Aspen 1000 Pro or Dual G5s

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CAflyer2020

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Trying to decide between single Aspen 1000 Pro ($4K) and dual G5s ($5.9K). My 65 Mooney has IFD 440 (installed into previous GNS 430 rack), Brittain AP, EI CGR-30 combo engine monitor, Stratus transponder with ADS-B in/out, electric step, and original steam gauges. I want to remove vacuum, remain IFR capable, and self install with IA signing 337 if possible. AP is the big question mark. I will never install GFC500 but will probably sell the plane within 5 years and the buyer may want to. I may install the BK Aerocruze 100 if I can't keep the Brittain working. Budget is a factor as I don't want to put money in the plane I will never get back. What would you suggest?
 
Chances are excellent you won’t get it back. And I agree with @TCABM on the futility of trying to account for a future sale. Another issue is, ultimately, Garmin works better with Garmin, even though there is a history of cross-compatibility working, so your future GFC500 guy may well give no value to your IFD 440.

AFAIK, both the G5s and the Aspen will work, but I would check what G5 capability you might lose with the 440 compared with the Aspen.
 
Chuckling…. I am in the reverse situation. I have a G430W that I may replace with a IFD 440. Do I go with G5’s or the Aspen? Autopilot will be a Trio. Will be keeping the airplane, Grumman Tiger till I’m can’t fly anymore. Hopefully, 10 years.
 
CAflyer2020 said:
Trying to decide between single Aspen 1000 Pro ($4K) and dual G5s ($5.9K). My 65 Mooney has IFD 440 (installed into previous GNS 430 rack), Brittain AP, EI CGR-30 combo engine monitor, Stratus transponder with ADS-B in/out, electric step, and original steam gauges. I want to remove vacuum, remain IFR capable, and self install with IA signing 337 if possible. AP is the big question mark. I will never install GFC500 but will probably sell the plane within 5 years and the buyer may want to. I may install the BK Aerocruze 100 if I can't keep the Brittain working. Budget is a factor as I don't want to put money in the plane I will never get back. What would you suggest?
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Aspen can currently support GFC600, and they are working toward GFC500, if Garmin will ever cooperate with anybody else.
Rcmutz said:
Chuckling…. I am in the reverse situation. I have a G430W that I may replace with a IFD 440. Do I go with G5’s or the Aspen? Autopilot will be a Trio. Will be keeping the airplane, Grumman Tiger till I’m can’t fly anymore. Hopefully, 10 years.
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Trio and Aspen E5 or Promax already integrate pretty seemless. I installed Apsen/IFD440/Trio in a C182.
 
Rcmutz said:
Chuckling…. I am in the reverse situation. I have a G430W that I may replace with a IFD 440. Do I go with G5’s or the Aspen? Autopilot will be a Trio. Will be keeping the airplane, Grumman Tiger till I’m can’t fly anymore. Hopefully, 10 years.
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I'm in the same boat. Already have an STEC-20 hooked up to the G5s, so as long as an IFD-440 gets along with the G5s, I'm golden. As a bonus, the IFD-440 will work better with my NGT-9000.
 
CAflyer2020 said:
Trying to decide between single Aspen 1000 Pro ($4K) and dual G5s ($5.9K). My 65 Mooney has IFD 440 (installed into previous GNS 430 rack), Brittain AP, EI CGR-30 combo engine monitor, Stratus transponder with ADS-B in/out, electric step, and original steam gauges. I want to remove vacuum, remain IFR capable, and self install with IA signing 337 if possible. AP is the big question mark. I will never install GFC500 but will probably sell the plane within 5 years and the buyer may want to. I may install the BK Aerocruze 100 if I can't keep the Brittain working. Budget is a factor as I don't want to put money in the plane I will never get back. What would you suggest?
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Except for the magnetometer, g5's are really easy to install, plus if you ever do decide on a the gfc500 or even a g3x, you'll all/most everything required. be ready, they are extremely proud of some of the needed tool. You can also pay spruce/avionics shop to make the harness, saves loads of time and is only a bit more expensive than buying all the tools
 
IIRC, with two G-5s you can get rid of the vacuum system and the round gauges.

