Toys From OshKosh

OtisAir

OtisAir

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OtisAir
Who bought toys at OshKosh? Let's hear about 'em!

I had my wallet out twice to buy either the ATC or AV8TOR GPS but none of the vendors (that I visited) knew a great deal about them. I realize they are new, but I had hoped to hear more on the aviation capabilities. I know they "can" provided WX with upgrades and the purchase of additional components, but does either unit do anything more (AVIATION WISE) than, let's say a Garmnin 295 or higher? I kept being told, "You can put this right in your car", and that's nice, but I already have one "right in my car".

Who got what?:goofy:
 
I bought nothing, and it was hard to show restraint, but it seemed everything there was over a grand, so I couldn't justify it. Those aspen avionics panels looked real nice though, REAL nice.
 
I bought a second Lightspeed Zulu for the airplane (needed to upgrade the passenger seat from a DC10-20, and the roommate liked the Zulu better than the Bose X), and a year's update subscription for the GNS430W complete with free Skybound G2 update dongle.
 
OtisAir said:
Who bought toys at OshKosh? Let's hear about 'em! Who got what?:goofy:
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Toys? Did someone mention toys?

:cheerswine:

Two pair of Lightspeed Zulus topped off our airplane toys for the year. We've been Lightspeed fans since the dark days of the early 15s and 15XLs (that broke if you looked at 'em funny), have bought enough of them for friends and family over the years to pay for a nice boat, and have come to know and admire Alan Schrader, the prez of Lightspeed. I looked him up early in the show (as always, he was busting his butt working all day at one of his vendor's booths -- this year it was Aircraft Spruce), and he advised me to "see me at the end of the show" and he'd work out a trade-up deal for us.

True to his word, we hooked up on Saturday morning, and he sold us two Zulus for $900, plus our two Twenty 3Gs in trade. Basically a half-price deal for two of the best new ANR headsets on the market.

And, wow, are they awesome. No ANR headsets work properly in the high-noise environment of the Ercoupe, but my son reported that the Zulus worked perfectly during his 2.5 hour flight home. (THAT is going to make a huge difference in that plane. I love flying the little 'Coupe, but the noise-induced headache after each flight was getting old...)

In our Pathfinder, the change was equally stunning. Mary and I were able to swap headsets in-flight, going from Zulu to Twenty 3G (and back) several times, and the difference was night and day. And this was from a headset that I was formerly ecstatic wearing -- so you KNOW the difference is stunning.

The comfort of the new headset is remarkable, the sound quality is stellar (it makes our XM radio and CD player music sound every bit as good as our home stereo) and the bluetooth connection to my cell phone is really slick. The "Front Center" setting button makes the music sound like it's coming from right between your ears, which is an interesting effect, and the battery box/volume controls seem to be an improved design.

Otherwise, our shopping consisted of a whole bunch of artwork and memorabilia for the hotel. If you're ever on the hunt for aeronautical decor and oddities, Oshkosh (and the Fly Market) is *the* place to find it, and we've obtained tons of it there over the last six years. We loaded a friends van full of "stuff" mid-week, since we couldn't possibly haul it all home, even in two airplanes!

We looked at the Aspen "mini-glass cockpit", but decided that it was still beyond what we could afford (or what we really need, for our kind of flying) -- but it sure is cool. If I had ten grand burning a hole in my pocket, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

We also looked at some of the "plug-in" glass artificial horizons, but none of them are certified for use in a certificated aircraft, yet. The prices are right, though, and dropping -- and getting away from the old vacuum pump system would sure be nice.

Otherwise, we didn't see any earth-shaking new product roll-outs at OSH this year. Changes at our level of aviation have become evolutionary, rather than revolutionary -- which is good for prices, IMHO.
 
Man, I think I lucked out given what other people are buying. I bought the Smith & Wesson flashlight from Sportys (why no show discount??), an instrument plotter, and a few charts. Oh, and a helicopter ride for my daughter and me. :heli:

(The ride was on Friday afternoon right when the weather front came in. While we were in the air, the DC-3 Duggy and Sean Tucker in his Pitts had just taken off for the pending airshow.)

I tried on the Zulus, and I know that will be my next purchase. The problem is I'm burning through the equivalent of a Zulu every three to four weeks because of my current 2x/week instrument training, and I couldn't quite get there. But I think that will be my reward for getting my instrument ticket in the fall.
 
nddons said:
I tried on the Zulus, and I know that will be my next purchase. The problem is I'm burning through the equivalent of a Zulu every three to four weeks because of my current 2x/week instrument training, and I couldn't quite get there. But I think that will be my reward for getting my instrument ticket in the fall.
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Stan I know oyu said that you are also a DC man as I. I have the DC13XLs and the Zulus. I am still going back and forth between them. The Zulus sometimes are not as comfy as the DCs. The Zulus do have the bluetooth which I need on certain flights. I would say don't be in such a rush to get the Zulus if oyu like your DCs, it may not be all the great of an upgrade.
 
