IFD-540 Won't fit in tray

Hello to all, I am new to this post and am having an issue doing a "Plug and Play" with a new IFD-540. In the plane I have installed a non WAAS Garmin GNS-530. The Avidyne will just not fit no matter how hard I try. My Garmin 530 slides into it's own tray with lots of room to spare, but not the IFD-540. It is extremely tight. I tried installing the 540 in the tray Avidyne sent me, and did finally get it seated with a lot of effort because of the tightness. Getting it back out was another story as it took a lot of pushing and pulling. It actually took two guys a lot of work to get the 540 back out. Extremely tight in its own case. I took the Garmin GNS 530 and seated it in the Avidyne tray with ease and room to spare. Long story longer, the assembled IFD-540 is just too big for the Garmin tray. Anyone experience something like this. I have contacted Avidyne but have not received an answer probably because of the holiday.
Regards
Bob Harris
Bonanza N8908M
Michigan

The Avidyne tray is not now installed. I just took it out of the box and tried to seat BOTH GPS units after the IFD540 would not fit in the Garmin tray installed in the plane. The Garmin fit the Avidyne tray just like it was made for it, but I was only able to get the IFD540 seated in its own tray after a lot of pushing and pully and a lot more work getting it out. It was so hard getting out I did not want to try seating it a second time. Again my conclusion is the trays are both fine and within a fraction size wise of each, but not the Avidyne 540. The sole reason for buying the IFD-540 was because of the advertised ease of installation. It is definitely not the Plug and Play they advertised.
Regards
Bob Harris

I can assure you that this particular IFD-540 is does not fit into the Garmin tray in the airplane and can barely be "Forced" into and out of the tray that was sent with the GPS. As an A&P with inspection authorization and FCC GROL, I have installed and removed many radios over the last 40 plus years and have come to the conclusion for some reason this GPS's dimensions are not as intended. If I understand correctly, the original idea was to make the IFD-540 the identical size as the GNS-530 to facilitate "Plug and Play". That is NOT what I am experiencing now. I have since found someone else's post that had a similar problem and they replace the Garmin tray. In this situation the Garmin 530 fits into "Both Cases or trays if you will" with ease But the IFD does not. My intention with this post, since I am still unable to get in touch with tech reps at Avidyne, is find out if anyone has experienced the same issue. Looks extremely easy on YouTube, but not in reality in my situation.
Regards

The pins are all perfectly straight, there are no bent pins. I took pictures of them as well. That is also corroberated by the fact that my present gps, a Garmin GNS-530 can be removed and installed with absolutely no effort a all. I also installed a friends GNS-530 in my plane and had no trouble installing or removing that one as well. The only trouble I have is with the Avidyne IFD-540 I just purchased. To repeat, the Avidyne 540 will not go into my Garmin tray and can not be installed or removed from its own case without applying an extra amount of pressure. I can start to engage the pins on the 540 in its own case but can not pull it in with the 3/32 inch Allen wrench. I have to push on the edge and turn the screw a little and continue that until it is seated. When removing the 540 from its own case, the screw will not pull the gps out of its seated position. I have to turn the screw a little and pull on the edges until it is unseated. It took two of us to pull it out of the case they sent me, but my Garmin GNS-530 will slide in and out of that same case effortlessly. The only thing that doesn't fit in either case is the Avidyne 540.

Edited by edanford - 02 Sep 2019 at 6:20pm

Thank you for the input. That would seem reasonable, but when I tried to install the Avidyne in my plane, I took out the KX-155 below it and the KA-24 audio panel above it so I would not have anything pressing from either side. As I mentioned before, I could barely get the 540 into and out of its own case, but only with a great deal of difficulty, (and just once at that) and it was not even installed in the plane so there was no issues of pressure on the case from other installed equipment. I just took it out of the Avidyne box to see if it would fit, it didn't fit worth a darn. I just tried to slide the case over the GPS and it was all I could do to do that. When you look at the YouTube video of the installation, they can install one of these in less than one minute. The video shows the IFD-540 sliding right into the case effortlessly, just like my Garmin does in either case. The whole process is done in about 45 seconds. Thank you for the reply. I hate to sound like a broken record, but I think the real key here is that the Garmin GNS-530 will slide into and out of "EITHER CASE" with no effort what so ever. What is so different about the Avidyne 540, why won't it, something without question is wrong.

Another thought, perhaps the aluminum is galling as it’s going in? Are there any marks on the unit indicating where it’s rubbing?

Bob, you might measure the IFD540 outer dimension for some measurement comparison with the GNS530 and the IFD540 specification sheet.  There sounds like there is some difference.  This could help Avidyne support to troubleshoot the problem too. I replaced a GNS530 with an IFD540 with no issues.  Furthermore, I inserted the IFD540 into the GNS530 tray and then relocated the GNS530 in my panel in the IFD 540 tray.  Again no issues.

Yes the 530 does not have the 4th set of connectors actually making it easier for the 540 to seat because the hole is empty. I tried again yesterday and the 540 appeared to seat into to the antennas, but stopped short of seating into the pin receptacles. I could only turn the screw 1 1/2 turns and it was a hard stop. I removed everything from the panel (Audio panel above and Nav Comm below) and tried to manipulate the 540 through the access holes and nothing. It would not move any more. Short of taking the whole thing out, which is not a good option. I need some input from Avidyne. It would appear that as of yesterday they are not in their office in Melbourne, Florida for obvious reasons. Thanks you the input any and all ideas are considered.

I second the comments on Chris!!!!!

Yes great people can make a great company even better. I very much appreciated her help.   The IFD-540 appears to be functioning nicely now. A lot different than the Garmin.
Best Regards
Bob Harris
N8908M


Edited by AviSteve - 09 Sep 2019 at 10:46pm

Chris is the BEST.