AndyRV7
Well Known Member
I have a non-working TruTrak Pictorial Pilot in my new plane. I would like at a minimum to get the Pictorial Pilot working. TruTrak will take the controller back and "refresh" it (my words) for $500. This should mean a simple reinstallation in the current location, and hopefully a working, bank-only auto pilot now in my plane.
What I think I would rather do is upgrade to a Vizion dual-axis auto pilot instead. It is somewhat economical in terms of the upgrade cost through TruTrak. I would need to install a pitch servo (the bracket was installed by the builder), run the appropriate servo wires, including a refresh on the roll servo due to different connectors or similar, run static and pitot lines to the controller, and wire it into the panel.
I think I have my arms around the general process but I have no idea what this actually means in a real-world sense. I have zero time doing this type of installation.
Looking through all the installation manuals for all the gear in my panel, it looks like everything patches together with multi-pin plugs of various shapes and sizes. It is the wiring between these that scares me. And whatever other things I might have to run through the plane. Also, is this something that you would lay under the panel to do or would you have to pull the whole panel out? I have a slider canopy.
Can anyone help me get a better sense of what I am up against? I am either going to attempt this, or be so intimidated that I just get the Pictorial Pilot repaired and live with that. That is my second choice though. The other important items in the plane are a GRT Sport efis, and a Garmin G3X with no ADAHRS. I use the G3X as a GPS moving map only.
Thanks!! Andy
What I think I would rather do is upgrade to a Vizion dual-axis auto pilot instead. It is somewhat economical in terms of the upgrade cost through TruTrak. I would need to install a pitch servo (the bracket was installed by the builder), run the appropriate servo wires, including a refresh on the roll servo due to different connectors or similar, run static and pitot lines to the controller, and wire it into the panel.
I think I have my arms around the general process but I have no idea what this actually means in a real-world sense. I have zero time doing this type of installation.
Looking through all the installation manuals for all the gear in my panel, it looks like everything patches together with multi-pin plugs of various shapes and sizes. It is the wiring between these that scares me. And whatever other things I might have to run through the plane. Also, is this something that you would lay under the panel to do or would you have to pull the whole panel out? I have a slider canopy.
Can anyone help me get a better sense of what I am up against? I am either going to attempt this, or be so intimidated that I just get the Pictorial Pilot repaired and live with that. That is my second choice though. The other important items in the plane are a GRT Sport efis, and a Garmin G3X with no ADAHRS. I use the G3X as a GPS moving map only.
Thanks!! Andy