A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Owning
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

STEC-30



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old June 17th 05, 09:13 PM
Dan Luke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Michael" wrote:
Without GPSS, an STEC might as well be a decades-old
Autocontrol/Altimatic - it will hunt so much in nav track mode that
you
will wind up just using it in heading hold mode.


Something's wrong with your student's S-Tec installation.

Mine doesn't have GPSS, but when it's set to "Approach" mode and the CDI
scale is set at one mile, it will hold me within 50' of my course line
for 100's of miles without hunting.

If I let the autopilot turn me to a new heading, it will hunt for a
while. GPSS would fix this, but I can't bring myself to pony up the
$1800 to add it.

I'm not that impressed with the altitude hold function. The
installation I've seen lacks auto-trim. I would say that if you have
a
Mooney without electric trim, the altitude hold is not worth buying.
If the air is smooth, a properly trimmed plane will hold altitude
anyway. If it's not, constantly retrimming when the thing beeps at
you
isn't any less work than just holding altitude manually.


Once again, this doesn't sound right. Turbulence has to be pretty close
to moderate before I'll turn altitude hold off.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


  #12  
Old June 17th 05, 11:43 PM
Michael
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If I let the autopilot turn me to a new heading, it will hunt for a
while.


Well, that's the least of it. The real issue is when you change
course, or just hit direct-to and nav. With GPSS, it gets on course
and stays on course, smooth as you please. Without, you need to get it
on course manually, set the heading bug correctly, then when all is
good select nav track. And even then, you have a choice of hunting in
enroute mode, or annoying wing waggle in approach mode.

I suspect you have fewer issues with this because you fly a much more
stable, solid airplane. The experience I have with these gadgets is in
Mooneys and Bonanzas.

I suspect the same issue applies to altitude hold. When I'm talking
about smooth air, I don't so much mean lack of turbulence as lack of
lift/sink. Your airplane doesn't have nearly the tendency to pick up
speed when the nose is pointed down that a Mooney or Bonanza does, but
the flip side of this is that lift and sink don't affect your airspeed
(and thus your pitch trim) near as much. Thus you don't get beeped at
to retrim every time the vertical speed of the air mass changes by 200
fpm - but in a Mooney without autotrim, you will.

Michael

  #13  
Old June 18th 05, 01:22 AM
Dan Luke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Michael" wrote:
And even then, you have a choice of hunting in
enroute mode, or annoying wing waggle in approach mode.


If it does this, something's wrong. It's not a difficult control task.

You should be able to pick a combination of approach/enroute mode and
CDI scale that produces a smooth, on course track. Try approach mode
with a 1-mile CDI. If that doesn't do it, I would suspect some binding
in the aileron controls or a faulty roll servo.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


  #14  
Old June 18th 05, 02:23 AM
Jimmy B.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Ron Natalie wrote:
Jon Kraus wrote:

Thinking about putting a STEC-30 with the GPS Steer in our '79 Mooney
M20J. Anyone have one of these that would care to give a PIREP? We are
located in the Inidianapolis area so fi yu know a good shop we'd
appreciate it. Thanks!!



A number of my fellow Navion owners have that autopilot. I've got the
55X with GPSS. They're happy with theirs, I'm more than happy with
mine. Can't help you with a shop in Indiana (got a good one here in
Virginia if you want to come that far). GPSS is way cool. What do
you have for a GPS?



What's the shop? I'm planning on having a autopilot installed later
this year.

  #15  
Old June 18th 05, 02:47 AM
Jon Kraus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

We are going with Tim Matteson down in Lafayette Georgia. He comes
highly recommended by several Mooney owners in the Mooney email list. I
called and talked to him and got a quote today. Auto pilots and panel
upgrades are all that he does.

He also was was $2500 less than the nearest bid. We have an appointment
on August 5th for the install. He said it will only take him 3 days for
the install. Other shops were quoting a week or 2. Email me if you need
any other info.

Jon Kraus
'79 Mooney 201
Student Stec-30 owner

Jimmy B. wrote:
Ron Natalie wrote:

Jon Kraus wrote:

Thinking about putting a STEC-30 with the GPS Steer in our '79 Mooney
M20J. Anyone have one of these that would care to give a PIREP? We
are located in the Inidianapolis area so fi yu know a good shop we'd
appreciate it. Thanks!!




