New builder poll on panels

[johnk]

I guess it's too late to vote in the poll, but I strongly favor steam gauges. I admit that glass is probably superior in most respects, but I just like steam gauges, I like they way they look and I like the notion that I'm seeing a direct "mechanical" reading of what's happening.

[jim_geo]

What a loaded answer. NO I"M AFRAID OF THOSE THINGS.

[captain_john]

John, it is never too late.

Jim, did I really load it that heavily?

CJ

[jim_geo]

LMAO

[Spike]

I know I got alot of snot for my opinion of "glass" in the experimental market place. Honestly, I cant but help smirk with the tales of the G3 units having problems and the complete recall associated with the crossbow sensors.

[avaviat]

Personally, I favor "glass". If I was at that stage today it would be a GRT Dual MFD / AHRS / EIS package w/ the XM receiver (not that I've thought about it ).

I really wonder what the real story is with BMA? I've read some of Greg's supporting material (e.g. his document on aircraft wiring) and most of what he says agrees with my background, and training (I'm not an EE, but I have played one on...um...in an engineering department actually). I've never tried out their products so I can't say on that front.

I know you can have "special" customers that make life hell. Back when I played an EE for a company making specialized camera equipment, I had the pleasure of dealing with two methane breathing customers... at least that's the only way I can think of to explain why they didn't asphyxiate, given their head placement ...who simply couldn't get our (moderately complicated) products to work. Now, we were in the business of getting our products to work in very extreme circumstances... like on tall towers in places that averaged -45 degrees, miles from anywhere. In the middle of forrests. Alaska, Afghanistan, we even had some installed in Florida. I mean we were *good* at getting those suckers to do what we said they'd do. And we had hundreds of complicated installs to our credit. But, after spending countless hours of first tech support, and then my time, we finally bought the products back. When we received them, guess what? They worked perfectly. *Perfectly*

I had flashbacks to those experiences as I read some of the threads on the vansairforce site and a few other places. That doesn't mean I'd necessarily buy a BMA product today, but I do wonder if they have all the troubles a few people say.

Homebuilders can be a petulant lot sometimes. I've read strong advisements to never buy from Cleaveland Aircraft Tools because of "poor customer service" (I have had nothing but positive experiences myself), I've seen people yelling at Van's because parts are back-ordered, violent hatreds of Aircraft Spruce or Wickes because someone received a wrong part one time. Makes you wonder.

[rv6ejguy]

I'm going steam in my RV10. It will be one of only two in existence I understand. Glass is cool once you get it working and figure out how to use it, bad thing is, it becomes obsolete in 2-5 years, the companies won't service or support it most likely and it is then worth nothing used. Makes a good door stop I suppose. With steam, it's already obsolete and I can always get it fixed quick at the gyro shop. Nothing new is going to supersede it.

I've seen some real nightmares with glass installations- up to two years to get the bugs out on some really complicated stuff and lots of $10K bills. I've seen people rip out stuff that nobody could fix and do it all over with a different brand and I've read about plenty of dark screen failures even on top end Garmin stuff.

Maybe the cheaper Dynon stuff is ok, you won't cry too hard when the next gen comes along and many seem to have good luck with them. I'll be sticking to my round dials however and enjoy the sound of those gyros winding down after the master goes off.

[Bob Barrett]

I have just completed installing the Dynon 10D and it is very simple to install and program. I am have done most of the programing and updating on the data base to the most current version. I have to have it flying and get some test data before I can fully program performance numbers etc.

Nothing wrong with steam guages, I have a altimeter, compass, and airspeed as back up. I also have the battery back up in the Dynon.

[Leighton]

More and more of the aircraft i work on is going glass, even the Helicopters.

Personally, i think a cockpit looks very nice with just a couple of screens and a standby compass, allbeit a little bland.

Having not actually flown glass, im still sitting on the fence, but from a maintenance standpoint, seeing big things go wrong in a ba-squillion dollar airplane with a 90 squillion dollar cockpit (uncommanded reboot etc), im leaning towards having the little round things in front of me.

People think im nuts for flying my little Cherokee round with nothing more than an altimeter, airspeed, turn co-ord and a compass. about the most exciting thing on that instrument panel was that the transponder had mode C.


Seems i must be one of the VFR guys....



Leighton.

[Bob Barrett]

I have a Grand Rapids Engine Monitor that I picked up from Wentworth out of a RV-9A that had been smashed. I have a Dynon 10A that my kids gave me for my 70th birthday. I also have a steam compass, airspeed, and altimiter. People who have done aerobatics with steam dg, and turn and bank have had to replace them. Therefore I was really happy to get the Dynon. I am hopefully within three months of first flight. My wings are almost ready to go out for painting. I have to install the boot cowl and the windshield on the fuselage and then it is ready for painting.

[captain_john]

70!?!

Bob, may I say that from here you don't look to be even HALF that age!

CJ