JPI EDM-700 display flickering

[azure]

I was up with a safety pilot on Wednesday for an instrument currency run. This was late afternoon, and toward the end, it started getting a bit dark in the cockpit. Around then the EDM-700's display started getting dim, with the elements flickering and some of them, sometimes, not even lighting up. I also had my headlamp on and noticed that when shining the light on the display face, the display came back to normal.

So my first thought was that the unit has a photosensor to regulate brightness depending on ambient lighting, and it's going bad. However, the flickering of the display elements tends to point to a problem with the display itself.

Does anyone have any other ideas? Anyone had this happen?

 

[bnt83]

Sounds to me like R&R for repair or replacement.

 

[JOhnH]

Happened to me recently. I had to have the display replaced. Later i regretted not biting the bullet and upgrading to something like the 730 or even 830.

 

[azure]

Yeah that's what I figured. I have a call in to my avionics tech but haven't heard back yet. I've been thinking about a fuel totalizer upgrade and this may just be the time to bite the bullet. Will definitely hurt, as I'm just recovering from being gouged to the tune of $6k, but in the long run this may be the cheapest solution.

 

[JOhnH]

Yeah that's what I figured. I have a call in to my avionics tech but haven't heard back yet. I've been thinking about a fuel totalizer upgrade and this may just be the time to bite the bullet. Will definitely hurt, as I'm just recovering from being gouged to the tune of $6k, but in the long run this may be the cheapest solution.

My A&P replaced the monitor display and added a few extra sensors for me (oil temp and pressure).

 

[GRG55]

Display failures don't seem to be unusual for JPI. I had to send my EDM-760 back for a display replacement earlier this year. Similar symptoms.

 

[Stewartb]

Hmm. The first thing I’d do is check the wire connections.

 

[azure]

Hmm. The first thing I’d do is check the wire connections.

Will do, thanks. I'm sure that will be the first thing the avionics shop tries, too. Seems unlikely to be that, though, in view of the fact that it acts normally when the ambient light is high.