We had a thread here already on Avidyne insisting that their DFC90 autopilot computer needs to be sent all the way back to the USA just to read out the error log...
Speaking of the "coming soon" Avidyne IFD boxes, I have just read this in the USA:
The Avidyne 4/540 units will, as it turns out, have a similar battery [to the GNS boxes] for the same reasons. Their stated life expectation is 7-10 years. However, because of the "substantial disassembly" issue, they are not licensing their install shops to make the change: the unit has to go back to the factory to be fixed under either extended warranty or a flat $1200 service charge. That charge supposedly also covers tune-up of the entire system before return to customer.
So you will be looking at ~ €1000, including shipping, just to get the battery changed. That amounts to a €100-€130/year "battery fund" which I think is a bit of a joke.
This might come in useful 
The more serious Q is why are Avidyne doing this?
Anecdotally, speaking to some of their people in Europe, they don't seem to think much of the expertise of say their UK avionics dealers. Well, I can understand that.
But taking this kind of trivial stuff out of the local hands and creating a lot of downtime just plays into the hands of Garmin, which is a stupid way to do business because a HUGE amount of the goodwill which Avidyne have, which has kept the IFD deposit holder money coming in and has kept large numbers of holders from asking for their money back in the face of the endless delays, is a general animosity towards Garmin and the Garmin monopoly.
Why can't Avidyne appoint a competent service shop in Europe? And if they really think ALL their European dealers are monkeys, it takes just one person who is a decent electronics engineer, plus a secretary, and say 100 sq. m of office space, to run a European service centre.
and, as regards
it takes just one person who is a decent electronics engineer, plus a secretary, and say 100 sq. m of office space, to run a European service centre.
I think there could be worse secretaries than myself - though the word seems be interpreted differently in the UK - and could even provide those 100 m2 with not too much trouble. Now where's the decently qualified engineer? And would there be enough business with sufficient margin to leave any profit after paying two FTE's plus the 100 m2 ?
I don't get why Avidyne are happy to shift their boxes via a large number of European "dealers" but they don't trust any of them to connect up a laptop to the box and download the error log, or even trust them to change a battery.
Agree.
On the Cirrus owners forum (COPA) there is a VERY lively thread going on right now about the battery replacement cost (for the MFD) and an URGENT need for Avidyne to significantly up their game. A pity, since all users seems to love the products…
Avidyne do need a fully authorized service shop in Europe. Not tomorrow. Now.
Just realized…I answered a three year old thread….oh’well…..the need is even more urgent then….. ;-)
Yes… Not much has changed although Avidyne read EuroGA now and might be able to update us on any changes.
