Possible Aspen installation

Any DA40 related topics

Moderators: Rick, Lance Murray

User avatar
johnu
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 57
Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 7:35 pm
First Name: johnu
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N913JD
Airports: KAEG
Has thanked: 14 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by johnu »

Rich,

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the rest of the the install will go better. You are right to check on the install as if goes so that you know exactly what they are doing and for your own piece of mind. Did you get the RSM wedge figured out? Let me know if you need any further help.

Best regards,

John
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

johnu wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 11:23 pm Rich,

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the rest of the the install will go better. You are right to check on the install as if goes so that you know exactly what they are doing and for your own piece of mind. Did you get the RSM wedge figured out? Let me know if you need any further help.

Best regards,

John
I think everything else is fine except the RSM wedge is still unresolved. We can get it constructed locally for $1500 from an outfit that originally quoted the shop $120. For a 3D printer aluminum device. The shop is checking some other sources. Nobody at Diamond seems to recall the deal with DA20 as relayed to me by Mike at Aspen. It might not be close enough anyway. If anyone has any ideas on this I'm all ears.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

Chip&Al wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 1:46 am Ha, gotta love those middle of the night realizations. I’ll try and upload my version with my Avidyne set up. I’m really looking forward to the Aspen. Do you the traffic/AoA unlock?
I don't know that a simple E5 would support an AOA as a specific upgrade. Traffic wouldn't be practical with just an E5 and I don't have ADS-B In to the panel. FF on my iPad Pro 11 does a better job at traffic anyway. Bigger screens and simultaneous plan and profile depiction as desired plus recently improved traffic conflict alerts.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

I think I see the root of the misunderstanding regarding the Avidyne IFDs with respect to GPSS. There is scant mention of them in the user guide and even less in the installation guide available on the Aspen website. But there are lots of references (even somewhat redundant) to the GNS430/530 units. One glaring example is explicit statements regarding GPSS being functional even when VLOC is selected.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

To avoid further confusion I put together some details about DA40's and N40XE in particular and sent them to the shop so I hopefully won't have to deal with after-the-fact annoyances.
DA40 N40XE Notes.pdf
(36.04 KiB) Downloaded 82 times
iPad Mounting Bracket.jpg
Rear Heater Vent Brace.jpg
Rear Heater Vent Redux.jpg
Here is the proper wiring diagram (simplified) post-installation:
Aspen Power Feeds.pdf
(28.17 KiB) Downloaded 70 times
An interesting improvement would appear to be that if one is on the essential bus (has anyone ever actually had occasion to use this?), the Aspen artificial horizon and HSI (sans autopilot) and their contents would both be operative. this would also be the case when on the Aspen built-in backup battery operation. This would not be the case with the original setup.

It looks like we've now identified a not-usurious source for the require wedge for the RSM. Once It's installed I'll post pictures and the source of the device for those who deign to follow.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

Just about. The last thing is to paint the wedgie and install permanently. I did a bit of checking today to ensure the things I noted have been dealt with and all seems well.

Wedgie is basically a dense nylon block, a price for fabrication I could live with:
Aspen Wedgie.jpg
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

Boy, this just drags on. There's special unobtainium sealant (Hysol EA 934 NA) that gets injected into the holes required to mount the RSM. This is to preserve the integrity of the composite so it's no small thing. The shop is now just waiting on delivery by FedEx, which is much later than expected. Everything else is done. :tap:
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Steve
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1953
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:23 am
First Name: Steve
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N432SC
Airports: 1T7
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 493 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Steve »

Rich: I had to use the same stuff to fill holes when I installed the new GPS/COM combo antenna for my ADSB out unit. I also had to wait several weeks for delivery, but it was on the BOM for the installation Work Instruction so I had it in advance. Of course, the following year when I was installing a new ventral COM antenna, it was out of date, so I had to order it again...

Tomorrow, I'm installing my new RC Allen electronic gyro. Looks fairly straightforward (no fuselage holes to drill or fill...). ;)

Steve
User avatar
Rich
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 4592
Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2010 12:40 pm
First Name: Rich
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N40XE
Airports: S39 Prineville OR
Has thanked: 145 times
Been thanked: 1180 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Rich »

Steve wrote: Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:29 am Rich: I had to use the same stuff to fill holes when I installed the new GPS/COM combo antenna for my ADSB out unit. I also had to wait several weeks for delivery, but it was on the BOM for the installation Work Instruction so I had it in advance. Of course, the following year when I was installing a new ventral COM antenna, it was out of date, so I had to order it again...

Tomorrow, I'm installing my new RC Allen electronic gyro. Looks fairly straightforward (no fuselage holes to drill or fill...). ;)

Steve
Should be a piece of cake. I assume you'll disconnect the existing emergency battery feed, as my discussion with the RC Allen folks indicate that potentially higher voltage is a no-no.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5
User avatar
Steve
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1953
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:23 am
First Name: Steve
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N432SC
Airports: 1T7
Has thanked: 81 times
Been thanked: 493 times

Re: Possible Aspen installation

Post by Steve »

Yes, the unit I purchased has its own emergency battery, and I remember your post about the potential over-voltage issue. I also have to put in a new CB (lower rating actually).
Post Reply