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prkaye

Well Known Member
I'll soon be at the point where I could start working on wiring up my panel. On the other hand, I could keep myself busy for probably 6 months doign other stuff (wheelpants, fiberglass tips etc).
I'm wondering about when to invest in my Dynon D-180 EFIS/EMS unit (plus probles and harnesses). The Canadian Dollar isn't doing as well these days, so that's incentive to wait, but there's not indication that it will go up substantially in the near term. With the economy in the crapper, I also wonder if vendors may start offering discounts any time soon. The other consideration is that I'm financing the remainder of my plane (and hangar) on a secured borrowing account now, so the sooner I buy, the more interest I pay (although with rates so low these days money is cheap).
Also wondering where the best place for me to buy is (in terms of price and service). Leading choices seem to be ACS (since they stock in Canada, saves shipping costs), Stein (reasons self-explanatory), and direct from Dynon.
Any thoughts or suggestions on when and where to buy this stuff would be appreciated!
 
dynon

I went straight to dynon. simple and straightforward. maybe sign up for the tray, magnetometer, wiring harness, tat probe etc now. will give you something to do in the interim, and help lower the bigger layout later.
 
This thread might give you a hint.
Click to expand...

yeah, sure I saw that, and I've had very good experiences with Stein too. In this case, though I wonder if it makes sense to cut out the middle-man and go straight to Dynon.

Also, with the new stuff coming out, I wonder if I would be foolish to invest in builder headstart stuff (harnesses, trays etc) for the D-180, for fear they might discontinue it shortly after their new stuff comes out??
 
My opinion (... you asked for it!)

prkaye said:
yeah, sure I saw that, and I've had very good experiences with Stein too. In this case, though I wonder if it makes sense to cut out the middle-man and go straight to Dynon.

Also, with the new stuff coming out, I wonder if I would be foolish to invest in builder headstart stuff (harnesses, trays etc) for the D-180, for fear they might discontinue it shortly after their new stuff comes out??
Click to expand...

Phil,

While there is a point in time at which Dynon will have to discontinue their sale of the D-1xx line, even then I don't think you will be out of luck. My thinking is that once the new product line is introduced, you will see opportunities for buying the D-1xx product at a discount (used, not installed but builder changed his/her mind for an upgrade, etc). If the features really meet your requirements and wishes, then go ahead with buying the harness and ancillary components (temperature probes, magnetometer, fuel flow meter etc.). Most of your time will be spent with wiring, and the component install is actually a snap.

If you are looking for something more (features), then you will need to consider the competition and their present offerings, or bank on it being available at a future date (risky on delivery time-line/cost creep/pie-in-the-sky).

In my case, I made a decision on the products and configuration early-on, bought the wiring, ancillary components, specific harnesses, and wired up the plane. A few months before the plane was transported to the airport, I ordered the EFIS, EMS, transponder (I already had the radio). Thus I delayed the bulk of the avionics expense.

As for a supplier, if you have integration questions, and need help defining the system, then definitely go with one of the well regarded avionics vendors. They will be more expensive than going direct with Dynon, and they will get a commission for their effort. Dynon will not offer you a discount, as it would undermine the distribution agreements. Places like ACS will sell for lower, but you will be hard pressed to get pre-sales and after-sales support.

edit: Another advantage with going with an independent vendor is that you can also buy wiring, tools and other avionics .... and have it shipped at the same time. Saves on shipping costs that if you had to place an order direct with the manufacturer.​

Happy with my Dynons.

My 2.5c (Canadian)
 
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prkaye said:
yeah, sure I saw that, and I've had very good experiences with Stein too. In this case, though I wonder if it makes sense to cut out the middle-man and go straight to Dynon.
Click to expand...

It only makes sense if you know all you need to know to install and troubleshoot your installation. I can't comment on Dynon, but most vendors want their dealers to perform customer hand holding and support. Most EFIS vendors aren't staffed to handle mass support calls.

I know of several situations where folks had problems with the vendor (again not Dynon) and Stein went above what a typical dealer would do and worked with all parties to resolve the issues.

Yes, Stein is usually 10-20% higher than most his competition. You get what you pay for. I'm sure that there are other dealers that provide outstanding service too, I just haven't had the opportunity to work with them.
 
rleffler said:
.......Yes, Stein is usually 10-20% higher than most his competition. You get what you pay for. I'm sure that there are other dealers that provide outstanding service too, I just haven't had the opportunity to work with them.
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Thanks for the kind comments (and thanks to all). However, just a quick correction. We're rarely if ever that far off with the percentages...the fact is we're usually within 1-3% of anyone out there and many times we are less when people buy large packages of stuff. While we are known to be higher than some of the absolute lowest discount shops out there we almost always are lower than many big places and mfrgs direct, especially on larger packages.

It's always cheaper to buy the goods through a dealer than through the manufacturer - not the other way around.

Anyway, I'm not here to stump. I just didn't want people to think that our prices were that much higher....because that's just not the case - if it were that much different we wouldn't be in business very long. We can charge a small premium, but not nearly that much. I know for a fact that myself as well as my guys (and gals) really and truly appreciate the business more than some of the larger shops out there. Again, thanks for the kind words.

Stein
 
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I bought mine from Dynon, including the wiring harnesses.

