What would you do?

[Jrskygod]

This post is for you IFR guys. I'm in the final planning stages of my RV panel and would like some input from you guys on my avionics selection. My goal is simplicity and cost effectiveness with adequate redundency for my mission.

Synopses: My RV-9 is to be used for cross country traveling and local flying. I have dual Skyviews and dual ADAHAR's etc. as well as their GPS unit so I'm covered there I believe, even overkill for VFR. I'm thinking about a D1 or reuse my D10A as well as a 496 which I already have just in case of a total system meltdown. My days of 200 OVC, rain, ice and 30 mph crosswinds are long past. IFR at night in a single is not an option I plan to partake in anymore as well. While the freight dogs are out there slogging through that **** I'll be happily sitting in the nice warm motel room watching a movie. I'm now in that day IFR, 5-600 minimums range, just busting through that early morning layer to VFR on top or through that afternoon cumulus build up.

My current plan is to use a Garmin 420W and a SL30 hooked up to the skyviews. I already have the SL30 and am looking for a good used 420W but they seem to be fairly scarce or they are very close in price to the 430W. My thoughts are now leaning toward selling the SL30, buying a 430W, using the Skyview GPS and 496 for my backups as well as an Icom A210 for the second comm, which I already have, or maybe a skyview comm which I kinda like. Panel simplicity and installation wise I do like the idea of just the Skyview setup with the 430W and 496.

Not having two independent TSO navigators does not give me the warm fuzzies. I guess it's because that's the way I learned and I've always had and flown certified airplanes until now. This experimental stuff is just so intoxicating and the capability is just short of amazing to me. So am I really shooting myself in the foot with putting all of my eggs in one basket with just the 430W and utilizing the skyview GPS and 496 for my backups. I know that IFR navigating and shooting an approach would not be legal, but I believe they would be doable or at least allow me the opportunity to get to VFR possibly if I lose my 430W, or am I setting myself up for a major problem.

What would you do?

[pierre smith]

Ted, I bought an RV-10 that was barely IFR capable with an SL-30 so I upgraded her by adding a 430W...best move I've made. That and XM weather on the 496.

This year an upgrade to a TruTrak Vizion autopilot was made to shoot fully coupled approaches with my old glass D-100 I added a Gemini PFD with its own power for backup...you could do a D-1...we just installed one on my Air Tractor that's going to Indiana for the corn run. The D-1 is a tremendous value...built in GPS with heading, altitude, turn rate, groundspeed, etc.

Consider a good used 496 with weather backup for under $1,000 now.

Best

[rmartingt]

If you sold your SL-30, could you add one of the Val nav units? That would net you some cash to put towards the 430W.

Your panel idea sounds a lot like what I'm currently thinking (granted, I'm a few years away from that stage), and for the same reasons/mission.

[BobTurner]

I faced the same choice (except my EFIS is GRT) and went 420W/SL30, rather than a single 430W. This cost an extra $1.5K. (comparing apples to apples, the second choice you need to add a com). My reasoning was that if, on an ifr trip, one of those boxes died, I would be willing to continue (I also have battery powered handheld VOR and GPS, non TSO of course). But if a single 430 died, reducing me to battery powered backups, I would terminate as soon as possible (assuming vfr was not possible). Also, I love the SL30, which IMHO is the finest nav com ever made. The monitoring function on the nav lets you follow a localizer while also showing a VOR cross fix radial (either digitally on the SL30, or as an RMI pointer on my GRT HX). But is a single 430W okay? With battery powered gps backups, I think so. A few thoughts:
Is a non TSO gps okay for a backup? Yes, no issues for approaches to alternate minimums.
SL30 is a great radio if you have one, but Garmin discontinued it because some parts are getting scarce. Just something to keep in mind.
Even for light ifr, you need a battery powered backup (or an independent second buss) for attitude data. If a loose screw falls onto your main buss, the EFIS is gone immediately.

[BobTurner]

I forgot to mention, yes, 420W's are hard to find. But I like not having that pesky "GPS/VLOC" button. As a cfi I've seen a sustantial number of pilots inadvertently mis-use that button and end up really confused. Even with modern EFIS's which differentiate between gps and vor by color!