Aspen 1000 you need a backup attitude indicator as a minimum. I am not sure about the other round dials.

My plane came with an Aspen 1000 Pro. It is nice. And I considered upgrading to 2000 Pro MAX. Nice price, but the G3X is so much better.

Also, the EA-100 autopilot interface for the Aspen seems to be prone to failure.
 
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edessa said:
As you stated, budget is a factor, so Aspen is the way to go.
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What he said.
And, you're obviously non Garmin. So why start now?

BTW - why the need for the work?
 
the plane needs a new panel, partial glass at least, removal of vacuum system, and possibly a new AP.
 
How long will you have the plane?
 
CAflyer2020 said:
I will have the plane 3-5 years
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Put in the least expensive option that meets your goals. Go with the Aspen. For the plane the way it is now and what you want to add, Aspen won’t degrade the value of the airplane and the Garmin won’t add to it.
 
CAflyer2020 said:
Trying to decide between single Aspen 1000 Pro ($4K) and dual G5s ($5.9K). My 65 Mooney has IFD 440 (installed into previous GNS 430 rack), Brittain AP, EI CGR-30 combo engine monitor, Stratus transponder with ADS-B in/out, electric step, and original steam gauges. I want to remove vacuum, remain IFR capable, and self install with IA signing 337 if possible. AP is the big question mark. I will never install GFC500 but will probably sell the plane within 5 years and the buyer may want to. I may install the BK Aerocruze 100 if I can't keep the Brittain working. Budget is a factor as I don't want to put money in the plane I will never get back. What would you suggest?
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Have you considered Dual GI275s? You would be able to remove all of your indicators except your standby magnetic compass. Very user friendly to install.
 
As an installer, and owner of both. G5's every day of the week and twice on weekends. Aspen seems cheap until you find out what it actually costs to do the things you want. It's like a boat. Break Out Another Thousand every time you want another feature to actually work.
 
I agree with @Salty. I recently swapped an Aspen system to a dual G5 setup in a PA-28-180 for a customer after he had his 3rd RSM failure on the system in about 6 years. The Aspen does have some additional capabilities (like the ACU interface to older analog VHF nav radios) that allows it to play nicer with existing equipment, but I've seen a lot of display failures and RSM failures. I don't install Aspen systems, so my only experience is in removing them, so there is likely some bias in that however!
 
cmtejuliani said:
2k difference? Garmin all day long.
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I was quoted about $15,000 for upgrade from 1000 Pro to 1500 Pro Max, installed.

10" G3X Touch by itself is $12,000. Plus install. And backup AI required. So another $2700 plus install.
 
I just went through this debate and installed the Aspen Pro with oversight from my A&P/IA. I like the layout and organization of the Aspen over the dual G5's and install was easier as I wasn't building a harness for two units. I also didn't have to plumb two units into the pitot/static system. Another advantage the Aspen had over the G5's was the magnetometer install. My plane is a tube and fabric airplane and installing the magnetometer in the wing was going to require a bit more work than installing the Aspen RSM on the top of the plane. The aspen RSM incorporates the GPS antenna, magnetometer, and OAT sensor all into one unit.
 
Salty said:
As an installer, and owner of both. G5's every day of the week and twice on weekends. Aspen seems cheap until you find out what it actually costs to do the things you want. It's like a boat. Break Out Another Thousand every time you want another feature to actually work.
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But if you have a non Garmin AP like a KAP150 the G5 can’t drive it so you need your existing AI and can’t get rid of the vacuum system, right?

I’m going through this same thought process on mine - all I want is GPSS, and I’m thinking of going further to eliminate the vacuum system, and I keep coming back to the only two solutions are the GI275s or Aspen. Unless I only put a G5 in as the HSI for GPSS and leave everything else the same….
 
crashton said:
But if you have a non Garmin AP like a KAP150 the G5 can’t drive it so you need your existing AI and can’t get rid of the vacuum system, right?

