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Experienced Opinions Saught re:GRT EFIS WS vs HS

C

Canadian_JOY

Well Known Member
After exercising the "search" function here and not coming up with the info I'm hoping to find I thought it would be a good idea to throw this question out to the gang...

I have not yet installed our prefabricated instrument panel and while it is torn apart for installation of a second comm radio I have been giving thought to what other upgrades might best be undertaken before the panel gets mated to the airframe.

Here's the primary equipment installed... GRT Horizon Widescreen interfaced to SL-30, Garmin 396 and TruTrak ADI Pilot II autopilot. Engine monitoring is via AFS2400. (Yes, this panel has been sitting in a box for a few years now so it's definitely functional but not full of the latest goodies.)

I've got some additional height available in the panel so I'm trying to figure out whether there's sufficient benefit to be gained from spending the $600 to upgrade from WS to HS screen format. I've already ruled out the big bucks to go to the HX - my CFO won't go for that.

I'd like to hear from those who have flown with both WS and HS screens. What are the advantages to going with the HS screen? Are they sufficient to merit doing the upgrade?

Thanks in advance for your helpful replies.
 
The HS is the same screen as the HX so it's brighter and has the same number of dots as the HX so more info can be displayed. I don't remember how much more vertical display area there is but it's enough for a mini-engine status display strip across the bottom while having the "WS sized" PFD screen. Also means that you get more vertical area for the map. The processor is the same, just a screen change from the WS so number of ports and processing speed are the same as with the WS.

It is a noticible difference in real estate, how that balances against the dollars would be a personal decision. Biggest thing might be that the HS is the same physical screen/bezel size as the HX so if you were going to upgrade in the future to HX there wouldn't be any panel cutting.

Bob
 
Installing the HS will make ugrade easier

I put in an Horizon I (HWS) before the HHS or HHX were available. I was already to upgrade to an HX until I figured out that I did not have room in my panel to install the larger screen.

You may not have the $$ for the HX now, but if you install the HS now it will make it a lot easier upgrade to the HX at some point in the future.
 
I certainly don't want to tell anyone else how to spend their money, but I started flying the Valkyrie with the original WS screns and upgraded when the HS came out - for me, the benefits of higher pixel count and the added capability of the engine data strip is a huge plus. And as Rick says - if you cut the panel for the slightly taller screens now, and hit a winning lottery ticket later on, upgrading to the HX is trivial.
 
Like Paul said ...

...the engine data strip is almost worth the upgrade in itself. My normal screen display is the PFD on top with the engine data strip below. It s-u-r-e saves a bunch of screen-flipping.
 
I agree

Rupester said:
...the engine data strip is almost worth the upgrade in itself. My normal screen display is the PFD on top with the engine data strip below. It s-u-r-e saves a bunch of screen-flipping.
Click to expand...

I am still flying with the WS version and love it.........except for all the page flipping required to keep the engine display handy. I would defintely upgrade to the taller design if I were at your point.

Not sure what I am going to do yet when it comes time to upgrade.
 
Thanks to all for your "voices of experience". Since I have a dedicated AFS2400 engine monitor the additional screen real estate offered by the HS won't be used for the engine data strip (although I can see how this would be more than ample justification to upgrade to HS if using the WS as your engine monitor). The additional room to display map content is weighting my choice heavily in favour of doing this upgrade. Cutting the metal panel is so much easier to do with the panel on the bench so all the references to ease of future upgrades are really hitting home here.

Again, many thanks for sharing your experience.
 
I have both the HS and WS but don't have the room to upgrade the one WS to HS, but something to consider is when upgrading the SW the WS needs to have to have the file extracted before putting it on the thumb drive, If you have two HS you would only need one download for both.
 
As a follow-up... My Horizon WS is now in a cardboard box, ready to ship out to GRT. It will take a little bit bigger box to pack it for its trip back to me...

Again, thanks to all for sharing your experiences and wisdom.
 
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