Vp-x sport

[Kitfox Pilot]

Is this a better way to wire? I like what it says it does and it looks like it would make wiring a bit easier. You guys that have put them in, any regrets? Would you recommend one?

Thanks for any info.

[Shadowrider]

Vpx is awesome! Makes your panel super clean because all your breakers are digital. Automatic wig wag feature. G3x incorporates the vpx perfectly. It can monitor critical items like fuel pumps. I wouldn’t go any other way. Vertical power was suppose to be coming out with a master Solenoid bus I would look into.

[efwd]

I like mine as well. The program they have to set it all up makes my wiring much more clear to me. I ran out of Power pins from the VPX but there are work arounds so....
If you need customer support you will be happy as well.

[Shadowrider]

Yeah I remember a few saying they ran out of pins but I couldn’t justify spending the money for pro. I just planned ahead and combined some low power draw items onto one pin.

[Eric Page]

I'll caveat the following by saying that I have no experience with the VP-X, I know nothing about its internal design or the software that runs inside it, and I'm not suggesting that there's anything wrong with its design or its code. For all I know, it would qualify for manned space flight.

That said, before you lay down cash for a unit like the VP-X (or the EXP-Bus, etc.), consider a few questions:

1. Having circuit breakers on the instrument panel or digitally resettable breakers on your EFIS screen suggests that there is value in the pilot resetting a popped breaker in flight. Except for rare instances of breakers nuisance tripping because of some manufacturing flaw, they generally trip for a reason, and thereby prevent wire insulation from turning into smoke. Resetting them gives that insulation a second try. Why do that? Why even tempt yourself?

2. If something goes wrong with the VP-X, does the builder/pilot (you) know what's inside the box, and how to fix it? What if it happens at Johnson Creek, Idaho at 1830 on a Friday? You can troubleshoot a basic electrical system with a multimeter and a test light, and repair it with a wire stripper, a crimper and a selection of terminals.

3. What's the all-in cost difference between a VP-X installation and a simple, fuse-protected, field-repairable electrical system?

Just my $0.02. YMMV. Consult your doctor before starting any electrical system installation...

[Shadowrider]

To answer some of you questions

1. Not sure if this is a question or a statement? Yes there is some value in being able to reset a breaker. Every aircraft I have flown you are trained to be able to reset once. I like that the VPX will send a message to the efis when a breaker is tripped. G3x will put a CAS message up for you and audio alert. You can then decide if you want to reset it or not. Yes you can reset breakers on the the G3x. You can also "pull " a breaker. My trip back from Johnson creek this summer, I had to reset my gps enroute. I like that you can scroll through your G3x on the VPX page and it shows how much each circuit is drawing. You also don't install a shunt because the VPX know the draw by totaling up all circuits.

2. If something goes wrong, no you don't get inside the box. Its sealed and you void your warranty if you try and open it. Even if you could, not much you could do at Johnson creek, its just a big computer. Talking with VPX they are designed so if a board fails you loose the circuits on that board. They have you divide up critical items to different circuits. Also if you have a switch fail, which is the most likely thing to happen because you using them all the time, you can turn on a ciruit on the VPX and not even use a switch. Looking back I may of even considered having no switches on the panel and just used the VPX? I flew my plane to Johnson Creek and the last thing I was worried about was my VPX. I was more worried about that spiny thing on the front keeping me cool. VPX claims that with the new VPX sport model that they started building a couple years ago, they have not had a single failure. With that being said, I have alot riding on the VPX. It dies and my engine dies. New aircraft are going this way and I think its awesome. Gulfstreams G500 and G600 are doing away with the old school breakers and going electronic now for a much cleaner cockpit that is more manageable and pilot friendly.

3. Much more for the VPX!

[109JB]

I looked into the VPx stuff and it looks good but I didn't decide to go that way and the biggest reasons are

1. Cost
2. My VFR build of my Kitfox 4 just doesn't warrant the features that the VPx can provide.

I opted to use fuses using 2 ATX fuse blocks behind the instrument panel. One is for "Avionics" and the other is the main bus with everything else. Since my airplane is strictly VFR, if a fuse blows, it blows and I check it out when I land. I have absolutely no reason that anything electrical needs to be reset if a circuit pops and nothing critical to safely getting the airplane on the ground in VFR depends on anything electrical. This is the part that doesn't warrant the VPX features. The 2 fuse blocks cost me about $30 total compared to $1500 for the VPX. There is the big cost difference I just could not justify.

Now I will say that i see nothing "wrong" with the VPx or what it is intended to do. If I were building something that was IFR capable, or that had systems that rely on electrical power (electric retracts/flaps come to mind), then I would consider it again. It does give you built in overvoltage protection which you should consider in the cost.

Bottom line is that I felt for a properly wired system with properly operating equipment being powered the likelyhood of blowing a fuse is small. When was the last time you blew a fuse for no reason in your car? Cars are very complicated these days and still use fuses for most stuff. My other homebuilt, a Sonerai also uses fuses. Has since 1992. Granted this airplane is even simpler than the Kitfox, but the fuses in the airplane right now are the same fuses that were in it in 1992.

[efwd]

Yes it is.

[efwd]

Thanks for that. Although I have no real reason for turning it off, I will do some searching. I just happened to discover it when I was trying to reboot the G3X and I tried the master switch. Im curious now.

[Shadowrider]

Yes I recommend install kit with the VPX.