My Trip To The Avionics Shop $$$$$

I had good luck with Kelly Instruments in KS on my EDO-AIRE AI and DG last
year. Something like $300 each to overhaul, came back cosmetically beautiful. Now I
can pretty much set the DG at annual time and forget it for the rest of the year (not
quite, but once up and running, it's 1-2 degrees/hour precession). The AI wallers
nicely on startup, and erects in less than 5 sec. Don't know about longevity, but so
far so good (100 hours later).

From what I've heard the new gyros are crap... I'd believe it to. Seeing the
guts of mine before sending it off (I just *had* to look)... very well built
old-school stuff. Ever wonder why the hockey-puck DG's and Sparrow AI's from the '50s
are still going strong having never been overhauled? Too many companies these days
take their well-respected name for granted and start bowing to the cost-reduction
gods.

Jay Honeck wrote:
: Do you have contact info for The Gyro House

: http://www.gyrohouse.com/

: Good folks.

: They did my DG and my AI, on Jim's recommendation.
: --
: Jay Honeck
: Iowa City, IA
: Pathfinder N56993
: www.AlexisParkInn.com
: "Your Aviation Destination"



--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

I'd give a lot to get an overhaul like that.

{;-)


Jim



shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

The AI wallers
-nicely on startup, and erects in less than 5 sec.


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

MRQB wrote:

Pito System Fail Has Leak In System = Traced To Airspeed Indicator Leak on
Pito Side Needs Rebuilt Anyone know of a good place to a rebuild have
done or a decent replacement?
Turn Coordinator Bad = Barings Making Noise Needs Rebuilt Anyone know
of a good place to have a rebuild done or a decent replacement?
1 Vor Head W/ Glide Slope Bad = Localizer Works Great, Vor Is Off 8 Degrees,
Glide Slope don't go to full deflection Non serviceable needs replaced.

I recommend Bernie Ducasse for instrument repair in the northeast. 215-673-5050.
Ducasse Instrument Service
Northeast Philadelphia Airport
Philadelphia, PA 19114

Here are a few links to outlets for new stuff.
http://www.avionix.com
http://www.gulf-coast-avionics.com
http://www.chiefaircraft.com
http://www.aircraft-spruce.com
http://store.wagaero.com

Wentworth Salvage is a good source for used parts. Also check the front section
of Trade-A-Plane. You might pick up a good deal on a used GS indicator there.
I avoid Century rebuilt instruments. I bought one once. YMMV.

George Patterson
Battle, n; A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would
not yield to the tongue.

Go down to the vet supply store and get one of those big horse hypodermic
needles with the smallest needle you can get.

Go to the craft store and get a suction cup that will fit over the static port.

CAREFULLY and with GREAT CAUTION put the suction cup over the static port. If
you have two static ports, put another suction cup over the other port. (A thin
coating of spit on the suction cup works well as a vacuum seal, so does a thin
coating of vaseline.)

Pick ONE of the static ports and push the needle through the backside of the
suction cup. SLOWLY and with GREAT CAUTION suck down the suction cup until the
altimeter reads about a thousand feet above airport elevation OR the airspeed
indicator reads just at the yellow arc, whichever occurs first.

You MUST support the syringe so that the needle doesn't cock and let the suction
cup leak. I've got mine arranged so that there is a 6' length of plastic tubing
between the syringe and the needle, tied off with tiewraps. Don't believe that
the aircraft system has a leak until you've tried your little setup on a known
good airplane and it doesn't show leak.

Let the system come to equilibrium for five minutes or so. If the ASI is still
slowly bleeding off speed after five minutes OR the altimeter continues to wind
down, you've got a static leak. You can repeat the suckdown after five minutes
if you wish, but if the thing doesn't stabilize after two or three iterations,
you've got a leak on your hands.

You may want to do the mason jar accumulator trick I showed when writing about
the altitude encoder test jig (www.rstengineering.com and go to bibliography or
www.rstengineering.com/kitplanes and download the article).

Of course, I would NEVER do this test on a standard certificated aircraft.
Nosirre, not me, not never. Huh, unh.

{;-)

Jim


This test should have been performed as part of
-the pre-buy so that you wouldn't not have been responsible for the
-entire cost of the instruments and the labor.
-
-*sigh*
-
-it's an educational opportunity, right?
-

Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Update!!! My diaphragm in the ASI has a leak BER and my TC is not worth
being serviced I am just going to get new replacements nice little $1,000
bill and a 1 week wait but at leased i will know what i have.


"MRQB" wrote in message
...
Well my bird spent 6 hours at the avionics/instrument shop today getting a
pito static & transponder encoder check now the results


Transponder/Encoder Working 100% To 20,000 feet
Altimeter Working 100% Well With in Specs To 14,000 feet did not go higher
then aircraft service ceiling
VSI Working 100%
Static System Pass
Pito System Fail Has Leak In System = Traced To Airspeed Indicator Leak on
Pito Side Needs Rebuilt Anyone know of a good place to a rebuild
have
done or a decent replacement?
Turn Coordinator Bad = Barings Making Noise Needs Rebuilt Anyone
know
of a good place to have a rebuild done or a decent replacement?
1 Vor Head OK
1 Vor Head W/ Glide Slope Bad = Localizer Works Great, Vor Is Off 8
Degrees,
Glide Slope don't go to full deflection Non serviceable needs replaced.

