"C Kingsbury" wrote in
link.net:

I've been thinking about trying to talk my partners into floating the
6k or so to install a basic IFR-certified GPS like a GX-50 or similar.
No, we cannot afford a GNS-430/480 so that is not part of the decision
matrix.

I have GX-60 (GX-50 with the addition of built-in COMM transceiver). I'm
pleased with it, WHEN IT WORKS. This is GX-60 no. 5 in the same
airplane. We went through four of them during initial installation
before finding one that worked properly (the first three had to be
returned to the manufacturer by the installing shop, Montgomery Aviation,
Montgomery AL, due to quality control problems). One had severe
interference problems, one was DOA, and one had a flaky display. The
fourth one worked well for years, until someone broke into the airplane
and cleaned out all radios except the Bendix T-12D ADF. The insurance
replacement worked for a few months, then the display went intermittent.
Back to the factory (they sent a loaner) for repair, get it back,
installed, and found that they had fixed the intermittent problem on the
display. The display was now totally dead. Back to the factory again
(keeping their loaner unit, which their accounting department started
sending out bills for, since it had not been returned), and finally got
them to admit that the problem really existed. They put in a re-furbed
display subassembly. Back in the airplane again, and it has been working
fine for about half a year.

Warning against GX-50, GX-55, GX-60, GX-65 series: The tech at II
Morrow/Apollo/UPSAT/GarminAT (what is their name this week?) told me that
as of the end of last year (2003) these are no longer being manufactured
due to problems in the supply chain with, guess what, the display
subassembly.

If I were doing it again today and wanted to keep the budget under
control, I would probably go for a KN-89B or KN-90B. Not a lot of bells
and whistles, but they're available very inexpensively on the re-furbed
market, and repair parts can always be found for King stuff (I'm not a
huge King fan, but it is a practical, low-cost solution to IFR approach
GPS).