I’m going through this same thought process on mine - all I want is GPSS, and I’m thinking of going further to eliminate the vacuum system, and I keep coming back to the only two solutions are the GI275s or Aspen. Unless I only put a G5 in as the HSI for GPSS and leave everything else the same….
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I'm pretty sure the G5 will drive a KAP150 if you add on the GAD29B, but that does add to the cost.
 
Salty said:
I'm pretty sure the G5 will drive a KAP150 if you add on the GAD29B, but that does add to the cost.
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Really? I didn’t know that. That changes my whole thinking now….thanks!


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G5s + GMU11+ GAD29B will provide nav/heading tracking to a KAP150. It will _not_ provide the necessary attitude reference. You would need to retain your attitude source, or go with a setup that will provide the attitude reference (GI-275s for example)
 
Remember that the OP wants to limit what he spends, and that he has a Brittain AP. Getting anything to work with that I think is the big question. If nothing will, what is the cheapest AP HSI/AHR set up possible for him?
 
Try to sell that Aspen down the road.We were all on board with them. We had one put in back in 2010 for around $14,000. It was upgraded around 2016 and just sold it for $800.00. The problem is the battery replacement has to be done by a Aspen dealer who we had come out to the hanger and do around 2020 who unknown to us since we called in the experts also pinched a wire in ours putting the battery in. It still worked fine but when it went to Aspen to get the paperwork after another party wanted to buy it used for another aircraft, Aspen red tagged it because they found that wire pinched and said it now needed a new $4000.00 board. Aspen can kiss my &ss.
 
my brittain was connected to my cdi/nav/gpss before g5 installation and even without a CDI it's still connected to the radio, meaning the brittain tracks pink and green lines really well. unfortunately, it's not in the garmin drawings so shops won't make the simple connection to the g5 for heading. heck i even have a drawing from brittain for the g5 connection
 
I just installed 2 G5's and a BK Aerocruze 100 in my Arrow IV. They both play well with my GNS530. Lost 10 pounds with vacuum and standby vacuum system and old Century III AP removal. I looked at a GFC500 but cost of the Aerocruze was about $10K less.
 
Mark Cooper said:
I just installed 2 G5's and a BK Aerocruze 100 in my Arrow IV. They both play well with my GNS530. Lost 10 pounds with vacuum and standby vacuum system and old Century III AP removal. I looked at a GFC500 but cost of the Aerocruze was about $10K less.
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Years later. Still happy with the decision?
 
the dude said:
Try to sell that Aspen down the road.We were all on board with them. We had one put in back in 2010 for around $14,000. It was upgraded around 2016 and just sold it for $800.00. The problem is the battery replacement has to be done by a Aspen dealer who we had come out to the hanger and do around 2020 who unknown to us since we called in the experts also pinched a wire in ours putting the battery in. It still worked fine but when it went to Aspen to get the paperwork after another party wanted to buy it used for another aircraft, Aspen red tagged it because they found that wire pinched and said it now needed a new $4000.00 board. Aspen can kiss my &ss.
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I have an Aspen 1000 pro since 2010 and never upgraded to the new display. I had replaced my battery easily several times by my IA/AP. No problems except Aspen changed the battery configuration on the next to last replacement and had to wait for their inventory to be replenished. The Aspen GPSS works fantastically with my Piper Autocontrol 3B. While the device is available from Aspen to give attitude data to eliminate the vacuum AI, I decided it was cheaper to leave my vacuum AI where it serves as my obligatory backup AI and drives the autopilot.
 
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David Kagey said:
Years later. Still happy with the decision?
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I put 28 hours on the plane in July, with about 50% IMC. The more I fly with this setup, the more I like it. If you have the funds to go with a GFC500, do it, but the Aerocruze is great for the cost. I’m glad I didn’t spend the extra dollars for GI275s either. The G5s are more than adequate. If you have a GNS530, spend the money on a Flightstream 210. My 530 still looks good and works well and there are still parts available from Garmin for the 530s. Having the flight stream and the autopilot make IFR flying so much easier!
 
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