When the harnesses came, there was a Stein label on the ziploc bags they came in.

If I were to do it again, I would go straight to Stein! Although I didn't buy my D100 or D10 from him, he was more than helpful.
 
PS. Don't buy your EFIS or EMS just yet. Just order the remote compass, wiring harness, mounting brackets, probes, etc.

Get all that stuff installed now and when you are ready, buy the EFIS and EMS. Who knows, you might get a good deal on them between now and when you really need the electronics.
 
I'll likely get mine from Stein, for the customer service.

It's always cheaper to buy the goods through a dealer than through the manufacturer
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The price on the SteinAir website for the D-180 is the same as the price on Dynon's site (3200 plus probes)...
 
prkaye said:
I'll likely get mine from Stein, for the customer service.

The price on the SteinAir website for the D-180 is the same as the price on Dynon's site (3200 plus probes)...
Click to expand...

You're very observant but have much to learn young grasshopper! :)

I keep my published prices where they are for a reason. I decided long ago that if someone is browsing/price shopping and their only factor for making a decision is price, then we might not be a good fit....hence my pricing being listed where it is. It means that people who are only caring about the listed prices probably won't take the time to do much more research, and even if they do they will still probably end up buying it from the lowest online advertised price anyway. I want people to buy things from me for reasons other than being the low bidder. I don't want to be the guy that people choose just because (and only because) I had the lowest online advertised price. It would make me feel like I have absolutely no other value to offer other than being the low bidder - and that's not what I'm all aboutl. After customer decide that they are going to to business with us (for whatever reason), they quickly find out that we often times will make them a good package deal, and we all win. I don't like playing the online price bidding war that so many people get into...it does little to benefit either the business or the customer over the long term.

I hope that makes sense!

Cheers,
Stein
 
Makes perfect sense. I've already bought my wiring kit from you guys, and have decided to get all my panel stuff from you too (so if you can offer some sort of package discount, I'd certainly appreciate it!).

As others have suggested, I think I'll order-up any builder-headstart stuff for the D-180 (EFIS/EIS combo unit) now, including probes/ harnesses, trays etc. Can you please get in touch with me via email with some details on this? [email protected] .
 
prkaye said:
I'll soon be at the point where I could start working on wiring up my panel. On the other hand, I could keep myself busy for probably 6 months doign other stuff (wheelpants, fiberglass tips etc).
I'm wondering about when to invest in my Dynon D-180 EFIS/EMS unit (plus probles and harnesses). The Canadian Dollar isn't doing as well these days, so that's incentive to wait, but there's not indication that it will go up substantially in the near term. With the economy in the crapper, I also wonder if vendors may start offering discounts any time soon. The other consideration is that I'm financing the remainder of my plane (and hangar) on a secured borrowing account now, so the sooner I buy, the more interest I pay (although with rates so low these days money is cheap).
Also wondering where the best place for me to buy is (in terms of price and service). Leading choices seem to be ACS (since they stock in Canada, saves shipping costs), Stein (reasons self-explanatory), and direct from Dynon.
Any thoughts or suggestions on when and where to buy this stuff would be appreciated!
Click to expand...

Love my Dynon stuff (D 180 + HS34) but 6 months is a long time. Pre-order the probes and hook them up, but understand that in 6 months you will have more choices (e.g. the new models). You might change your mind by then, and Dynon has promised that the engine instruments D-Sub pinout will remain the same.
 
So I'm in a similiar situation, I'm slowly working on finishing my 9a, hoping to finish in the next 6 months. I need to buy a dynon d100, radio, transponder, elt, and related harness, ant. Is there one place that would be reccomended for best all around deal or do I need to look around for each. I'm hoping to purchase wiring and trays first, and then buy the electronics as late as possible. It sounds like Stein is a great place to deal with and I do think that has value but I don't want to miss out on a good deal as finances are a big part of finishing my plane.
 
I have learned the hard way not to buy high tech stuff until I am ready for it--buy at the last minute. First, progress on your plane may not go as expected and by the time you actually need it, there may be better stuff or opportunities out there. Case in point:

I talked to the Dynon folks at a trade show a few weeks ago. When their next generation stuff comes out, they will have a trade in program for those who already have some of their product. My memory is not clear what their answer was when I asked if they would then resell the returned products--I think they hadn't decided yet.

So when you see the next generation line and the prices, you may decide that's what you really want. Or you may be able to buy the older product from Dynon or their dealers at a great saving from today's prices. Or, some folks may sell their old stuff themselves when they upgrade, giving you a good price.

In my own case, I got tired of Dynon's long delays in bringing out their autopilot and bought a Trio. But progress on the plane slowed to a crawl for various reasons and now Dynon has their AP stuff on the market, 2 axes for less than I paid for a single axis.

So, my suggestion is to wait.

One last thought: If a manufacturer routinely undercuts the dealers, they will lose their dealers, so the notion that buying from the manufacturer is cheaper is not necessarily valid.
 
RScott said:
........ they will have a trade in program for those who already have some of their product. ..... I asked if they would then resell the returned products.........
Click to expand...

I asked Dynon this very question and got a big fat "No".

So I'm hopefully someone want to upgrade and will sell me their D180 for a bargain price.;)
 
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