Had to pick between a used Garmin G1000 and a brand new Dynon SkyView

I was rewiring a 1978 Piper Archer in Tulsa and had to choose between a used Garmin G1000 from a salvage yard or a new Dynon SkyView HDX. Went with the Dynon because the guy selling the Garmin couldn't prove it only had 200 hours on it. Installation went smooth until I realized I needed a $90 adapter plate to fit the panel.

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron8962mo ago

Dang, that adapter plate story hits close to home. I spent a whole weekend once trying to install a used Bendix/King radio in my old Cessna 172 and ended up having to file down the edges of the bracket with a dremel because the previous owner had swapped out the original mounting hardware. Ended up costing me more in time and beer than just buying the right part upfront. Sometimes the simple stuff is what really gets you.

troy_wilson82mo ago

Been there with the dremel, but here's a tip that saved me next time: grab a digital caliper first and measure the exact hole spacing before you commit. I got burned by a similar used KX 155 install where the mounting tray had the tabs bent at slightly different angles from years of abuse. Took me three trips to the hardware store and a part I had to order online. Now I always take a few reference photos of the original hardware before I touch anything, saves a ton of hassle.

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gavincampbell19d ago

I get your point, but is it really that serious? You're talking about a couple of trips to the hardware store and maybe filing a bracket down with a Dremel. People act like that's some huge tragedy. I've put together whole subpanels with nothing but a file and a drill and some patience. A weekend and some beer sounds like a pretty normal Saturday to me, not some huge ordeal. Yeah sure, the right part would save time, but half the fun of working on an old plane is making things fit with a little elbow grease. You guys are making it sound like you almost had to land in a field or something.