I thought I had a handle on the rules, but going over the CARs again I'm totally confused..

It seems like a builder can install his own IFR equipment (or the 'radionav' equipment for VFR OTT).

The CAR that deals with IFR in amateur-build aircraft is 549.115:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part5-standards-...

However it points you to ANOs (instead of CARs), specifically this ANO:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/affairs-old-regs-aa46...

I know, nowhere in the Title is it called ANO V section 22.

So, point number 6 says:

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6. No person shall operate an aircraft in IFR flight elsewhere than within controlled airspace unless it is equipped with approved, serviceable radio equipment adequate to navigate safely within the area in which the flight is to be made, which equipment shall include an automatic direction finding radio compass.

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But it never defines a 'serviceable radio equipment adequate'...

COPA's possibly outdated document similarly does not mention the 'certification' status of the radio nav on their page 38:

http://www.copanational.org/files/COPAGuidetoAmateurBuilts.pdf

Which links to CAR 605.18(j):

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/regserv/cars/part6-605-2438.htm

Notice that:

(1) Nowhere is it mentioned that the radionav should be attached to the airplane

(2) Or cannot be GPS

(3) Or should be certified or TSO'd or inspected by anyone other than the builder.

This implies that as an electronics engineer, I can build my own radionav with exceeding confidence and legally use it for IFR. It also implies that if the Garmin 296 or aera can walk me through a nonprecision approach ( assuming sufficient visibility), or through victor airways, I can use them for IFR. Is this true?

So, for the purposes of enroute IFR and VFR OTT in Canada for say a CH750 kitbuilt, can you use:

(1) Garmin 496

(2) GNC250XL

(3) GNC300XL

(4) Sporty's handheld nav/com devices, maybe affixed to the instrument panel.

The GNC300XL is TSO'd and 250XL is not, I have a 250XL. I wonder if I can go VFR OTT or use it for GPS IFR enroutes. If you have an answer to this, I'm much curious to how you know that. I'd much rather surf the difficult CAR/ANO links to be sure myself....

And if 250XL can be used which is non-TSO'd, why not a Garmin 496 (not to worry, I wont try this).

-Confused