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Will I like the 796 after loving G3X?
As I see the majority of available A5s are pre-G3X, my question for anyone who transitioned from 796 to G3X with eccentric 7" GDU is, how do you feel about 796 after you switched?
Just learned that database search and radio channelization is enabled from the 796 (I've never seen a 796) and I'm sure the nav display is adequate and probably similar to ForeFlight on iPad. Don't know how usable ADS-B-in traffic and TIS-B weather are on 796.
I have 300hrs in my GB1 with 10" GDU mounted directly in front of me. I've successfully and calmly navigated really tight airspace with nasty weather at 185kts and entered super busy patterns with great SA--I consider myself a pro G3X user.
A5 flying will be a completely different animal. Low and slow exploration of FL lakes, much more time to look up freqs and spot traffic, simply will not fly if weather is dicey, no X-C into different weather patterns...
G3X EIS not so important to me with the automated self-monitoring ROTAX; a gauge and idiot lights are satisfactory. SD card data log is fantastic and I upload and debrief every GB1 flight both engine parameters with Savvy and flight dynamics on Flysto, but again, A5 flights will be very different.
Will I like the 796 after loving G3X?
Thanks!

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As an MFD the 796 is pretty good. The moving map is larger than on the G3X because the engine data blocks etc obviously aren't there. ADS-B In and TIS-B weather works great specially if hardwired (I had problems getting the Bluetooth connection to auto-connect).

The key difference for me is the Autopilot. While the plane trims out nicely, for any flight longer than 60 minutes it is nice to "relax" rather than make course corrections every minute.

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Thanks, Marcus!
I should have mentioned that I am a G3X Pathways/Synthetic vision cripple--nudging the flight path marker into the approaching boxes using 2% of my bandwidth works as well as autopilot for me.
But I question the utility with off-axis PFD in the center console. Also I doubt there are any or just a handful of G3X A5s that do not have autopilot.

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I doubt there are any or just a handful of G3X A5s that do not have autopilot.

I personally considered the autopilot the only real reason to have the G3X version - until Garmin announced that they were stopping production on the 796, which means there is some (still long) life point at which that may not be as well supported. As a founders edition owner that was not an optional choice, plus there is unfortunately no path to upgrading from 796 to G3X, which is frustrating in concept, but not overly concerning as a practical matter.

This plane trims out so well that I usually fly it with one or two fingers, unless it's really bumpy, at which point I'd only be flying this plane if it was a cross-country destination/delivery flight. I took delivery of ours in Cali, and proceeded to spend the next four days flying it to Martha's Vineyard. That was roughly 25 hours (at which point it needed the initial 25 hour service nobody told me to expect, after four days of ownership!). That included crossing the Rockies, and navigating through some pretty large weather systems, and I thought with no autopilot it would be miserable (the G3X version wasn't even an idea yet I don't think). It wasn't at all, it was actually fun to hand fly it all, quite easy and it probably helped my hand flying skills.

IMO, a long delivery is a rare thing for most people in this plane, not the daily use. It's not a traveling machine, it's a toy, generally for very local use. I have to fly 45 minutes to get to any decent lakes from where I am, so that starts and ends most of my flights unless I am just using the small puddle near us for a few quick currency landings. Even so I don't really miss having an autopilot, so again, to me, the only G3X advantage vs. the 796 is way down the road servicing questions with Garmin.

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I personally considered the autopilot the only real reason to have the G3X version

Thanks for your replies, Gabriel!
EIS with CAS (exceedance alerts) and data logging is a wonderful/mandatory thing for a manual mixture 6-cylinder 580cc 8.9:1 engine--and that is a huge advantage of integrated G3X system--but I'm much less concerned about modern automated automotive-like Rotax.
As an outsider who has casually reviewed the A5 POH, I am curious what the A5 idiot lights actually correspond to in terms of Rotax EMS-generated errors; the traditional installation has Lane A and Lane B either blinking or solid fail lights.

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I found the iPad mini with ForeFlight much better than the 796.

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I found the iPad mini with ForeFlight much better than the 796.

Generally (and for me it's a full sized iPad) I agree, but even without an AP, I think it's nice to be able to load an approach into a dash-mounted display, if one needs/wants it.

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Thanks for your replies, Gabriel!
EIS with CAS (exceedance alerts) and data logging is a wonderful/mandatory thing for a manual mixture 6-cylinder 580cc 8.9:1 engine--and that is a huge advantage of integrated G3X system--but I'm much less concerned about modern automated automotive-like Rotax.
As an outsider who has casually reviewed the A5 POH, I am curious what the A5 idiot lights actually correspond to in terms of Rotax EMS-generated errors; the traditional installation has Lane A and Lane B either blinking or solid fail lights.

I'm not sure what you are asking, maybe it is more clear to Bret or someone else? Lane A and Lane B, to me, is just the separation between the two independent fuel pumps and the systems connecting to each.

