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Want to educate myself about Garmin Avionics

RV-Ogler

Active Member
I don’t know much besides I want a G3X or two, 750xi, and auto pilot etc… is there a “Garmin for dummies” webinar or something to get me started?
 
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I remember being totally in the dark on all the confusing names and acronyms. But slowly I learned all the lingo and eventually wired my own all Garmin panel.

Unfortunately, as far as I know, there's no primer for getting started.

I could start listing off what all the terms mean but that would be a long list.

BUT just to get you started the G3X is a EFIS and the 750xi is a navigation radio/GPS...so you would have one of each, not one or the other.

EDIT: Just noticed this thread. If at all interested in doing your own wiring...go to this course.
 
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I don’t know much besides I want…..?

Seriously, you’re talking about a lot of money. If you don’t know much then you really don’t know what you want, either. Take some time (hours, not minutes) to educate yourself. There are several fine choices for each avionics item. You owe it to yourself to figure out what you to buy because you’ve made an educated decision, beyond just ‘,,,I want..’.
 
Its all about the mission

I don’t know much besides I want a G3X or two, 750xi, and auto pilot etc… is there a “Garmin for dummies” webinar or something to get me started?

The most important step is to figure out the mission - how are you going to use the airplane and what do you want it to do. VFR daytime only for local fun flying through to nightime IFR cross country. Will it be glass displays with standby steam gages or all glass with dual battery/electrical generation or something in between. There are a wide range of choices, capabilities, prices, architectures and panel layouts. The higher the level of system functionality needed as you go towards all weather IFR the more important redundancy and system availability become and the greater necessity to do the homework and compare possible options. The selection of avionics and panel layout and design is something that can be started at any point in the airframe build process - better sooner rather than later. If you ask 10 RV builders you are likely to get 20 answers - but it is a starting point.

KT
 
I don’t know much besides I want a G3X or two, 750xi, and auto pilot etc… is there a “Garmin for dummies” webinar or something to get me started?

I would second the notion of figuring out your mission first. Avionics can cost as much as the airframe by the time you're done, and so much of it is completely superfluous for day VFR flying.

I'd also suggest considering your future with this airplane. If you're going to be a day VFR guy for a few years but will eventually get an instrument rating, for example, you can equip for the flying you're doing now while still being set for future expansion. My Rv-6 is like this; it's a single screen G3X with a G5 standby and an iPad dock for the right seat. The center stack is pre-set for a GTN navigator ($$$) when the time is right. I don't have sat-based IFR capability currently but can add it fairly easily.

Having said that, if you're interested in learning more about Garmin's offerings for the E-AB owner, their web site has some decent descriptions of the system, it's capabilities and components.

You might want to check with SteinAir, Pacific Coast, and others that build these panels for the Rv community, as they'll have some invaluable insights and could probably give you a better feel for the cost as well.

I fly a G650 and G600 for my day job, and even the guys I fly with at work are impressed by some of the capability (and ever lower cost, although I suppose that's relative...) of this technology.

--Ron
 
The most important step is to figure out the mission -

The next most important step IMHO is to figure out what your mission is going to be in 2+ years. Doing a panel is hard....RE-doing a panel is even harder. If it was me, I would certainly be looking at designing a panel with upgradeability in mind...either how I might be replacing existing instruments/avionics as they become obsolete/outmoded, or adding new avionics to meet new mission parameters as your flying experience evolves. Also, resale value, if it ever comes to that, will be significantly enhanced if the new buyer isn't faced with starting a whole new panel in order for the plane to meet his/her mission. In that regard, if it was me, I'd be looking hard at a Advanced Panel from Advanced Flight. Really brilliant concept IMHO. It doesn't take much time on your back under the panel to realize the value of the plug-and-play concept.

The big panel builders that I know of are Advanced Flight, SteinAir, or Aerotronics. Any of those guys will be happy to chat and give you some ideas.

https://www.advancedflightsystems.com/advanced-panels.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tNAdWJWIvY
 
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I am IFR rated, but to be honest with myself my RV-14 is going to be a fun flying sport plane for occasional cross country trips. It’s not going to be an airliner. My mission is therefore day and night VFR.

My goal is to keep it as light an simple as possible. Keep the building costs down and get the airplane finished and into the air.

The only extra I’m considering is a smoke system to make myself easier to see when the occasion calls for it.
 
Informed decisions

Selecting, installing,troubleshooting, programing and maintaining a modern suite of all glass electronic instruments is one of the more complicated and expensive tasks for the average homebuilder since there is no standard template to work from. There are a number of well represented avionic system equipment manufacturers to choose from for the experimental market. The quality of the hardware, software, functionality, documentation, support, upgradability and cost are quite varied. When considering cost one has to include the monthly or annual fees for databases, tech support, out of warranty repair, etc. Those suppliers that also produce TSO’d equipment are more likely to support the design and construction of their products with software that meets DO 178 and electronic hardware that meets DO254 standards and documentation that meets industry standards. For a day/night VFR aircraft you have a lot of viable choices other than Garmin.
Other areas to take a good look at are switches and circuit breakers. I would recommend taking a look at the NKK switch - particularly the S series. There are TE manufactured circuit breakers (approved by Cessna) from their industrial range of products that are reasonably priced and very acceptable. In my view there is no good reason to install an electronic circuit breaker system in a single engine aircraft - based on functionality and cost considerations alone, before considering, integrity and reliability. Of course if you just want to throw money at the problem………………………..

KT
 
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