I am proud to say this was my most expensive Oshkosh yet:confused:! I broke down and bought a 496, after using a Lowrance 1000 for the past year and a half, I decided to go smaller. I really liked the size of the 1000, but it was heavy. And I wanted XM weather. They did give a $100 rebate for the Garmin and Sarasota gave me an OK trade-in, plus they shipped it for $5.00. Other than that, I bought some tools, which I may or may not need or use, but they looked cool!:)

Oh, and I had a blast!
 
Capjac said:
I am proud to say this was my most expensive Oshkosh yet:confused:! I broke down and bought a 496, after using a Lowrance 1000 for the past year and a half, I decided to go smaller. I really liked the size of the 1000, but it was heavy. And I wanted XM weather. They did give a $100 rebate for the Garmin and Sarasota gave me an OK trade-in, plus they shipped it for $5.00. Other than that, I bought some tools, which I may or may not need or use, but they looked cool!:)

Oh, and I had a blast!
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Which WX service are you going to go with and why?

I keep toying with the idea of getting a 496 but I keep having a hard time justifying it. I looked at the Av lite WX and it would meet my needs but I am still not keen on the $30/mo for something I may only use a few times a year.
 
smigaldi said:
Stan I know oyu said that you are also a DC man as I. I have the DC13XLs and the Zulus. I am still going back and forth between them. The Zulus sometimes are not as comfy as the DCs. The Zulus do have the bluetooth which I need on certain flights. I would say don't be in such a rush to get the Zulus if oyu like your DCs, it may not be all the great of an upgrade.
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What is not as comfy about the Zulus, Scott? I read in Aviation Consumer that the clamping force is a little higher than the Bose, but to me it felt better than my DCs. I think I have the 13X instead of the 13XL.

I will give the DC folks a lot of credit in the customer service area. I think I'm having a little problem with my ANR box. I went to the DC booth at AirVenture and told the guy, and he handed me a new ANR module for free. Unfortunately, mine is hard wired, not modular, so he said that I would have to send it in, but said that when I did they would just make it modular for me in the event I get into a hard-wired intercom system in a plane, and to give me a coiled cord instead of the seemingly 45 foot long cord that comes off of the ANR module.

Unfortunately my backup headset (passive noise reduction for my infrequent pax) is in storage (I'm building a house) and I don't want to send these in just yet so I don't interrupt my IR training.
 
nddons said:
What is not as comfy about the Zulus, Scott? I read in Aviation Consumer that the clamping force is a little higher than the Bose, but to me it felt better than my DCs. I think I have the 13X instead of the 13XL.
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The only difference between the X's and the XL's is the connector on the batter box.

I find that on long flight that my ears will rub on the inside of the Zulus where the DC have a little bit more room. Now I do not have Will Smith Ears but apparently the fit on the Zulus is such that I have a small problem. This usually does not bug me to about 3 or 4 hour mark. So it is something I can live with. The other thing is when I turn my head to the right with the Zulus I do get a seal leak in the left ear. That does not happen with the DCs. Both of these are very minor issues, but it just enough that I cannot part with the DCs that I so love.
 
I've asked a couple of times and I don't think I have received a clear answer - I have the Lightspeed 30-3G's so what would I gain by trading up to Zulu's? Is it just weight? I would have no need for the bluetooth or music add on's.
 
smigaldi said:
Which WX service are you going to go with and why?

I keep toying with the idea of getting a 496 but I keep having a hard time justifying it. I looked at the Av lite WX and it would meet my needs but I am still not keen on the $30/mo for something I may only use a few times a year.
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I am probably going to start out with the Aviator Light, as I have heard you can upgrade/downgrade somewhat monthly, although they do not advertise that. They did have a pretty good deal going for the first year of Aviator, could have got it for about $32/mo as they waived the $75 activation fee.

My main goal is to use it to stay out of, and well away from, our pop up storms. Although I would like the winds aloft, it is not too much of a problem to check these in preflight and adjust altitude accordingly once airborne. The salesman did make a good point, using the winds aloft to find favorable tailwinds on a X-C could possibly save the money spent on the higher priced versions in fuel.

Anyway, it will be fun to have a new toy on the yoke. Should have it this week.

Tim
 
THREE John Deere caps (1 free) and one $18 AirVenture 2008 cap (mistake!) and one more Santa in a plane Christmas ornament and I gave in and picked up a mahogany Cherokee direct from Viet Nam for $25.
 
barry, the zulu has a much lower profile. no big huge earmuffs or thick headband. i dont know how the noise cancelling directly compares. i plan to upgrade.
 
bstratt said:
I've asked a couple of times and I don't think I have received a clear answer - I have the Lightspeed 30-3G's so what would I gain by trading up to Zulu's? Is it just weight? I would have no need for the bluetooth or music add on's.
Click to expand...

The Zules seem much more durable that the older 'mickey mouse' style LS's. The Zulus are metal instead of plastic with metal fittings. The earpads are not glued on like the 3G's.

The Bluetooth is really cool for getting you IFR clearance at fields where you have to use your cellphone to call ATC. You will hear in the phone much better and since you are using the noise cancelling mic on the headset ATC will hear you beter too.
 