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In a traditional injected Rotax installation, one can control five switches and throttle: Lane A, Lane B, individual fuel pumps, stand-by battery. Lane A and Lane B lights indicate EMS failures. Fuel pressure gauge shows pump performance.
Without a deep dive I do not know the logic of the A5 "ENGINE" and "LAND AIRCRAFT" lights.
I'd prefer the more traditional Rotax setup, but the engine is very reliable and nearly operator-proof.

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I found the iPad mini with ForeFlight much better than the 796.

Mini and Stratus would be powerful, but batteries, cables, suction cups and mounts...
A panel G3X/GDU is hard to beat for convenience, utility and safety.

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GB1 to A5? Wow, those are pretty far apart on the mission spectrum! I think I'm jealous!

But seconding all the comments about trimming out the A5. Its a two finger grip for sure. And in turbulence, its a solid airframe but an hour or more in bumpy weather (and I've done my share of that), wears me down. And in thermals, the light wing loading makes maintaining a constant altitude entertaining!

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Hi Warren. Full disclosure I no longer work for ICON (left 3.5 years ago) but I'm the one that came up with the idea to install the G3X and autopilot, I supervised the team that installed it and actually did a bit of the wiring myself. I did all the flight test as well. The G3X idea was a option for those who wanted it, I knew it was going to be hot seller and it was. The nicest part for sure is the autopilot portions but your mission maybe different, fly a few cross countries in the plane you'll want it as 1 hour CX in your GB is about 3 hr in this plane). This is a way different plane from your GB1 as noted (I know that space very well as I have been involved in Aerobatic competition for the last 23 years straight (I built a Pitts S-1 and I put a dynon with a 2 axis AP in that too, I like autopilots for the CX other than that its never on, I also like the data side but I'm a data nerd, engineer and test pilot)

Anyway... As for Rotax Lane A and Lane B in the iS versions for the 912, 915, 916 Rotaxs are the two different Engine Control Units. Lane A manages a bit more data than B but there is some data on B that is not on A as well.

Land Aircraft + Engine = Solid Light on either Lane and indicates a Major Fault
Engine Light only = Flashing Light

The Key switch is labeled A, B and Both. If you key switch A only Lane A is working and only the Primary pump is running. When key in on B, only Lane B is on Secondary Fuel Pump on. Both, Both ECU's and Pumps on. The idea was to make the airplane simple to operate and not flood the user with info or switches. To do this we had Stock Flight Systems custom design a computer interface to handle all the back end of the this stuff and record data. So to make it simple up front it had to be complex on the back end.

So 5 switches you refer to are now in 1 key switch with 4 positions (A, B, Both, Start) and the back up battery or Emergency battery) relay is automatically handled by the custom Digital to analog converter from stock flight systems which also drives the Oil press, oil temp, coolant temp gauges.

There is no easily accessible data to get to without specialized equipment on the non-G3X aircraft engine or otherwise.

Hope that helps.

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Brett - slightly unrelated but in the latest G3X release's Configuration Settings, ICON changed the AP Pitch Servo Gain from 0.5 to 1.0. I assume you picked the initial value, any thoughts on this change?

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Brett - slightly unrelated but in the latest G3X release's Configuration Settings, ICON changed the AP Pitch Servo Gain from 0.5 to 1.0. I assume you picked the initial value, any thoughts on this change?

They changed that in the update, i.e. if you didn't realize it, that changed without your knowledge?? I don't like that, sounds like what I hate about Apple updates that decide for me what's best without telling me they changed my device setup. That's not the kind of setting I normally expect to see changed by anyone other than the user. I had G3Xs in the turbine Lancair - the first turbine flying with G3X engine monitoring actually - so I did a lot of setting experiments, especially with AP settings, and never did I see any of those change with software updates. Updates obviously impacted ADC type things invisibly, but also were largely about implementing my redesigns on the engine monitoring data and layout.

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It is in the Service Letter "Release of Garmin G3X Software 9.51", the installer has to change it manually.

https://www.iconaircraft.com/wp-cont...tware-9_51.pdf

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Yeah not sure about that change its been a minute (about 4 years maybe 4.5) since I messed with any of that. I'm reasonably certain we left most of those settings to default and only changed what we thought was necessary to correct deficient performance.

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Those settings can be accessed in flight (they could be on mine anyway, and I assume this is set up the same), so they should be easy to play with. I found it helped to try to "break" them in both directions: too much gain/too little gain. I realized in the Lancair that I needed to be more aggressive from my initial settings after I came out of a NY airport one fine crisp winter morning doing 4,000 fpm of climb with a level off at 2,000 feet that I blew past because the AP just couldn't come close to the adjustment speed/force needed to transition from rocket ship climb to straight and level. Blowing right past an altitude sliding higher than cleared into the Bravo isn't something NYC Tracon loves

The Icon - as we all agree from these posts - is really easy on the controls and very stable even without an AP, so the servos and settings for this plane should probably be generally hard to under control, but what better excuse to go fly for two hours than testing those. I always kept a log of all the baselines and changes, to note where I changed them again and when, and to write down the effect under different flying situations.

Disclaimer: that's my POV from having an experimental aircraft and doing it, and I assume those settings are something a user can change without unduly compromising conformity with manufacturer requirements, but I'd double check to be sure those are not an issue to customize.