Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015 - 40

EQUIPPED LIKE NEW
Continued from page 38

This upgrade delivers the benefits of Aspen's
advanced, high-capability Evolution 1000 Pro PFD .
Garmin also offers solutions, as does Honeywell .
The expensive part of this trick is, like with the
Avidyne offerings, installing square boxes where once
round holes prevailed .
Garmin's G500/G600 systems packages into one
box the PFD, the MFD
and all the hardware that
drives them .
And the form factor of
Aspen units contributes a
significant amount to the
simplification of installing
any of them .

and Garmin offer theirs in two sizes at two price
points .
Of course, the budget approach favors finding a
still serviceable Garmin GNS 430 or GNS 530 that's
received the WAAS upgrade . While not touchscreen,
the savings will make the system moot for many aircraft owners .
Most of the new all-in-one solutions also offer a window on traffic and terrain, with terrain often indigenous
to the box .

While the enhancements may not necessarily
match the highest-dollar panels in every
function, a budget-driven process can
still deliver most of the improvements and
functions of a modern digital panel.

The middle: radios
and more
Comm and nav radios,
MFDs, traffic, terrain,
transponders and autopilot boxes - the center stack is
the traditional home of these necessary accessories to
flying the aircraft .
Fitting square pegs in square holes can still present a challenge when the dimensions don't perfectly
match . But in general, boxes designed for the center
stack tend to fit well, at least in terms of width .
A host of airplanes still fly on durable, functional,
old VHF nav/comms - such as the nearly ubiquitous
KX-170B, KX-175, some Collins Microline and others
once-dominant in the market .
A digital KX-155 from BendixKing is a big step up
from the 170B; even more so, the KX-165, and both
are plentiful .
In 2013, Garmin unveiled the GTR and GNC series
of VHF comm and nav/comm radios with features
that include remote tuning through the G500 and
G600 systems, and reverse look-up to identify the
source of frequencies received - for example, an airport automatic terminal information service, UNICOM
(universal communications) or tower, by the facility
name .
But it's the all-in-one options, expensive though
they may seem, that offer the best bang for an old
center stack .
Aspen and Honeywell, Avidyne and Garmin all have
combination WAAS GPS/VHF comm/VHF nav/MFD
units that solve multiple needs in one box . Avidyne

An ADS-B In receiver will give the operator a window
on weather and traffic with no additional hardware .
Avionics shops should not forget to broach the subject of ADS-B and a transponder solution to work with
whatever GPS solution the aircraft owner favors .
The right side
Arguably, the most-neglected panel enhancement is
the least glamorous: engine monitoring and alerting .
Today's technologies make available all-in-one units
here, as well, with JPI and others offering color-screen
graphic engine monitoring systems with approved
fuel-quantity and fuel-flow readouts - in addition to the
standards of engine health: RPM, manifold pressure,
fuel pressure, oil pressure, oil temperature, cylinder
head temperature, exhaust gas temperature - possibly
with the perquisite functions of a fuel-totalizer system
rolled in for good measure .
Costs for these capabilities vary according to the size
of the display and the depth of features, sensors supplied and installation costs .
But why neglect the heart of the airplane while spiffing up the rest of the panel? Why not give the owner
the same color-graphics technology for engine monitoring as for flight data and navigation functions?
The benefit many owners and pilots most covet are
the alerting and alarm functions typically indigenous to
the better engine monitor packages . q

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Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2014-2015