I upgraded my thirty-3Gs to Zulu (or at least put myself on the list).

Barry, Jay's comments above seem to indicate a qualitative sound improvement between the two models. Not to mention, less clamping force, a lower headband (which is good in planes without a lot of headroom), and a smaller size and weight, which is good when they're in the flight bag.
 
The best buy I made at Osh was a plastic "Kool Scoop" for the pilot side vent window of my Cherokee. I should've bought one of those years ago. Makes a huge difference in cabin ventilation on hot days.
 
Neal Howard said:
The best buy I made at Osh was a plastic "Kool Scoop" for the pilot side vent window of my Cherokee. I should've bought one of those years ago. Makes a huge difference in cabin ventilation on hot days.
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I have one in my plane, great addition. Just do not take off with it deployed, you may end up with a larger amount of ventilation than originally planned.
 
steingar said:
I bought a couple shirts...
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Oh yea, I forgot those. Cessna had some quality Cutter and Buck shirts for $30 on Friday. Got two.

And free John Deere and PilotMag baseball caps! woo hoo.

Now I wonder when the EAA will notify me that I won the SR-20. :dunno:B)
 
I bought an ICOM IC A14 replacement for my trusty A-23 (which has been run over, dropped, and generally mistreated over the years) from the cute vendor at the seaplane base. No VOR function, but it does receive navaid frequencies for duplex voice. And it's much lighter and easier to read.

I also bought a Merlin Power shirt that's pretty unique and got free Glacier Girl and Yak-9 tee shirts and a Rousch Racing cap for helping them on the field during the week.

Fun stuff.
 
Capjac said:
Other than that, I bought some tools, which I may or may not need or use, but they looked cool!:)
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Tools? Did someone say tools?

I found the niftiest screw driver on the field, in one of the big hangars. Remember those multi-color pens with, like, 9 different pens that could be deployed by pushing down a color-coded slider?

Well, some genius has invented a screwdriver that deploys a different bit every time you press down the color-coded slider! No more lost bits, cuz they're permanently attached to the driver! It's got everything from Phillips and flat head, to Torx and Allen heads...

Dunno about durability -- I suspect it wouldn't stand up to too much torque -- but for keeping in the plane it replaces half a dozen different screwdrivers, and cost about $15 bucks. (I would've bought two, or three, but I got the last one on the rack...)
 
Capjac said:
I am probably going to start out with the Aviator Light, as I have heard you can upgrade/downgrade somewhat monthly, although they do not advertise that.
Click to expand...

We use the full-blown "Aviator" package in the XC-flying season (basically April - November) and then switch to the cheaper "Aviator Light" package for the winter months. (We still fly a lot in the winter, but rarely attempt x-country flights, which is where XM weather really shines.)

BTW: If you've got room in the panel, check out having your 496 panel-docked. We did that with ours after OSH 2006, and absolutely love having it off the yoke and up high where we can better see that itty-bitty screen.
 
Well, I had a ten year old with me:


futurememories_2013_241262099%29



I didn't realize how much battery life these babies have. Is divorce still expensive?

Tom
 
Jay Honeck said:
BTW: If you've got room in the panel, check out having your 496 panel-docked. We did that with ours after OSH 2006, and absolutely love having it off the yoke and up high where we can better see that itty-bitty screen.
Click to expand...

I have been looking at that. I have two MX-300's, a DME and an audio panel, thinking about selling the DME (after repair) which would give room for the dock. Wife says I have to slow down on my daydreams though, so I am going to silently figure out a way to make it work:D
 
I took the plunge and bought a Bendix/King AV8TOR and XM weather receiver. Worked great in the car on the trip back - hoping to try it out in the plane next Monday.
 
nddons said:
What is not as comfy about the Zulus, Scott? I read in Aviation Consumer that the clamping force is a little higher than the Bose, but to me it felt better than my DCs. I think I have the 13X instead of the 13XL.

I will give the DC folks a lot of credit in the customer service area. I think I'm having a little problem with my ANR box. I went to the DC booth at AirVenture and told the guy, and he handed me a new ANR module for free. Unfortunately, mine is hard wired, not modular, so he said that I would have to send it in, but said that when I did they would just make it modular for me in the event I get into a hard-wired intercom system in a plane, and to give me a coiled cord instead of the seemingly 45 foot long cord that comes off of the ANR module.

Unfortunately my backup headset (passive noise reduction for my infrequent pax) is in storage (I'm building a house) and I don't want to send these in just yet so I don't interrupt my IR training.
Click to expand...

The one and only gripe I have with the Zulu (and all the other LS models) is that the clamping force is dependent on the size of the head they're placed on. Bose got that part right with a spring that applies nearly constant tension over a wide range of head sizes. So if you have a relatively small head the force will seem light and if you're a fathead it will clamp too tight. On the plus side the Zulu has way more passive attenuation for when the battery dies and I've found the bluetooth interface to be a lot handier than I expected .
 
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