G5 installtion progress [[Previously: Opinions on my panel]]

You might as well buy everything else that you need now...No need to take it apart again :)
 
You might as well buy everything else that you need now...No need to take it apart again :)
u have no idea how much self control its taking on my part not to do what u suggested :rolleyes::rolleyes:
on a serious note, if i knew before hand this much stuff was to come out... i would planned for a GTX 345 rt now...
 
u have no idea how much self control its taking on my part not to do what u suggested :rolleyes::rolleyes:
on a serious note, if i knew before hand this much stuff was to come out... i would planned for a GTX 345 rt now...

I hear you, sir. It's a never-ending battle... I deal with this all the time.

If I had all the funds to do EVERYTHING I wanted, I'd probably have done it. But by the same token, I'm glad I couldn't and didn't, because I shouldn't have... at least in my opinion... if that makes sense.

It's pretty hard to separate the need/utility/"upgrade for a reason" vs. stuff that is just flat out cool.

I did a full panel upgrade on the same airplane I own now in 2002. 16 years ago, there was no talk of low cost PFDs and EHSIs, low cost MFDs, ADS-B Out transponders, WAAS GPS, and all-inclusive engine gauge clusters w/ engine monitors and fuel management features. That was pie-in-the-sky kind of stuff for GA.

The latest and greatest back then was a Sandel EHSI paired up with a Garmin 430 or 530, which even today is not a bad combo, but the price would curl your toenails. That was wayyyy beyond the amount of money I could stomach spending on my panel. So I stuck with vacuum ADI and a DG, a KLN-94 GPS with a dual KX-155 King stack. That wasn't a premium panel back then, but it was pretty good. The other modernization which occurred was elimination of the ADF (semi controversial decision back then) and plumbing a second vacuum ADI with field approval. In those days the only semi-reasonably priced electrically-powered mechanical backup ADI cost around $3000 and had a MTBF of about 100 hours. I wasn't interested in overhauling the damn thing every year.

Now there are so many ways to go, particularly in the Garmin ecoverse. Aspen has been a very nice product for a very long time but these new Garmin units are opening up capabilities I'd never have dreamed of for the price. A G5 HSI for around $2900 with all the gadgets included? A $700 autopilot interface for my old Century III which will actually make my airplane capable of GPSS? Whaaaaaat? A WAAS-capable GPS which I can control with my iPad via the FS510? Datalink weather and traffic perma-built in to the airplane via a GTX345?

I literally couldn't have even imagined this being possible for this price back then.

It's easy to feel the urge to go all the way over the cliff and buy everything. PFD. MFD. Get rid of the vacuum system. Consolidated modern digital engine gauges and engine monitoring system. Electronic *backup* ADI. Jeez, wow.

I'm going to try to "stop" at the MFD mark. Getting a G3X Touch approved as an MFD is my goal now, and it looks to be possible, though not guaranteed. The G5 HSI goes into the panel in early March as well as the GAD-29B. I figure these two upgrades really need to end the process for awhile. The returns beyond this point are pretty hard to quantify except in a "gee-whiz, this is cool" kind of way. (Hey, I have no problem with that either of course, but at some point I gotta put a little money into props and engines, too. Those are also kinda important. Heh.)
 
Personally, I think your panel has too many holes in it. Had I seen this sooner I would have cautioned you about moving boxes, it gets expensive quite quickly. Goo luck with the upgrade.
well luckily for me, my shop is charging a flat rate for the G5 install, so..as long as they can put things back in working condition... am cool :D:D
 
looks like some more stuff came out....
good thing is , now I can move the JPI in the top CDI location, that way all engine monitor data is right in front of me.

and now I need a new overlay for the left panel :(

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Without the plastic covers Mr. Wannfly yer panel is quite naked.

On a separate note are the blue GE53s approved? not that I care and just about any avionics shop can burn them all out in an instant...
 
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Without the plastic covers Mr. Wannfly yer panel is quite naked.

On a separate note are the blue GE58s approved? not that I care and just about any avionics shop can burn them all out in an instant...
No idea, asked my AP ones, he said that what piper puts in. And there is no way I am open ing that can of worms

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Day 5

More stuff came out...
GMU 11 goes in the right wing
GAD 29B, goes under the back seat.

I am sincerely hoping they can put this thing together

7ab646a8fde64f96c961b55e861098b5.jpg


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Day 5

More stuff came out...
GMU 11 goes in the right wing
GAD 29B, goes under the back seat.

I am sincerely hoping they can put this thing together

7ab646a8fde64f96c961b55e861098b5.jpg


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They can fix the airplane. They can’t fix the carpet...
 
