~Avionics~
This is a list of all the avionics that I will be installing. I purchased my avionics from Aerotronics. I highly recommend buying your avionics from them. Their prices are much lower than anyone else, and their service is wonderful.
Garmin GNC250XL: A beautiful GPS/COMM with a moving map, and front loading Jeppesen cartridges
Garmin GTX320: Transponder: Matching transponder for above. Nothing special, a transponder is a transponder.
PSEnginnering PM2000 Intercom. This baby will interface well with my Sony CD Player. It will automatically mute the music if there is incoming transmissions, and you can isolate who can/can't hear music.
Navaid Devices autopilot: A simple autopilot that will hold headings and also keep your wings level. This really reduces the workload of the pilot.
Electronics International dual fuel gauge. Unfortunately, these guys haven't gotten around to putting together a website, but they make top notch stuff! The company is wonderful to work with. My dog Maverick, decided that the gauge would make a nice snack while I was gone. Well, I sent it back to EI, and offered to pay them to re-wire the chewed up harness, and re-calibrate it. They did all this for no charge, and included a dog biscuit for my dog! Excellent customer service!
Rocky Mountain Instrument
MicroEncoder: The microENCODER is a mode C altitude encoder with a host of
additional features. The unit combines an altitude encoder with a graphic/digital vertical
speed indicator, digital airspeed indicator, sensitive digital altimeter and digital
outside air temperature indicator.
With this information available to the microprocessor, additional flight information such
as true airspeed, altitude alert, density altitude, pressure altitude and true air
temperature are available at the touch of a switch. It comes in either pre built or
kit form. I elected to build it myself. You do not have to be an electrician
or computer programmer to do this. The manual is excellent, and their support is
second to none. It is fun, and you save $300 if you do it yourself. Total
build time was about 20 hours. It is really rewarding when you first connect the
power and it fires right up!
Here is what the two circuit boards look like after all the components are soldered in. Then the assembled product without the cover on.
Rocky Mountain Instrument
microMONITOR: This is an engine monitor that also comes in kit form, and
will give you just about anything you want to know about your engine. The
microMONITOR has 22 different functions including manifold pressure, tachometer, exhaust
gas temperature, cylinder
head temperature, oil temperature, carburetor temperature, ammeter, voltmeter, oil
pressure, fuel pressure and outside air temperature. An integral turbine-sensor fuel
totalizer provides fuel flow, fuel quantity remaining and time to dry tanks.
Well, since I already experienced the learning curve from the MicroEncoder, the MicroMonitor went much faster. Total constuction time was about 15 hours. It is slightly more complex, but still no big deal. It feels really good to build such a complex piece of equipment, and have it power up the first time.
Here are the boards before installing components.
These white things are sort pads, and every part is labeled on the pad with the corresponding location on the board. Pretty hard to screw it up!
I HIGHLY reccommend one of these "helping hands" I did not have one for the MicroEncoder, but wish I did.
Here after it fired up, it goes in the frezezer for an hour, then in a hot box for 48 hours. This is the burn in for the unit. If anything is going to go wrong with the unit, it will happen during this time period.
Ameri-King ACK 450 ELT: This ELT has a nice panel mount actuator so that you may activate it manually if necessary. Hoepefully this unit will be a complete waste of money, as I do not want to ever use it!
This is my ELT installation. I got the idea from Sam Buchanan. I put my antenna in the cabin on the back of the canopy frame.
