What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Blue Mountain EFIS Question (Old Thread- First Post May 2016)

Gash

Well Known Member
This is somewhat RV related since there may still be some folks with Blue Mountain screens out there…

I'm buying a Bearhawk with a Blue Mountain EFIS 2 screen. Of course, Blue Mountain has been out of business for years and the EFIS is hopelessly orphaned. My questions:

1. Do you know anyone who has a made a "home-brew" map or nav database update website for this EFIS? I heard a rumor that one may exist out there, but have been unable to find it.

2. I'm a die hard Dynon Skyview guy. I have the full Skyview setup in my RV-8 and absolutely love it. I want to eventually put the Skyview system in my Bearhawk, but I heard that the Dynon ADAHRS doesn't like rag and tube airplanes. Seems that the Dynon ADAHRS (and magnetometer?) work better in all-metal airplanes. I'm wondering if anyone has any knowledge of this. By the way, I will be talking to Dynon support too, but I wanted to find out what folks here know too.)

Thanks everybody!
 
I think you can get a Skyview in the Legend Cub, and I'm sure others, which are tube and fabric. You could probably put the magnetometer in the wing.

As for the Blue Mountain, how good is your arm (or do you have a boat)?:D
 
There was someone who sold a BMA database for awhile (years ago) but I doubt he still does.

If the BMA still functions get a portable garmin with current data base and use the BMAtill it drops..
 
Thanks guys. I love new projects?jumping off into the unknown a little with this one. When the time comes, I'm going to pull the BM EFIS and give it to my 12-year old son who loves going around the house taking things apart to "fix" them. He'll probably learn everything there is to know about EFIS screens and then start his own avionics company someday.
 
No more BMA database

Karl,
I still have a BMA EFIS 4 which incredibly continues to work each and every day (dang thing won't die). There was a yahoo group that charged like $150/yr for map updates but they folded last year. I just can't bring myself to rip out a working EFIS? I thin for the Bearhawk it would be a good EFIS since you probably won't be using Autopilot very often....
 
Yeah, the map updates went away; there just wasn't enough interest for the guy to keep offering them. BMA wouldn't sell their DB software to him (or me; I tried) and he wouldn't sell his to me, I think for liability reasons. But my BMA has been going strong and I am not planning to change before 2020. Since topology doesn't change that much, as long as you do your planning with legal charts, you can still rely on the EFIS and even the autopilot.
 
That's what I was thinking. Wait until 2020 and see what new toys come out between now and then. Foreflight on my iPad and the working EFIS should be good enough until then. But it's so hard knowing what great information I could have on the Skyview right now (nav, maps, EMS, ADS-B, etc.) No autopilot though. It's a bush plane! :D
 
Hi Karl,

The Dynon will work fine in that plane. If for some bizarre reason you've got a particularly magnetized airframe, you just stick a dedicated remote compass in the wing.

I can tell you I wouldn't put much effort into keeping the BMA alive at this point.

Cheers,
Stein
 
Hi Karl,

The Dynon will work fine in that plane. If for some bizarre reason you've got a particularly magnetized airframe, you just stick a dedicated remote compass in the wing.

I can tell you I wouldn't put much effort into keeping the BMA alive at this point.

Cheers,
Stein

Looks like an unit just came into life...

Other than the Yahoo Forum, does anyone knows another place for information? Or, let's get together to exchange some information. :cool:

5n6OEPtl.jpg
[/IMG]

00x0BeAl.jpg
[/IMG]
 
The only place that provided updates was the Yahoo forum but that stopped a couple of years ago. I still have a my EFIS 4th Gen that actually worked really well but I wanted to go IFR and get updates so I took it out. I still have it and was actually thinking about listing it to see if anyone would be interested. The screen is HUGE!
 
Hey Karl,

The way your fleet is growing, you’ll soon be in the annual a month club.
When I was initially planning my build, (about the time I flew with you), Blue Mountain and Chelton were all that and a bag of chips. I came within a mouse clic of buying the full BMA package off the website just weeks before it shutdown. What stopped me was a thread of caution on this forum for which I am quite grateful.

There will be a Kitplanes article soon on connecting an EFB with Foreflight vía wifi to SkyView. It makes for a really sweet package. However, a fighter guy in a bush plane? How’s that go? Flare something ... squat something? Maybe fly that BMA box until until it crumbles and save your money to invest in bigger brakes. Just kidding (not really).
 
Last edited:
Hi Myron! That's an older post...I sold the Bearhawk last year. I love bush flying, and that bird was perfect for hauling the family and getting in/out of a cow pasture up at 8500 MSL in the mountains. But alas, I needed to free up space for the Saratoga and the Extra 330.

The Bearhawk's new owner has since pulled out the Blue Mountain and replaced with a very nice Skyview HDX. I love my HDX in the RV-7, and I'm looking forward to reading the Skyview and Foreflight integration article. Did you write it?
 
BMA Efis One Workaround ?

Just in case there are still some others on the same path the following might be of interest.
I have been running an Efis One in an RV-9A for about 15 years and the start up has been problematic for a year or more with distorted horizontal lines for a few attempts before it would display correctly - otherwise fine.
The Display quit completely recently but I had a spare unit which tested OK about four years ago so ran it on the bench again to check before installing the "new" Gold Box and Display. Same problem but worse - many attempts to start but only one correct startup and then dead screen.
The Display is driven by an LVDS cable and either the output or receiving components for this must have an inherent ageing issue.
The Gold Box also has a VGA port and this is outputting a good video signal on both the installed and replacement systems.
I think that is possible to position a new monitor on the actual current Display and still access the control buttons/knobs of the Display which will work fine without power being connected.
There are some attractive high brightness monitors around including Lilliput FA 1000-NP/C with a 9.7" screen which I am going to try.
I know that one day I will probably bite the bullet and do the full GX3 thing but the thought of trashing a working system (for VFR) and perfectly good A/P servos etc is galling.
 
How are you managing ADSB? In the face of that, I finally pulled the trigger and switched to a G3X.
 
replacement parts

I have a blue mountain sitting on the shelf and may have some parts that would help. I saw Greg Richter sitting in the grass in Oshkosh on the last day of the convention with his booth half way disassembled and the minute I saw his moving map there was no way I was putting in steam gauges. There was nothing else like it. Even his autopilot was innovative. It worked well until I came out of a steep turn on a return leg of a cross country and the horizon kept turning, and turning. That was near the end of the support, and I went to GRT. I used my Garmin 396 simulated panel page to get home. If interested contact me.
 
Back
Top