Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 23:28:20 +0200
To: "IKOR1@aol.com" <IKOR1@aol.com>,
    "lancair.list@olsusa.com" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
From: "colmar" <jones@colmar.demon.nl>
Importance: medium
Priority: normal
Message-Id: <919895300-0-jones@colmar.demon.nl>
Subject: Re:Autopilot vs Wing-leveler
Mime-Version: 1.0

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          <<  Lancair Builders' Mail List  >>
          <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>
Mine is "only" a L 320, of course, but my "Ferrari-of-the-sky" has its
STEC 50 auto-pilot coupled to both the DG (of STEC) and my Garmin 100AVD
GPS unit.  The connection to the DG has worked from first wiring up, and
I use it for general "let's-go-in-about-that-direction" type navigation;
when the hands are otherwise busy.  The Garmin connection, however, took
some time to sort out. I thought it wasn't working at all for a long time.
Then someone told me to "turn up the gain" by using the Nav + APProach
setting on the STEC unit, and the CDI range in the Garmin set to =/-
1.25 nm. That combination works fine - I can follow a track previously 
up-loaded into the Garmin from my flight planning s/w (not Flitestar,
but that's another story), to within about 200 meters (good enough to
score quite high in a recent fun navigation competition).  I call this my
cruise missile mode, and in this way I can fly (have flown) VFR under
the weather at 1000ft or less  through Holland, Belgium, France and
into Britain, routed around everybody's restricted airspace, using my
hands only for all the radio calls that are necessary!

One important thing, though, GET THE ALTITUDE HOLD FUNCTION - even if
you have to delay purchase while you save up the extra cost! You will
regret it if you don't - you will have spent a lot of money anyway and
still be constantly distracted in cruise doing the most difficult task;
staying at the altitude you wanted. These babies are VERY slippery!

Good luck!
Colin Jones (PH-COL)