Posted: 1/27/2013 2:30:30 PM EDT
| I'm buying a 78 172 with oem radios. I'm thinking about an upgrade and curious if anyone else has been thru the process? |
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I haven't, but I've been involved with some second hand.
Check the shops reputation first. Some of the local shops around here are really really slow to get anything done, and tend to hold onto parts forever and never really "get to it." Depending on the shop, clearly and thoroughly define what you want, in writing and diagram with the shop. I would also look for commitment regarding time, and I would follow up with them. Depending on what you want to do, you might find some deals on used radios online. Or, if you are just going to throw money at it, consider going all Garmin so everything talks to each other easily. Finding an older Garmin snap in panel 491 GPS would be an economical choice, and even a good backup/additional screen to a 430. The in panel 491 mount is far better than the yoke mount. Another thought, Cessna plastic is expensive, and in many cases doesn't last very long. You can get some electroflourecent panel lighting that is pretty good and runs on a rheostat. You can also talk to the panel folks about replacing the right side of the panel that isn't canted a few degrees down with a piece of sheetmetal instead of the original plastic. |
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Quoted:
I'm buying a 78 172 with oem radios. I'm thinking about an upgrade and curious if anyone else has been thru the process? I've overseen several as the maint. officer in a flying club. I've also a full IFR stack in a homebuilt (mine) so I've seen it from both sides. The biggest thing to do is ask around - a shop's reputation will tell you a lot of what you need to know. Also, know your mission before you go in - if you're just trying to keep it as a VFR cruiser, for example, don't let the shop try to sell you a full GTN650/750 stack with traffic & weather. Keep in mind that the cost of the radios might be as little as half the total installed cost as well - this was true for the club's warrior upgrade due to the need for panel surgery as well as lots of wiring updates and antenna replacements. Good luck! |
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