Avionics feedback wanted ASAP

[n86121]

Fellow Skymasterists, lend me your ear,

I have finally decided to bite the bullet and am about to have installed a full Avidyne suite.
It is going in as we speak.
Er, ah I mean, as I write.

Recall, my 337 is a 1969 cream-puff Turbo RSTOL 337.
Low times on everything, newish paint and interior, etc.
Aka SEXY

Flying commercially has become even LESS appealing than before.
To Dubai business class, sure.
Doing those meetings on Zoom has become more accepted, more and more.
So why take commercial within reasonable* 337 range....why?

*What IS reasonable 337 passenger leg/comfort range for non-pilot passengers?)

I assume you ALL have opinions, and I'd like to hear them.

===

See photos

From edge of glareshield down, the current plan is

1. Audio panel 240
Just below glareshield
Matches everything else.
It's special trick is to playback last radio call.
Also bluetooth integration w headsets, cellphones, etc.
So that's my music/podcast foreflight audio input.
Also a nice clean pilot/passsenger isolate human I/O.

2. 550 IFD - Large screen GPS / NAV/COM / AHARS / TAWS/ Synthetic vision
Makes navigation and synthetic vision brain dead simple

3. IFD 440 - Small screen GPS/NAV/COM/TAWS
In case 550 above goes dark
When integrated becomes input system for 550

4. Skytrax 200 Mode S Transponder
Mode S extended squitter output
Dual mode 978 and 1090 ads b in
Integrates with TAS

5. TAS 620
Just needs to be fixed, already installed
Integrates with rest of stack
Catches superset of anything with a transponder - without ADS ground station

6. GDL62 XM for WEATHER only
I just much prefer xm weather over ADSB
My wife and I like to fly low to enjoy scenery,
and/or places I routinely lose ground-based ADSB coverage
And I never like to listen to radio programming.
Better to download and play WHEN I want.

=======

Up until now I have had a wonderful non-cert Helm X650 running Truemap w XM.
All three of which are end of life, or intermittent, and non-supportable,
Aka KAPUTski.
So, there ya go.
I 'gotta do something.

I told my wife I was buying this all for HER.
If I develop a brain tumor and she needs to dump the airplane, this will help sell it fast.

I'm not sure she bought it.

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QUESTION 1:

Any reason why NOT to put audio panel BELOW both GPS/MAPS?
Instead of on top?

The avionics stack USUALLY has audio panel on top. Why?
That is just the custom, as far as I can see.
But I don't see using it that much, so better to move it down?

I PREFER a moving map RIGHT UP under the glareshield
Same reason you do so in a car: The map becomes part of your outside scan.
Not eyes down and in to find it.

QUESTION 2:

Should I upgrade small 440 GPS/COM for a second 540 large screen (below the 550?)

I can imagine the AHARS and synthetic on 550 all the time,
and using the 440 as a 2d or following mode below

Keep in mind the IFD series turns an ipad mini into an extra full screen,
that integrates real time with the stack. Nice.

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DISCUSSION WHY

A. Avidyne talks to every other app and device

I have always felt Garmin to be the GPS mafia.
Their products do not talk to others (except foreflight, reluctantly)
Garmin subscriptions are much higher

Early on, I recall, an expired subscription would make your data go offline on your panel device. Pay us OR ELSE.

Everything is an add on cost
They seem to want to make everyone buy new boxes every few years
Avidyne seems to update software and features instead.

B. Avidyne user I/O seems simpler and more intuitive / clean sheet / integrated
Garmin seems to be more like different windows dev groups / apps strung together.

When I did a BFR using a Garmin 530, the user I/O was terrible.
I can forgive anyone having to deal with FAA, but c'mon.

C. Avidyne includes built-in wifi/blue tooth
So it talks to IPADS and my wife can play podcasts / lectures or music.

D. I MUCH prefer the broader coverage of XM over ADSB
$40/mo won'tchange the way I live, for much better coverage

E. Replacing KI109 CDI with KI106A - mechanical
Was $1k less than the elecronic KI106B (its lines disdappear when not in use
Was told the 106B needle movements were in sterps/jerky in comparison

F. My avionics bay is a bowl of spaghetti
By removing EVERYTHING and starting over,
it shall all hang together, or surely we all hang apart./

G. Going with ONE manufacturer assures current and future compatibility

H. The L3 Lynch 2500 I spent $5k installed just a few years back already no longer supported. A good friend made me an offer on the new L3 transponder device, but L3 is a BIG defense company doing other things, and couild drop the line without batting an eyelash. The fact that my last L3 product no longer supported..... PASS. Also, my TAS 620 already installed and integrates with the Avidyne stack, and already interrogates, so why redo it all?

I. I had my Navomatic 400 autopilot gone through this year.
This stack will provide GPSS steering, but we don't think vertical guidance.
Given how little I have used the autopilot in the past 25 years, that's no big deal.

J. The arguments AGAINST a second large screen are
The money could go toward some fancy MFD or engine monitoring system
The large screen 550 I can see using in AHARS on takeoff and landing, and 2D enroute.
So a second large 2D screen not so important.
Also, the IFD 100 wifi app on a Ipad mini is also going to sing with the suite

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Okay, let's roll!

[CRDedrickson]

3hrs for women, 4 for men (assumes they used the rest room before departure).

I think you are right on target about Avidyne v Garmin.

I did similar upgrade, but adopted the L3 NGT9000 as a lot of avionics guys recommended it. I like that it has it's own screen too!

IFD 100 is awesome and probably does make the 440 more reasonable. I just added the 550, with plans to find a 540 to put below it where the Garmin 530w resides now. (its pre-wired to mesh with the 550.

I put the audio panel on top and like it there. I haven't used half the features as I had a heck of a time getting good training with the IFDs and two Aspen panels...

The Avidyne simulator is really good, and I used the Bauer book provided with the 550 purchase to go thru a lot of scenarios.

Russ
N8CV 1973 T337G Pressurized