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Random Griz Aviation Musings

Roger_Waveoff

Well-Known Member
pilot
OK people, WTAF is this silliness?


View attachment 39871
God I hate that. The Samsung Active Tab 2s are such trash. They're okay for reading pubs but the number of times I've been trying to plot a threat in KILSWITCH or ATAK, or build an IFR route in Aero App, only for the damn thing to lock up and crash on me is infuriating.

Nothing wrong with mounting a tablet in a semi-permanent manner for additional SA. I do it all the time with my iPad Mini flying C172s. But this is such an obvious "take the easy way out and call it a day" solution. Can that tablet talk to the aircraft's HSI/CDI at all? Is it getting Precise Positioning Service via encrypted P(Y) code, or is it just as inaccurate as my phone running Google Maps? If there's intent for RNAV, does it have RAIM?

I would like to think people much smarter than me have thought about these things, but let's just say I've been less than impressed with how the Marine Corps has tried to shove "Mom, can we have ForeFlight? No, we have ForeFlight at home," down our throats via subpar hardware.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
The other day a CBP -60A came through the airport at work. I went over and peeked in it and the cockpit looked more like a Bravo or Foxtrot cockpit with the addition of the TDFMs, MTS, and what looked to be an upgraded NAV select panel. But what was interesting to see was the 530s jammed into the dash to the left and right of each AI/BDHI.

I remember back to a NARG and hearing the integration is too complex. Hard and expensive, certainly, but not impossible. See also: HF in Romeo.

And for the record, it's still weird not seeing a C-Power switch on the collective.
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
But what was interesting to see was the 530s jammed into the dash to the left and right of each AI/BDHI.
I believe 530's were retrofitted in CODs and E-2's as well! Popular "do it all" platform (VHF COMM, WAAS RNAV GPS, VOR/LOC/GS) - now with Garmin ending repair support will be a challenge. But these go forever and there is a sizable market for used 530's. I am in the process of selling my club's 530's on Trade-A-Plane, etc after we retrofitted GTN750's (which were all purchased pre-owned as well). 530 and 430 units have very high actual MTBF rates - when I was at Garmin HQ last year, the biggest repair issue on these units are broken knobs from ageing/brittle plastic.
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
...

And for the record, it's still weird not seeing a C-Power switch on the collective.
You should've looked for the tailwheel lock switch.

Spoiler alert: it's a pushbutton.
A certain HSL bubba really gave me hell for taking 5 seconds to find it during my second flight in a 60L at TPS :D
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
But these go forever and there is a sizable market for used 530's. I am in the process of selling my club's 530's on Trade-A-Plane, etc after we retrofitted GTN750's (which were all purchased pre-owned as well). 530 and 430 units have very high actual MTBF rates - when I was at Garmin HQ last year, the biggest repair issue on these units are broken knobs from ageing/brittle plastic.

I think a lot of them are being bought up by the avionics shops now for parts. In the last week or two, there was an updated projection of availability from the second-hand market and I want to say it was less than 2 years now.

The biggest issue we have with ours is the buttons corroding out from lack of use. We were down to one functioning button on our 430 because we hardly use them. I swap freqs with my cyclic, and the one functioning button was the "MSG" button, since that flashes anytime we update our generic LZ user waypoint. One of the mechanics ended up spraying some contact cleaner down in them and they all started working again, but we swapped out the unit anyway, just in case. Ironically, several days later, our 530 data card went down, so we had to fly on the 430 for several days. Thankfully we had working buttons at that point.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
You should've looked for the tailwheel lock switch.

Spoiler alert: it's a pushbutton.
A certain HSL bubba really gave me hell for taking 5 seconds to find it during my second flight in a 60L at TPS :D

But do you still have to hump the tailwheel to get it to unlock with a bent pin?
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
But do you still have to hump the tailwheel to get it to unlock with a bent pin?
That's an HSL/HSM thing. HS always gave it the pedal wiggle. Can't say I remember issues with the Army/Sierra style wheel (not that it's better)
 
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