---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sun 12/09/12: 6 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 03:03 PM - Garmin 250XL Display Failure (Larry Ford) 2. 03:19 PM - Re: Garmin 250XL Display Failure (fedico94@mchsi.com) 3. 03:29 PM - Re: Garmin 250XL Display Failure (Robert Borger) 4. 05:13 PM - Open source wig-wag project (Paul Millner) 5. 05:34 PM - Re: Open source wig-wag project (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) 6. 07:34 PM - Re: Open source wig-wag project (Paul Millner) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 03:03:16 PM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Garmin 250XL Display Failure From: "Larry Ford" I've just experienced the third failure of the display screen (illuminates but no characters/digits) in 10 years and 835 hours TT. The comm does function but there's no way to determine the frequency without the display. The last repair was February 2009 and $653 which had to be "handled" through an avionics shop as Garmin no longer deals direct with OBAM customers. The aircraft is always hangared and there are no environmental or vibration issues contributing to the problem. I'm disinclined to invest any more $$$ in a design that has demonstrated to be unreliable. It's time to dump the 250XL but I'm leery of upgrading to other Garmin products if they are just as maintenance intensive. Any others having similar experiences or am I just unlucky? Larry Ford Glasair I RG N149LF Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=390116#390116 ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 03:19:08 PM PST US From: fedico94@mchsi.com Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Garmin 250XL Display Failure Have alot of experience with Garmin products through a full Garmin avionics suite and a G3X system. I have only had the products installed and working for 6 months. At the repair cost I would exit out of a "used" piece of equipment. In the past a moisture bent circuit board or just a poor design such as the GMA240 Audio Panel is not "owned" by Garmin, they side step the issue. More companies are entering the transponder nav-com market like Trutrak and Dynon. Customer service and quality/reliability will make the marketplace competitive. I am inclined to think that the guy who has 2 or 3 mortagages on his home to fund his business venture is going to be more attentive to the above as oppossed to an employee looking out for his own next personal interests. ----- Original Message ----- From: Larry Ford Sent: Sun, 9 Dec 2012 17:01:41 -0600 (CST) Subject: AeroElectric-List: Garmin 250XL Display Failure I've just experienced the third failure of the display screen (illuminates but no characters/digits) in 10 years and 835 hours TT. The comm does function but there's no way to determine the frequency without the display. The last repair was February 2009 and $653 which had to be "handled" through an avionics shop as Garmin no longer deals direct with OBAM customers. The aircraft is always hangared and there are no environmental or vibration issues contributing to the problem. I'm disinclined to invest any more $$$ in a design that has demonstrated to be unreliable. It's time to dump the 250XL but I'm leery of upgrading to other Garmin products if they are just as maintenance intensive. Any others having similar experiences or am I just unlucky? Larry Ford Glasair I RG N149LF Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=390116#390116 ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 03:29:46 PM PST US Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Garmin 250XL Display Failure From: Robert Borger Larry, Multiple Garmin units, handheld, automotive and aviation. No problems with any of them. Well, almost no problems. I had a Nuvi that I gave to my wife for her use when my new pickup came with a navigation unit. She threw the Nuvi in the back of her car and never used it. When I dug it out a year later to update the maps, it was dead. I called Garmin about a battery replacement and they told me to plug it in and leave it for a couple days. I did and when I started it up two days later it worked. Took about a week on and off the charger to recover the battery but it works just fine now. Blue skies & tailwinds, Bob Borger Europa XS Tri, Rotax 914, Airmaster C/S Prop. Little Toot Sport Biplane, Lycoming Thunderbolt AEIO-320 EXP 3705 Lynchburg Dr. Corinth, TX 76208-5331 Cel: 817-992-1117 rlborger@mac.com On Dec 9, 2012, at 5:01 PM, Larry Ford wrote: I've just experienced the third failure of the display screen (illuminates but no characters/digits) in 10 years and 835 hours TT. The comm does function but there's no way to determine the frequency without the display. The last repair was February 2009 and $653 which had to be "handled" through an avionics shop as Garmin no longer deals direct with OBAM customers. The aircraft is always hangared and there are no environmental or vibration issues contributing to the problem. I'm disinclined to invest any more $$$ in a design that has demonstrated to be unreliable. It's time to dump the 250XL but I'm leery of upgrading to other Garmin products if they are just as maintenance intensive. Any others having similar experiences or am I just unlucky? Larry Ford Glasair I RG N149LF ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 05:13:17 PM PST US From: Paul Millner Subject: AeroElectric-List: Open source wig-wag project On 12/7/2012 11:03 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote: > First passes at the software offered a single-flash > mode (ostensibly for tungsten lamps) and a triple-flash > mode for LED lamps due to their faster switching speeds. Bob, How well would these work with HID lamps? Paul ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 05:34:51 PM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Open source wig-wag project At 07:11 PM 12/9/2012, you wrote: > > >On 12/7/2012 11:03 AM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote: >>First passes at the software offered a single-flash >>mode (ostensibly for tungsten lamps) and a triple-flash >>mode for LED lamps due to their faster switching speeds. > >Bob, > >How well would these work with HID lamps? Unknown. I think there has been conversation here on the List indicating that some HID lamps can be flashed but not all. I've got some I can hook up here on the bench. When I ran them in my car, I think it took about 20-30 seconds for them to 'warm up' to full light output after a cold start. It MIGHT be that they would flash well if they were operated on-steady for a minute before going to the wig-wag mode . . . Have you operated your proposed HID lamps with any sort of flasher in the past? You could test the suitability by simply turning one of them on/off at about 1/2 second per flash. Right now the 9012 is set up for triple flash but COULD be offered in single flash mode. Bob . . . ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 07:34:53 PM PST US From: Paul Millner Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Open source wig-wag project On 12/9/2012 5:34 PM, Robert L. Nuckolls, III wrote: > Have you operated your proposed HID lamps with any > sort of flasher in the past? I have not, but they are the ones Precise Flight and Knots 2 U sell (joint development project). And Precise Flight sells a modified flasher for them (made of deep unobtanium)... so some kind of flashing stratagem supposedly works, though not the conventional PulseLight, supposedly. 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