Depending on what else you have in your panel (I'm talking about
instruments), you're probably only an inspection away from being "legal" for
IFR (see the other poster's note about reading the FARs). In particular,
one nav/com and xpdr can be legal.

More practically, you should figure out what you'll need for the type of
flying you plan to do, and don't forget that there are certain requirements
for the IFR checkride. Namely, you'll need to demonstrate both precision
and non-precision approaches (I'm assuming here that you'll be using your
plane for the checkride). That means, for example, if you don't already
have a glideslope receiver and appropriate CDI, then you should probably get
one.

Since you mentioned IFR GPS, you should know you'll need at least two other
instruments to be IFR legal. One is a CDI which can accept input from the
GPS, and the other is an annunciator for the approach (with a Garmin 430 you
could have avoided the latter).

Here's my setup, which I also arranged for IFR training in my PA28-140:

KMA20 audio
GNC-300XL GPS/comm (same as yours)
KX-175B with glideslope receiver
Narco AT50A xpdr
Garmin GI-106A cdi with glideslope shared between GPS and nav/comm
MidContinent GPS annuniciator

For serious IFR, this isn't the best panel, but it's enough for training,
currency, and the occasional weather flying I do.

best of luck,
mark


"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've just purchased a '79 152 that is currently VFR only. Avionics
consist of a single nav/com and xponder. That's it.

At some point in the next year or two I am going to want to get my
instrument ticket in this aircraft, so I'm already starting to think
about the best way to do that. Trouble is I know precious little about
IFR equipment at the moment. If someone has some good resources/links
that could get me up to speed I'd appreciate it.

Actually, I already started buying stuff. I bought an IFR Garmin 300XL
GPS on ebay (it was a steal). That's my start. I'm completely open to
suggestions on where to go from there.

Maybe a B/K 80 nav? Has everything else I need, right? I know I need
an audio (switch) panel and at least one more CDI.

I'll be searching for an avionics shop soon to install the GPS, but
until then any idea what that will cost me? Might it make some sense to
have them do a VFR-only install initially and then do it IFR when I have
the rest of my equipment? (I want a GPS now, of course, for VFR flight.)

TIA.