Went to the avionics shop yesterday to start the quoting process. But it’s leaning towards Avidyne. Reasons:
1. The IFD540 is bigger than the 650, but smaller than the 750, which is perfect for my panel.
2. If you buy the IFD540 you’ll automatically be eligible for the IFD550 software upgrade for a reduced amount.
3. The IFD is now also a quasi-primary display with Synthetic vision. Not truly so, as it doesn’t have baro, but in effect, it could be mounted where a PFD is today. Never ever understood why, for instance, the G600 has to have a PFD and then a separate GPS to drive it taking up panel space. It should all be in one. The IFD540 is that (minus the baro).
4. It can display radar.
5. It can display Stormscope.
6. It can display external video source – maybe someone releases a fancy IR camera system for approaches down the road – then it would be able to show on the IFD.
7. It can have 2 remote transponders. That saves a lot of panel space if you need 2.
So, leaning that way. My only worries are resell value and I also think the graphical display design looks better on the Garmins. Avidyne uses a too thick lines and fonts etc – makes it look a little Bendix/King dated. I also wish it would have a remote audio panel like the 750, but that’s not a deal breaker.
Dropped off huge downpayment check yesterday so they can get a head start on buying the stuff. She’ll go in for both new panel and new interior next week. Hopefully won’t take as long as it did to get her flying…
1. In the end, I’m going with an IFD540, remote S-mode transponder, L3 Genesis electronic AI. Reason I chose the L3 over the Sandia Quattro even though it’s more expensive, is that it has synthetic vision – so it’s like a little mini-EFIS. I’m keeping my analog AI and HSI, as I like it and it’s a really good system. This is the perfect backup.
2. All analog stuff will have recessed UMA-lighting and look really slick. Some of the smaller turbine gauges will have to retain their post lights, which is driving me crazy. But there simply isn’t a recessed lighting system for these. At least the bulbs will be LED, so should in theory never go out.
3. Further I will mount two powered panel mounted iPad holders. This serves multiple functions. First, I can run the Avidyne IFD100 remote here, which is like having a second IFD540, plus I can then also chose to run both VFR and IFR charts parallel for situational awareness.
4. I will also install a Globalstar satellite phone system, as it only costs $1600. With an app on the iPhone you can make both calls and download data right there at altitude, which is a great safety and convenience feature. Also, Globalstar is pairing up with Avidyne, so you will be able to receive texts directly to the IFD540 in the future.
Here you can see how bogged down and low on the struts she is carrying the humongous check to the avionics shop…. 
It can display radar.
5. It can display Stormscope.
6. It can display external video source
I was asking about that here and sure enough you saw that too.
Do you know Adam if your radar and/or the video features are implemented using digital symbols, or NTSC video?
Don’t fully know if it’s just NTSC, @Peter . I’ll ask.
The decision process for the radar and Stormscope was something I struggled with, but I feel I came to the right decision.
I have a WX-900 in mine and that won’t display. It needs to be the WX-500. Not worth it for me as they’re (not surprisingly) the most expensive units in the Stormscope range. But the bigger question was the radar. The IFD540 can display any of the later RDR 2000 and RDS 81/82 radars as an overlay. Unfortunately, I only have an older RDR-130 or 160 in mine. The newer Bendix radars were for sale for $18K but with a $3K rebate if you ordered before Xmas. Was it worth having it display on the IFD for $15K? Hmmm….
That left me with two alternatives.
Either eat the $15K and get the dream minimalist panel, or spend $9K on an Avidyne EX600 MFD that can display my old radar (it takes up more space and isn’t a very useful unit otherwise). In the end I did neither. Turned out he had one of those Bendix/King GPS’s (that you have in yours Peter) that also display radar, sitting on the shelf for $3K. So I went with that. It gives me radar, a VFR GPS backup (don’t plan on updating the database and pay for that), a cleaner display than my horrid old B/W CRT radar display from the Sinatra era. It’s a compromise, but it’s a cheap and useful solution. And the unit is reasonably small and will be lighter than my old CRT.
Yes the KMD550 displays NTSC video as standard. But it doesn’t contain a GPS. It will accept a GPS data stream from a King GPS (KLN etc) so you can see your whole route on it. It will also display traffic from a Ryan/Avidyne TAS6xx box if you install an optional ARINC429 card in it. That is what I did.
I just now see that I get conflicting info if it will display radar. Some say it needs to be the later 850 model to do that. Does your 550 have a tab that says RADAR under WX button? Also, it seems impossible to find out IF they do display radar, which radars are supported. The Bendix website seems to say it’s only the later RDR 2000 and RDS systems that are supported, but that might just want to be because they want to sell you one of those systems….
It’s all so confusing.
The KMD550 will display anything that comes in via NTSC video.
Ref that METAR display you saw, the KMD550 cannot tell if the stuff is metars, a radar image, or a photo of Samantha Fox. However the last option might benefit from the low resolution
AFAIK modern radar display systems don’t use NTSC video but use a digital stream where pixels are placed at a specified radial (bearing) and radius, so a whole load of packets are needed to paint a display, but the data can be pretty fast. I looked into this for that metar display project but all the protocols were confidential, and anyway the KMD (as it comes, with no options) cannot display any of that.
The KMD850 only uses ARINC 708 for radar – this is actually an ARINC429 bus for control and ARINC453 for the data. The KMD does not support older radars such as the RDR130, WXR series etc. In many ways the EX600 is probably a better solution today with the greater interface flexibility. Which one is better supported is anyone’s guess.
Sounds like the KMD850 is a KMD550 with some sort of interface card added into one of its several card slots.
Every KMD550 has the NTSC input – I checked this out years ago.
The KMD550 database is updated with a PCMCIA flash card – an obsolete Intel 20MB linear flash, detailed in that KMD550 text display writeup of mine, together with a German-made programmer which can copy these cards. But AFAIK King still support the KMD550 with mapdata. I have not updated mine for years though; no point. Skyforce (a UK company which originally developed the KMD150, 550 and 850 and was bought by Honeywell) still support some commercial helicopter product which uses this technology.
I was hoping @avijake would drop in on the other thread about the EX600 and map support but he hasn’t.
I don’t think anybody can guess what the duration of map support will be for any of these products but all the time an update costs a few hundred $ plus, it is a good revenue stream and the numbers in flight are pretty big.
No dice with the KMD’s and my old radar, as feared. That left EX500 or put my old horrendous radar monitor back in. So this email arrived:
Adam
The cheapest EX 500 with RADAR option we found on the internet was $ 7400 with a 90 day warranty. Also it will take about 20 hours in labor to fabricate the mount the EX 500 in the pedestal. The EX 500 is 13.5 inches deep without connectors. On the other hand, I can get u a NEW ART 2000 for $ 15500 and it will display on the IFD 540. I spoke to Avidyne and the said they will Waive off the $ 5000 RADAR unlock Card. So to me that will make best sense in the long run. The ART 2000 is 30 year modern than the RT 1301. Plus it has the Tilt control and attitude reference input.
Let me know if you want to buy the EX 500 or wait till we confirm it will fit. And also let me know on the ART 2000 if you want to put it in. I know u were concerned about the value the plane. But, if you decide to sell the plane, you can remove the ART 2000 and sell it
So, it seems this is best solution after all. And it saves a lot of panel space. But it is about $8K more than I wanted to spend.
