Best place to buy Digital Gauges?

Jhernandez04

Jhernandez04

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TheHulk
Interested in upgrading a few gauges to digital (airspeed, rpm etc)

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
 
Electronics International...I had five or six of them in an RV that I sold and never had a bit of trouble...they are not cheap but are quality.
 
What you can put in a E-AB like John's RV, and what you can put in a production certified plane like the one in the OP's picture are two entirely different things. While it is possible to obtain approval for noncertified instruments in a production plane, they can only be supplemental, and cannot replace the certified instruments in their primary location.

On the tachometer side, there are a number of certified digital tachs, like the P1000 from Horizon and those incorporated in the JPI EDM-930, but I haven't looked for digital airspeed indicators or other flight instruments (outside those incorporated in something like a Garmin G500 or Asplen PFD1000, which doesn't sound like what you're planning). For digital tachs, see Aircraft Spruce and search on DIGITAL TACHOMETER.

For an individual digital airspeed indicator, I can't find one that is certified for production aircraft primary instrumentation.
 
There are various engine data displays from EDM, JPI, and Oracle that you can put in to replace your analog gauges. For airspeed you're looking at an Aspen or G-500/600 set up.
 
I have an EI digital tach in the 170. I hate that thing. It was in when I purchased the airplane. It's difficult to just glance over to the right side of the panel and see what the rpm is. I hardly look at it anymore and just go by sound. When I do look at it there is segment of the LCD that is intermittent. I have to send it off for that to be fixed. I'd rather have an analog gauge.

Spruce or chief aircraft sell them though.
 
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pbramlett said:
I have an EI digital tach in the 170. I hate that thing. It was in when I purchased the airplane. It's difficult to just glance over to the right side of the panel and see what the rpm is. I hardly look at it anymore and just go by sound. When I do look at it there is segment of the LCD that is intermittent. I have to send it off for that to be fixed. I'd rather have an analog gauge.

Spruce or chief aircraft sell them though.
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Just wanted to clean up the panel a bit. That way I could just look and read instead of look and study.
 
Sell what you have buy something with all the nice stuff installed it's cheaper in the long run.
 
brien23 said:
Sell what you have buy something with all the nice stuff installed it's cheaper in the long run.
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:rofl::rofl::rofl: I always love this comment, first, try and find it, then see if you can get them to give it away. If everybody goes by this theory, there would never be a plane with the equipment. Then there is trying to sell your current plane with old junk when everybody is shopping for something with modern gear.
 
Henning said:
:rofl::rofl::rofl: I always love this comment, first, try and find it, then see if you can get them to give it away. If everybody goes by this theory, there would never be a plane with the equipment. Then there is trying to sell your current plane with old junk when everybody is shopping for something with modern gear.
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I have seen people put way too much $$$ into their instrument panel, If you want to make some upgrades within 10k to 15k that makes a nice upgrade. If your going to put 30 to 50k into the panel you might want to consider another option. Avionics change quick, what is hot today is out of date tomorrow.:no:
 
Go flat panel. Save space and weight :) Certainly not money.
 
Henning said:
:rofl::rofl::rofl: I always love this comment, first, try and find it, then see if you can get them to give it away. If everybody goes by this theory, there would never be a plane with the equipment. Then there is trying to sell your current plane with old junk when everybody is shopping for something with modern gear.
Click to expand...

Seemed to work out for me.
 
Ron Levy said:
What you can put in a E-AB like John's RV, and what you can put in a production certified plane like the one in the OP's picture are two entirely different things. While it is possible to obtain approval for noncertified instruments in a production plane, they can only be supplemental, and cannot replace the certified instruments in their primary location.

On the tachometer side, there are a number of certified digital tachs, like the P1000 from Horizon and those incorporated in the JPI EDM-930, but I haven't looked for digital airspeed indicators or other flight instruments (outside those incorporated in something like a Garmin G500 or Asplen PFD1000, which doesn't sound like what you're planning). For digital tachs, see Aircraft Spruce and search on DIGITAL TACHOMETER.

For an individual digital airspeed indicator, I can't find one that is certified for production aircraft primary instrumentation.
Click to expand...

What certification are you referring to? TSO?
 
Henning said:
Did you buy a cheap plane? Did you get a glass panel?
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Relevant upgrades include.

Got a 530, an STEC55 Autopilot with GPSS and Alt Hold, a DME, an HSI, 110 more horespower, 60 more knots, more useful load, longer range, 0 SMOH engine, 0 SMOH prop (about 800hrs less than my last plane) overhauled landing gear motor, new rigging.

All for about the price differential of what it would have costs to install and wire up the 530 and autopilot. Plus, the new rig is probably worth 25K more than the Piper would have been if I had spent the money to install the GPS/Autopilot.
 
pbramlett said:
I have an EI digital tach in the 170. I hate that thing. It was in when I purchased the airplane. It's difficult to just glance over to the right side of the panel and see what the rpm is. I hardly look at it anymore and just go by sound. When I do look at it there is segment of the LCD that is intermittent. I have to send it off for that to be fixed. I'd rather have an analog gauge.

Spruce or chief aircraft sell them though.
Click to expand...


I don't like the digital tachs either.
 
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