Following the question here (the answer to which may be “Yes but nobody will install it for you, so the market is tiny”) there are various sites such as Porcine Associates who make all kinds of strange boxes.
My view would be that with homebuilts, especially higher end ones, moving to glass, the demand for bits like this is small. Just as has happened in the certified scene where Davtron etc are almost nonexistent in new aircraft.
I am designing a “comms box” which can work as a programmable protocol converter, with some analog interfaces.
The Porcine page has been last updated in 2002…
Homebuild market has evolved from this time. Or build a very cheap one and then you go for the round gages and with just a COM if really needed. Or you build a serious plane (RV type) and then you will go for glass with integrated autopilot. If needed, you add a Garmin/Avidyne navigator.
I did realise it is very old, but there are many niche businesses which sell old stuff. My own business sells even older stuff than this one
There is this one
https://experimentalavionics.com/
with the store
https://experimentalavionics.com/store/
Maybe not all that oddball (whatever that is supposed to mean in this context – experimental is experimental), but he got lots of cool and out of the (aviation) box stuff
I am wondering whether there is any market in simple standalone instruments for the homebuilt market.
Not the “EFIS” panels which everybody is making already.
Given the – low – prices for non-certified glass, I don’t think anyone is going for old style instruments anymore, unless, perhaps, to maintain the ‘vintage’ look of an old airplane.
Peter wrote:
Not the “EFIS” panels which everybody is making already.
Could you describe what you mean by “oddball avionics” ? (except “not EFIS” )
Small standalone instruments (e.g. OAT gauges), or protocol converters for inter-box compatibility.
Indeed there is. Not everyone are looking for EFIS’es. MGL makes a lot of EFIS’es, but also lots of other “oddball” stuff. These electronic indicators are popular. MGL recently updated the set to full color graphics (among other things). They are 2 1/4 and 5 1/8 inch.
They also have these electronic circuit breakers, can be used standalone or with an EFIS, and some other stuff.
Only a few weeks ago I found by accident something I have been looking for, for several years. A simple, light weight and small stand alone UPS. They are made by Kanardia. They deliver instruments to Pipistrel also.
I don’t think I have ever seen a protocol converter. For the uncertified market, CAN bus is popular. MGL has some converters to/from CAN and proprietary? protocols used for transponders.