New (to me) Glass panel desire.

I have been contimplating stripping out the panel of my plane and installing something new in the way of a glass panel.
So far I have been researching the GRT, MGL, Advanced, and Dynon.
I see that Advanced is a part of Dynon so is there much difference in these two?

I am new to the glass stuff so I may have a very steep learning curve. My flying is strictly VFR, fair weather in low/slow or bush type adventures. This unit will be installed in a RANS S7 (912 with Zipper kit).

There is so much info out there, is a guys head can get to spinning and then I can't remember what does what.
I think my biggest concern would be to get a user friendly system, then cost/weight. I would like it to have the typical engine and flight gauges on the screen and GPS. All these units have way more than I will possibly ever need.
Maybe I am asking too much but is there really one unit that is better than the others?

First off, everyone's opinions are going to be biased based upon their personal opinions and what they chose to buy for their aircraft. I have AFS.

there are differences between AFS and Dynon, as well as some commonalities. In my opinion, the AFS has a few more bells and whistles that mostly improve flying Single pilot IFR. I have a friend that has a Skyview in is RV and has also flown with a AFS 5500. He thought the 5500 interface was more intuitive.

with that said, it appears that any of these vendors will more than adequately meet your requirements.

other vendors may also have similar characteristics for support, but I've had the folks from AFS return emails on the weekend. I've also received personal cell numbers and was ask to call them back when I was in the plane on night and weekends. You can't ask for better service.

my order of preference is:

AFS
Dynon
GRT.
MGL

my preference is based upon functionality (IFR), business viability, and US based manufacturers.

my recommendation is to give each of these vendors a call. Let them pitch you their benefits.

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Originally Posted by WWhunter

I have been contimplating stripping out the panel of my plane and installing something new in the way of a glass panel.
So far I have been researching the GRT, MGL, Advanced, and Dynon.
I see that Advanced is a part of Dynon so is there much difference in these two?

I am new to the glass stuff so I may have a very steep learning curve. My flying is strictly VFR, fair weather in low/slow or bush type adventures. This unit will be installed in a RANS S7 (912 with Zipper kit).

There is so much info out there, is a guys head can get to spinning and then I can't remember what does what.
I think my biggest concern would be to get a user friendly system, then cost/weight. I would like it to have the typical engine and flight gauges on the screen and GPS. All these units have way more than I will possibly ever need.
Maybe I am asking too much but is there really one unit that is better than the others?

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I'm at the same spot as you (but have been considering and researching for about two years). I looked at all of the above and have decided to go with the Garmin G3X Touch system. They are pretty much the same price (although the Garmin's are a bit more expensive if you have to get someone to install because they involve more wiring). I'm coming at it from an IFR perspective though so I might have come to a different conclusion for strictly VFR. The Advanced System was my next choice. Rob Hickman did a really nice job of coming up with a single view of all of the required indicators for flight in one group which pretty much eliminates the need for a constant scan like on the old six packs. It's even better than the Garmin display indicators and frankly, I think is quite brilliant. (He moved the old HSI compass dial to overlap with the flight director component so you can see heading and rate of turn without looking down at the HSI). The reason I decided to go Garmin was I was blown away by how much progress they made between Oshkosh last year and this year. Their systems went up about 50% more capability in a year whereas there were very minor changes with Dynon and Advanced. I just get the sense that Garmin is throwing a lot more resources into this (and of course they can easily steal the higher functions from their certified units). I liked the Dynon stuff but to me for IFR, the Advanced stuff is way better.

The MGL stuff is great for just VFR and especially if you have smaller panels but not so good for IFR as it's more of a traditional six pack type display without the synthetic vision. I didn't really spend a lot of time with GRT but got a similar impression as with the MGL stuff.

I must admit that a part of me is concerned that by going Garmin, we might be driving some of the guys who made experimental EFIS out of business. I talked to the founder of Dynon at Oshkosh and his sales pitch was "buy anything but Garmin" so clearly they are worried too. I absolutely get that but when you are spending tens of thousands on a panel, you also want to buy the best you can and be sure it's around in ten or twenty years. I was also thinking that the resale value on a G3X panel would be higher than that for MGL/GRT and probably Advanced/Dynon.

If I was flying only VFR, ANY of these panels would work (in fact so does an iPad connected to a Stratus). It depends upon your mission I guess. I think Advanced might be a bit much for a VFR pilot as it has been optimized for IFR. The guys like me who have thousands of hours "get" Rob's design almost immediately... but I've seen lots of VFR pilots scratch their heads in the demo booth. If I was a VFR pilot thinking that someday I'd like to get an IFR rating and that I wasn't likely to do a lot of hard IFR, I'd definitely go with the Advanced system as it would help with the workload considerably. Rob seems to have tuned the heck out of the system.

Good luck with your decision!

