I experienced an alarming avionics display incident today and it was not the result of a failure of either of my GRT displays (HXr and miniAP). However, it points out a potential safety hazard that I bring to your attention. I may find after this post that there is already a solution that I am unaware of.
I experienced a dual screen total blackout and could not get the screens back on line: note that I said nothing failed.
My aircraft is a Vans RV8 which has a bubble canopy. Today in Florida was cloudless sky and very bright. I?m going to try to describe the button pushes that got me into this predicament. I departed Venice, Florida this AM about 0945. While on runway heading and scanning for traffic I wanted to turn the heading bug about 90 degrees North to get me on a gps intercept path. I?ve done it so many times that my left hand just knows about 90 degrees I then pushed the right button to call up the AP heading mode. Looking down to fine tune the setting I was shocked to see both screen blacked out. I went thru all kinds of trouble shooting steps, cb?s, avionics master, frantic pushing of soft keys all to no avail.
First my HXr is on the Master Switch with a TCW Smart Battery so when I start the screen does not reboot. If I had cut the MS that would have helped. Second, the left knob on the GRT HXr has two functions: heading AND Dim. If you are in Screen mode the Dim feature is activated. Two short spins to the left and you are in Blackout mode; but not exactly, more on that later. If you don?t notice that you are in Blackout mode and push any softkey or button the menus change and there is no way in heck you can find your way back. Once back in my hanger with only skylight as a source of illumination the min Dim setting had enough light to see the screen BUT NOT enough light to discern any of the softkey menus which change every time you select a different mode and there is a zillion of them. Once you lose track you are toast.
I am going to recommend that the two screen system (HXr and mini AP) Dim features be decoupled (I?ll get with my avionics installer to determine if that feature is already in place). Second there should be a ?panic? button that allows you to go to full bright and start over or a ?user selected min Dim? setting in the setup menu. If that is already there I could not find it.
All the avionics manufacturers make a plea with their customers to wring the system out in VFR and that is good advice. I can?t imagine how I?d feel had I been in the clouds.
As an aside when I fly beyond my zip code I always take my iPad and Stratus/Foreflight backup. That was good for an airspeed/altitude swag. Plus I am unable to completely wean myself from analog so I have one of those stackable JPI oil pressure displays and my Electronic Ignition Commander is set on RPM display when I fly. I was an easy flight back to the Space Coast.
I experienced a dual screen total blackout and could not get the screens back on line: note that I said nothing failed.
My aircraft is a Vans RV8 which has a bubble canopy. Today in Florida was cloudless sky and very bright. I?m going to try to describe the button pushes that got me into this predicament. I departed Venice, Florida this AM about 0945. While on runway heading and scanning for traffic I wanted to turn the heading bug about 90 degrees North to get me on a gps intercept path. I?ve done it so many times that my left hand just knows about 90 degrees I then pushed the right button to call up the AP heading mode. Looking down to fine tune the setting I was shocked to see both screen blacked out. I went thru all kinds of trouble shooting steps, cb?s, avionics master, frantic pushing of soft keys all to no avail.
First my HXr is on the Master Switch with a TCW Smart Battery so when I start the screen does not reboot. If I had cut the MS that would have helped. Second, the left knob on the GRT HXr has two functions: heading AND Dim. If you are in Screen mode the Dim feature is activated. Two short spins to the left and you are in Blackout mode; but not exactly, more on that later. If you don?t notice that you are in Blackout mode and push any softkey or button the menus change and there is no way in heck you can find your way back. Once back in my hanger with only skylight as a source of illumination the min Dim setting had enough light to see the screen BUT NOT enough light to discern any of the softkey menus which change every time you select a different mode and there is a zillion of them. Once you lose track you are toast.
I am going to recommend that the two screen system (HXr and mini AP) Dim features be decoupled (I?ll get with my avionics installer to determine if that feature is already in place). Second there should be a ?panic? button that allows you to go to full bright and start over or a ?user selected min Dim? setting in the setup menu. If that is already there I could not find it.
All the avionics manufacturers make a plea with their customers to wring the system out in VFR and that is good advice. I can?t imagine how I?d feel had I been in the clouds.
As an aside when I fly beyond my zip code I always take my iPad and Stratus/Foreflight backup. That was good for an airspeed/altitude swag. Plus I am unable to completely wean myself from analog so I have one of those stackable JPI oil pressure displays and my Electronic Ignition Commander is set on RPM display when I fly. I was an easy flight back to the Space Coast.