New Avionics package Input?

38bat

New Member
For purchase of New LSA, what do you think of the following package?

Garmin SL40 Com
Garmin GTX330 Transponder
Garmin 696 w/airgizmo dock
Dynon D100 Super Bright
Dynon D120 Super Bright
Dynon Two axis autopilot

Any input appreciated, plane is ordered but I can change avionics if need be. Thanks!!
 
For purchase of New LSA, what do you think of the following package?

Garmin SL40 Com
Garmin GTX330 Transponder
Garmin 696 w/airgizmo dock
Dynon D100 Super Bright
Dynon D120 Super Bright
Dynon Two axis autopilot

Any input appreciated, plane is ordered but I can change avionics if need be. Thanks!!

Whats the autopilot for? Why is it needed? I'm not trying to be funny. I'm just curious.
 
Autopilot for....... well a couple of things really. First off, I am a dealer for this particular LSA so I want a Demo that is loaded. The plane is going to be my demo/trainer for a year and then the new owner plans to travel a bunch. An autopilot is really nice when you are travelling long distance. Plane carries over 7 hours of fuel so it is nice to have a break. Also, the owner is older and travels alone sometimes. I think it is a good idea for him to have the option of letting the autopilot take over for a minute if he needs to figure something out. Finally, when you are spending that much on a new plane the autopilot is really cheap as a percentage of cost. It will work nicely with the 696.
 
I gotcha. With it being a demo plane, it's probably best that it has all of the bells and whistles.:)
 
Flight Design CT? I have about 50 hours in a CTLS. It has a 496, the two Dynon displays and the autopilot. The autopilot works well as long as you can get it to talk to the GPS. It did, but it would loose the signal to the GPS occasionally and default to heading mode. They could never find out why it did that. I didn't really like how the autopilot handled turbulence either, but most of them are like that. Overall, I liked the Dynon system. All of the system information is easily displayed and the menus are very easy to navigate. I believe you could get the transponder (if it's the Mode-S Garmin transponder) to display traffic on the GPS and supposedly it was set up on the plane I flew, but I never once saw any traffic on it.

Yeah, an autopilot on a LSA is pretty useless...if you're a Sport Pilot. I took the CTLS on a lot of cross countries (sometimes 2+ hours) and the autopilot made it much easier/enjoyable.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
Nope, not the CTS.... The Paradise P-1. Really an awesome airplane and not a plastic toy. Murdoughnut I would be glad to give you a demo ride next time I am through Tampa(Factory is in Sebring), you will change your mind about Light Sport! If you are curious, company website is paradiseaircraft.us
 
For purchase of New LSA, what do you think of the following package?

Garmin SL40 Com
Garmin GTX330 Transponder
Garmin 696 w/airgizmo dock
Dynon D100 Super Bright
Dynon D120 Super Bright
Dynon Two axis autopilot

Any input appreciated, plane is ordered but I can change avionics if need be. Thanks!!

I instruct in a similarly equipped LSA .
Garmin SL30 Nav/Com
Garmin gtx 330
Garmin 496
D100
D120
trutrak auto pilot

The Dynons are very hard for me to see in the bright sunlight, but the one I fly does not have the "super Bright" option.

I really like getting the TIS with the 330 and the 496.

Why not substitute the SL30 for the SL40 and get VOR/LOC and GS. It will display on the Dynon.

I don't like the autopilot.
 
I instruct in a similarly equipped LSA .
Garmin SL30 Nav/Com
Garmin gtx 330
Garmin 496
D100
D120
trutrak auto pilot

The Dynons are very hard for me to see in the bright sunlight, but the one I fly does not have the "super Bright" option.
The super bright is supposed to take care of that

I really like getting the TIS with the 330 and the 496.
How does the TIS work? I am actually thinking of going with the 327 and the Zaon. Reason being that I was told the 330 is a ground based system and they have closed a couple of bases(Tallahassee being one of them) so the Zaon is a better solution??

Why not substitute the SL30 for the SL40 and get VOR/LOC and GS. It will display on the Dynon.

Hadn't considered that but good idea.

I don't like the autopilot.
Why not?
 
I've flown a similarly equipped Remos. Sans the autopilot and a 396 rather than a 696, and it was the same. One issue that I seemed to have was with the SL40. Coming out of the airport (in class C airspace) Tampa Approach basically said we were unreadable. Tried everything, swapped where the headset was plugged in, headsets, etc... I seem to have issues with that radio from time to time, as the DA-20 I flew had one, and it seemed to have range issues. I'd rather see a 430 than the 696. It'll give you a Comm/Nav and GPS, for not much more money than the 696.
 
I have a 175hrs behind dynons. Mine do not have the bright screen option and have had no problem seeing the screens in bright sunlight.
 
Dynon must have cut a sweet deal with all the LSA companies. There are much better displays out there IMHO, Tru Tracks comes to mind, as well as Advanced systems and Grand Rapids. Just never like the Dynon much.
 

You're right about TIS. It is ground based and it is going away.
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/air_traffic/tis.html

AIM 4-5-6 TIS
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/AIM/Chap4/aim0405.html

The Zaon system is passive, like the Ryan Tcad sytem. It relies on ground radar and other TCAS equipped aircraft to interrogate other aircraft transponders. It receives signals directly from other aircraft though, not from a mode S data link from a radar site.

TCAS and TAS actively interrogate other aircraft transponders.

I don't like the autopilot because it seems to have ever increasing oscillations when it tries to hold altitude until I have to disconnect it.

That is for the TruTrak. I hear the dynon is better.
 
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