New artificial horizon - Sigmatek or R.C. Allen?

My plane's artificial horizon - which was overhauled just a few months ago
at a well-known shop - has headed south again. Since it's got a lot of
hours on it now (and at least one overhaul, maybe more), I suspect it may be
beyond saving and I could be looking at getting a new one. If I do need to
replace it, I'm wondering about brands. It's a Sigmatek unit.

I see RC Allen and Sigmatek units advertised. Looks like the RC Allen
horizons are a little cheaper, but not much. Anyone have any opinions on
the relative merits, reliability, advantages, etc. of either brand? Even
though I want the thing to be reliable, I'm looking at the basic vacuum
models, not the muy-expensive electric ones with extra bells and whistles.

The plane (and I) are VFR only at this point (vacuum, wet pump), but one of
these days I'd like to work on my instrument rating. But I cosnider that
moot - whatever unit I get needs to be reliable - I'm tired of not trusting
this instrument and want one that should be rock-solid.

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

Thanks.


--
David Herman
N6170T 1965 Cessna 150E
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying Forum:
http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com/

Hi David

I have an RC Allen which was in the plane when I bought it about 30
months ago. It works fine - that's about as much as I can tell you,

Tony

--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article 1100238342.986909@yasure,
"David Herman" wrote:

My plane's artificial horizon - which was overhauled just a few months ago
at a well-known shop - has headed south again. Since it's got a lot of
hours on it now (and at least one overhaul, maybe more), I suspect it may be
beyond saving and I could be looking at getting a new one. If I do need to
replace it, I'm wondering about brands. It's a Sigmatek unit.

I see RC Allen and Sigmatek units advertised. Looks like the RC Allen
horizons are a little cheaper, but not much. Anyone have any opinions on
the relative merits, reliability, advantages, etc. of either brand? Even
though I want the thing to be reliable, I'm looking at the basic vacuum
models, not the muy-expensive electric ones with extra bells and whistles.

The plane (and I) are VFR only at this point (vacuum, wet pump), but one of
these days I'd like to work on my instrument rating. But I cosnider that
moot - whatever unit I get needs to be reliable - I'm tired of not trusting
this instrument and want one that should be rock-solid.

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

Thanks.




--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

I have a Sigmatek in my plane. It was there when I bought the
plane almost six years ago and it's works great.

Pete


"David Herman" wrote in message
news:1100238342.986909@yasure...
My plane's artificial horizon - which was overhauled just a few months ago
at a well-known shop - has headed south again. Since it's got a lot of
hours on it now (and at least one overhaul, maybe more), I suspect it may
be beyond saving and I could be looking at getting a new one. If I do
need to replace it, I'm wondering about brands. It's a Sigmatek unit.

I see RC Allen and Sigmatek units advertised. Looks like the RC Allen
horizons are a little cheaper, but not much. Anyone have any opinions on
the relative merits, reliability, advantages, etc. of either brand? Even
though I want the thing to be reliable, I'm looking at the basic vacuum
models, not the muy-expensive electric ones with extra bells and whistles.

The plane (and I) are VFR only at this point (vacuum, wet pump), but one
of these days I'd like to work on my instrument rating. But I cosnider
that moot - whatever unit I get needs to be reliable - I'm tired of not
trusting this instrument and want one that should be rock-solid.

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

Thanks.


--
David Herman
N6170T 1965 Cessna 150E
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying Forum:
http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com/

I don't know the differences between brands but I would get one with a "Vac"
flag.

Mike
MU-2


"David Herman" wrote in message
news:1100238342.986909@yasure...
My plane's artificial horizon - which was overhauled just a few months ago
at a well-known shop - has headed south again. Since it's got a lot of
hours on it now (and at least one overhaul, maybe more), I suspect it may
be beyond saving and I could be looking at getting a new one. If I do
need to replace it, I'm wondering about brands. It's a Sigmatek unit.

I see RC Allen and Sigmatek units advertised. Looks like the RC Allen
horizons are a little cheaper, but not much. Anyone have any opinions on
the relative merits, reliability, advantages, etc. of either brand? Even
though I want the thing to be reliable, I'm looking at the basic vacuum
models, not the muy-expensive electric ones with extra bells and whistles.

The plane (and I) are VFR only at this point (vacuum, wet pump), but one
of these days I'd like to work on my instrument rating. But I cosnider
that moot - whatever unit I get needs to be reliable - I'm tired of not
trusting this instrument and want one that should be rock-solid.

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

Thanks.


--
David Herman
N6170T 1965 Cessna 150E
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying Forum:
http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com/

Mike Rapoport wrote:
: I don't know the differences between brands but I would get one with a "Vac"
: flag.

: Mike
: MU-2

Seconded. I have an RC Allen ADI with a vac flag. I bought it over the
Sigmatek because I liked the colors better (seriously!). 500 hours later
it's still working great.
--
Aaron Coolidge (N9376J)

David Herman wrote:

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

One data point. I have an RC Allen unit in my Maule. No problems with it after about
400 hours. Whatever you get, I would get a model with a "low-vacuum" flag.

You might also want to check with your local shop on paperwork. There are some hoops
to jump through with the local FSDO here if a unit is installed that is not on the
approved equipment list for the plane.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

David Herman wrote:

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

If you have an attitude pickoff for your autopilot, that may help you make the
decision. I was forced to RC Allen (IIRC) in order to get one that worked with
my autopilot. I also couldn't find one that had both the low vacuum flag, which
I wanted, and the attitude pickoff, which the autopilot needed.

Dave

Back in 1986, I bought the Sigma Tek Horizon with a warning flag for a
Cherokee I owned.. It was a relatively new model then. And like another
poster here said, I liked the brown/blue colors. It didn't have the
autopilot output, but this didn't matter,m as I had an S-Tec Autopilot. The
gyro worked great for 600 hours, at which time I sold the plane.
"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
ink.net...
I don't know the differences between brands but I would get one with a
"Vac"
flag.

Mike
MU-2


"David Herman" wrote in message
news:1100238342.986909@yasure...
My plane's artificial horizon - which was overhauled just a few months
ago
at a well-known shop - has headed south again. Since it's got a lot of
hours on it now (and at least one overhaul, maybe more), I suspect it
may
be beyond saving and I could be looking at getting a new one. If I do
need to replace it, I'm wondering about brands. It's a Sigmatek unit.

I see RC Allen and Sigmatek units advertised. Looks like the RC Allen
horizons are a little cheaper, but not much. Anyone have any opinions
on
the relative merits, reliability, advantages, etc. of either brand?
Even
though I want the thing to be reliable, I'm looking at the basic vacuum
models, not the muy-expensive electric ones with extra bells and
whistles.

The plane (and I) are VFR only at this point (vacuum, wet pump), but one
of these days I'd like to work on my instrument rating. But I cosnider
that moot - whatever unit I get needs to be reliable - I'm tired of not
trusting this instrument and want one that should be rock-solid.

So - anybody like (or dislike) either brand?

Thanks.


--
David Herman
N6170T 1965 Cessna 150E
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying Forum:
http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com/