Other than my first bill in owning was a fun exciting day in the shop they
were very friendly and explained everything that they were doing and
answerd
all my questions i really learned how all the insturments work kinda cool
if
i decide to replace instrad of rebuild ill have some that i can take apart
and play with.

"MRQB" writes:

Update!!! My diaphragm in the ASI has a leak BER and my TC is not worth
being serviced I am just going to get new replacements nice little $1,000
bill and a 1 week wait but at leased i will know what i have.

Ahh...the pleasures of ownership.

It is a great learning experience "the pleasures of ownership" I don't mind
spending money on toys I did the ATV thing for a while 1 trip to the dunes
could run $3,000+ and flying is more fun and more rewarding i belive, Now I
get to make the decision of what ASI I want to install do I want a Standard
or True Airspeed? Humm its hurting my brain deciding witch one to get price
difference is min as I am already going to have to be spending $420.00 on a
standard or should I spend a bit extra $490 on a true airspeed witch would
be best?


"Bob Fry" wrote in message
...
"MRQB" writes:

Update!!! My diaphragm in the ASI has a leak BER and my TC is not worth
being serviced I am just going to get new replacements nice little
$1,000
bill and a 1 week wait but at leased i will know what i have.

Ahh...the pleasures of ownership.

in a Cessna 150?? do you think you'll need to compute TAS? or do you think
your GPS will provide you what you need.

JMHO
BT

"MRQB" wrote in message
...
It is a great learning experience "the pleasures of ownership" I don't
mind
spending money on toys I did the ATV thing for a while 1 trip to the dunes
could run $3,000+ and flying is more fun and more rewarding i belive, Now
I
get to make the decision of what ASI I want to install do I want a
Standard
or True Airspeed? Humm its hurting my brain deciding witch one to get
price
difference is min as I am already going to have to be spending $420.00 on
a
standard or should I spend a bit extra $490 on a true airspeed witch would
be best?


"Bob Fry" wrote in message
...
"MRQB" writes:

Update!!! My diaphragm in the ASI has a leak BER and my TC is not
worth
being serviced I am just going to get new replacements nice little
$1,000
bill and a 1 week wait but at leased i will know what i have.

Ahh...the pleasures of ownership.

Just wondering if it is worth the extra $60.00 to have a little extra.


"BTIZ" wrote in message
news:0T5ac.64237$1I5.60626@fed1read01...
in a Cessna 150?? do you think you'll need to compute TAS? or do you think
your GPS will provide you what you need.

JMHO
BT

"MRQB" wrote in message
...
It is a great learning experience "the pleasures of ownership" I don't
mind
spending money on toys I did the ATV thing for a while 1 trip to the
dunes
could run $3,000+ and flying is more fun and more rewarding i belive,
Now
I
get to make the decision of what ASI I want to install do I want a
Standard
or True Airspeed? Humm its hurting my brain deciding witch one to get
price
difference is min as I am already going to have to be spending $420.00
on
a
standard or should I spend a bit extra $490 on a true airspeed witch
would
be best?


"Bob Fry" wrote in message
...
"MRQB" writes:

Update!!! My diaphragm in the ASI has a leak BER and my TC is not
worth
being serviced I am just going to get new replacements nice little
$1,000
bill and a 1 week wait but at leased i will know what i have.

Ahh...the pleasures of ownership.

Never mind trying to justify it, just spend the extra money. If
you're thinking like this now and you don't do it, you'll always
regret it (except, of course when you sell it).

On Mon, 29 Mar 2004 19:32:12 -0800, "BTIZ"
wrote:

in a Cessna 150?? do you think you'll need to compute TAS? or do you think
your GPS will provide you what you need.

JMHO
BT

"MRQB" wrote in message
...
It is a great learning experience "the pleasures of ownership" I don't
mind
spending money on toys I did the ATV thing for a while 1 trip to the dunes
could run $3,000+ and flying is more fun and more rewarding i belive, Now
I
get to make the decision of what ASI I want to install do I want a
Standard
or True Airspeed? Humm its hurting my brain deciding witch one to get
price
difference is min as I am already going to have to be spending $420.00 on
a
standard or should I spend a bit extra $490 on a true airspeed witch would
be best?


"Bob Fry" wrote in message
...
"MRQB" writes:

Update!!! My diaphragm in the ASI has a leak BER and my TC is not
worth
being serviced I am just going to get new replacements nice little
$1,000
bill and a 1 week wait but at leased i will know what i have.

Ahh...the pleasures of ownership.