UMA guages from Vans ok or not?

[AntiGravity]

What's the general opinion here? I'm probably going to be ordering my finishing kit in Jan (though I'm trying hard pre-price rise if I can). I want to have some backup 2?" instruments in my -8 glass panel. Are the Vans-supplied UMA jobbies pants? Or are they ok? I seem to recall some posts suggesting they don't last, but can't seem to find them now...

Cheers,

[4kilo]

Originally Posted by AntiGravity

Are the Vans-supplied UMA jobbies pants?

Wow. Now that IS an idiom I've never heard. What does that mean in (American) English?

Pat

[gvgoff99]

I don't wish to post anything negative about UMA instruments because I do not have any experience with them. I "heard" the same as you but it may not be true. I decided to go with "Winter" ASI and ALT instruments to backup my EFIS. They were the only other 2.25" instrument I could find. http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/ has them and a few other places do also. All are soaring outlets and they are not inexpensive...........but what is in this business?! They look good are rock solid reliable, have standard ASI faces or a face to the ASI that is kind of a curly-cue look (your choice). They will place the red, green, yellow and white arcs to your choosing on the face for a very reasonable amount. Good luck.

Remember: "The agony of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of cheap price has worn off." My favorite quote!

[AntiGravity]

Originally Posted by 4kilo

Wow. Now that IS an idiom I've never heard. What does that mean in (American) English?

Pat

jobbies = items, things
pants = er, politely: 'useless'

:-)

[Harland E. [n.m. u.s.a.]]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Jeff, I thought maybe I was just really tired and not reading well tonight...LOL!

[AntiGravity]

Originally Posted by gvgoff99

<snipped>... I decided to go with "Winter" ASI and ALT instruments to backup my EFIS. They were the only other 2.25" instrument I could find. http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/ has them and a few other places do also.

Thanks George, I'll check out the Winter website

[Captain Avgas]

Originally Posted by AntiGravity

I want to have some backup 2½" instruments in my -8 glass panel. Are the Vans-supplied UMA jobbies pants?
Cheers,

If you're buying back-up instruments because you're contemplating IFR then you need to consider that the small UMA altimeter is only a single needle guage and is therefore absolutely useless for IFR. In that case the 2 1/4" Winter altimeter would be the way to go.

[N395V]

I've got 8 UMA guages for backup. They work fine. Had 1 oil pressure sender not working properly, Dealt directly with UMA, they overnighted a new one at no charge even though I had purchased it over a year earlier. No problems since.