BM EFIS LITE G3

Craig Todd · #1 01-01-2007, 03:14 AM

Happy new year to all, and thankyou Doug for such a great forum. Have being following the posts comparing Advanced flight systems EFIS and Dynon D100. I can't help but notice how few RV's are equipped with BM products. The EFIS Lite G3 looks good value for money. Are there Rvators out there using the G3.
Craig Todd

Rene Bubberman · #2 01-01-2007, 04:00 AM

Happy new year to you to, Craig! Is the G3 still for sale? We ordered two Efis Lite plus G4's and I'm just in the process of installing them, see http://websites.expercraft.com/PHVII...y&log_id=13588
It looks quite promising!

Craig Todd · #3 01-01-2007, 04:22 AM

Hi Rene,
Really have a great site, what made you choose BM over the other products available. Have you had a pleasant experience in your dealings with BM. I still have not decided which EFIS products to go for. I'm situated in South Africa, and it is a long way from the USA to be disappointed by a faulty product. Therefore i'm scheptical in what i choose and go for.
Craig :

Rene Bubberman · #4 01-01-2007, 05:42 AM

Hi Craig,
When we had just started the project (2004) one of my building partners was very impressed with Greg Richter, BMA and their Efis1. Since we had to build in the A/P servo's we ordered these up front, more or less committing ourselves to BMA. Maybe not very wise then

When I learned more in the year after this I was not too happy about the problems people had getting their Efis1 to work. The after sales service from BMA seemed good, but I could not expect Greg to come over to Europe to solve MY problem. Also when fitting the real Efis1 dimensions into my panel plans it did not fit right, combined with the large computer box we had to fit beneath our dash, so I became less enthousiastic about the Efis1. In the end we had the plan to go for two G2 Efis Sports and hope for the best during the installation. We were about to order when BMA announced the G4 series and this promised lots of goodies

. It took them considerably more time to get the bugs out and the working product in the market. Being an industrial designer I know a lot about these kind of companies and their product planning. BMA is a very innovative product-driven company which goes for the best products but underestimates the time it takes to get a bug-free product in quantities in the market. It seems that, after some "experimental" years they finally have a very good, industrially produced, family of the same Efisses with different monitor sizes. Must have been a very stressful period for the company. The Efisses look really good and are mechanically very well engineered. If you hook it up it just works (to my amazement). BMA has a reputation of being lousy in promises, planning and communication but if you have the stuff their product support seems to be very good (have not experienced it myself though for lack of problems so far). Their message board is very informative and helpfull and Greg is always very responsive about (technical!) questions. I guess that as long as troubleshooting can go via e-mail, sofware downloads etc. it does not have to be a problem that there is an Ocean between BMA and us. We'll see. Oh yes: and I still find they have the best looking Efisses

Good luck!

sf3543 · #5 01-01-2007, 04:34 PM

I have two BMA G3's in my RV8.
For me, they have worked fine, but there are a few bugs that are beign worked on. In the mean time, I have used them for about 130 hours and believe they work at least as well as the other EFIS out there, for similar prices.
I chose them because they looked the nicest, to me.
Because thaty had an internal moving mao GPS and you didn't have to buy a bunch of extra stuff if you wanted to see OAT or magnetic heading. (Down loading updates to the database is simple, as long as you have a laptop to plug in at the plane.)
They offered an autopilot, which I purchased and it works pretty darn good!
The units were pretty easy to install, but you do spend a lot of time soldering up connectors. If you are good at soldering, then your trouble shooting should be minimal.
As far as support is concerned, I would say it is probably as good as anywhere else, once the product is delivered. Their delivery schedules are way off! They are also slow in delivering updates to correct bugs. (For example, release 2.7 for the G3s has been promised for several months, but still isn't available.) But, the bugs aren't that big of a deal, since almost all of the items in the G3 work just fine.
My advice to anyone looking at the BMA EFIS is that if you want something plug and play, look at Dynon, GRT or Chelton, but get ready to ante up extra bucks and don't expect much in the way of updated software. If you don't mind fiddling around with the installation and would like updated software applications to become available over time, which add new features, then you should be pretty happy with BMA. Also BMA offers the GPS as an internal unit for the same price.
Overall, I'm happy with mine, but it would be nice to have the Gen 4 models. Oh, well......

Ironflight · #6 01-01-2007, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sf3543

My advice to anyone looking at the BMA EFIS is that if you want something plug and play, look at Dynon, GRT or Chelton, but get ready to ante up extra bucks and don't expect much in the way of updated software.......

I am constantly impressed withe advance that all of the EFIS manufacturers are making each year, and since all I have used (in the experimental market) is the GRT, I won't comment on other systems. But I do need to comment on software updates...GRt has gone up several versions since I bought my system. They have added Terrain, Weather, complex Autopilot functions, new Engine and Systems pages....and many more minor features. All for free. So again, I don't know about other systems....but the GRT applications and systems software has routinely been upgraded Evey six months!

Paul

sf3543 · #7 01-01-2007, 06:29 PM

Paul
I stand corrected.

Sam Buchanan · #8 01-01-2007, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by sf3543

My advice to anyone looking at the BMA EFIS is that if you want something plug and play, look at Dynon, GRT or Chelton, but get ready to ante up extra bucks and don't expect much in the way of updated software.......

And a response by Ironflight:

I am constantly impressed withe advance that all of the EFIS manufacturers are making each year, and since all I have used (in the experimental market) is the GRT, I won't comment on other systems. But I do need to comment on software updates...GRt has gone up several versions since I bought my system. They have added Terrain, Weather, complex Autopilot functions, new Engine and Systems pages....and many more minor features. All for free. So again, I don't know about other systems....but the GRT applications and systems software has routinely been upgraded Evey six months!

Many free updates from Dynon as well.

Craig Todd · #9 01-06-2007, 01:00 AM

Thanking all for info. posted, really appreciated. Still six months from ordering, panel components. Shall keep an eye on any further developments and debates before making a final choice.
Craig Todd
RV9, Slider,O320 160hp.

rv8ch · #10 01-06-2007, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig Todd

Thanking all for info. posted, really appreciated. Still six months from ordering, panel components. Shall keep an eye on any further developments and debates before making a final choice.

Great idea. Someone gave me the good advice to wait as long as possible before buying any electronics. I didn't take that advice for my radio and my transponder, and I regret it. Luckily I did take it for the EFIS, and I've changed my mind three times since, mainly as a result of further developments from the various vendors. I'm currently "settled" on the GRT EFIS Sport, but who knows what might happen in the coming months before I purchase.