STEC 30 or Century 2000 any suggestions?

[Paul Klouda]

Greetings All,

About ready to pull the trigger on an autopilot system. Got quotes on both STEC 30 (w/alt hold) and a Century 2000. Price difference is the Century will cost about 2K more installed but allows ILS coupled approaches and climb and descent settings. Any suggestions from the masses on which one? Do not have a GPSS output from my Apollo GX50 so no need for steering module (so far that is!)

Wringing my hands and pacing the floor in anticipation of the decision!

Thanks,

Paul

[N3322G]

Paul,

Expect to hear from both sides. We've been happy with Century 2000 since 1994 when they sponsored us and it helped win the Gold Medal in the pilot-skilled around the world air race. Added the GPSS in 2005 - awesome capabilities to do holds etc. It has needed maintenance on the attitude indicator as this is where it gets the sensing info. If we were to buy one today, I would still choose Century.

[VANBLADEREN]

Paul, I have good experience with both auto pilots. My preference would be for the C-2000. It will do a better job for you in turbulence as it reacts to the horizon while the Stec reacts to the Turn Coordinator. The STEC will not intercept a nav signal, only track it. The planes heading has to be within 10 degrees of the desired course and the vor needle needs to be centered. The century 2000 will intercept a course. The century has pitch control and GS capture. The STEC will only hold an altitude. A fair equal to the Century 2000 would be a STEC 60. They are both equal in features.

Regards

jvb

[Don Nelson]

Hi Paul,
Never flown an S-Tec, but have a couple thousand hours behind C-2000 autopilots in 4 different Comanches.
At least 1000 hrs of that in a 250 with a GX-50, and loved it. As I aged and wanted more help I upgraded to 430W, altitude pre-select and GPSS - first with an HSI, then, (and now), with Aspen.

Like Pat, I did have an issue with one AI; that Century took care of promptly.
If had to do it again today would stick with the C-2000.

Good luck on your decision.

Best regards, Don

[James Turner]

Hi All,

I'm in the market for an autopilot also but just can't stomach the price/features equation.

It may be 'pie in the sky' but do you think the Small Aircraft Revitalisation Act passing will have any near term positive affect on which autopilots we are able to fit to our aircraft? Even the lowest specification Trutrak autopilot or G3X autopilot blows the socks off either the S-Tec or C-2000 at about 1/10th of the price.

Very frustrating that those features and the price point are available but just out of our reach....

Cheers,

James.

[Chip Sylverne]

[John Fuller]

I have an S-TEC 55 in my PA-39 that has worked without maintenance for 13 years and over 2,000 hours, with GPSS recently added. Having been flying for over 40 years with various autopilots, mostly Century, this is unheard of for me. But I miss attitude hold in climb, something that I have learned to live with (leave vertical mode off and trim for the attitude/speed I want). Meanwhile, we recently installed a new Century 2000/Triden system in another aircraft (Century was the only STC'd sytem) and it took over a year to get them to quote and then deliver it. Bottom line, and this comes from our avionics shop too, I'd go with S-TEC every time if the autopilot has the capability I need. The Century system offers better features but you will be dealing with the company for as long as you own the system. Ask yourself (or your avionics shop) who will be around offering the better support in 10 or 20 years.