If you have the round engine gauges, they are primary and the MFD is optional, so you can remove it. If you have engine displays on your PFD, which occurs if you have a DAU and the correct level of PFD software, you can also remove the MFD.
In either case, the GTN 750 wouldn’t “replace” the MFD, since it can’t provide CHT/EGT, fuel totalizer, or amperage information. None of that is required, but most people would find it extremely useful for proper engine operation.
It is possible to install Clyde’s BlueMax adapter, and receive this information on a iPad. A panel mounted iPad might be a better replacement for an MFD than a navigator, which is designed to, well, navigate.
The avidyne EX5000C is an extremely disappointing and overpriced unit which has no support when it comes to warranty and assistance.
My Cirrus had one installed. It lasted 258 hours. Backlight failed. Unit operation could be seen when a torch shined in the right spot at the right angle. It was under warranty. Several emails and phone calls were made. I was quoted $15,000 Aus UNDER WARRANTY to replace the unit and that excluded removal and refitting. That was disgusting.
I have installed the Clyde Stubbs BlueMAX device at a fraction of the price along with a flush mounted iPad to the dash and it works perfectly. Actually better in many ways due to colors, options and functions. I highly recommend looking at this option.
That’s good for you Jim.
Unfortunately the more I dug into the issue the more similar issues were found. Speaking to repair agents and engineers was very disappointing. All I asked for was help…
Well I have the email trail with with the $ quote for repair. Freight was required from Aus to US.
My thoughts exactly with regard to the warranty questioning. Thought that was what you take out extended warranty for. Again only 258 hours on unit. Wow!
Bottom line I am very happy with the BlueMAX system and the exceptional support offered. It’s well worth a look.
Yes, the Aeroplan warranty should cover anything except damaged screens and battery replacement. I don’t know the specifics of Pete’s situation but it does seem strange the quote was that high if it was under warranty. I know some of the history of that plane - I had a share in it between 2000 and 2003, but it had an Arnav MFD then. It was converted to Avidyne sometime around 2004, but it sounds like the latest MFD was not the original Avidyne if it only had 258 hours on it.
Strangely I can’t even remember what the ARNAV MFD was like to use - when I look at photos of the ARNAV screen it has absolutely no familiarity to me even though I spent a few hundred hours flying with it.
Anyway I’m pleased that Pete got a solution he is happy with at a reasonable price - and a lifetime warranty on the hardware, though I won’t pretend for a moment that’s in any way comparable with the challenges in supporting a 20 year old panel-mount MFD.
He’ll be even happier with the new BlueMAX features in the pipeline. Suggestions are welcome.
I exchanged one several months ago under warranty. Avidyne wants $1500 just to change the CMOS battery on the mother board, which isnt really needed, bc it can get the time from the attached Garmin GPS.
While I like the mfd and Avidyne, my experience with Avidyne repair for the mfd will likely keep me in the Garmin sphere for avionics. This new repair biz is not good for Avidyne.
Oddly, that is how I am as well about the Arnav. I have some snippets but very little otherwise.
I flew a couple hundred hours behind it also. Part of the reason probably as a first generation big screen MFD it had so little functionality compared to the Avidyne. It had no engine monitoring (later it could be added), the graphics were crude (only showed airspace boundaries until a revision brought more), it could not draw circled routes (like a DME Arc), no weather and they were completely outclassed by the Avidyne that replaced it. When my plane was less than 2 years old I jumped at the Avidyne replacement, despite the fairly high cost.
It had two things I remember liking. What I called the “golden circle” (a 20 mile stormscope circle to keep strikes out of) and it had some sort of altitude box that I recall liking but cannot any longer describe.
I called it a big situational awareness device. It looked cool, but the Avidyne surpassed it in true leapfrog fashion. It was not a “multifunction” display in any sense of the word. And you just couldn’t do much with it. Still happy I ditched it almost 17 years and $18K later (adding EMax in that cost as well).
I think the Avidyne MFD is a great design and a real useful MFD all these years later.
I agree, that would be nice. But at this point that is wishful thinking since the design is almost 20 years old and it has not been made for more than 10 years. It is an old design that keeps on working for now. It seems like we, as a group, might spend some money refreshing it if a reasonable cost upgrade came along.
I have Clydes BlueMax module. Engine monitoring works just great with it. But I refuse to be relying on an iPad in place of my Avidyne. The iPad is too temperature sensitive to be relied on. At least for a guy living in in Arizona.
“The iPad is too temperature sensitive to be relied on. At least for a guy living in in Arizona.”
Wouldn’t a muffin fan placed behind the iPad solve this problem when it’s mounted in place of an EX5000? There appears to be plenty of room for that. A heat sink radiator could even be incorporated. Most certified avionics use a cooling fan.
I like my Avidyne MFD and even plan on upgrading to 8.2.x to have ADS-B traffic and weather from my soon to be installed Lynx. I do have a contingency plan if it happens to fail – replace with panel mounted iPad with BlueMax, IFD100 app, MiraCheck and my favorite EFB app. I’d probably add an Evolution 500 MFD to my 1000 PFD as well. Hope to not have to do this for a long time.
My ARNAV is now 18 years old and I agree completely that it is of minimal functionality. I use it as an engine monitor only. The navigation functions are rudimentary at best. But it was “cutting edge” 20 years ago.
One day it will simply keel over and die. Then I’ll decide what to put in its place.
Peter, do you have in writing Avidyne’s explanation (however bogus it may be) for why your warranty was not valid or honored? If so, would you please attach a copy of that to this thread?
It’s a very strange story. While the MFD in my 2006 has never been removed since it left the factory, I know they do fail sometimes. So the issue isn’t why your MFD failed, Peter, it’s why Avidyne did not honor the warranty. That could be because it had expired, or because you thought you had a warranty but Avidyne’s records did not agree, or because some warranty seal on your unit was compromised, or because you were dealing with real jerks working for Avidyne who refused to comply with the warranty obligations because that’s what jerks do. There are no doubt other possibilities too.
That there are so many possibilities is why I’d like to see Avidyne’s explanation, if you have it in writing. If that written denial has no valid basis for Avidyne’s refusal to honor the warranty, it’s a warning to us all here on COPA with Avidyne Entegra panels. Please do share it.
While my MFD has never been removed, my PFD over the years has been removed a few times for problems. Including once since I’ve owned it. It was under warranty, so it did not cost me anything. I don’t understand why you were treated differently.
Good question. I don’t think it would remove the iPad overheats I have had. Mine is currently mounted where my pilot side vent blows on it. And it has never failed in flight with one exception. Read on.
My problem is ground heat soaking. When the plane is on the ground in the summer time it gets HOT inside. I have never checked but cars are widely known to make 160 to 170 degrees when closed up. Since we don’t have windows to crack and we have lots of windows, well you get the picture.
When on the ramp for an hour or two I cover the iPad with a white towel. In flight it has never failed with one exception, after it was sitting on the ground. OTOH, I had multiple ground failures. I often remove it from the plane, but the inside ambient temps and the mounting hardware are hot and it doesn’t take long before I am at risk of an over temp.
When I use my canopy cover, the problem has never occurred as it dramatically lowers the temps in the plane. So I need a way to stop the solar induced temp gain on the ground. I do have those foil window inserts for ground use, maybe I should use those more, that might help.
Even air conditioning won’t help that, although the iPad would respond well to that by shortening the recovery time.
