Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lee Engel on November 29, 2014 at 5:18pm

I had bad luck with a falcon altimeter made in china,  But a US made one can cost almost $1,000 new!.   Lee

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tim Juhl on November 29, 2014 at 8:08pm

you need to be a bit more specific.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Austin on November 29, 2014 at 10:06pm

Of course, good 'ole Aircraft Spruce and Ebay are popular sources.  Not to creep your thread, but price all of your instruments before you actually start accumulating them. You'll be surprised as to how much they cost, especially if buying new instruments! An experienced builder (4 planes!) and A&P friend of mine encouraged me to compare the cost to a MGL "XTreme" mini-EFIS. It wound up costing very little more, it provided complete flight instrumentation, and it has a built-in GPS navigator with full US database of airports at no additional cost and no $ubscription$ for the database! The GPS also drives a pseudo-artificial horizon that works great and doesn't require an expensive AHRS (unless you want to add servos for an autopilot - yep, the little EFIS also has a built-in autopilot). It's definitely the best bang-for-the-buck out there.

John

N750A

(not affiliated with MGL, just a happy customer!)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by phassinger on November 30, 2014 at 10:35am

Thanks guys!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kurt Satter on December 1, 2014 at 3:19pm

I latterly backed into a website describing Chinese built "steam gage" instruments: BST Sourcing Technology, Ltd ...

I shot them an e-mail and got the following prices,  They promised to send specs/info, but that was a few days ago.

The FOB price of you need instruments is:\

(1) Altimeter          BG-3E  USD248.00/each 

(2) Rate-of-Climb   BC-2A  USD142.00/each

(3) Airspeed           BK37   USD109.00/each

(4) Dual CHT &EGT CE1-7017F   USD49.00/each

(5) Tachometer      R3-80B  USD68.00/each

(6) Turn & Bank     BZW-4B   USD294.00/each

(7) Compass          CM13S   USD63.00/each

(8) J type thermocouple sensor  (for #4 CHT)  913D (12 millimeter)   USD18.00/each

(9) Artificial Horizon (air)  GH030   USD392.00/each

You might want to check them out ... Also Rieker is a company that makes beautiful inclinometers: www.Riekerinc.com and Taskem Corp (www.TaskemCorp.com) makes a nice round EIS.

My kit 701 kit isn't even delivered yet, but I'm sketching panels ... I like the iPad option ...  Good luck

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by phassinger on December 1, 2014 at 3:54pm

Sounds interesting Kurt, I'll check em out.thanks

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on December 2, 2014 at 7:07pm

I hope very much to not have any components in my plane that were built in a hostile communist dictatorship by almost slave labor. My heart will feel better for it even if I pay a bit more for my stuff.

Also, many components built in those locations end up with dubious quality, sketchy reliability and uncertain accuracy. I like quality, reliability and accuracy when airborne, my life and my passenger's life depend on it.

• ▶ Reply