Panel and Electrical
This is the panel I have decided on as of 11-30-05. I was going to spend the money for a Garmin 430 but after reading several emails on the subject of IFR flying discusing the money wasted on expensive equipment that barely gets used, I decided to go with a basic IFR setup. SL30, SL40 and a 396 for the GPS portion. You can't fly legal GPS IFR with the 396 but it's great for sit. awareness. Plus, it gets weather and Sat music! I believe if you wanted to add weather to a 430 the cost is around 5K! The Horzion 1 EFIS will be the main flight instrument with the four backup instruments on the left. I'm actually ordering the sport version. I will hook it up to the GPS and the SL30 will run the CDI for VOR/LOC/GS.
PANEL STUFF
ELECTRICAL STUFF

12/05 to 1-16-05 Hours ???? A LOT!
Photos
Spent a lot of time reviewing Bob Nuckolls Aeroelectric Connection and decided I would follow his advice on going with fuses and his architecture for a general light aircraft using the B&C voltage reg.
Purchased a program called Turbocad (129.00)and imported Bobs drawings as a place to start.
I have sent a few $$$ on obtaining the correct tools to strip and crimp not to mention the connectors. This stuff I bought locally from a electronics store. I spent about 800.00 from B&C for all the switches, voltage reg, dimmers, flashers, fuse blocks, battery and starter contactors, shunt, diodes, ect.
I also purchased the wiring kit from Vans that comes in the Firewall forward kit. I striped all the bundled wires apart and started from scratch. I does save some time because the ends are on one end already.

12/05 to 1-16-05 Hours ???? Photos Photos
Laid out panel, punched out large holes with the Greenlee punches, drilled and cutout the remaining squares with the Dremel tool. Made a drill jig for making the instrument screw holes but, ended up buying one at Aircraft Spruce.
Sanded, cleaned, primed and painted using Randalph Enamel Polar Gray finish. Make sure you have GOOD ventilation, this is some strong stuff. Finally after all this work I got to start putting instruments in!!!
2-27-06
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Radios finally came! Pacific Avionics thru Vans did the wiring. Looks like they did a great job. Had already fabricated the tray supports so all I needed to do was drill the supports to match the racks. I weighed the panel and it came in at 26 lbs. Now I need to position the panel in the fuse and see where I will need to cut the sub panel.

1-15-06 6.0 Hours Photos
Installed Altrak Servo

6-23-06 Thru 11-13-06 Photos
4-7-07
Photos
Wiring the Panel

3-21-06
Photos
Installed Grand Rapids Horz 1 AHRS unit. Cut sub panel for radios and fit panel.
4-7-07
Photos
Installed panel permanently and starting to wire.
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