396/496 installation options.

Our club is contemplating a 396 or 496 for each of our aircraft. It
would be more or less permanently mounted in the plane (Piper Archer
and Dakota). I've seen several yoke mounts, some panel/post type
mounts, the slick AirGizmo's avioincs stack mounts. Our panels are
fairly full and the preferred panel mount would necessitate mounting
the unit on the right hand avionics stack. This seems a bit far away
from the pilot both for readability and for reaching across to run the
gps. I see there are options to at least cant it toward the pilot for
better visibility but without bifocals the readability may still be in
doubt! One obvious objection to a yoke mount is the dangling wires
which we'd like to eliminate or at least minimize as much as possible.
Are there any really great ideas to limit this issue? Panel visiblity
over the gps is another as well as usability when its less than a
smooth day and the yoke is not 'stationary'. I've seen one mount on
the top of the glarshield as well and wondered about how much that
blocked the view and whether sunlight would wreak havoc on the lcd
display or what the heat of summer sun would do to the gps.

Anyway, if anyone could share their particular install, mounting
hardware used, preferred location, readability at a distance, etc. that
would be great. The best options I've seen are for Beechcraft yokes
but that's not an option on a Piper.

thanks,
matt.

Jay Honeck posted a link to a pic of his setup with the angled
AirGizmos dock but I can't find the post (Jay, can you post it again?).
I don't like the way the angled doc looks in the panel so I prematurely
decided I won't get it. I've since changed my mind when after receiving
my Garmin 496 last Monday, I noticed that the terrain detail quickly
disappears from view when viewing it from an angle. Oddly, other detail
like the airspace and route lines can still be seen.

The panel mount is probably the most clean and permanent in my opinion
and I'll be ordering the hardware after the holidays.

Marco

wrote:
Our club is contemplating a 396 or 496 for each of our aircraft. It
would be more or less permanently mounted in the plane (Piper Archer
and Dakota). I've seen several yoke mounts, some panel/post type
mounts, the slick AirGizmo's avioincs stack mounts. Our panels are
fairly full and the preferred panel mount would necessitate mounting
the unit on the right hand avionics stack. This seems a bit far away
from the pilot both for readability and for reaching across to run the
gps. I see there are options to at least cant it toward the pilot for
better visibility but without bifocals the readability may still be in
doubt! One obvious objection to a yoke mount is the dangling wires
which we'd like to eliminate or at least minimize as much as possible.
Are there any really great ideas to limit this issue? Panel visiblity
over the gps is another as well as usability when its less than a
smooth day and the yoke is not 'stationary'. I've seen one mount on
the top of the glarshield as well and wondered about how much that
blocked the view and whether sunlight would wreak havoc on the lcd
display or what the heat of summer sun would do to the gps.

Anyway, if anyone could share their particular install, mounting
hardware used, preferred location, readability at a distance, etc. that
would be great. The best options I've seen are for Beechcraft yokes
but that's not an option on a Piper.

thanks,
matt.

If memory serves me, I think Mike Granby installed a yoke mounted 396 with a
KLN 90 & 94 interface/data converter. He ran the wires down the inside of
the yoke tube which cleaned things up considerably.
Jim

www.airgizmos.com/

"Marco Leon" wrote in message
ups.com...
Jay Honeck posted a link to a pic of his setup with the angled
AirGizmos dock but I can't find the post (Jay, can you post it again?).
I don't like the way the angled doc looks in the panel so I prematurely
decided I won't get it. I've since changed my mind when after receiving
my Garmin 496 last Monday, I noticed that the terrain detail quickly
disappears from view when viewing it from an angle. Oddly, other detail
like the airspace and route lines can still be seen.

The panel mount is probably the most clean and permanent in my opinion
and I'll be ordering the hardware after the holidays.

Marco

wrote:
Our club is contemplating a 396 or 496 for each of our aircraft. It
would be more or less permanently mounted in the plane (Piper Archer
and Dakota). I've seen several yoke mounts, some panel/post type
mounts, the slick AirGizmo's avioincs stack mounts. Our panels are
fairly full and the preferred panel mount would necessitate mounting
the unit on the right hand avionics stack. This seems a bit far away
from the pilot both for readability and for reaching across to run the
gps. I see there are options to at least cant it toward the pilot for
better visibility but without bifocals the readability may still be in
doubt! One obvious objection to a yoke mount is the dangling wires
which we'd like to eliminate or at least minimize as much as possible.
Are there any really great ideas to limit this issue? Panel visiblity
over the gps is another as well as usability when its less than a
smooth day and the yoke is not 'stationary'. I've seen one mount on
the top of the glarshield as well and wondered about how much that
blocked the view and whether sunlight would wreak havoc on the lcd
display or what the heat of summer sun would do to the gps.

Anyway, if anyone could share their particular install, mounting
hardware used, preferred location, readability at a distance, etc. that
would be great. The best options I've seen are for Beechcraft yokes
but that's not an option on a Piper.

thanks,
matt.

Jay Honeck posted a link to a pic of his setup with the angled
AirGizmos dock but I can't find the post (Jay, can you post it again?).

Sure! See: http://alexisparkinn.com/2006_airgizmo-xm_install.htm

It's fantastic. The more we fly with it, the more we like it -- and XM
radio is just wonderful to have on-board!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Now, Matt - I told you. Go with the panel mount and hurry up with it.
I want my weather and music and I want it NOW!


Chad Speer (a happy member of Matt's flying club)
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

Jim Burns wrote:
If memory serves me, I think Mike Granby installed a yoke mounted 396 with a
KLN 90 & 94 interface/data converter. He ran the wires down the inside of
the yoke tube which cleaned things up considerably.
Jim

I did indeed.

http://www.mikeg.net/old/plane/n8096...96/default.htm

Since our Aztec has no room for Mr. Gizmo, my brain keeps coming back to
your install every time I think about a 396/496.
jim

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
s.com...

Jim Burns wrote:
If memory serves me, I think Mike Granby installed a yoke mounted 396
with a
KLN 90 & 94 interface/data converter. He ran the wires down the inside
of
the yoke tube which cleaned things up considerably.
Jim

I did indeed.

http://www.mikeg.net/old/plane/n8096...96/default.htm

OK. I have to ask. How do you get the data from the KLN-90 to the 396,
and can you do it with a KLN-88?

Thanks,

-Rob
Mike Granby wrote:
Jim Burns wrote:
If memory serves me, I think Mike Granby installed a yoke mounted 396 with a
KLN 90 & 94 interface/data converter. He ran the wires down the inside of
the yoke tube which cleaned things up considerably.
Jim

I did indeed.

http://www.mikeg.net/old/plane/n8096...96/default.htm

wrote:

OK. I have to ask. How do you get the data
from the KLN-90 to the 396, and can you do
it with a KLN-88?

Now that Garmin have fixed their firmware so they can accept King
serial data format, you just connect the moving map RS-232 output from
the KLN-90 into the 396's serial input, and set the 396 for Aviation
In. Ought to work with a KLN-88, but I don't have data on that one.