Neil,
None of us can assist you with out knowing your mission and requirements.
Most folks will respond with much emotion to support the brand of EFIS that they purchased.
Most all of the popular EFIS vendors are all great for VFR missions. They start to vary in features and functions for IFR. There is no one size fits all.
There are two approaches that I would recommend. Find folks that have the EFIS that you are looking to compare locally. Ask them why they made the decision that they made and perhaps take a flight to see how the EFIS works for yourself.
When I was making the decision for my RV-10, I took an informal poll at Camp Scholler a few years ago. I asked every builder I ran into why they purchased the EFIS they did. One vendor was greatly prefered over the others. When I started to dig deeper it ended that folks like the graphic presentation better. When I asked about the button sequence to understand the work flow in a single pilot IFR scenario, almost none had a clue even though many of them were indeed IFR rated. The point I'm making is that EFIS selection tends to be a very emotional decision and sometimes greatly influenced by marketing hype and peer pressure.
The other approach is to get a dealer involved like SteinAir or Aerotronics. I'm sure that there are other reputable dealers out there too, but these are two that I have first hand knowledge. However, be prepared in that the first question you are going to be asked is what is your mission and what are your requirements.
For example:
- IFR/VFR?
- Is Hardware redundacy required?
- Internal or external auto pilot?
- Do features need to be available now or are you willing to bet on them being delivered in the future?
- Features like SV, HITS, ADSB, Moving Maps, Approach Plates, Sectionals
- Does the EM support your engine?
- How flat is the menu tree? i.e. How quickly can you get to what you want with minimal button pushes?
- Do you want/need VP/X integration?
- How expensive are the map/data updates?
This is just a partial listing. Paul Dye has written some excellant articles in the past that talk about defining your mission requirements and how to define your requirements to support that mission. Which in turn will help you decide what features/functions you'll need in your avionics.
I have first hand knowledge of support from both AFS and GRT. Both have provided outstanding support. I've installed three AFS screens and one Trutak Gemini (need a tie breaker for IFR) in my RV-10. It was the best choice for my mission and situation at the time. It may or may not be the best choice for you. Only you can make that decision.
bob
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