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Flying N22900

Avionics Upgrades

Nobody tells you how challenging it'll be to decide how you want to upgrade the avionics in your aircraft. Here's the different approaches I have considered.

Current Panel Limitations

Initial Panel

The panel is relatively capable in N22900 and sports no inoperative equipment. It does however leave a few things to be desired.

COMS:

  • Only a single COM
  • Only 5W XMIT
  • Complaints on frequency of quiet com
  • No Standby Monitoring
  • No Frequency Lookup

Navigation:

  • No instrument capabilities
  • GPSMAP 396 feels dated and has UI that takes a while to get proficient with.

Engine Instrumentation:

  • No Fuel Flow sensor / Fuel Computer
  • No CHT monitoring
  • Only EGT monitoring on a single cylinder.
  • No flight data logging

Goals

  1. Upgrade COMs: Single COM, Standby Frequency Monitoring, 10W XMIT
  2. Improve VFR Navigation capabilities, add full time dedicated ADSB display.
  3. Upgrade Engine Instrumentations: FFLOW, CHT, EGT
  4. Equip for light instrument training

Avionics Upgrade Phase 1 - VFR Delight

Phase 1 Panel

As a Garmin Employee, I can get some lucrative deals on avionics. You’ll notice that most of these upgrade paths include Garmin avionics.

So the first upgrade path includes installing the following equipment:

I already own a GDL50, so that’s a free part of the installation. I would hard wire the GDL50 to ship power, and to the Aera 660. The Aera 660 would function as my maps, navigation, EFB, and traffic display. I would also connect the Aera 660 to the GTR225. This would allow me to remotely push frequencies to the GTRs standby, simply by tapping the frequency on the Aera 660. The Aera 660 would also act as the GPS source for the GTR allowing it to label what the frequency is for.

Avionics Upgrade Phase 2 - Engine Master

Phase 2 Panel After reading “Engines” by Mike Busch (great book BTW, I’ll probably write a post dedicated to it), I feel inspired to become more in tune with my engine. As an owner, the focus of my flying has shifted from what it takes to operate the engine safely during my flight to what it takes to operate my engine safely for TBO and beyond.

My options here get a little more complicated. I’m really just interested in equipping FFflow, EGT, and CHT. But purchasing all of that instrumentation individually really doesn’t make much sense. Stepping up to a full engine monitor seems like the logical decision, but that also greatly jumps up the cost of phase 2.

One minor option for me would be to purchase and install an EDM730. This instrument isn’t a certified primary instrument so it cannot replace any of my old gauges in the cockpit, however the EGT/CHT/FFlow that I’m interested in monitoring are all considered secondary anyways.

If I didn’t have a Garmin discount to consider I would pick the JPI EDM730, but with the discount I can upgrade to a certified primary engine monitor at a similar price point. I’m guessing this is likely how phase 2 will work out.

Avionics Upgrade Phase 3 - Instrument Trainer

Phase 3 Panel

I’ll post updates here as I develop the phase 2 and phase 3 plans further. The current proposal is to do a full vacuum system deletion, replace my DG and artificial heading indicators with G5 HSI and G5 AI instruments. For a certified navigator, I would replace the existing KT76a transponder, separate altitude encoder, and uAvionix tail beacon with a Garmin GNX 375.