I’m mulling over the next (and hopefully final for a while) avionics install – actually, I’m thinking of getting a new panel made up and rationalise things.
The next bit I’m looking at is a decent engine monitor.
My basic requirements are:
- 4 cylinder EGT
- 4 cylinder CHT
- All required engine gauges (oil pressure, oil temp, RPM etc)
- fuel flow/fuel totaliser would be nice
- ammeter and voltmeter would be nice
- would be nice if it mounted in a standard 3.something inch instrument hole, not essential though
Big requirement – the back of the instrument (including connectors) cannot be deep. In 1945, when my aircraft was made, many light aircraft manufacturers had this great idea of putting the main fuel tank behind the instrument panel. This means my radio is mounted overhead and the transponder by the passenger’s knee because I can’t have a radio stack like in a modern plane. The instrument itself should be no deeper than an ASI or altimeter.
Things I’ve looked at briefly – JPI EDM 830 and the Dynon EMS-D120 (both available in the UK from Mendelssohn’s). Have any of you installed and/or used either of these? Opinions? Any others that people who have used that should be considered?
MGL has several, from 2 1/4 to 3 to 5? and EFIS’es. I’m (re)configurating my EFIS right now for the ULPower engine. CAN bus mostly, but for some reason EGT, CHT and MAP are not included in the CAN bus by ULPower.
Not sure about JPI or Dynon, but MGL use a separate RDAC box for the actual measurements. This is typically installed in the engine apartment. Connection to the EMS is through CAN bus. This means the EMS itself is really shallow, it’s merely a screen.
It’s very simple stuff this engine monitoring, and if you feel like experimenting, you can build it yourself.
Have a look at Electronics International, they offer instruments for the standard 3“ holes in your dash with a separate box that collects all sensor inputs an then sends only one/two wire(s) to the actual indicators.
CGR 30P/C is certified as replacement for primary instruments for several types. From my impression and that of others their support is very keen on providing solutions for specific problems.
They also offer a highly customizable instrument depicting nearly everything you could wish.
The CGR 30 is about 80mm deep (excluding the connectors) and there’s a separate data acquisition box which you can shove anywhere.
Worth a look.
Thanks for all of those – the MGL kit looks the most interesting at the moment (and I like the idea of having the data acquisition box remotely mounted – less wiring behind the panel etc).
We’ve recently installed a JPY EDM 830 and love it. Good, clear colour graphics, plenty of information but can be customised to prevent overload, and does all the things you’re after – and then some. Only slight beef is that the buttonology is a bit clunky given there are only two buttons – LF and Step – which, between them in various combinations, have to do everything. You have to learn these combinations by experience (and a cheat sheet supplied by JPI helps) but eventually it all comes together.
We upgraded in (financial) stages with our C182S to a GTN, G5, ADSB-Out, second 8.33, portable O2, Pilot Aware and now the EDM 830. We’re basically just a couple of devices short of pretending to be a jumbo jet, in fact. Works a treat.
I had a JPI 830 fitted about 4 years ago and it has been trouble free and very beneficial.
I had Carb Heat, Fuel Flow, Battery Volts, Oil Temp and Pressure, and RPM, some
duplicating the factory fitted gauges but adding the possibility of software limits and
hence a warning should a problem start to develop.
The JPI 830 provides for an external warning light or two which can be put in a very prominent place for the
pilot and thus if any max/min value is exceeded one cannot miss the fact. You might not be offered this – I
wasn’t and I had to go back and get it fitted.
A Battery volt option might seem over the top but can be very useful. One can easily do a regular test to see
battery volt decay (taxi-ing) with various loads with ALT off and thus give consideration to whether you would like
a new battery.
One minor problem I had with the installation was that my aircraft had a single CHT gauge and thus an probe
existing and the JPI 830 probe was piggy backed onto this. This is a mistake as a later comparison with
the other 3 CHTs reasoned me to think that all 4 CHT probes must be fitted identically and thus I had to
remove the old probe and ‘in_op’ the old gauge. To my mind this should have been obvious in the first
place but you live and learn.
My reason for fitting the monitor was that my engine was approaching 1000 hours and I thought it
would be money well spent knowing more about my diminishing asset.
there was recently a $400 rebate on EI CGR30P and if you bought the combo 2 screen set, the rebate was $800.
Crazy deal. It expired but EI told me they plan to relaunch it in 4 months. I’ll be waiting for it.
