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PIREP - Garmin GTX-327
I obtained this unit on Ebay nearly a month ago, from an avionics shop in
Bakersfield, CA. The unit had been installed in a plane for precisely one day before that owner had decided that he REALLY wanted the Mode S GTX-330, with traffic information capability. The shop couldn't sell it as new anymore, so they put it up for auction on Ebay. I obtained it for $300 - $400 less than the "new" price. My usual avionics shop in Waterloo quoted $500 for installation -- too steep, I thought. So, I called another shop in Galesburg, IL, owned by Jet Air, Inc. -- the same excellent folks who run our local FBO -- and they quoted $200 - $300. Unfortunately, this was right before the holidays, so it wasn't until last Thursday that I was able to get time for the installation. While I was at it, I asked them to check my Com radios, which were giving me a bad hum and whine since my A&P had inadvertently disconnected (and reconnected) one of the antenna wires while installing a new DG. And, as long as I was at it, I had them do the IFR certification, which was past due. First thing they said when they opened the box was that the power cord "safety connector" -- a metal clamp-like device that prevented accidental disconnection of the transponder's power cord -- was not present. No big deal, they had the part on-site, but it had me worried about the whole deal -- what else might be missing? Nothing, as it turned out. The transponder installation went smoothly, and they were able to find the loose connection in my com radio. And, since half of the IFR certification involved the transponder, that was accomplished cheaply and quickly, too. In fact, the only thing I didn't like was that they installed a new Garmin transponder antenna, without asking, because it was "recommended by Garmin." It was "only" an extra $150 -- cheap, in aviation -- but it still bugs me that they threw away a perfectly functional antenna because it wasn't the "spade" kind that Garmin recommends. Oh, well -- on to the unit itself. It's quite handsome, with large "reversed" yellow LCD numbers. ("Reversed" meaning that the numbers themselves are dark, and the background is yellow.) In low-light conditions this reverses, and the numbers are lit-up yellow, on a dark background.) You enter the squawk code numbers by pushing individually numbered buttons across the bottom of the unit. I haven't tried this in turbulence, yet, but I suspect it may be more difficult than twisting the old knobs on my Narco AT50. We'll see. One thing I really, REALLY like is the "VFR pushbutton" that automatically pops the numbers to "1200" with a single push. The unit displays what pressure altitude it is reporting, which is nice, and lets you know whether you're climbing or descending with an up or down arrow. It also has three built-in timers -- a count-down timer, a count-UP, timer, and a flight-time timer. I immediately started using the count-up timer for changing tanks (our plane has four of them, and they must be timed to keep the plane in proper trim), and found it to be much better than just checking the clock. I also plan on using the elapsed flight time timer for filling out my log-book, although I forgot today and turned the avionics master off before checking it. Nice thing about your tach -- it doesn't disappear when the electrons do... Being solid-state, with no "cavitron" (or whatever those things are called in the old transponders) to warm up, the Garmin is "instant on." This was nice in the extreme cold of the past few days, as we were instantly picked up by ATC as soon as we called -- something that rarely happened with our old Narco unit. All in all, I'm very satisfied with the unit, the install, and my Ebay avionics shopping experience. I got a virtually brand-new GTX-327 installed for around 15% off the "new" price, and because I bought it from an established avionics shop, it came with a guarantee and a warranty -- something you don't always (usually?) find on Ebay. Your mileage may vary. -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" |
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