Aspen Pro Max upgrade

[CMongoose]

Is anyone considering the Pro Max upgrade?

I just got the latest promotional flyer from them (I assume other owners got the same). The $2995 upgrade path, now seems to be only an introductory offer if you sign up and pay in full before they launch the upgrade.

I just got the marketing flyer from them inviting me to reserve my upgrade space because after May 1, the price goes up to $4995. The upgrade doesn't get released until July, though.

I know one their selling points on for the upgrade was "protecting the value of your investment", but at this point every communication I see from them makes me want to run further and further from this. A shame, because I rather like the the product.

What a I missing here? Is anyone else considering this doing this upgrade?

 

[Jamie Kirk]

I contemplated it but they cannot say if any additional hardware needs to be installed at time of installation.

So $5,000 to buy the new dual screens but it may require additional hardware and installation which could cost more than the upgrade cost.

 

[gacoon]

I was until I went to Copper State Flyin last weekend. I was planning on my upgrading my existing PFD1000 and pairing with a new TruTrak autopilot. Both vendors were at the flyin and I did not get a good feeling about when and how functionally rich the integration will be. Aspen told me Trutrak was doing the programming. Trutrak led me to believe it may be sometime before the integration is ready. Have until end off April to get the introductory upgrade price - I won’t do it without the auopilot interface. I may rip it all out and go Garmin all the way.

BTW: the upgrade consists of removing and sending your display to Aspen they replace a couple of boards and the screen and send it back, Avionics shop re-installs swing compass etc. Really simple as far as upgrades go.

 

[CMongoose]

@gacoon, my understanding of the upgrade was the same as yours, but @Jamie Kirk noticed a line in the marketing material that I had missed.

"This pricing reflects the display unit(s) upgrade only. We are pressing for certification without additional installation component requirements and will provide those details as they become available."

So it might be more than that, and is an unknown quantity at the moment.

@gacoon I have also been waiting for the TruTrak integration, which I thought was in the pipeline behind the E5. In the past I've been told that the Max upgrade would not be required for TruTrak integration. Is that the same impression you got from them?

 

[gacoon]

I have also been waiting for the TruTrak integration, which I thought was in the pipeline behind the E5. In the past I've been told that the Max upgrade would not be required for TruTrak integration. Is that the same impression you got from them?

No, In order to pass heading to Trutrak some software inter-change is required, the autopilot will need to read data from Aspen and that results in a track that trutrak can use to match the required heading. Everyone wants heading and thats easy. I didnt get the feeling we see it anytime soon.

I also want 1)Altitude and VS to replicate to the autopilot, 2) and Vnav on the autopilot driven by the Vnav profiles that are now available in flight plan on Garmin Gtn series. If Aspen wants to compete with Garmin they need to get out the coding sheets and do some serious software upgrades to match the competition.

I believe the Max upgrade eliminates the need for the EA100 interface box for digital autopilots, which TruTrak is one.

 

[Lynn Dixon]

I have just received my Aspen E5, planes about to go in the shop in a couple weeks for the install. I also have a TruTrak. When I talked to Aspen, they have all the bits ready to go on their end for the TruTrak integration. They support the ability to for the TruTrak to do heading bug steering, baro sync, altitude bug for your desired altitude, as well as the normal GPSS commands. Aspen has also said that their E5 and ProMax units will fully support "translations" for you old NAV radios to the TruTrak. Aspen will take the VOR/ILS analog stream from your radios, and then translate that into GPSS commands that the TruTrak can follow.

NOW.... even though Aspen is ready, TruTrak is not. I talked to them at the first of the week. They had to wait on the new Aspen hardware to get certified, before they could finalize the firmware update on their unit. The problem is that all the paperwork was submitted to the FAA for their review BEFORE the stupid shutdown, and they haven't gotten any word back yet. It sounds like TruTrak has done their part for the FAA, but they are waiting on the Gov't folks to get caught up from the shutdown. He also told me they (TruTrak) has a TON of ready-to-go kits for the 182 and PA28's that are also waiting on the FAA because of the shutdown.

So, it looks like we are waiting in the wings for the folks at the FAA to get caught up, so that TruTrak can get the firmware ready to go. Once the firmware is released, the TruTrak control head will need to be shipped to them, where they will upgrade it free of charge and send it back. I am REALLY hoping that happens while or before my plane goes in the shop that way I don't have to take it back just to have the trutrak control head firmware upgraded.

 

[AggieMike88]

@texasag93 .. add the above to the FYI for 55WB