My son and I flew up to KMTV (Blue Ridge/Martinsville, VA) recently to catch lunch at Simply Suzanne's, a spot I've been to a few times. It was a great day to fly - we had a 15-knot headwind on thew way there, but the same wind as a tailwind on the way back - a trip that splits the GSO and RDU Class C airspaces.
Not long after departing KTTA I called up RDU Approach to request flight following up to MTV. Strangely, they asked me to enter new squawk codes three separate times, which I had never experienced before. Glancing down, I noticed that the switch to the NAV flights, which also includes the tailBeacon, had been turned off. I flipped it on and notified ATC, and they immediately said they had me now. Not a problem, but what flipping the rotary dials on my K76A constantly led me to decide was that it sucked. The knobs stick a bit, and I discovered that I couldn't quickly enter the new code from memory, having to write it down and then program it. Not a big deal, but an annoyance for sure that comes with dated avionics.
On a side note, our meal at Simply Suzanne's was great - but the restaurant was packed. On arrival to the airport there had been a Bonanza approaching me from behind, so I called up on CTAF to see if he head me in sight. He responded that he had me on screen but not in sight, but deviated to avoid getting too close. When we got in line for the restaurant, he and his wife were in front of us. We ended up chatting, and because tables were limited, we decided to share a table with them. Great experience for both my son and I, as they were incredibly nice folks out of Shiloh (Rockingham) not far away.
One day on FB Marketplace, I happened to see a guy selling a Garmin GTX-327, including the harness, backplate, encoder and wiring harnesses. This peaked my interest, as I have used the 327 before and find it to be a great little transponder, with easy to enter digits and a dedicated VFR button. Plus I used to set it as my flight timer using that function. Although I had planned to upgrade to a tailBeaconX once I had an AV-30 attitude indicator, I wasn't super keen on the idea of tuning transponder codes through it. I checked with my avionics guy on how much labor would be required to swap out my K76A for a 327, which he estimated at between $800-$1,000 depending on the wiring situation. The 327 itself was listed for $775, so the idea of a $1,500-$1,800 transponder upgrade was appealing to me. Plus, I don't know if the avionics shop was accounting for the fact that the wiring harnesses for the transponder and the encoder are already included and in great shape.
I pulled the trigger and made the purchase - and then immediately wondered if I was going to be scammed, as somedays it seems like most avionics being sold online aren't real. Seller was great and got it in the mail quickly, and low and behold, it arrived three days later.
The unit and wiring harnesses all appear to be in great shape. The guy had included a video in his ad from the unit working in his 152, and the condition in the box seems to match that.
Not sure when I'm going to take it to the avionics guys to install, but I'm not in a huge hurry. Matched with the tailBeacon for ADS-B Out, I think this might be a good permanent transponder choice (or at least for as long as it works). Fingers crossed.
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