From our perch, we see high-priced 406-MHz ELT interest bottoming out. Maybe its because Transport Canada has backed off on an initial threat of mandating 406 MHz beacons for any aircraft operating in Canadian airspace-at least for now. This mandate was a driving, if shallow, motivation for U.S. operators to drop a couple of grand on new ELT technology. But even without the Canadian mandate, going 406 is something we all should plan for at some point. Many owners are in denial that distress signals from old 121.50 MHz beacons arent satellite-monitored anymore, cant be tied with on-board GPS for transmitting wreckage coordinates or even that the device in the tail might be over 40 years old. There are a handful of good reasons to invest in a 406 ELT and some well-worn excuses not to. Maybe you always fly IFR, or never in the sticks, or always in earshot of a listening control tower. But given the improvements in 406 technology, we think the investment is worthy.

Its interesting to watch brilliantly engineered avionics grow stale.Two years is middle aged for panel gizmos and four years is geriatric. Avidynes popular and feature-rich EX500 is trickle-down technology from the grander EX5000 Entegra MFD. Pilots now demanded more from an MFD than EX500 can offer. Avidynes answer is the EX600. Call it an EX500 on steroids if you want, but we call it a much-needed improvement and a lease on life, perhaps for a year or two. Upgrade pricing from an EX500 is fair, but buying a new EX600 is pricey and installation could be a challenge in tight radio stacks as the bigger EX600 demands more vertical space. Heres a closer look.

In February 1996, the FAAs Technical Standard Order (TSO) C129 put IFR GPS navigation on the map. It was a complex installation with equipment that was quirky to program, but early adopters gained GPS-direct flight plans and GPS approaches-even though GPS was “supplementary navigation.” Todays IFR GPS installations are all about the augmented WAAS signal thats worthy of sole-means navigation. Theyre still a source of confusion and expense, but WAAS installations yield impressive automation and capability. Before you decide if WAAS is for you, you need to understand some behind-the-scenes facts and why you could be disadvantaged without WAAS GPS in your aircraft.

It was close to midnight and after a long day of flying we were cooked. A couple miles out something just didnt look right. If not for the landing light reflecting off the trees, we might not be here to review cockpit lighting upgrades. The instrument-panel lighting in that 70s-vintage Arrow was so poor we cranked in the wrong altimeter setting-misreading a two for a three in the Kollsman window. There’s no reason to live with (or risk death due to) substandard cockpit lighting. Panel upgrades require skill and a decent budget. The good news is there are several options to light up your night.

Once upon a time in a galaxy not far away and not that long ago, there was no such thing as an EFIS. The aviation world was guided by spinning iron gyros on jeweled bearings. Then, overnight it seems, you could practically buy one of these things in the electronic department at Walmart. Okay, so thats an absurd exaggeration, but there are still a bunch of aftermarket EFIS choices out there and Aspen, Garmin, Avidyne and, soon, Bendix/King continue to offer more. Most recent is an expansion of the Aspen line with new approvals for the EFD500 and EFD1000 in the multifunction role. As weve reported previously, Aspen has essentially invented its own niche market by engineering a compact, easy-to-install PFD that fits electronic gyros into the space normally occupied by the AI and DG/HSI. Even in an anemic market, Aspen has enjoyed brisk sales, evidently because the installation does less violence to the basic panel and because the price is right.

Around 1997, BF Goodrichs Skywatch TAS brought high-performance, active traffic interrogation to light aircraft. It was an accurate and reliable system that remains in the L-3 Avionics Systems product line today. Honeywell also has a proven TAS system and Avidynes affordable TAS600, which started life as the Ryan 9900 series, has been a lively seller and good performer. Now Garmin has a fresh TAS system of its own with the GTS800-series. Its available in three versions: The low-cost GTS800, mid-range GTS820 and flagship GTS850. The attention getter is the ability to display ADS-B traffic targets on screen. Is ADS-B an important functionality for future TAS systems? We think so. Avidyne has announced an ADS-B upgrade for their brisk-selling TAS-600. The Garmin GTS800-series system is currently undergoing certification and availability is expected by years end. Its engineered for sizeable growth potential as the FAA finalizes its ADS-B mandate.

