and it's devoid of that type of topographical information.
 
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