A number of my fellow Navion owners have that autopilot. I've got the
55X with GPSS. They're happy with theirs, I'm more than happy with
mine. Can't help you with a shop in Indiana (got a good one here in
Virginia if you want to come that far). GPSS is way cool. What do
you have for a GPS?




What's the shop? I'm planning on having a autopilot installed later
this year.


  #16  
Old June 18th 05, 02:49 AM
Jon Kraus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

We are going with Tim Mattheson down in Lafayette Georgia. He comes
highly recommended by several Mooney owners in the Mooney email list. I
called and talked to him and got a quote today. Auto pilots and panel
upgrades are all that he does.

He also was was $2500 less than the nearest bid. We have an appointment
on August 5th for the install. He said it will only take him 3 days for
the install. Other shops were quoting a week or 2. Email me if you need
any other info.

Jon Kraus
'79 Mooney 201
Student Stec-30 owner

Jimmy B. wrote:

Ron Natalie wrote:

Jon Kraus wrote:

Thinking about putting a STEC-30 with the GPS Steer in our '79 Mooney
M20J. Anyone have one of these that would care to give a PIREP? We
are located in the Inidianapolis area so fi yu know a good shop we'd
appreciate it. Thanks!!




A number of my fellow Navion owners have that autopilot. I've got the
55X with GPSS. They're happy with theirs, I'm more than happy with
mine. Can't help you with a shop in Indiana (got a good one here in
Virginia if you want to come that far). GPSS is way cool. What do
you have for a GPS?




What's the shop? I'm planning on having a autopilot installed later
this year.


  #17  
Old June 18th 05, 04:45 AM
Robbie S.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I have had very good results with Mid America Avionics in Auburn, Indiana
(KGWB). Recently had a GNS430, 340 and 106A done. Rick Morris, is the guy
who runs the place and will deliver on time and on budget. His prices are
lower than the shops at Metro and Muncie.

....Robbie.


"Jon Kraus" wrote in message
.. .
Thinking about putting a STEC-30 with the GPS Steer in our '79 Mooney
M20J. Anyone have one of these that would care to give a PIREP? We are
located in the Inidianapolis area so fi yu know a good shop we'd
appreciate it. Thanks!!

Jon Kraus



  #18  
Old June 18th 05, 02:24 PM
Ron Natalie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Jimmy B. wrote:


What's the shop? I'm planning on having a autopilot installed later
this year.


Bay Avionics at Hampton Roads Airport (KPVG).
  #19  
Old June 21st 05, 04:54 PM
Michael
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If it does this, something's wrong. It's not a difficult control task.

I don't doubt it - but every installation I've seen does it. I know
full well it's not a difficult control task, but I also know it's not
the same control task for all airplanes. The more roll stability the
plane has, the easier the task.

A friend of mine who flew 727's for a while says that the autopilots on
those were the same way - they never used nav track enroute because
twiddling the heading bug (or even the roll trim) worked better.

Michael

  #20  
Old June 21st 05, 10:41 PM
Dan Luke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Michael" wrote:
If it does this, something's wrong. It's not a difficult control task.


I don't doubt it - but every installation I've seen does it. I know
full well it's not a difficult control task, but I also know it's not
the same control task for all airplanes. The more roll stability the
plane has, the easier the task.


Nevertheless, the S-Tec autopilot is not much different from an industrial
PLC. Such devices --even cheap ones-- can handle all sorts of PV upsets with
rapid overshoot damping. The S-Tec should do as well.

Admittedly, my airplane is quite stable in roll, but really, so is a Mooney.
And if things are a bit bumpy, the Mooney might even be better, due to higher
wing loading.

A friend of mine who flew 727's for a while says that the autopilots on
those were the same way - they never used nav track enroute because
twiddling the heading bug (or even the roll trim) worked better.


Well, it depends on what one is tracking. Attempting to track a wavering CDI
off a distant VOR will certainly produce oscillations. Tracking a CDI driven
by a GPS is quite another matter.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
DGs and Autopilots Andrew Gideon Owning 11 April 14th 05 06:04 PM
DGs and Autopilots Andrew Gideon Products 11 April 14th 05 06:04 PM
ALTRAK pitch system flight report optics student Home Built 2 September 21st 03 11:49 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.