Day 5

More stuff came out...
GMU 11 goes in the right wing
GAD 29B, goes under the back seat.

I am sincerely hoping they can put this thing together

Yeah, it's always kinda scary to see these things in the middle of the process! :eek: Speaking of which, maybe I'll go back to the thread I started during my upgrade and post pics...
 
Yeah, it's always kinda scary to see these things in the middle of the process! :eek: Speaking of which, maybe I'll go back to the thread I started during my upgrade and post pics...
Pls do. Definitely helps other people to understand what's going on and what it takes... or so I hope

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Day 7. lots and lots of wires were run and harnesses built. getting the wire run thru the wing for the GMU 11 was a "female dog" as quoted by the guy doing it. GAD 29B is finally harnessed and wires run to the panel. getting close...

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I thought running the wire through the wing on a PA28 would be fairly easy, maybe it is with a fuel tank removed?
 
I thought running the wire through the wing on a PA28 would be fairly easy, maybe it is with a fuel tank removed?
think so. I wasn't there when they ran the wires. they followed a cable run from the wing tip lights and the AOA probe. his boss mentioned that he could pull the tanks and its easy peasy, but he wasn't up for it. I was secretly hoping they would pull the tank and I can inspect the flexible hose lines behind the tank and take a note of any wing spar corrosion ... but alas.. gotto pay for that separately ...
 
We (ok, not me, but our club volunteers) ran new wires for new wingtip strobes in the Dakota recently, while the fuel tanks were out. Was still deemed "not easy".
 
I thought running the wire through the wing on a PA28 would be fairly easy, maybe it is with a fuel tank removed?
So I went back to the shop and since things were still.kinda open, I decided to run a 16 gauge wire thru the wing and tie it behind the panel, for a future upgrade, did half the work myself and boy it's a pain in the rear end. The wire from the nav lights are going thru grommets and we can follow that up to an extent, but without taking off the fuel tank there is no way to reach one of the grommet due to absence of an inspection panel. We ended up running it thru the same hole where the control cable goes thru and then tie the wires with zip tie and protective covering so that it doesn't move or brush against the metal. Not easy, but with the fuel tanks off, would have been much simpler, still a pain though

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Off topic, but what is the difference between the G5 DG/HSI and just the G5 HSI?
 
Off topic, but what is the difference between the G5 DG/HSI and just the G5 HSI?

Nothing, they are the same.

DG only = G5 + GMU11 (GAD29(B) and navigation receiver can be added later)

HSI aka DG/HSI = G5 + GMU11 + GAD29(B) + navigation receiver such as GTN/GNS/GNC (not every nav radio requires use of the GAD29(B))
 
Nothing, they are the same.

DG only = G5 + GMU11 (GAD29(B) and navigation receiver can be added later)

HSI aka DG/HSI = G5 + GMU11 + GAD29(B) + navigation receiver

Ah okay
 
For clarity, GPS navigator interface requires a GAD29(B), a Garmin SL30 or GNC255 can be hooked directly to the G5 and still act as an HSI.

View attachment 59813
don't think you can have a GPS and a Nav Radio connected to the HSI rt now. correct? would be really cool to have that capability
 
For clarity, GPS navigator interface requires a GAD29(B), a Garmin SL30 or GNC255 can be hooked directly to the G5 and still act as an HSI.

View attachment 59813

Too bad their isnt a G5 ILS indicator lol. HSI would be great to replace my bottom LOC, but not helping me out with the ILS indicator :(
 
Too bad their isnt a G5 ILS indicator lol. HSI would be great to replace my bottom LOC, but not helping me out with the ILS indicator :(

For consistency, yes the HSI displays vertical information like ILS.
 
don't think you can have a GPS and a SECOND Nav Radio connected to the HSI rt now. correct? would be really cool to have that capability

FTFY, now it’s correct. Obviously a GTN or GNS have both GPS or ILS,VOR capability.
 
For consistency, yes the HSI displays vertical information like ILS.
And it's displayed in the ADI as well

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D-day -1

Wires and harnesses are all done, nothing have gone back into the panel yet...i am supposed to test fly it tomorrow. Not sure how.. well, all I need is 1 hot mag rt?

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So much for test flight today, all instruments are still on the rack...

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What's the problem? (snark, snark, snark)
 
This will be almost as nice as my dual KX170B setup paired with a broken 211C CDI and gorgeous (actually working) 201C CDI
 
That sucks...did they give you an updated estimate?
He is going to work on it on Sunday and I will join him, not sure if it will get done in a day or not. He mentioned he may have re run a wire or two cuz the junior guy didn't keep it long enough

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