Several years ago, the most popular add-on during major avionics upgrades was an electric attitude gyro. Paranoid owners who dreaded vacuum failure bet their lives-or at least a couple of grand-on electrically-driven steam gauge horizons for backup. But in a full-glass suite like the G1000 or Entegra, a steam gauge seems so old school. The mini glass backup instruments you see in transport-category aircraft are trickling down to Part 23 aircraft.Currently, two manufacturers have approved products: L-3 Avionics with the pricey Trilogy Electronic Standby Instrument system, and Kelly Manufacturing with the RC Allen with the more basic, and cheaper, 2600 electronic horizon. These units are opposite ends of the market. L-3 Avionics (and former BF Good-rich) boasts a proven track record for extremely reliable electric, analog instruments. You find them in high-end business jets and in airliners, too. The ESI-1000 integrated standby system follows in high-end L-3 tradition. Its an impressive instrument with an impressive price of $15,000. Despite the heavy price tag, Trilogy is generating lots of intrigue among glass cockpit owners. Trilogy can back up a big-screen PFD or old-school steam gauges, and has multiple TSO approvals applicable to various flight-instrument functionality including Airspeed, Attitude, Altimetry, Heading and Multi Purpose Display.

In the old days, audio panels were simple devices that allowed the use of headphones and handled switching and separation of the communications radios. These days, audio panels are audio control hubs handling radios, patching through traffic and terrain alerts, supplying the intercom and controlling cabin entertainment. Its not so important to choose one brand over the other. Its all in the installation and how fancy you want to get with entertainment.If we can offer a single piece of advice on any audio system upgrade its this: Dont skimp on the wiring. In the high-stakes game of cabin audio, shortcuts are unacceptable. Forget about chopping the connector from an old Narco CP135 audio panel and wiring up the new hardware. The same is true for most older intercom systems. This will drive up the cost-$4000 for the parts and labor isn’t unreasonable-but thats what it takes for crystal-clear sound.

Several of the major avionics manufacturers are offering extended warranty coverage for their high-end products. What may initially seem like a hard sell could ultimately save you a ton of dough. Its no secret that modern avionics are far from cheap, but out-of-warranty repairs and associated troubleshooting can be shockingly expensive. Even a basic factory repair on a modern navcomm radio can top $1000. Many consumers are skeptical of buying into warranty coverage. The sad fact is that extended warranties for radios, like nearly any other product, are a crap shoot. But before you tell Jos, “no way,” you need to consider the potential for savings plus the perceived value it might add to the aircraft if you try to sell it. To make the correct decision in buying warranty coverage, you need to understand the potential costs for both minor and major repairs. For example, the display replacement for a Bendix/King KX155A navcomm radio will usually cost upwards of $500, even for a field repair. A meter failure in a KI209 navigational indicator essentially reduces the unit to throw-away status (this indicator is worth $2000 in factory-new condition). Repairs to an Avidyne EX5000 MFD thats out of warranty will yield a repair cost of $2250, and the turn-around time could be two weeks.

