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Tracking GPS with 40's & 50'sAll S-TEC Systems Twenty/Thirty and Systems 40/50 in current production include provisions for radio gain enhancement when GPS navigation source is selected for Autopilot track. This has recently generated great response from the field asking if this feature could be incorporated in System 40's and 50's already in the field. The answer is yes. Typically, Systems 40/50 will adequately track most GPS receiver signals in "APR" mode. In some cases however, due to a multitude of variables, the autopilot may have a tendency to let the aircraft drift ever so slightly to one side of the course or the other before correcting. This occurs because a GPS signal is much "cleaner" than a VOR signal, which has a tendency to be "noisy" and generates more rate. The new gain enhancement feature provides quicker response to slight course offsets. Upgrading an older unit requires replacement of the Roll Flight Guidance Computer PCB (list price $204.00) and a minor modification to the controller motherboard. The NAV/GPS switch must then be rewired in the aircraft. If you own an older S-TEC System 40 or 50 coupled to a GPS, and feel that there is room for improvement in tightening the GPS track feature, contact your S-TEC dealer for a quote on the cost of an update. |