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Originally Posted by bcameron

...have decided to go with the Garmin G3X Touch system. They are pretty much the same price...liked the Dynon stuff but to me for IFR, the Advanced stuff is way better...MGL stuff is great for just VFR and especially if you have smaller panels...didn't really spend a lot of time with GRT..."buy anything but Garmin"... resale value on a G3X panel would be higher than that for MGL/GRT and probably Advanced/Dynon...flying only VFR, ANY of these panels would work (in fact so does an iPad connected to a Stratus)

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Clear and well-thought-out advice. Additionally, consider comparative costs for updating databases on the different units. Potentially anywhere from free to a grand a year.

As to the iPad to a Stratus comment, check out:

http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/aviation-communities-and-interests/homebuilt-aircraft-and-homebuilt-aircraft-kits/resources-for-while-youre-building/building-articles/instruments-and-avionics/live-weather-and-traffic-for-less-than-$120

and:

http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?...hlight=stratux

because you can have moving map on VFR or IFR charts and approach plates with NEXRAD Radar, METAR/TAF/Winds Aloft, PIREPs, AIRMETs/SIGMETs, TFRs, NOTAMs, and Traffic, on a brand new 8inch screen, for about $250 complete with no subscription or database fees.

Less than $100 on a phone or tablet you already own.

Or not. Your choice.

P.S. the "stratux" that EAA referred to works fine with foreflight.

Thank you all!!! I had thought of the Garmin, since I already own several different Garmin units but the update cost are something I have taken into consideration. I guess I was/am leaning a little bit towards the Advance unit but it really is more than I probably need. Heck, my flying these last few years have been more of the local/low and slow type compared to 25-30 years ago with the long cross country flights.
The tablet idea may be all I need. I am going to look into it more and maybe use it for a bit until I can make a final decission.

I have been happy with the GRT units in my aircraft, and the lifetime free database updates. Just my 2 cents.

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Originally Posted by gbrasch

I have been happy with the GRT units in my aircraft, and the lifetime free database updates. Just my 2 cents.

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I am not a GRT owner so have no dog in that contest. Several people I know do own various GRT units and all have been very pleased with customer support. From the outside looking in, GRT support has gone far beyond what some of those folks should have expected.

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Originally Posted by WWhunter

I have been contimplating stripping out the panel of my plane and installing something new in the way of a glass panel.
So far I have been researching the GRT, MGL, Advanced, and Dynon.
I see that Advanced is a part of Dynon so is there much difference in these two?

I am new to the glass stuff so I may have a very steep learning curve. My flying is strictly VFR, fair weather in low/slow or bush type adventures. This unit will be installed in a RANS S7 (912 with Zipper kit).

There is so much info out there, is a guys head can get to spinning and then I can't remember what does what.
I think my biggest concern would be to get a user friendly system, then cost/weight. I would like it to have the typical engine and flight gauges on the screen and GPS. All these units have way more than I will possibly ever need.
Maybe I am asking too much but is there really one unit that is better than the others?

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I understand that your flying is the fun type, low and slow, with plenty of time to enjoy the the scenery and the aviating. It seems like you have been flying for quite a while and your aircraft is serving you well. I also presume that in addition to the necessary flight instrumentation required to meet the regulations, you have some engine related instruments and some communication, maybe navigation radios. I am just wondering what is it you feel is not working right in your cockpit that you would need to go with Glass. I fly commercially, I hold an ATPL, and I often fly glass. I also fly good old cockpits. I have a Long-EZ and nothing beats good old steam gauges for the pure fun of basic flying: easy to use, very simple, low cost, easy maintenance: I am a fan of steam gauges. Glass cockpits are good and offer an enormous range of features and possibilities. How many of them do you really need, at what price? My steam gauge cockpit gives me all I need.
I dont think that upgrading to glass will enhance your flying pleasure, but this is only a personal perpective. I recommend you take the time to think seriously about your reasons for going glass, not only what is the best choice of product, before you commit a lot of money to something you might regret.

Correct in all aspects!!! I am satisfied with my old steam guages except for the fact that they are old and a couple of them are in need of repair/replacement. This particular plane sat for 11+ years and that sure didn't help any.
One of my reasons for replacement is weight, along with condensing the panel a bit. Being a small panel there is not much room and right now my AvMap GPS is mounted under the panel due to lack of space. The plane was built with a full panel, as in there is no room for any additions and if I could consolidate it into one glass panel it would allow me to mount the GPS up where I could see it without having to look down beside my knee. Other than this, yes, I have been flying nearly 30 years and am happy to stay with steam guages, so maybe I am just wanting a change that I really don't need. :)

Those are a few elements that you certainly have to consider. I never even climbed into an S-7, so I dont appreciate the actual real estate limitations, must be close to a Long-EZ though. But I feel your thinking is good. Good luck finding the equipment that you will be happy with.

I must admit that I have been experimenting with a few things that might interest you. I have explored the use of an iPad-mini with ForeFlight and a Stratus ll. I have been thoroughly impressed with the results. I do not intend to change my cockpit to that, but this was a very interesting experiment. I recommend that you ask around if some pilots use this combination in your neighbourhood and try to see it in flight. At least, it will give you a perspective.