There I was opening a box

bnt83

bnt83

Final Approach
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Dec 31, 2012
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Brian
the final two pieces to complete the instrument panel. Half of my six pack was gonna be shiny and new looking and maybe even smell like drying paint. Like a boob job on an old lady, something to look at! Then I saw this...

It felt like the day the music died. Not sure how it died exactly, maybe someone killed it. No biggie really just waste another week getting it corrected...

 
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I must not fully understand the point of this. An old school VVI?
 
I'm going to guess it's the decimal point. If it's labeled as "100 Feet Per Minute", then "5" would be 500 feet per minute, and ".5" would be 50 fpm.

Is that it?
 
Is it because it says 'cessna' on it and u own a bo or piper?
 
What sort of Cessna aircraft would a VSI that maxes out out 200' be installed in?
 
I didn't notice till yesterday but the dial on the airspeed was altered in a way that wont work too. The colored bands (operating ranges) were relocated further outboard to the edges of the dial without communicating it to me. The true airspeed calculator now covers them up almost completely.

Instead of returning exactly what I sent in, they just did whatever and sent them back. No clear communication about what they were going to do.
 
All I want is a solution.

I can't imagine it's that difficult to get the correct silk screen done. I googled the VSI part number and found many on ebay that were identical to what I had so it's not an oddball.

As far as I know all the airspeeds in the Cessna 177 series were equipped with the dinky true airspeed calculator/ring things. My brothers 172H has them too.
 
What's there to defend? The VSI is pretty blatant.
 
Looks like rhe screen printer missed a 0
 
Well that sucks, sorry man. I've used them a lot of times now and have never had an issue. It does feel like you really have no clue what you're going to get but I've never gotten anything back that hasn't looked just like a new version of what I sent them.

Their ability to communicate always has seemed a bit lacking so I imagine that if you're unlucky enough to have a problem that really starts to hinder things.
 
I have not said who it was and its not anyone mentioned. I just got a phone call defending their poor work instead of offering a solution or just flat out saying they can't do it because they don't have the tools. I have multiple pictures of the exact instruments I sent out and the VSI dial is nothing close to what I sent.
 
GlennAB1 said:
Solution is mindset, live with it?
Click to expand...

I was thinking more along the lines of emailing other shops that might have the exact screen needed to fix them.

Then filing an SDR with the CRS # of the shop that did this to them.
 
I ask this because I've got a few instruments that need sprucing up because at night when the Nulites are on three of them look all dusty or dirty inside. I'm going to replace the heading indicator because I'm going IFR and I need a bug but what about the other two.

Was this an instrument you sent somewhere to be refurbished and they screwed it up? I know where to NOT send it based on your post but are there other reputable and cost effective/effective places that do this?
 
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Tim,

It might be hit-n-miss.

For example, I've had terrible luck with Aircraft Quality Instruments, Jesse's had good luck.

I've had good luck with Mid-Continent but they're a bit more expensive.

What I would suggest is that you contact a few overhaulers and ask them specifics about what is included in their overhaul price. I don't think there is an actual definition of "overhauling an instrument" and I've found some significant variances from one shop to the next.

I didn't understand this before sending all my instruments out to AQI when I first bought my 182 in 2004...I thought an overhaul was an overhaul. I had only been a pilot for 2 years and didn't have any street smarts (sky smarts?) yet. Within a few years they were ALL replaced or overhauled again (by a different shop).
 
Timbeck2 said:
I ask this because I've got a few instruments that need sprucing up because at night when the Nulites are on three of them look all dusty or dirty inside. I'm going to replace the heading indicator because I'm going IFR and I need a bug but what about the other two.

Was this an instrument you sent somewhere to be refurbished and they screwed it up? I know where to NOT send it based on your post but are there other reputable and cost effective/effective places that do this?
Click to expand...

I sent them out for "overhaul" and wanted renfinished dials. I'm pretty sure this guy is a one man show in his garage despite having what appears to be a current FAA CRS #. I'd never heard of the guy but there are ads in many airplane type clubs which I found via Google.

My brother was showing off his pretty looking airspeed so I sent mine in. Only after I noticed the true airspeed ring issue did he notice the same thing on his airspeed. He's gonna leave out the ring and live with it. I want mine fixed.
 
Pat Elliott said:
I don't understand what the heartache is about.. I see four white dots that a sharpie or some testors flat black paint would solve in about ten minutes.
Click to expand...

so you get rid of four white dots but the 1 and 2 are still wrong. then whaddaya do? Is it even legal for a "normal A&P" to open up an instrument?

The heartache is that a customer paid to have 2 instruments properly overhauled and rescreened but they weren't. It's that simple and the overhauling shop should make it right.

If they don't I really think Brian owes telling us who it is so we can avoid.......
 
bnt83 said:
I sent them out for "overhaul" and wanted renfinished dials. I'm pretty sure this guy is a one man show in his garage despite having what appears to be a current FAA CRS #. I'd never heard of the guy but there are ads in many airplane type clubs which I found via Google.
Click to expand...

Get any paperwork with it? might be time to call the FSDO....
 
Thanks Tim but who would you recommend? Brian, I'd like to know as well so I don't have the same headache as you have. PM me if you're not comfortable saying on the open forum. I was actually looking at AQI and a couple of others but I'd like to know experiences with the forum members.
 
timwinters said:
so you get rid of four white dots but the 1 and 2 are still wrong. then whaddaya do? Is it even legal for a "normal A&P" to open up an instrument?

The heartache is that a customer paid to have 2 instruments properly overhauled and rescreened but they weren't. It's that simple and the overhauling shop should make it right.

If they don't I really think Brian owes telling us who it is so we can avoid.......
Click to expand...

I was being facetious, which never communicates well over the interwebs,
I think he should contact the FSDO, you either have a guy pretending to be a certified shop, or a shop that's not following the overhaul manuals and returning instruments not airworthy, if you have an airspeed missing parts and a mismarked VSI, what other steps are being missed? either way, call the fsdo.
 
Did you pay for it with a credit card within the last 60 days? If so, then I'd be watching that clock, and if it gets to about 50 days from the date of charge with no resolution, dispute it with the credit card company.
 
Looks like they meant it to be in 1000 feet per minute increments like this one rather than 100 feet per minute. Basically they labeled it for 100 but scaled it for 1000. They should replace it at no charge.

vsi.jpg
 
This is the exact one I sent in for overhaul. It sounds like this may come to a semi satisfactory conclusion. I'll have to post about it later.

 
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To avoid this crap I recommend

#1 take digital pictures of the faces and data plates and email your prospective instrument shop and ask if they can refurb the dials as shown, NOT relocating any markings.

#2 print out email chain and pictures and pack that in the box and ship them.


Or you might have this experience:

Original

Refurbed

Doesn't work
 
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