Chuck,
To each his own on the Chelton. As for me, I wouildnt leave home without it. For me, it makes the machine! I confess to being an avionics junkie, and consider the helo to be a platform to carry the radios around!
I recently completed an instrument rating in the 480 and found the Chelton to be the most useful of the semi-glass panels I have tried. THe VSI is a challenge, but I have found that one learns to look for it and use it. I feel that light helos are still in the dark ages (steam gages) for the most part re modern avionics. Almost every "advanced" light helo has a Honeywell/King KCS 55 compass system. This thing is a boat anchor that was designed more than 25 years ago. In forty plus years of flying, KCS 55 systems have failed me more than any other. I have added a 696 as a backup (photo here
http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/353...min-696-a.html ). It is not without problems as it crashes from time to time (never happened with the Chelton.)
Anyway, we are in violent agreement re the E480 being a great helo.