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Trio EZ Pilot-Redux

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n5lp(at)warpdriveonline.c
Guest

Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject: Trio EZ Pilot-Redux

Howdy,



I was very discouraged with my brand new Trio EZ-Pilot last night  

after having found out it is not plug and play with my Navaid  

autopilot and then discovering baffling turn coordinator display  

issues and accompanying strange aircraft behavior.  Tonight I am  

greatly encouraged and happy about my decision to get the EZ-Pilot.



Tonight I treated the machine in a way it would be normally treated  

after an install.  First I took a hint from Gary Sobek and moved just  

one of my analog steering wires to a different position on the GPS  

connector and to a different position on the old Navaid connector.   

That let the GPS talk to the EZ-Pilot.  Then I verified, on the  

ground, that the connection was working properly, then started up and  

flew.



Things were completely different than yesterday.  First I tried all  

the EZ-Pilot functions, and there are some real nice ones.  I think  

the one I will use the most is where you are tracking a course line,  

then ATC tells you to turn 15 degrees right, rather than disengage  

the autopilot and have to hand fly, you can just give it the course  

to fly, then intercept the old course later, if needed.  Everything  

worked beautifully and smoothly.



Then I tried to duplicate what happened yesterday by turning off the  

GPS, entering calibration screens, turning off the autopilot and  

everything I could think of, in every order I could think off, but I  

could not confuse the autopilot.  About the worst thing I could get  

to happen would be to do a steep turn then return to wings level  

flight and the turn coordinator would very slightly and briefly  

overshoot, showing an opposite direction turn.



The only thing I can think of is what the Trio engineer suggested  

this morning.  Since I never had the GPS working correctly yesterday,  

the gyro (gyros?) may never have gotten properly oriented and may  

have used an out of date bias value.  As stated in their literature,  

they do not use gravity to help orient the gyro. Today I tried what I  

was worried about yesterday.  I would fly a course then turn off the  

GPS.  No problem, it just gave a no GPS warning and kept trucking.  I  

would then maneuver (everything short of aerobatics) and return to  

straight and level with proper indications the whole time.  I also  

tried wings level yaws, and yes the indicator reacts to that.  In a  

stable slip it indicates level/straight, which seems logical.



And yes, if you were already using digital GPS information for your  

existing Navaid, it would be a fifteen minute installation, although  

Trio doesn't make that claim.  If you were using analog steering  

information, you have to run one new wire, or move an existing one over.



By the way, those of you in the tailwheel, versus tri-gear debate,  

which I don't participate in, here is some fodder.  The tailwheel  

airplane is at a big disadvantage when you drop those little tiny  

screws and nuts  from the D connectors onto the uncarpeted floor  

while upside down working in a restricted area under the panel.  They  

scurry straight downhill and lodge under the spar (RV-6) where they  

are lost forever.



I really appreciate the great and cheerful support Trio gave me  

today.  You guys have a terrific product.



Larry Pardue

Carlsbad, NM



RV-6 N441LP Flying

http://n5lp.net

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

pbesing(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 11:41 pm Post subject: Trio EZ Pilot-Redux

Haven't flown mine yet...still finishing up the

install.  I can tell you this, TruTrak has some

serious competition for the wing leveler/heading

market.  I sent my TruTrak Digitrak back.



So far from the support, manual, and features, this

thing is a slam dunk.  TruTrak may have great higher

end autopilots, but this thing blows the digitrak

away.  Oh and Navaid?  It was a sweet ride while it

lasted!



How many autopilot companies monitor and respond to

RV-List questions...on the weekend, no less?



Paul Besing

RV-4 N73DD

Arizona

Haven't even flown the Trio and lovin' it.



--- Larry Pardue <n5lp(at)warpdriveonline.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <n5lp(at)warpdriveonline.com>

 

 Howdy,

 

 I was very discouraged with my brand new Trio

 EZ-Pilot last night  

 after having found out it is not plug and play with

 my Navaid  

 autopilot and then discovering baffling turn

 coordinator display  

 issues and accompanying strange aircraft behavior. 

 Tonight I am  

 greatly encouraged and happy about my decision to

 get the EZ-Pilot.

 

 Tonight I treated the machine in a way it would be

 normally treated  

 after an install.  First I took a hint from Gary

 Sobek and moved just  

 one of my analog steering wires to a different

 position on the GPS  

 connector and to a different position on the old

 Navaid connector.   

