S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

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Charles
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by Charles »

They said that they hadn't done it yet but that it was on their roadmap so they would welcome the opportunity to do it on the DA40. In my view, I think the inputs used by the KAP 140, which are well understood, could be reused.

Note that they have a working interface between the 55X and the G1000 so they have done this before.
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by BurdetteB »

What is the latest on this autopilot I would be very interested in this upgrade
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by Charles »

Nothing more than what’s been said to date. I would suggest you place a no money down order on the Genesys web site. I will do that myself within a few weeks (soon as I get over my Aspen and ADS-B upgrades). Once there’s 15 of us, Genesys has committed to getting the STC for the DA40.
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by blsewardjr »

I filled out one tonight. They asked whether I'd be willing to put down a small deposit. I indicated "maybe."
Bernie Seward, IR, AGI
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by Charles »

Great! Out of curiosity, what is your current setup? Do you already have an AP? If so, what makes you want to upgrade?
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by blsewardjr »

Better performance and reliability than my KAP 140 (which is currently refusing to work). My 2003 is a steam gauge. Like the fact that I don’t have replace my AI.
Bernie Seward, IR, AGI
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by blsewardjr »

I talked with a Genesys rep yesterday at Sun-N-Fun. I emphasized to him that making the autopilot work with the G1000 is critical because there are probably more DA40's with that configuration (G1000/KAP140) than steam gauges (may also be true for post-1997 Cessna 172/182/206 aircraft manufactured before the G1000/G700 aircraft.) One hitch for the steam gauge. To enable the altitude capture function, the STEC 3100 needs a separate baro source with a separate means of setting the pressure. In our steam gauges the KAP140 has the separate source but the baro is set in the autopilot itself, which is not possible on the STEC 3100. Therefore, if we steam gaugers want this feature, we'd probably have to replace the altimeter with one that is capable of sending the pressure information to the STEC 3100, because I don't think our current one is capable of that. I'm not sure whether the G1000 can send the information.
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KCHO Charlottesville, VA
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by Charles »

Couldn't the altitude source of the transponder be used? Otherwise, a simple replacement of the steam gauge altimeter for an encoding altimeter should suffice. In these days of glass cockpit upgrades, they seem to be very easy to find. http://www.ebay.com/bhp/encoding-altimeter

I happen to have an Aspen which has an altitude output that is supposedly suitable for an AP.
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by blsewardjr »

I'm not sure how the transponder gets it's information, but the key, according to the rep, is that you have to be able to enter the baro correction. The only place to do so besides the KAP140 unit is the altimeter.
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Re: S-Tec 3100 autopilot STC for the DA40

Post by Rich »

I believe an encoding altimeter meant to inform a transponder would not work. They only transmit pressure altitude. That's how many of us can have blind encoders, which you can not set for current altimeter setting.
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