To Waas or not to Waas?

Looking good, Austin! But (as much as I can't believe I'm saying this), @eman1200 is right. You need a couple of G5s. Plane won't fly without them.
 
Why a Garmin audio panel instead of PMA?
 
Katamarino said:
Why a Garmin audio panel instead of PMA?
Click to expand...
1. @Ted DuPuis told me to.
2. Avionics shop recommended Garmin over PMA
3. My OCD is happier if it's all the same brand.
4. The Garmin one has a few more features I like over the PMA. If it was a GMA340 or earlier I may have gone PMA, but the 342/345 has some significant advantages.
 
After trying the audio panels from Garmin and PMA at KOSH, I have to agree that Garmin has the better one right now. Their 3D audio is simply amazing.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Just about done. They're doing the final ground run and compass swing test tomorrow. If no problems then I get to pick it up thurs or Fri. No bill yet... And there were a few complications but I'll get into that when I let you know how empty my wallet is.
Before:
View attachment 68885
After:

View attachment 68884
Click to expand...
Were the old radios not working?
 
Grum.Man said:
Were the old radios not working?
Click to expand...
Well, the radios were working, but the wiring was not. I had already on two occasions tried avionics shops to fix them, but got tired of throwing good money after bad and decided to replace my radio stack. When I bought the plane all but the DME was working, and then it went downhill from there. Radio slot #1 was doing a continuous uncommanded transmit regardless of the audiopanel's positions or PTT or what radio we put in that slot. Both VOR's deteriorated in reliability until they were inop. The plane did not come with an intercom either and I was getting really fed-up with the external intercom. So I was down to a single radio and it was uncertain how long that would last, ultimately my instrument training was not going to get done. It was time to modernize... so I did.

There were more wiring issues with the avionics that were all installed in 1989, but more on that later.
 
Katamarino said:
Why a Garmin audio panel instead of PMA?
Click to expand...

*cough* PS Engineering. ;)

(Sorry, OCD. PMA is the start of most, but not all, of their model numbers.)

Mtns2Skies said:
1. @Ted DuPuis told me to.
2. Avionics shop recommended Garmin over PMA
3. My OCD is happier if it's all the same brand.
4. The Garmin one has a few more features I like over the PMA. If it was a GMA340 or earlier I may have gone PMA, but the 342/345 has some significant advantages.
Click to expand...

I know we share an avionics shop, apparently we share some OCD too. :rofl:

I made kind of the same decision last year. We were looking at the PMA450, and it was going to be more than the Garmin GMA 350c, which we ended up going with for the voice control of both the GMA350c and the GTN 750 (which is awesome, btw).

But, had the voice control not been a factor (such as this situation), the Garmin 345 was cheaper yet, and it is a decent unit.

Now, don't get me wrong - PS Engineering makes fantastic products. They've definitely got an edge on Garmin in ease of use, and their audio is top notch. They may be the only manufacturer that's really giving Garmin any real competition in any area of avionics, but it seems that having one brand that does it all is the way most people go.
 
Woo got her back today! Clean bill of health. I feel like I can softly whisper into the controllers ear now...

Anyway, I've been using one radio for so long, I forgot how to use two! I probably need a tutorial on the GNC255, it seems pretty freaking capable for a nav/com.
 
I'm hoping to get into a GNC 255 myself at some point. I've got a KX-155 I'd like to swap out for it.

You're right, it's got quite the featureset for a "simple" nav/com.
 
Okay the final bill is in.
$22.5k. (10k in avionics, 2k in parts, 10.5k in labor (they didn't charge me for ~50 hours of actual labor which is very nice))
This includes
  • GNC255
  • GI-106A
  • GTR225
  • GTX327
  • GMA342
  • Wiring my ELT Remote
  • Intercom wiring
  • ALL new antenna's
  • All new Coax's to Antenna
  • Several new circuit breakers
  • Avionics master switch
  • Disconnect from the "water scoops" and install an avionics fan
  • Repair of fuse holder above battery
  • Wiring compass night-light
  • Repair of rheostat for instrument dimming (scorch marks on the inside of it :eek: )
  • Removal of Autopilot* (Century IIB)
Autopilot (working when brought into the shop) when getting tested on the ground unspooled from the spool and jammed up the ailerons, it was very very lucky this was discovered on the ground. Upon further review of the autopilot it was installed VERY poorly and likely illegally. - I was pretty bummed to discover this, but it's for the best.

Overall a huge majority of the work was infrastructure and bringing the avionics system up into this century. Done by a very reputable shop that is well known for doing stuff right the first time. They cut me a big break by not charging me for about 50 hours of work that they did, (my plane is a pain in the butt sometimes).

I'm thrilled with the result and am confident that it will last for a long, long time which is much better than the previous avionics job that was done in 1989 which began failing in several ways on me. A month into the upgrade and it's just fantastic - not a single issue discovered. I love the avionics I chose and for what I'm doing it's perfect also 3D audio is suuuuper cool!
 
Pictures!?!? Enjoy some clear audio with those new radios! Nothing quite like it.


That labor adds up in a hurry. Since dad gets it free I would think he could sell the 182 and just about come out even with all the stuff in it. Kinda kicking around the idea of adding a third G5, and another GMU.

upload_2018-12-5_15-29-12.png
 
Last edited:
Mtns2Skies said:
Okay the final bill is in.
$22.5k. (10k in avionics, 2k in parts, 10.5k in labor (they didn't charge me for ~50 hours of actual labor which is very nice))
This includes
  • GNC255
  • GI-106A
  • GTR225
  • GTX327
  • GMA342
  • Wiring my ELT Remote
  • Intercom wiring
  • ALL new antenna's
  • All new Coax's to Antenna
  • Several new circuit breakers
  • Avionics master switch
  • Disconnect from the "water scoops" and install an avionics fan
  • Repair of fuse holder above battery
  • Wiring compass night-light
  • Repair of rheostat for instrument dimming (scorch marks on the inside of it :eek: )
  • Removal of Autopilot* (Century IIB)
Autopilot (working when brought into the shop) when getting tested on the ground unspooled from the spool and jammed up the ailerons, it was very very lucky this was discovered on the ground. Upon further review of the autopilot it was installed VERY poorly and likely illegally. - I was pretty bummed to discover this, but it's for the best.

Overall a huge majority of the work was infrastructure and bringing the avionics system up into this century. Done by a very reputable shop that is well known for doing stuff right the first time. They cut me a big break by not charging me for about 50 hours of work that they did, (my plane is a pain in the butt sometimes).

I'm thrilled with the result and am confident that it will last for a long, long time which is much better than the previous avionics job that was done in 1989 which began failing in several ways on me. A month into the upgrade and it's just fantastic - not a single issue discovered. I love the avionics I chose and for what I'm doing it's perfect also 3D audio is suuuuper cool!
Click to expand...

Let's see some photos!
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Done by a very reputable shop that is well known for doing stuff right the first time. They cut me a big break by not charging me for about 50 hours of work that they did, (my plane is a pain in the butt sometimes).

I'm thrilled with the result and am confident that it will last for a long, long time which is much better than the previous avionics job that was done in 1989 which began failing in several ways on me. A month into the upgrade and it's just fantastic - not a single issue discovered. I love the avionics I chose and for what I'm doing it's perfect also 3D audio is suuuuper cool!
Click to expand...

Yep. Skycom Avionics is awesome that way. It's been a year since our upgrade now, and everything (both new and old) still works perfectly.
 
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