 That let the GPS talk to the EZ-Pilot.  Then I

 verified, on the  

 ground, that the connection was working properly,

 then started up and  

 flew.

 

 Things were completely different than yesterday. 

 First I tried all  

 the EZ-Pilot functions, and there are some real nice

 ones.  I think  

 the one I will use the most is where you are

 tracking a course line,  

 then ATC tells you to turn 15 degrees right, rather

 than disengage  

 the autopilot and have to hand fly, you can just

 give it the course  

 to fly, then intercept the old course later, if

 needed.  Everything  

 worked beautifully and smoothly.

 

 Then I tried to duplicate what happened yesterday by

 turning off the  

 GPS, entering calibration screens, turning off the

 autopilot and  

 everything I could think of, in every order I could

 think off, but I  

 could not confuse the autopilot.  About the worst

 thing I could get  

 to happen would be to do a steep turn then return to

 wings level  

 flight and the turn coordinator would very slightly

 and briefly  

 overshoot, showing an opposite direction turn.

 

 The only thing I can think of is what the Trio

 engineer suggested  

 this morning.  Since I never had the GPS working

 correctly yesterday,  

 the gyro (gyros?) may never have gotten properly

 oriented and may  

 have used an out of date bias value.  As stated in

 their literature,  

 they do not use gravity to help orient the gyro.

 Today I tried what I  

 was worried about yesterday.  I would fly a course

 then turn off the  

 GPS.  No problem, it just gave a no GPS warning and

 kept trucking.  I  

 would then maneuver (everything short of aerobatics)

 and return to  

 straight and level with proper indications the whole

 time.  I also  

 tried wings level yaws, and yes the indicator reacts

 to that.  In a  

 stable slip it indicates level/straight, which seems

 logical.

 

 And yes, if you were already using digital GPS

 information for your  

 existing Navaid, it would be a fifteen minute

 installation, although  

 Trio doesn't make that claim.  If you were using

 analog steering  

 information, you have to run one new wire, or move

 an existing one over.

 

 By the way, those of you in the tailwheel, versus

 tri-gear debate,  

 which I don't participate in, here is some fodder. 

 The tailwheel  

 airplane is at a big disadvantage when you drop

 those little tiny  

 screws and nuts  from the D connectors onto the

 uncarpeted floor  

 while upside down working in a restricted area under

 the panel.  They  

 scurry straight downhill and lodge under the spar

 (RV-6) where they  

 are lost forever.

 

 I really appreciate the great and cheerful support

 Trio gave me  

 today.  You guys have a terrific product.

 

 Larry Pardue

 Carlsbad, NM

 

 RV-6 N441LP Flying

 http://n5lp.net

 

 

 



 browse

 Subscriptions page,

 FAQ,

 Admin.



 

 

 

  

  

  

 

 

 

 


	




__________________________________________________

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

n5lp(at)warpdriveonline.c
Guest

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:38 am Post subject: Trio EZ Pilot-Redux

On Jun 25, 2006, at 1:35 AM, Paul Besing wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  

 How many autopilot companies monitor and respond to

 RV-List questions...on the weekend, no less?



I don't know how many autopilot companies monitor the list but I know  
	


it is done by companies that sell things likely to go in RVs.  The  

last three electronic items I have added to my RV have had issues I  

have posted to the list about.  These items were an EFIS a high end  

portable GPS and an autopilot.  The GPS brand is a major  

international corporation.



In each case I was contacted by the company, at my work place, very  

quickly.  I don't even know how they got the phone number.  Also in  

each case the company was very courteous and just wanted to get to  

the bottom of the problem.  In one instance they wanted to know when  

it would be convenient for "a team of engineer" to call me back.



This contrasts greatly to what is happening at my workplace now,  

where I have been trying to return a damaged piece of equipment to  

Office Depot for over a month.  The equipment was quickly replaced  

but we are still on the hook for the damaged thing until we get  

credit for the return.  I am caught in a never ending circle of  

contacting a Philippine call center which assures me that I will be  

called back and when I am called back, by an American, I am assured  

the item will be picked up in two days.  There is no accountability  

and no capability of calling the same person back.  Now there is a  

way to drive a bunch of customers away for life.



As for the RV equipment, I think pretty much anyone is not too  

bothered by some minor problems, as long as the company is responsive.



Do not archive



Larry Pardue

Carlsbad, NM



RV-6 N441LP Flying

http://n5lp.net

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

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