Now ADS-B compliant - Can recommend a shop!

comanchepilot

comanchepilot

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Jun 1, 2010
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SoCal
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Display name:
Joe Farrell, yeah, him
Upgraded the Comanche to 530w, GTX-330-ES and updated my Shadin microflo so it would chat with the 530.

Total cost? $6300. Included all labor, shipping, new antennas etc. The units, POH supplement - everything.

Garmin managed to lose my equipment for a couple of days, Fedex managed to screw up the delivery - so the install took a week longer than scheduled -but it was only scheduled for 15 calendar days including Thanksgiving.

Plus - I had the annual done at the same time - making it productive downtime -

I can totally recommend Velocity Avionics in Modesto CA. Not a single reservation to my recommendation. Tripp Walker owns the operation, ex-Navy avionics rating, stand up guy - was willing to cover my Southwest fare increase to offset the delay that was not his fault.

I'll say that Tripp did the upgrades for thousands of dollars less than anyone else locally here in SoCal - I got a quote for $6500 for the Stratus upgrade locally - and shops were in the $7500-10000 price point for just the Garmin upgrades because of imaginary 35 hour labor costs - its really plug and play with the existing pin outs - you need a new antenna - thats it basically. Local shops wanted another $2000 for the Microflo upgrade - which was one wire to a pin out on the 530 - again - pull out the old one - same wiring harness except for the one wire.

Again - Velocity Avionics in Modesto - a towered airport - city has Amtrak service to Oakland or Sacrament or even San Francisco Intl on BART.
 
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That's a fair price for the upgrade and should be what is in line for other shops to charge as well. No idea why someone would quote you $10000 unless they just didn't want the job.
 
JoeBradSEA said:
That's a fair price for the upgrade and should be what is in line for other shops to charge as well. No idea why someone would quote you $10000 unless they just didn't want the job.
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Because some shops take the bet that you won't shop around and some sucker will assume that price is universal.

So instead of getting repeat business and recommendations, they are content to nail the occasional sucker to the wall.

Ask me how I know.
 
ircphoenix said:
Because some shops take the bet that you won't shop around and some sucker will assume that price is universal.

So instead of getting repeat business and recommendations, they are content to nail the occasional sucker to the wall.

Ask me how I know.
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Well then that's just bad business practice. I can't imagine that any shop doesn't know by now the access everyone has to shop quotes around.
 
I wonder if the same communication could be available with a 430 as was accomplished with your 530?
 
comanchepilot said:
Upgraded the Comanche to 530w, GTX-330-ES and updated my Shadin microflo so it would chat with the 530.

Total cost? $6300. Included all labor, shipping, new antennas etc. The units, POH supplement - everything.

Garmin managed to lose my equipment for a couple of days, Fedex managed to screw up the delivery - so the install took a week longer than scheduled -but it was only scheduled for 15 calendar days including Thanksgiving.

Plus - I had the annual done at the same time - making it productive downtime -

I can totally recommend Velocity Avionics in Modesto CA. Not a single reservation to my recommendation. Tripp Walker owns the operation, ex-Navy avionics rating, stand up guy - was willing to cover my Southwest fare increase to offset the delay that was not his fault.

I'll say that Tripp did the upgrades for thousands of dollars less than anyone else locally here in SoCal - I got a quote for $6500 for the Stratus upgrade locally - and shops were in the $7500-10000 price point for just the Garmin upgrades because of imaginary 35 hour labor costs - its really plug and play with the existing pin outs - you need a new antenna - thats it basically. Local shops wanted another $2000 for the Microflo upgrade - which was one wire to a pin out on the 530 - again - pull out the old one - same wiring harness except for the one wire.

Again - Velocity Avionics in Modesto - a towered airport - city has Amtrak service to Oakland or Sacrament or even San Francisco Intl on BART.
Click to expand...

You had the 530w already right?
 
comanchepilot said:
Upgraded the Comanche to 530w, GTX-330-ES and updated my Shadin microflo so it would chat with the 530.

Total cost? $6300. Included all labor, shipping, new antennas etc. The units, POH supplement - everything.

Garmin managed to lose my equipment for a couple of days, Fedex managed to screw up the delivery - so the install took a week longer than scheduled -but it was only scheduled for 15 calendar days including Thanksgiving.

Plus - I had the annual done at the same time - making it productive downtime -

I can totally recommend Velocity Avionics in Modesto CA. Not a single reservation to my recommendation. Tripp Walker owns the operation, ex-Navy avionics rating, stand up guy - was willing to cover my Southwest fare increase to offset the delay that was not his fault.

I'll say that Tripp did the upgrades for thousands of dollars less than anyone else locally here in SoCal - I got a quote for $6500 for the Stratus upgrade locally - and shops were in the $7500-10000 price point for just the Garmin upgrades because of imaginary 35 hour labor costs - its really plug and play with the existing pin outs - you need a new antenna - thats it basically. Local shops wanted another $2000 for the Microflo upgrade - which was one wire to a pin out on the 530 - again - pull out the old one - same wiring harness except for the one wire.

Again - Velocity Avionics in Modesto - a towered airport - city has Amtrak service to Oakland or Sacrament or even San Francisco Intl on BART.
Click to expand...

You're still in Upland? Modesto seems less convenient than Affordable Avionics in Chino, say... but demonstrably better perhaps?

Paul
 
PaulMillner said:
You're still in Upland? Modesto seems less convenient than Affordable Avionics in Chino, say... but demonstrably better perhaps?

Paul
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Well, Affordable started at $6500 - and then warned me about cabling and other issues - wanted to change me $700 for the Microflo-L upgrade, plus labor of about $1000 to swap that out and run the wire to the 530 harness. I expected a total some where near $7500-8000 from them. It's LA still.

So instead I made an appointment with a client up north- they paid for the airfare. It ended up being $5700 for the ENTIRE upgrade - after the $500 I got from the FAA.

midcap said:
You had the 530w already right?
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No - I had a 530 that needed to be upgraded to 530w - its included in the price in the next post
 
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