PIREP - Garmin GTX-327

I obtained this unit on Ebay nearly a month ago, from an avionics shop in
Bakersfield, CA. The unit had been installed in a plane for precisely one
day before that owner had decided that he REALLY wanted the Mode S GTX-330,
with traffic information capability.

The shop couldn't sell it as new anymore, so they put it up for auction on
Ebay. I obtained it for $300 - $400 less than the "new" price.

My usual avionics shop in Waterloo quoted $500 for installation -- too
steep, I thought. So, I called another shop in Galesburg, IL, owned by Jet
Air, Inc. -- the same excellent folks who run our local FBO -- and they
quoted $200 - $300. Unfortunately, this was right before the holidays, so
it wasn't until last Thursday that I was able to get time for the
installation.

While I was at it, I asked them to check my Com radios, which were giving me
a bad hum and whine since my A&P had inadvertently disconnected (and
reconnected) one of the antenna wires while installing a new DG. And, as
long as I was at it, I had them do the IFR certification, which was past
due.

First thing they said when they opened the box was that the power cord
"safety connector" -- a metal clamp-like device that prevented accidental
disconnection of the transponder's power cord -- was not present. No big
deal, they had the part on-site, but it had me worried about the whole
deal -- what else might be missing?

Nothing, as it turned out. The transponder installation went smoothly, and
they were able to find the loose connection in my com radio. And, since
half of the IFR certification involved the transponder, that was
accomplished cheaply and quickly, too.

In fact, the only thing I didn't like was that they installed a new Garmin
transponder antenna, without asking, because it was "recommended by Garmin."
It was "only" an extra $150 -- cheap, in aviation -- but it still bugs me
that they threw away a perfectly functional antenna because it wasn't the
"spade" kind that Garmin recommends.

Oh, well -- on to the unit itself.

It's quite handsome, with large "reversed" yellow LCD numbers. ("Reversed"
meaning that the numbers themselves are dark, and the background is yellow.)
In low-light conditions this reverses, and the numbers are lit-up yellow, on
a dark background.)

You enter the squawk code numbers by pushing individually numbered buttons
across the bottom of the unit. I haven't tried this in turbulence, yet, but
I suspect it may be more difficult than twisting the old knobs on my Narco
AT50. We'll see. One thing I really, REALLY like is the "VFR pushbutton"
that automatically pops the numbers to "1200" with a single push.

The unit displays what pressure altitude it is reporting, which is nice, and
lets you know whether you're climbing or descending with an up or down
arrow. It also has three built-in timers -- a count-down timer, a count-UP,
timer, and a flight-time timer. I immediately started using the count-up
timer for changing tanks (our plane has four of them, and they must be timed
to keep the plane in proper trim), and found it to be much better than just
checking the clock. I also plan on using the elapsed flight time timer for
filling out my log-book, although I forgot today and turned the avionics
master off before checking it. Nice thing about your tach -- it doesn't
disappear when the electrons do...

Being solid-state, with no "cavitron" (or whatever those things are called
in the old transponders) to warm up, the Garmin is "instant on." This was
nice in the extreme cold of the past few days, as we were instantly picked
up by ATC as soon as we called -- something that rarely happened with our
old Narco unit.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with the unit, the install, and my Ebay
avionics shopping experience. I got a virtually brand-new GTX-327 installed
for around 15% off the "new" price, and because I bought it from an
established avionics shop, it came with a guarantee and a warranty --
something you don't always (usually?) find on Ebay. Your mileage may vary.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"