GA retrofit avionics - too many functions on one screen?

Yoke mounted tablet, Bluetooth audio, that’s it. Very simple and way more capable than something like an ancient 496.

Peter often talks about messing things up by accidentally touching the screen, but this is just not an issue either. It will only happen if you have:

1) Poorly designed software interface (this includes SkyDemon IMO)
2) Poorly mounted tablet
3) Poor understanding of how the software behaves such that you don’t know how to quickly cancel a (rare/never) accidental touch.

For me it’s just not an issue.

If you have a centre/side stick then admittedly it is a bit more messy as then you need a kneeboard style solution. Which is the only thing I don’t like about the DA42.

Peter wrote:

one could say the same about 1 × KLN94

Before the 650, I had this:

That did the job (driving the autopilot, HSI) as well. The reason to upgrade was mainly:

• the 8.33kHz mandate

• the lack of usable RNAV approach capability

Contributory reasons:

• the database update hassle factor (skybound adapter)

• many procedures either missing or coded wrongly (the device doesn’t support any other path terminator than DF, and “convenienty” every path terminator was silently converted to DF, leading to gross navigation errors if one wasn’t careful)

I used this during the initial IR exam, and the way I used this device apparently made a favourable impression on the IRE…

Martin wrote:

airport diagram on a GTN-650?

That’s actually surprisingly usable. You just have to hit the screen a few times (to get rid of the unsuspend dialog, and to zoom in). Taxiway labels are then clearly legible, even though they’re a bit pixellated (it seems garmin stores the airport charts in a bitmap format).

ortac wrote:

Which is the only thing I don’t like about the DA42.

Diamond offers a mount that goes on the canopy frame.