Getting ready to install the antennas and needed to make some doublers. Norm in our Houston shop is an expert at this so he made a set for me while I was there this week. These stiffen the thinner aluminum outer panel where the antennas mount to the fuselage. I still have some rivets to install and a couple holes to drill yet.

The transponder and COMM antennas are mounted. The main panel is back in. The panel is coming back together.

Except now come the antenna installs. GPS, Comm, Transponder, and ELT.

I know you can’t tell much from the photo, but if you look closely at the transponder it now shows pressure altitude on the screen. This means my blind encoder is installed and operating correctly. It shows a pressure altitude or flight level of 1200′ which is correct.

In the radio it shows departure frequency for LNK airport and I can hear them talking and airplanes responding so all is well. And the gps still shows me in the correct location.

Tomorrow this all goes into the airplane and gets connected.

Transponder and COMM/GPS both powered up in the panel. Next is the blind encoder and the headphone/mic. Should have that done tomorrow.

Doesn’t look like much but it’ll keep me busy over the weekend. Wires for the COMM/GPS, Transponder, and altitude encoder.

…inking the labels.

Before photo of the panel

After lots of polishing and cleaning, plus inking the labels. Now it’s in the oven to dry the ink.

Up close view of the inking and polishing. It’s not brand new but 70 years of oxidation and exposure leaves pitting.

I removed the bezel, cleaned, and repainted it. I also replaced the very used ENT and CLR buttons. It looks a bit better now.

Before photo

After cleaning and painting and the new buttons installed.

After painting.

It’s nice when you power it up for the first time in the airplane and it doesn’t smoke. It’s even better when it finds satellites and shows you exactly where you are.