REFLECTOR:GRT EIS

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 13:51:27 -0400

Fuel added is easily updated - press the left two buttons at the same time,
advance to the 3rd data point, and press and hold the up button to add the
new fuel total (previous reading plus the number of gallons added).

I think you are asking about the color model - mine is the old all digital
4000.  Small 3" x 6" unit.  VERY readable in all light conditions and
viewing angles.

Yes, alarms can be set for just about any parameter.  And again, you don't
have to look at anything.  Let the EIS do the engine monitoring, you can
concentrate on flying the plane.

Ronnie

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Derrick" <scott@tnstaafl.net>
To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
Sent: Friday, October 10, 2003 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:GRT EIS

| Ronnie,
|
| Hows the visibility of the unit in all lighting conditions?
|
| Are you using its fuel gauge/flow system?  Does it automatically adjust
when you add fuel?
|
| Can you set any of the warning parameters to what you want?
|
| Its not a pretty as the VM, but it looks pretty good to me.  The only
thing I noticed that I didn't like was the bars for volts, amps , etc..  I
would want them all to line up in the middle if all was working normally, so
a quick scan would tell you all was well.
|
| Scott
|
|
| On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 12:20:32 -0400, Ronnie Brown wrote:
| > For those of you who haven't purchased a system yet, I can highly
| > recommend the highly functional, very useful, and excellent value
| > Grand Rapids Technologies EIS http://www.grtavionics.com/ - and if
| > you must have a color display he has that too - or will soon.
| > Support from GRT is excellent!
| >
| > I had originally considered the VM but decided to save the panel
| > space and $$$ and chose the EIS. It isn't as "sexy" looking, but
| > considering everything, I made the right choice FOR ME.
| >
| > I have been flying for 6 months and have 90 hours on my Velocity.
| > My EIS 4000 has worked flawlessly, takes up little valuable panel
| > space and is my super highly intelligent IDIOT LIGHT. It monitors
| > everything, limits can be set on anything - high, low, rate, etc as
| > needed. I don't have to monitor anything - except when setting
| > engine RPM and monitoring EGT when leaning. Any alarms trip a
| > master alarm light then I look at the EIS and the parameter in
| > alarm is flashing. EASY! I have fuel flow, fuel pressure, MAP,
| > header tank level, for my optional inputs. And during my flight
| > testing, I hooked my Laptop to it and recorded all of my engine
| > temps, flows, pressures, every second. Love it!
| >
| > Ronnie Brown
| >
| >
| > ----- Original Message -----
| > From: "Scott Derrick" <scott@tnstaafl.net>
| > To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
| > Sent: Friday, October 10, 2003 11:41 AM
| > Subject: RE: REFLECTOR:Vision Micro guys
| >
| >
| > | I also have the same setup Chuck has, VM with the VM-1000, fuel
| > gages, OAT-CHT and clock. |
| > | I won't repeat Chucks comments but I will heartily second them
| > and add a few comments to them. The lack of interconnection between
| > my vision fuel gages and the vision system is really irritating.
| > Makes the fuel warning system a joke. My clock is always set to
| > flight time, because its a pain to change it, the interface is
| > clumsy too. I have a countdown timer in my Terra Nav unit that is
| > simple and easy to use. I never use the vision clock for a timer. |
| > | in addition. |
| > | 1.) The inflexibility of the settings is frustrating. Not being
| > able to set the warning values for Low Voltage, or High RPM or any
| > other the others is a big negative in my opinion. I called VM and
| > they said oh just send it in , pay a whopping engineering fee for
| > custom settings and your good to go! So my plane has to be down for
| > weeks and I have to pay a huge amount just to have my Low Voltage
| > warning come on 1/2 a volt lower than the factory setting. I
| > should be able to set individual parameters myself in the plane.. |
| > | 2.) Not being able to suppress a warning makes you ignore them.
| > If Low Voltage comes on I don't want it flashing in my face for an
| > hour or two if I decide I can make it home on battery power. I
| > should be able to suppress the warning for a few minutes or for the
| > rest of the flight. I put tape over the VM1000 on one flight
| > because of just that. Having a red flashing warning that your are
| > completely aware of for two hours is useless and distracting. So I
| > covered it up and sacrificed all the other warnings because of a
| > lame interface that was interfering with flight ops. |
| > | 3.) The 100 or so individual connectors to the sensors is a joke.
| > 30's technology. |
| > | 4.) The visibility of the unit in high light conditions is very
| > poor. When flying into the sun its completely unreadable even with
| > the back lighting turned way up. |
| > | As I said before, I would probably not install a VM in a new
| > plane. I think there are comparable units available that address
| > all the shortcomings for a comparable or better price. Its a very
| > cool looking unit, one of the coolest in my opinion, gets lots of
| > ooh's and ah's when people see it, but it falls short on the
| > operating side. | | Scott | | On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 09:30:14 -0400,
| > Chuck Jensen wrote:
| > | > Well, as long as we have VM's attention, I'll pass along some |
| > > thoughts of my own. I have a VM-1000 with satellite gauges for |
| > > OAT/CAT, chronometer, fuel gauges and the alarm and checklist | >
| > window. Given the cost of the Vision equipment (compared to the | >
| > price and capability of other units on the market) the
| > | > shortcomings, such as ones noted below, are difficult to
| > understand. | >
| > | > 1. Inability to download engine data to a computer or other
| > links. | > To do a single engine lean test requires writing down
| > nearly a | > hundred numbers and over 500 digits. Virtually
| > everyone allows | > downloading of data, VM should also | >
| > | > 2. Lack of flexibility. My fuel gauges are highly accurate and
| > | > reliable. Accordingly, I have no interest in having to reset
| > the | > fuel computer on the VM-1000 each time I add fuel. But if I
| > don't, | > the alarm panel keeps flashing at me and I have to
| > acknowledge it | > every few minutes. The idea that individual
| > values and alarms can | > not be turned on/off seems so 20th
| > century. | >
| > | > 3. The chronometer is virtually unusable. With a dinky twist
| > knob | > and non-intuitive set of selections, I consider it wasted
| > panel | > space. Provide a 2 1/4" unit that has a couple items of
| > interest, | > such as local/UTC/flight time, and a LARGE digital
| > timer that can | > be actuated with a button on our control stick
| > for timing, then | > they'd have something worth putting in a
| > panel. | >
| > | > I "like" my VM-1000, but I don't "love" it due to the noted | >
| > shortcomings. VM started with a great product but it has digressed
| > | > to just a good product as the competition has caught up to, or
| > | > passed, VM in cost, features, flexibility and functionality. | >
| > | > So here's hoping that some of these items will get fixed and
| > that | > the fix doesn't cost us an arm-n-leg. I suspect my
| > improvement | > list is not all inclusive and others have
| > contributions they'd like | > to make. It's a good sign VM wants to
| > join the list so they can | > get direct feedback. The acid test is
| > what they do with the | > information. | > | > Chuck Jensen | > | >
| > | > -----Original Message-----
| > | > From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-
| > admin@tvbf.org]On | > Behalf Of Brian Michalk Sent: Thursday,
| > October 09, 2003 11:42 PM | > To: reflector@tvbf.org Subject:
| > REFLECTOR:Vision Micro guys | > | >
| > | > The guys from Vision Micro have joined the list. They heard the
| > | > noise going on over here and wanted to join. | > | > Brian
| > Michalk <http://www.michalk.com>
| > | > Life is what you make of it ... never wish you had done
| > something. | > Aviator, experimental aircraft builder,
| > motorcyclist, SCUBA diver | > musician, home-brewer, entrepreneur
| > and mostly single | > | > | >
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