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Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:56 pm
by CFIDave
I can confirm that you can get a DA62 without radar and add it later -- that happened by accident on my DA62 5 years ago because Diamond erroneously built my plane in Austria without radar. Diamond flew our DA62 across the pond from Austria to the Canada factory without radar, and then added the GWX 70 at the Canada factory before delivery to me.

Installing the radar unit and Ethernet cable to the G1000 NXi is straightforward. The difficulty in retrofitting radar is that the plane's radome must be replaced with one that passes radio frequencies (RF) and that includes 4 lightning/static straps on its exterior. Painting the radome to match your plane's metallic paint can be an issue.

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:18 pm
by Chris
CFIDave wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:56 pmThe difficulty in retrofitting radar is that the plane's radome must be replaced with one that passes radio frequencies (RF) and that includes 4 lightning/static straps on its exterior. Painting the radome to match your plane's metallic paint can be an issue.
Can you order one with the RF-transparent radome but without the radar to avoid having to replace it later?

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:39 pm
by CFIDave
Chris wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:18 pm
CFIDave wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:56 pmThe difficulty in retrofitting radar is that the plane's radome must be replaced with one that passes radio frequencies (RF) and that includes 4 lightning/static straps on its exterior. Painting the radome to match your plane's metallic paint can be an issue.
Can you order one with the RF-transparent radome but without the radar to avoid having to replace it later?
That makes too much sense. ;)
My understanding is that options must be ordered/installed "all or nothing." I wanted to order just a radome for my DA42-VI back in 2013, because I didn't want to install the then-current Garmin GWX 68 radar (with old-fashioned magnetron tube), since I knew the digital GWX 70 was coming out shortly. So I never got radar on that plane.

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:13 am
by Boatguy
CFIDave wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:39 pm
Chris wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:18 pm
CFIDave wrote: Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:56 pmThe difficulty in retrofitting radar is that the plane's radome must be replaced with one that passes radio frequencies (RF) and that includes 4 lightning/static straps on its exterior. Painting the radome to match your plane's metallic paint can be an issue.
Can you order one with the RF-transparent radome but without the radar to avoid having to replace it later?
That makes too much sense. ;)
My understanding is that options must be ordered/installed "all or nothing." I wanted to order just a radome for my DA42-VI back in 2013, because I didn't want to install the then-current Garmin GWX 68 radar (with old-fashioned magnetron tube), since I knew the digital GWX 70 was coming out shortly. So I never got radar on that plane.
So if you order "nothing", what has to happen to fit the radar later? Spending $40K on an obsolete product doesn't make any sense to me.

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 1:40 pm
by MackAttack
Sounds like you get an RF-opaque Radome, and have to order a new radome painted to match in addition to the new radar. Not fun. I just hate the notion of spending 40k on a GWX70 only to spend another 30 to get a new radar in a year or two … in the end, it’s not a huge deal but still …

I really appreciate all the feedback on this topic. And nobody apparently has contrast stitching… *laughing*

Cheers

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2022 9:31 pm
by Boatguy
MackAttack wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 1:40 pm Sounds like you get an RF-opaque Radome, and have to order a new radome painted to match in addition to the new radar. Not fun. I just hate the notion of spending 40k on a GWX70 only to spend another 30 to get a new radar in a year or two … in the end, it’s not a huge deal but still …
The new radome painted to match can't cost $40K. It sounds like it would still be better to order without, buy the radome, and have a Garmin dealer or DASC install the GWX75 (or maybe even 8000?) after Diamond releases the Phase 3 software. DA62's are becoming DIY!

Per the IPC, the part number is D67-5381-00-00X01. I've made an inquiry regarding the cost.

Of course this would all be moot if Diamond would just tell us what they were actually going to install in our airplanes.

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:26 pm
by MackAttack
You'd also get a credit on the older radar in the exchange ... so it's just hard to figure out the costs in detail with such a paucity of information...

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2022 3:05 pm
by Boatguy
MackAttack wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:26 pm You'd also get a credit on the older radar in the exchange ... so it's just hard to figure out the costs in detail with such a paucity of information...
Who is doing the exchange?

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2022 8:22 pm
by MackAttack
I’m making an assumption based on prior avionics stuff, including repairs/upgrades with Garmin on my Piper M600. Could be wrong there however. Either way, an operational GWX70 would likely have a value > 0.

Re: DA62 sanity check on interior/radar

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 4:07 pm
by Boatguy
A new radome is $8K. The GWX75 is$21K at Sarasota Avionics. That leaves $9K for installation to break even on paying $38K for the GWX70 from Diamond.

The GWX70 is a 10yr old discontinued product. I see no reason to pay $38K for it in 2022.

The GWX75 was introduced over four years ago and is not exactly cutting edge. The GWX80/8000 is currently only available with the G5000, but it obviously their "state of the art" product.