Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Installing More Dynon Goodies GPS-2020 & 261 Transponder

Late last summer Dynon announced they were coming out with a new WAAS enabled GPS receiver to be called the SkyView GPS-2020 with an expected product launch in the late fall … that date slipped to mid-January. At that time DOG Aviation was placed on a notification list and received a notification the new GPS-2020 units were available. Because the GPS-250 GPS that came with the avionics package from Van’s was not installed and never taken out of the box, Dynon gave some credit towards the new GPS-2020 when the GPS-250 was returned to Dynon.


The new GPS-2020 is built to meet the more stringent requirements the FAA is mandating beginning in 2020 for all aircraft flying in controlled airspace to be equipped with ADS-B out. The new Dynon GPS-2020 WAAS GPS receiver utilizes documented design data and has the integrity checking necessary to prove it meets the FAA’s 2020 stringent performance requirements the FAA has imposed on WAAS GPS receivers that will interface with a transponder to generate the required ADS-B out position broadcast.


DOG Aviation’s receiving department took delivery of the Dynon SkyView GPS-2020 towards the end of January and decided now would be as good a time as any to install the unit. Fortunately, the new GPS-2020 receiver has the exact same footprint and mounting hole spacing as the GPS-250 unit, so the mounting holes aligned perfectly with the four dimpled holes in the F-1201Z mounting plate.
The new 2020 compliant Dynon SkyView GPS-2020 receiver and antenna will be mounted onto the existing F-1201Z mounting plate (in the background) using the same mounting hardware the GPS-250 unit would have utilized.


Prior to mounting the GPS-2020 onto the F-1201R antenna shelf, decided now would be a good time to install the two Adel clamps that are used to create a wiring support for the GPS-2020 wires and many others yet to come. One Adel clamp attaches onto the WD-1221 engine mount standoff and becomes the attachment point for a second Adel clamp that will actually support the wires. Those that have worked with Adel clamps can appreciate how difficult it can be at times get a bolt inserted into them … and especially when they are doubled up, as in this instance. It was time to break out the Adel clamp pliers. The Adel clamp pliers have two long bills with slots in them and are squeezed over the Adel clamps to compress them so a bolt can be inserted. To align the bolt holes in the clamps, an alignment awl is inserted.
Looking closely at the photo, one can see the two Adel clamps being compressed by the Adel pliers and the awl being used to align the holes so a bolt can be inserted and secured with a nut so the pliers can be pulled away.
Fishing the Dynon GPS-2020 wires through the hole in the antenna shelf and through the previously installed Adel clamp used to support wiring. One can see the antenna mounting screws sit flush in the dimples so the F-1201Z mounting plate will sit flat on the F-1201R antenna shelf.


Fellow builders take note: There is a small faux-pas in the plans on page 42C-07 … the two AN526C632R8 mounting screws called out in the plans to attach the F-1201Z mounting plate onto the F-1201R antenna shelf are the wrong size. At first I thought an error may have been made when installing the nutplates onto the F-1201R antenna shelf long ago … but a quick check in the plans reveled the nutplates called out ARE for a #8 screw and NOT for a #6 as called for in error in the plans. So #8 screws were used to attach the F-1201Z mounting plate onto the F-1201R antenna shelf.
The Dynon GPS2020 and F-1201Z mounting plate attached onto the F-1201R antenna shelf.

Moving on, the next item installed on the RV-12 was the Dynon SkyView XPNDR-261Mode-S transponder. The Transponder comes with a mounting tray which is attached onto the aft side of the firewall with three screws. The mounting tray has a wire latch that secures the transponder onto the tray. The avionics kit comes with a pre-made cable that connects the transponder to the AV-50000A control module.
The Dynon SkyView XPNDR-261Mode-S transponder and mounting tray.


Installing the SkyView XPNDR-261Mode-S transponder’s mounting tray onto the aft side of the RV-12’s firewall.


The SkyView XPNDR-261Mode-S transponder hooks into the mounting tray and is then locked in place with a wire latch. The transponder’s antenna cable was attached along with the pre-made WH-00029 wire harness which interfaces to the AV-50000A control module.
Completed instillation of the SkyView XPNDR-261Mode-S transponder.