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- Jan 25, 2013
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I've been kicking around the idea of upgrading my 430W, and bit the bullet today.
Q: What new shiny box did I get?
A: One that's older than what I have already.
I have 9.2 inches, give or take an 8th, to play with in my radio stack. I have a KT74 transponder already, and a GNS430W besides the other typicals like audio panel, autopilot head unit, secondary comm, etc.
There was an IFD540 out of a geared up airplane on Barnstormers yesterday for 10k, so I first plotted how that might work. I could have that IFD540 if I were to replace my KX165 with an SL30 to make a bit more room, I think, but since Avidyne, Honeywell and Garmin don't play nice with each other I would also have to replace my transponder and not gain any new functionality. The price to swap transponders would equal what I'm saving by getting a used unit. I could get 2k for my KT74 but for some reason Avidyne thinks by forcing people into their ADS-B transponders and receivers they can charge a premium for them (they want 4k for a blind mount transponder and 3k for the exact same transponder I have but with a different faceplate, they're all rebadged Trig units). That's about the same speed as Texaco charging a premium for "unleaded gas" back in the 70s, as if not putting something in it deserves a premium price. Why is it that you guys think not putting a faceplate on a transponder should be worth a thousand dollars? No thanks...
So then, considering the discounted price, I looked at a KSN770. It seems to be pretty decent from a GPS/NAV/COMM standpoint but it has a glaring fault...it's almost an inch bigger than a GNS530/IFD540, and despite its bigger size it cannot control a remote mounted transponder. I would have to keep my transponder, which of course is possible since the KT74 is also from Honeywell, but then I'd have to move things around to make it fit, there's no way I can put everything back in the same stack because the KSN770 is over 5 inches tall (the IFD540 is 4.6 inches tall). Why they made the biggest of all GPS/NAV/COMMs with no remote transponder control is beyond me.
Option three is a GNS480. It's about 3/4 of an inch taller than my GNS430 but hold the phones, if I get an SL30 to replace the KX165 I have now, I wind up exactly back where I started from. I can get the 480 for the same price I'll sell my 430W for, and will still have to change transponders but this way I can get a GTX345 which gives me bluetooth ADS-B reception in the airplane, which I didn't have before. The swap between 430/480 is a push, no money gained or lost, the swap from KX165 to SL30 is probably a 500-700 dollar proposition, and the GTX345 is another 2k above what I'll get for my KT74 but hey, at least Garmin is offering something for the 2k, rather than taking the faceplate off and expecting me to pay more for less effort on their part as Avidyne is.
With the Avidyne option I pay a lot more (5k+) and get no new functionality, just a nicer GPS.
With the Honeywell/King option I pay a lot more (5k+) and get no new functionality, just a nicer GPS, albeit most of the 'lot more' would be in the form of labor to the radio shop to move things around in my panel.
With the GNS480 option I pay a little more (~2.5k) and get a nicer GPS, ADS-B in, and ADS-B wireless connectivity.
So if anyone from Avidyne reads these forums, what you have gained from not playing nice with Garmin is minus 1 sale. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but you're not the 800 pound gorilla, Garmin is. And I'm sure you would defend yourselves by pointing the finger at Garmin, just as they would point the finger at you, but the bottom line is I would have been content to own the used IFD540, or even buy a new IFD440 to make this all simpler, but not if I have to swap transponders to do it and you expect me to pay a premium for the same transponder I already have, which you also didn't make. The only way you're gonna get me or anyone else in their right mind to pay for those Trig transponders you're selling is to sell them at a discount.
If anyone from Honeywell/King reads these forums, what you have gained from poor foresight is minus 1 sale. I would be happy to pay you the 11k for your KSN770 and I think offering me a 1k trade-in on my KX165 towards it is a fair deal, but the fact that you made the biggest GPS/NAV/COM out there and didn't make blind mount transponder controls to go with it means that its size is a deal breaker. I can't be the only one arriving at this conclusion, either.
If anyone from the former Apollo reads these forums, rest easy knowing that the designs you made over a decade ago are still the best deal out there, even if they aren't yours anymore.
If anyone from Garmin reads these forums, the GTX345 is a pretty good deal, I'm looking forward to having it. The only reason I didn't consider your 650/750 is I really don't like touchscreens in the panel. Nothing personal
.
