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Remote Avionics Location?

Kyle Boatright

Well Known Member
I've looked high and low for a simple way to mount a remote transponder behind or under the panel. Everything I come up with has a real downside - hard to remove, hard to route wires, etc.

Any suggestions? Even better, pictures? There are a few in older posts, but nothing that's given me the perfect solution I want.

Edit to add: Using a GTX45R and really want to put it up front.
 
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Yep - install a SkyView EFIS and the SkyView remote transponder. Get the SkyView 2020 GPS receiver and you are 2020 ADS-B out compliant out of the box, and you get TIS displayed on the EFIS as a side benefit. Add the SkyView ADS-B in receiver and have it all.

Simple.

Send me a PM with your email address and I?ll provide photos.

Carl
 
Behind the baggage compartment

I put mine behind the baggage compartment, on the left wall. Same with the remote comm radio

Upside, easy to get to. Short antenna run. Weight in the rear

Downside, longer wires. (I think the wire length times the cost per foot times the number of wires added $100 to the cost)
 
Behind the baggage bulkhead. Working behind the panel in a -10 is bad enough; the more stuff you can mount elsewhere the better.
 
I found a place where I think it fit well behind the baggage bulkhead






1r9eer.jpg
 
I put the transponder and the ADSB receiver in the tunnel on the sidewall in front of where the rudder cables enter. The antenna are on the centerline where you can fit them. Very short antenna wires.

The problem was with the hot tunnel issue. I had two extra thermocouples added to the EMS, one FWF and the other in the tunnel. The tunnel ran at about 180 plus degrees which is the limit for the devices. I did most of the mods discussed on this site until I got the tunnel temperature down to about 100 on hot days.

Skyview and the PS PAR 100 intercom remote radios are mounted on the side panels just below the door openings. Wouldn't do that again, best to put them behind the baggage wall.
 
My remote transponder mount is very similar to Dave's, even though mine isn't an RV-10

kiFoThR.jpg


Easy enough to scratch-build a mount. Well, it seems easy but then the RV-3B is a different beast than the -10, at least in the shop.

What's important is that you have decent access to it and that the connectors are all accessible and oriented reasonably. No point having cables wrap all around the box before going where they need to. The actual transponder mount screws to the mount that you build (don't forget the washers) and the transponder itself clips to the mount with that wire bale you can see at the bottom. The fuselage is upside down in the photo, that's how we build 'em, so the cables will be on the bottom and the bale will be on the top.

If you're not using the Skyview system then your installation will differ.

Dave
 
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...

Downside, longer wires. (I think the wire length times the cost per foot times the number of wires added $100 to the cost)

Maybe more wires, but they are usually much cheaper than the RG-400 co-ax. A more rear position may have little wire cost difference if the co-ax can be shorter...:)

This is definitely the case for a rear mounted Dynon ADSB box, 4 x 22g long wires and only 6 inches of RG-400 in my -6A.

I'm going to do the same in my -10.
 
I put the transponder and the ADSB receiver in the tunnel on the sidewall in front of where the rudder cables enter. The antenna are on the centerline where you can fit them. Very short antenna wires.

The problem was with the hot tunnel issue. I had two extra thermocouples added to the EMS, one FWF and the other in the tunnel. The tunnel ran at about 180 plus degrees which is the limit for the devices. I did most of the mods discussed on this site until I got the tunnel temperature down to about 100 on hot days.

Skyview and the PS PAR 100 intercom remote radios are mounted on the side panels just below the door openings. Wouldn't do that again, best to put them behind the baggage wall.

I'm think about putting a remote transponder on top of the tunnel. Wit the Aerosport Products center console, there is plenty of unused space there. Since I have a side access panel on the tunnel, I don't have a need to take the part of the tunnel cover off.
 
I've looked high and low for a simple way to mount a remote transponder behind or under the panel. Everything I come up with has a real downside - hard to remove, hard to route wires, etc.

Any suggestions? Even better, pictures? There are a few in older posts, but nothing that's given me the perfect solution I want.

Edit to add: Using a GTX45R and really want to put it up front.

What else is in your panel? Did you consider mounting it in the stack but set back behind a much shallower item such as the GMC 307?
 
I built plenty of mounting capabilities behind the baggage compartment to mount transponder, Stormscope, etc.:

IMG_20160612_231516.jpg


Notice the two rails on the left, and the double shelf on the right - those have nutplates in the back to allow me to mount a flat "shelf" on either side to mount avionics or other gizmos. The left-side shelf (right side of the picture) is high to allow a rudder trim motor connected to the cables (while also attaching to the bolts in the center channel for some added structure) and/or a contactor for the external power plug. Also, it's standard parts from one of the OP kits, so it was easy to put on.

It's also future-proof, as changing the avionics only requires making a new shelf (flat piece of aluminum with the right holes, no changes to the cone required).

Some more info on my blog:
https://www.airplane.build/2016/03/tailcone-riveting-and-mods.html
 
We are just installing a G3X system with the GTX35R and everything is on the subpanel. Send me your email or cell phone number & I?ll send a few pics.
 
Interesting discussion

Future AFS/Dynon user here... I put in ample conduit runs under the seats for future wiring needs, but still (na?vely?) lean toward keeping as much weight forward in the RV-10 to assure full availability of the useful load without exceeding aft CG limit.

Hard to see why there wouldn't be plenty of room on sub-panel behind flat screen displays, which themselves come out easily leaving about 10"-12" holes in panel for access to what's on the sub-panel. Not easily envisioning the issues here. Still, good to see how other builders have addressed or plan to address it.
 
All of my remote avionics are on the sub-panel, or on rails between the sub-panel and the lower panel crossbar. It's a bit of a pain to remove my transponder specifically, but doable in about 10 minutes... and in the 2+ years that I've been flying, I haven't needed to. G3X system updates happen over the canbus so no need to remove it for updates.
 
Future AFS/Dynon user here... I put in ample conduit runs under the seats for future wiring needs, but still (naïvely?) lean toward keeping as much weight forward in the RV-10 to assure full availability of the useful load without exceeding aft CG limit.

Hard to see why there wouldn't be plenty of room on sub-panel behind flat screen displays, which themselves come out easily leaving about 10"-12" holes in panel for access to what's on the sub-panel. Not easily envisioning the issues here. Still, good to see how other builders have addressed or plan to address it.

There is plenty of room on the subpanel for all of the Dynon components. They are all very small and easy to install there. As you said, pop out a screen and you have full access to everything behind there. The main problem with the Garmin system is the huge amount of space required by their transponders and remote COM boxes. It really limits the options for installation.

abdzm.jpg

2nis7xx.jpg

2dl2g09.jpg
 
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