MGL EMS-2 Blaze Engine monitor install

[airlina]

I have flown about 10 hours with the MGL installed and really like it. The display is very readable and everything is user programmable , I especially like the ability to set warnings and caution parameters that activate a user supplied warning light .For example -I have CHT cautions and warnings based on Continentals limits. Also can set this light at minimum parameters, and I have it set to keep the light on after engine start to stay on until my oil temp reaches 75 degrees, which is the min that full power can be used-no runup until this light goes out. Very helpful to immediately get the pilots attention quickly. The unit has way more capability than I will use and the display I use the most is the one you see in the picture. As a matter of fact if you start adding too much info that cannot be displayed on the page , the unit has to switch to a second display page and does this at 2 sec intervals which I found very distracting . I do however manually select other pages in flight -for instance there is a leaning page that shows EGT's only in big numbers for more accurate leaning. So for the money I am pleased with the instrument -be aware though that the install is not a plug and play. I replaced a westach quad gauge that only monitored 1 cylinder, and to monitor all 4 you will be running a bunch of new wiring. As I recall new 23 wires to route and terminate. Bruce N199CL

[little rocket]

Thanks for the quick reply,Good to hear you like it so far,it looks like a pretty Interesting gauge that can replace a bunch of other gauges in the plane.
How is it to read in bright conditions,I wonder what it would be like in cold weather when you first start up as far as the screen working in the cold.

[airlina]

Screen readability in bright light is great no issues at all, and cold weather ops are not a problem , as I live in upstate NY and have flown it at 25 deg F so far . As soon as the master is on it powers up. Bruce N199CL

[KenZ]

Hi Bruce.

MY RDAC is located in same spot up high and on right side.
The first indication was a sudden jump on all cylinder head temp to over 500 deg. One minute you look and all ok check later and 500+ and you gasp and say "Oh Crap , new engine is how much?" . I was doing a lot of TO and Landings, like 10 in a row. On the second time it went to over 600, I taxied to the hanger and shot it with an IR temp gauge and the cylinders read 280 on the IR gauge, MGL gauge read 500+, so now I knew it was an indication problem. I then determined it to be a heat soaking problem so I added the cooling tube to the RDAC for trouble shooting and it worked.Took 3 weeks to get answer from so the Africa, thats when they told me it was working temp limited to 158.
After the RDAC cooled down the temp dropped very quickly to normal. Haven't had a problem after til it got even hotter here in Tucson, about 95, and It happened again only during taxi to the hanger. Doesn't seam be any damage to the RDAC, works normal when not over heated.
Ken

[HighWing]

The unit has way more capability than I will use and the display I use the most is the one you see in the picture. As a matter of fact if you start adding too much info that cannot be displayed on the page , the unit has to switch to a second display page and does this at 2 sec intervals which I found very distracting .

Bruce,
Just discovered this thread and very glad I did. I recently installed the Blaze instrument and for my needs - Rotax 912UL - all I wanted is to replace the four gauges that were in the Westach Quad Gauge. For some reason, I am getting the "two second" page shift and find it distracting as well, as I have no need to see the fuel pressure that wants to be displayed even though I have no fuel pressure sender. Prompts me to go through the programming again and see if I can delete that from the program. I was hoping to have the one page display only. Is there an option to program it so the one page is displayed unless prompted to go elsewhere?

[airlina]

Hi Lowell, I was able to get that page shift to stop with some tech support from South Africa. (I was having problems with timely tech help from the U.S. distributor , so I tried emailing the factory in S.Africa and got quick and correct responses fast . Here is the email for future use: info@mglavionics.co.za and Rainier Lamers seems to be the go to guy for help) I too only need one page of readings Oil P & T , CHT and EGT. My display was flipping to the second page because OAT and fuel flow were selected on , although not used. You have to go into the analog channel menu and make sure ALL 4 channels have no parameters set to the on position. This instrument is new and I suspect they might come up with a future software fix that would allow manual instead of the auto 2 sec page flip, but for now , when you shut off those unwanted parameters , the display will stay on the primary page only . I do like the capability of the instrument and its a big step up from the Westach that I ran for so long. Good luck Bruce N199CL

[HighWing]

Exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[HighWing]

Thanks again. Works perfectly.

[airlina]

You are welcome Lowell , glad you got it worked out, I know that flashing screen was driving me nuts. If someone needs to use those extra pages , it make sense to make it user selectable . Bruce N199CL

[KenZ]

Oh I wanted to add that So Africa gave me great response before. I don't know why it took so long. I had to send a stern follow up email before I finally got a response. Could have been Covid issue , don't know. The also refused my request for a replacement.
Ken