| Author | Post |
|---|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 01:18 am |
|
Hello!
Has anyone with an early 3308 replaced the mounting frame to obtain more reliable connections to the unit?
Sandel want $500 and the unit back to the factory to correct a problem that's of their making.
Ron Koyich
|
rkaplan
Administrator
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 01:57 am |
|
RKoyich wrote: Has anyone with an early 3308 replaced the mounting frame to obtain more reliable connections to the unit?
Hi Ron.
It is interesting you mention that. I have not heard of this with other people but I happen to be in the process this week of repairing the cable to the Sandel SN 3308 in my sim. It is 2 1/2 years old and I am starting to get intermittent failures of isolated pins.
Have you heard of this being a more widespread problem?
____________________
Richard Kaplan, CFII
rkaplan@flyimc.com
http://www.flyimc.com
|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 02:07 am |
|
Yeah, it's a problem that's known in avionics shops, Richard.
As a retired avionics type, I referred it to my brother, who still works in the biz. He says the newer connection scheme is much better (3500). There is an upgrade that includes modifying the 3308 and changing out the mounting frame.
Ron
|
rkaplan
Administrator
|
Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 02:21 am |
|
| Thanks Ron...
____________________
Richard Kaplan, CFII
rkaplan@flyimc.com
http://www.flyimc.com
|
rjq
Member
| Joined: | Wed Feb 1st, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 10 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 2nd, 2006 04:12 am |
|
RKoyich wrote:
<snip>There is an upgrade that includes modifying the 3308 and changing out the mounting frame.
Are you referring to the cam action lug that toggles out from the mounting can and into an opening in the case of the 3308 and then secures the unit in the case in a manner similar to most other avionics generally found in the stack?
Ron Q.
|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 2nd, 2006 04:22 am |
|
Hi, Ron - yes, I think I'm talking about that lug.....
The current frame only pushes the unit out of the case. The new frame pulls the unit into the frame as well, ensuring the connectors are seated.
The problem currently is this: the top two mounting screws pull the unit out of the connectors when they are tightened. Hence the unit is able to develop intermittent connections.
I have received a PDF file from Sandel of the new frame. As soon as I receive a return authorization from the, I'll ship the unit to them for the upgrade. They want $500 to correct a problem that is of their making - but what's a fellow supposed to do?
Ron
|
rjq
Member
| Joined: | Wed Feb 1st, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 10 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 2nd, 2006 04:41 am |
|
I guess we have the new can and an old box. Can now in panel, just, box still on bench. Didn't realize there was a problem, but since there is a 'fix' guess there had to be a problem. Got my unit 2nd hand, it was a bench demo unit. Not much vibration there... I was going to ignore the issue, but reading this it would seem best not to. Vista is only about 30 min (without traffic) from San Diego, so a trip there wouldn't be difficult, but I think after looking at the unit I may just make that slot myself.
How do you like flying with the unit? Looks great on the bench. I'm still peeved Garmin/UPSat never did implement the full bi-directional RS-232 interface in leiu of all the analog connections.
Thanks,
Ron
|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 2nd, 2006 05:44 am |
|
I think the unit is first rate, from a pilot's POV, Ron.
It is very versatile, with its memory capabilities - both in the number of map set-ups that can be stored and the A-B switch between total setups.
I use it with the Garmin 430 - which uses RS-429 comms between the units. Most of the time, that is, other than those times when it loses connection. Arghjhhhh. Soon to be fixed.
There is a good display brightness, but a narrow field of view. There is a small problem with someone in the right seat being able to see what's going on on the pilot's display - such as the instrument check-ride scenario. This is better with the new 3500, I'm told.
I've flown the unit twice without the bulb. It still provides heading bug in that situation, because it will synch the heading bug with aircraft current heading. I have been changing out the bulb at each annual. It doesn't take too much time and costs about $30 from memory for a new bulb.
In what plane are you installing the unit? Mine's in an E-55 Beech.
Ron
Attachment: Sandel.JPG (Downloaded 50 times)
|
rjq
Member
| Joined: | Wed Feb 1st, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 10 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 2nd, 2006 06:46 am |
|
Oh yes, I misspoke. I did mean ARINC-429 and not RS232, and the connection at the other end I forgot to mention was to a CNX80 aka GNS480. Way too many wires on the back of that thing, both of them.
No lamp. That's a concept I'm not sure I like the sound of, but that's what B/U instruments are all about. I suppose no lamp wouldn't be all that different than no vacuum, except it's easy to (rapidly) see no lamp and perhaps much easier to (initially) miss no vacuum.
Nice set-up with the King FD. The B/U AG a DC unit w/battery unit or 400Hz?
Going into a '73 Bellanca Turbo Viking with the Mid Continent RDG and a CFS C-IV/FD A/P.
Ron Q.
|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 3rd, 2006 05:05 am |
|
Hi, Ron - didn't notice your previous question about the backup AH on my panel.
It's a 28VDC unit - I'll be replacing it with the new Sporty's unit which I have just received.
The Sandel 3308 has arrived back in Australia from Sandel - but it seems they have stuffed up the paperwork and it's stuck in customs. Shouldn't be a big delay.
Cheers - Ron
|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Tue May 23rd, 2006 02:28 am |
|
Just a note for anyone interested in how the Sandel 3308 case and mounting upgrade turned out.
The new mounting was easy enough to exchange with the old - the connectors which were installed on the back panel of the old mount are transferred to the new one.
The mount is not as much different from the old one as Sandel would have one believe. The mechanism can install the 3308, as well as eject it, which is good.
In the end, I don't think I needed to do the change-out, although by so doing a number of improvements were made to the 3308 itself while it was at the factory. The diffuser was changed, the software was upgraded, the unit was cleaned, etc.
The intermittent connector problem that initially showed up some years after the installation, was probably caused by the original installer not mounting the connector assembly to the rack using the correct mounting holes. There are three positions available. My unit uses the adaptor plate which matches it to the KFC-200 attitude indicator, rendering it more like the KI-525 the Sandel replaced. That adaptor plate has a thickness to it - as does the istrument panel, of course. I used a micrometer to find the thickness of the spacer and the panel - and chose the mounting holes that were marked for that thickness - this position was opposite to that of the holes used earlier.
All is back together and flying again - looking wonderful.
So: for anyone with intermittent Sandel operations, they might check to ensure the connector is mounted at the right distance from the front of the instrument mount.
Ron Koyich
|
RKoyich
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 11th, 2008 12:19 pm |
|
One more comment:
Some time after the upgrade at Sandel my 3308 became intermittent in that the heading info would come and go.
The problem turned out to be, after many hours of troubleshooting, a connector inside the unit which was not fully seated - actually, it was only 'just' seated.
This can no doubt in my mind be traced to the work done on the 3308 at
the Sandel factory, when it was upgraded.
Very frustrating and expensive.
Ron
|
rkaplan
Administrator
|
Posted: Thu Jun 12th, 2008 09:12 pm |
|
| Thanks for the follow-up Ron - very helpful.
____________________
Richard Kaplan, CFII
rkaplan@flyimc.com
http://www.flyimc.com
|
Current time is 06:05 am | |
|