As we pointed out in our April issue of Aviation Consumer, there are some sweet deals on used, glass-cockpit aircraft. But for many owners, this jump in the ownership food chain might not be practical or affordable. If youre perfectly happy with your current wings (or just have good reason not to sell right now) but lust for the big-screen glass that dazzle front and center in new cockpits, you have options. Unfortunately, there are caveats a-plenty. Our definition of glass here includes a primary flight display (PFD) and some kind of modern multi-function display (MFD) and modern IFR-GPS the likes of Garmins GNS-series navigators. Traffic and satellite weather are in the mix as well. Were talking fully certified systems focused toward certificated aircraft-nothing experimental or portable installed on the panel. Step one is a review of your stock electrical system. New, all-electric aircraft require electrical-bus and electrical-system redundancy. Your old airframe likely doesnt have dual batteries, dual alternators or dual electrical busses, and equipping a 70s-vintage Skylane to these specs just isn’t going to happen. Some equipment wont accept a 14-volt input voltage, including the popular Avidyne EX500 MFD. That means a current-hungry voltage converter if installed in a 14-volt system. That brings us to the other major issue: overwhelming the electrical system of an older bird in supporting all those fancy new avionics. Many 14-volt alternators werent intended to keep up with this intense charging demand. Some owners with full panels report increased incidents of alternator failure or screen blackouts when running high-draw accessories like landing lights or gear and flap motors. Have your shop do an electrical load analysis for your proposed avionics suite. And always keep a healthy battery in the aircraft. It works hard. Reworking the original bus and installing properly rated push/pull circuit breakers and proper labeling can be surprisingly pricey and time-consuming. Is it worth it to rewire analog engine gauges and warning lights while the panel is open? How about replacing old switches with modern, lighted rockers? What about all that old wiring lurking behind the panel and woven through the airframe? This can get expensive even before putting in the new stuff.

Last month we looked at buys on late-model, four-seat singles (“Late-Model Cruisers: Cessna, Cirrus Are Tops,” Aviation Consumer March 2009) and were shocked at how many good deals there were on used aircraft with glass cockpits. How about a 1300-hour 2005 Cessna 172SP with a G1000 and autopilot for $157,000? We found similarly-equipped 2005 and 2004 Diamond DA40s with about 1000 hours on them for $165,000 and $159,000, respectively. Tipping the scales a bit further was a well-kept 2003 Cirrus SR22 with 1251 hours, TKS de-ice, Skywatch, Stormscope, XM-weather, digital charts, TAWS and the latest revision of the PFD software for $210,000. Looking up the food chain to Mooneys, Columbias, Barons and the like, the deals are less dramatic, but they are still huge discounts from the new prices for relatively low-time aircraft. A good example is the 165-hour 2006 Mooney Ovation 2 with a G1000, known ice and most every option for $350,000. With the economy pulling the rug out from more and more people, repossessed aircraft are hitting the market as well. Were even seeing still-new 2007 models that have been wallflowers waiting for an owner with their sticker price sinking lower and lower.

The Italian Multinational GPS maker AvMap has enjoyed some popularity over the past 14 years with products known for rugged designs and large, brilliant screens. When we first reviewed the color EKP-III series in 2004 we found it to be a durable workhorse that earned its place in tactical airborne law enforcement applications and was equally at home as an electronic knee pad navigator in civilian cockpits. While the product line evolved since then, AvMap lacked satellite weather until now. We selected the $1199 GeoPilot II Plus for this review because its the latest offering from AvMap and we wanted a look at its weather, but other products in the AvMap line, including the EKP-IV-series can now play with the popular and proven WXWorx XM receiver (with a required software patch). The WxWorx Receiver Package represents a $599 option that includes the receiver, a serial data module, power cable and XM antenna. But WX or not, we think the GeoPilot II Plus excels in many areas and might be overlooked by the masses of qualified buyers. The 13-oz GeoPilot II Plus measures 5.5 x 3.9 x 1.4 inches and uses an integral, 20-channel Sirf Star III WAAS GPS receiver. Lock-on is fast and solid, even using the built-in antenna although an optional remote antenna is available. In our testing, this receiver locked on more quickly than we were ready to roll and never lost the lock. The five-inch diagonal screen is crisp, but an auto-brightness feature that constantly fine-tunes the display intensity we found annoying at times. Our fingers searched for a dedicated brightness key, but it just isn’t there. Pressing the Near button for one second accesses a manual adjustment. There’s also a night mode, for night-vision comfort. A sturdy suction mount comes with the navigator. While mounting to the windscreen works, it partially blocks the view outside. We wish the unit came with a yoke mount as standard equipment. There is an optional rail mount, a pod mount as we’ll as other aftermarket mounts, available from RAM. Air Gizmos makes a docking station and a dedicated bracket to house the WxWorx receiver.