For the record, I’m not really concerned about cost. I had been on the schedule to do an $80k+ full panel, new GFC autopilot and just realized the whole thing is stupid. I fly almost exclusively from and to places to camp, hunt, and fish, and the only IFR I ever do is when caught out in smoke or through a thin layer. Simple is beautiful, lightweight, and easy, and a better fit for the plane.
Are you in Alaska? Either way, sounds fun!
@flyingcheesehead gets me. Yes, I would assume for this discussion that everything is gone from the panel. A GI275+GNX375+single Comm is along the lines of what I was thinking. Swapping the multiple GI275s for a G3X makes sense to me here, and I do wonder - do I really even need an audio panel? What’s an audio panel for, anyway, managing audio sources and volumes? The only audio I ever want to hear is Comm1, in this panel there would be no marker beacon to hear, no VOR or LOC to identify, etc. it is a 6-place plane so I think an intercom is in order, but audio panel? I dunno…
OK, glad my guess at your goal was correct.
As far as G3X vs multiple GI275s, that's definitely something worth considering. G3X+G5 gives you all the backup, engine gauges, etc and from my understanding the cost is similar to the cost of 3x GI275s though I have not quoted those setups.
It's a beat up old 206 that has lived it's entire life on a 135 in the backcountry. If you saw it, you'd understand. Resale is not really my concern. I do want to clean it up but don't really want to make decisions based on what the next buyer might think about it.
Do you use the back seats at all, or are you just hauling moose meat out of the backcountry with two seats up front? For only hearing Com1, you don't need an audio panel, but
@RussR is right that separate intercoms aren't really a thing any more.
Where I'm coming from is I put a really nice panel in the last plane I owned and never once used it to its fullest potential. I only flew probably 2-3 actual IFR flights on it, and maybe only once in actual IMC. IFR flying where I live is almost always a no-go because of very-high MEAs and icing, so it only happens in smoke or, again, when I fly to the coast and need to punch through a layer, which I do only judiciously. In the last panel, I put two VORs in it any never used either of them even once. I put a GTN650xi in and it was nice, but the real juice is on your iPad with a GPS/Data connection. The separate GTX345 was fine, but the best part of it was in providing GPS and ADS-B to my ipad, and that could be done through other means (e.g. GNX375), 2 Comms is a decent backup and might be the only "extra" worth having, but I only ever used the one partly because virtually all my flying is VFR to non-controlled fields and modern comms have been virtually 100% reliable in my experience.
In any case, for an ugly-duckling former 135 206 that has operated off rough strips its whole life now under my stewardship - for better or worse, hah! - simplicity and stripped-down functionality seems to be the name of the game, and this is what I'm hoping to achieve.
Like I said, I'm not after cheap - I did suggest that I'd probably do a G3X before I went down the same functionality across a handful of GI275s.
OK, so to refine my earlier recommendation...
It sounds like you want at least the minimum equipment for basic IFR, plus GPS, ADS-B and other modern-day basics, with a simple panel layout being the main goal, not necessarily low cost, and you've got a six-seat 206.
My earlier recommendation was:
GI275 AI
GI275 HSI (and backup AI)
GI275 EIS
GNX 375 GPS + ADS-B Transponder
GTR205 Com radio with built-in intercom (or better yet, a GNC215 so you have ground based Nav in case of GPS outage/jamming).
I would add to that two things, because I agree with
@RussR and
@chemgeek that you should have 6-place intercom capability and a second radio for IFR, so add the following to the above:
PS Engineering PAR200B with 6-place expansion - This is a 6 place audio panel and com radio with 3D audio and bluetooth. It's cheaper than Garmin, and PS Engineering makes really good stuff.
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Option 2 - Because the above doesn't look quite so simple, it's possible to spend a little more money and get more capability *and* get a slightly simpler/cleaner panel layout IMO. That would look like this:
Single 10" G3X Touch display with EIS
G5 backup AI
GNC355 GPS/Com
GTR205/GNC215 #2 Com or Nav/Com radio
The above would be the only things visible in the panel, and we'd add a GTX345R transponder and GMA245R audio panel, both of which would be remotely mounted and controlled via the G3X Touch. If you can find a GTR20 remote com radio, you could even eliminate one of the radios above.
Note that the PAR200B could also be used here instead of the remote audio panel and GTR205 but you'd have no ground nav capability.
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In both cases, especially Option 2, I don't see any issue with resale value because if
@AA5Bman decides to sell in the short to medium term, the buyer will probably be happy just adding a GFC500 and running with everything else that's already there.
I was going for the "less on the panel" version.