![]() My avionics shop honored his estimate and the total bill for the unit and install was $2200. I agree, it's not as pretty of a display as other units and the programming is different but, the unit has been rock solid with 255 hrs since installation. Here we are 16 months later and the GX60 is working fine. Seeing a new post on this topic has prompted me to post an update to my installation. ![]() To make what could be a longer story short I just don't see anything on the market that I consider "reasonably" priced so, I'm gong to keep it simple for now and see how things go. It takes one Allen wrench and about 45 to 60 seconds to change units. Yes, it would be nice to have a panel this sophisticated but if the GX60 dies on me, I can find another one and simply slide it in. (The GX60 is a simpler installation and does cost quite a bit less) For that price, I would go ahead and pay the few thousand more and get a GTN 650 and have the latest technology. The cheapest 430W I could find was $5800 plus 1800 installation. The FAA is already acknowledging the 2020 deadline will likely not be met and will most likely be pushed out. With the 2020 ADS-B requirement pending I feel confident someone will bring to market a cheaper simpler unit to meet the requirements as we get closer. I did shop the 430W units and decided not to go that route for several reasons. ![]() Hit the post button just a bit too quick. If you don't want it for real IFR, LPV approaches, and all that, I am wondering what real benefit this upgrade brings you? What flights can you make with that upgrade that you cannot make today? And you'd be worse off then than you are today. If Garmin won't fix it, you could be out that $2200 just a month or two after installation. Where do you see your airplane in 5 years? In 2020? I elected to do the upgrade much sooner rather than to put any real money in an 30 year old radio. ![]() When I bought the plane I knew I was going to upgrade the panel, I just wanted to do it the following year. I had a shop look into it, but the problem would not fail long enough for them to fix it. After I bought my plane I found one of my comm's had an intermittent RX. There are plenty of times where paying more now will lower your lifetime costs. When faced with these sorts of decisions, I try to look as far into the future as I can and try to minimize my total lifetime costs, not necessarily the immediate costs. ![]()
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January 2023
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