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transponder check RV12 Dynon Skyview avionics

Cdenora

Active Member
Hey guys I need to have my transponder checked in:confused: my RV12 the San Antonio Tx area, I have a 100% stock dynon skyview / avionics package from vans

I thought it would be a simple fast process and I called a shop and they told me 4-5 hrs for the first time ? and a 2 week wait for the space to do it.

How much does it usually cost ?
Howe long and what is usually involved in doing this ?

Hope you guys can help with your experience.

Regards

Christian
 
My first one was $100 (we arranged to have several done at the same time so he gave us a discount) and, if I remember correctly, it took about 45 minutes.
 
Even though my guy is based at my airport, he throws his test equipment in the back of a truck and drives to my hangar. I’d say he spends about 15 minutes setting up; another 5-10 minutes chasing down leaks at the connections to his equipment (pitot tube, static port); and maybe 15-20 minutes watching the boxes run the altitude up and down, recording numbers, etc. Paperwork and de-connecting his equipment, he’s in and out in an hour. $250, IIRC. BUT, if there’s a problem, he can spend a lot of time looking for the leak(s). That may explain the time quote you got. You can help by pre-testing both pitot and static systems for any leaks, and fixing them yourself. Just use some clear tubing with water in it, U-shaped, to slightly pressurize them (google ‘water manometer’).
I’m usually able to schedule him within 2 weeks, but try to give him 4 weeks notice.
Edit: I should have said, this is for a full ifr check.
 
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Eight years ago when I finished my 12 I took it to a certain avionics shop. At that time, no problem getting in on short notice just had to call an hour ahead of time. The actual check for VFR on a Garmin 327 transponder only took about 5 minutes and they charged $50.

Now I have the Dynon transponder. The same shop would not take me in, I think they are very busy. I found another local shop and they took me with just a days notice. The VFR check still only takes 5 minutes for which they charged me $100. Well, OK, they do have to have an expensive piece of equipment and they have overhead so I'm OK with even $100. It still seems to me that this is easy money for them and I don't understand shops that can't take a few minutes out of their schedule to do these even if they are busy.

One piece of advise, tell them it is a VFR check only and make sure you know how to set the Dynon transponder to read altitude when the ship is on the ground. By default it will not read Altitude unless you go into the menus and set it that way for the test. The shop may know how to do this and they may not. My shop did not, I had to school them.
 
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What Tony said! $100 or less and 5 minutes for a VFR check. Read the Dynon manual so that YOU know what needs to be done -- frequently the tech doesn't know how to conduct a VFR check on a Dynon.
 
Had my 12 checked two weeks ago, $109 and about an hour, but that also included a check of ADS-B out, VOR, localizer and glideslope (first Dynon the tech had done, so he was curious). Read up on adjusting the altitude offset in the Dynon set-up to match the calibrated altimeter the tech will be using as a standard. Also know your transponder serial number for the paperwork. Longest wait is for the altimeter to stabilize, about 20 minutes, mine drifted about +15 feet from the start-up value before it stabilized.

John Salak
RV-12 N895HS
 
Like post #3

My experience at my home airport was vert much like Bob?s and the tech told me there really isn?t a VFR check. The tech said it was the same check done for IFR but the range and limits are not as tight as an IFR check for VFR sign off. He did conclude my last check would had met the IFR standards $225 latter.

It was nice to set an appointment and have him come by the hangar but next time I plan to shop around a little more.
 
Try Pippen-York at Fredericksburg; http://pippen-york.com
They just quoted me $125 and said the paperwork takes longer than the test, about 30 minutes max. They were recommended by several RV guys here in San Antonio.

Ian Heritch (8T8)
RV12, N417E, Red Venom 2
 
Just to clarify things a bit: on a first time check the shop needs to verify "altitude data correspondence" with the altimeter, on most glass that uses serial data from the PFD thats pretty easy, if you have a gray code hook up use or a seperate altitude encoder than that means running both the encoder and altimeter thru the full range of altitudes and verify they match within 125'.

So it depends on what you have as to the cost of a first time check.
 
Just to clarify things a bit: on a first time check the shop needs to verify "altitude data correspondence" with the altimeter, on most glass that uses serial data from the PFD thats pretty easy, if you have a gray code hook up use or a seperate altitude encoder than that means running both the encoder and altimeter thru the full range of altitudes and verify they match within 125'.

So it depends on what you have as to the cost of a first time check.

Yes this will be the first time check so they will have to open up avionics compartment ? of should I provide transponder numbers from records ?
 
Yes this will be the first time check so they will have to open up avionics compartment ? of should I provide transponder numbers from records ?

I just gave him my SN's, did not need to open avionics bay ...
 
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