6 hours
The last Garmin component I finally bought was the transponder. I couldn't really decide if I wanted to get a GTX 45R, which does ADSB in and out, or the cheaper GTX 35R that does ADSB-out only, and add a GDL 50 later for ADSB-in. I was leaning toward the 35R, since it plus the GDL 50 was still cheaper than the 45R, and having the GDL connected to an iPad would give me a simple backup navigation system in case of aircraft electrical failure (since the GDL and iPad each have their own battery).
I stumbled on an open-box but never installed GTX 35R on ebay a while ago for about $700 cheaper than MSRP, and that's what finally did it for me!
Anyway, this transponder is made to be installed in an avionics rack, which I don't have. It slides into this little bracket conveniently, I just needed to figure out how to mount the bracket in the plane. After a little head-scratching, I ended up just making some little brackets to attach the mounting bracket to the side skin in the baggage compartment (opposite the radio and GPS). There's not enough space to be able to slide the transponder out of the bracket, but if I ever need to remove it, it'll be easy enough to undo the screws that go through these brackets.
Next I ran the wires. I just continued my wire bundle from the right side of the baggage area, along the floor just behind the seat, and up the left side to the transponder. It's not on the CAN bus, so all it needed was power, ground, and RS-232 connections to the ADAHRS and the GPS.
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