I’d not be surprised if they do have the brains in house for their own development, but found it cheaper/faster/easier to make a deal across the pond. No need to re-invent the wheel, is there?
Has anyone installed the KT74? I like the push-button entry of the Garmin but the Trig offers ADS-B out at a better price. The KT74 offers both push-button entry and ADS-B out so I am tempted to have one fitted in place of my existing mode-c but I haven’t seen any aircraft with a KT74 fitted.
From some avionics company I got the message that the KT74 was lacking EASA approval or EASA STC. Possibly from DAO in Roskilde, Denmark. They instead suggested installing a Trig TT31.
But Avionik Straubing recommended the KT74 since it was cheaper than the TT31.
So am not sure which company was right on the EASA status of the KT74.
It is important to understand the differences on certification.
The KT-74 is certified according both TSO and E-TSO (E-TSO for EASA). This is to certify the part itself.
To install a certified part into a certified aircraft as an upgrade (that P/N was not used in this aircraft before) that it requires a minor or major change. An STC is a form of a change. A transponder can be installed per minor change as long as the ADS-B out is not part of the change. Anyone can apply for a minor change, only a Part 21 design orgnasation (DOA) can apply for a major change or STC.
This is why it is important to get the classification correct. As the major route is much more expensive then the minor route.
There are a lot of TT-31 approvals available, from the time EASA didn’t charge for approvals, and approvals that have been used multiple times. For most aircraft the TT-31 approval would be available. As the KT-74 their might not be an approval for your aircraft (I hold many approvals for TT-31, non for KT-74). The EASA fee for a minor change approval is currently somewhere around 290 Euro. An installer might also ask money for making the actual paperwork needed to gain the approval.
Another thing to think about is product support. I haven’t sold KT-74’s yet. I don’t know how they respond when their are issue’s. I could only guess that warranty go trough Bendix/King.
I have done a couple hundred transponders, all of them have issues. However some are garbage while others are doing very good. Trig and Garrecht are manufacturers who have had a very low failure rate at the units I have had installed. If their are issues they are resolved quickly. From European manufacturers I would say Trig offers the best dealer support, which translates to better end customer support.
Some manufacturers do easily take weeks for repairs, which is unacceptable in my view. Trig also does fixed out of warranty repair prices, which is very sensible and fair in my opinion. I do hope they will keep attitude and stay “small” in that respect.
From American manufacturers only Aspen delivers the same high quality dealer support.
That said, it is not that others won’t give support, it just takes longer, and sometimes seems selling is more important than the customer.