Q: What new shiny box did I get?
A: One that's older than what I have already.
I have 9.2 inches, give or take an 8th, to play with in my radio stack. I have a KT74 transponder already, and a GNS430W besides the other typicals like audio panel, autopilot head unit, secondary comm, etc.
There was an IFD540 out of a geared up airplane on Barnstormers yesterday for 10k, so I first plotted how that might work. I could have that IFD540 if I were to replace my KX165 with an SL30 to make a bit more room, I think, but since Avidyne, Honeywell and Garmin don't play nice with each other I would also have to replace my transponder and not gain any new functionality. The price to swap transponders would equal what I'm saving by getting a used unit. I could get 2k for my KT74 but for some reason Avidyne thinks by forcing people into their ADS-B transponders and receivers they can charge a premium for them (they want 4k for a blind mount transponder and 3k for the exact same transponder I have but with a different faceplate, they're all rebadged Trig units). That's about the same speed as Texaco charging a premium for "unleaded gas" back in the 70s, as if not putting something in it deserves a premium price. Why is it that you guys think not putting a faceplate on a transponder should be worth a thousand dollars? No thanks...
So then, considering the discounted price, I looked at a KSN770. It seems to be pretty decent from a GPS/NAV/COMM standpoint but it has a glaring fault...it's almost an inch bigger than a GNS530/IFD540, and despite its bigger size it cannot control a remote mounted transponder. I would have to keep my transponder, which of course is possible since the KT74 is also from Honeywell, but then I'd have to move things around to make it fit, there's no way I can put everything back in the same stack because the KSN770 is over 5 inches tall (the IFD540 is 4.6 inches tall). Why they made the biggest of all GPS/NAV/COMMs with no remote transponder control is beyond me.
Option three is a GNS480. It's about 3/4 of an inch taller than my GNS430 but hold the phones, if I get an SL30 to replace the KX165 I have now, I wind up exactly back where I started from. I can get the 480 for the same price I'll sell my 430W for, and will still have to change transponders but this way I can get a GTX345 which gives me bluetooth ADS-B reception in the airplane, which I didn't have before. The swap between 430/480 is a push, no money gained or lost, the swap from KX165 to SL30 is probably a 500-700 dollar proposition, and the GTX345 is another 2k above what I'll get for my KT74 but hey, at least Garmin is offering something for the 2k, rather than taking the faceplate off and expecting me to pay more for less effort on their part as Avidyne is.
With the Avidyne option I pay a lot more (5k+) and get no new functionality, just a nicer GPS.
With the Honeywell/King option I pay a lot more (5k+) and get no new functionality, just a nicer GPS, albeit most of the 'lot more' would be in the form of labor to the radio shop to move things around in my panel.
With the GNS480 option I pay a little more (~2.5k) and get a nicer GPS, ADS-B in, and ADS-B wireless connectivity.
So if anyone from Avidyne reads these forums, what you have gained from not playing nice with Garmin is minus 1 sale. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but you're not the 800 pound gorilla, Garmin is. And I'm sure you would defend yourselves by pointing the finger at Garmin, just as they would point the finger at you, but the bottom line is I would have been content to own the used IFD540, or even buy a new IFD440 to make this all simpler, but not if I have to swap transponders to do it and you expect me to pay a premium for the same transponder I already have, which you also didn't make. The only way you're gonna get me or anyone else in their right mind to pay for those Trig transponders you're selling is to sell them at a discount.
If anyone from Honeywell/King reads these forums, what you have gained from poor foresight is minus 1 sale. I would be happy to pay you the 11k for your KSN770 and I think offering me a 1k trade-in on my KX165 towards it is a fair deal, but the fact that you made the biggest GPS/NAV/COM out there and didn't make blind mount transponder controls to go with it means that its size is a deal breaker. I can't be the only one arriving at this conclusion, either.
If anyone from the former Apollo reads these forums, rest easy knowing that the designs you made over a decade ago are still the best deal out there, even if they aren't yours anymore.
If anyone from Garmin reads these forums, the GTX345 is a pretty good deal, I'm looking forward to having it. The only reason I didn't consider your 650/750 is I really don't like touchscreens in the panel. Nothing personal
.
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