D180 Autopilot Issue

I know everyone who has a D180 system is familiar with the NAV SOURCE dropout that was supposed to be corrected by the latest Dynon update (I think it was 5.4). When I did the update I no longer had a NAV mode option, but TRACK worked fine (that's some magic SH##!).

One day another RV-12 owner saw mine in the hangar and we started trading info. He told me he had solved this problem by using a GARMIN 396 in place of the 496. Well, today I swapped my 496 out for the 396 I bought years ago, and guess what, it works! I now have NAV and TRACK mode working perfectly.

If anybody else has issues with the NAV mode after the latest D180 update you might want to try this.

The 396 and 496 both will work. Check your advanced NMEA setting on the X96 and make sure it is set to NORMAL and not FAST.

I have the D-180 and 496 and the latest Dynon firmware and the autopilot works fine.
Joe Gores

Thanks. I'll check, but at this point I'm inclined to leave well enough alone!

Mich48041 said:

I have the D-180 and 496 and the latest Dynon firmware and the autopilot works fine.
Joe Gores

Click to expand...

Likewise.

RFSchaller said:

Thanks. I'll check, but at this point I'm inclined to leave well enough alone!

Click to expand...

Oh c'mon, you know you want to fix it, if it can be fixed! Be brave!

Mine works fine to, 496/D180. Does your 496 have the latest operating software update? Which is Ver 4.8.
See it here at
http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=010-00578-00

BigJohn,

It is FIXED with the 396 in place! . I'm just disappointed I didn't get to use some duct tape too!

Rich

RFSchaller said:

BigJohn,

It is FIXED with the 396 in place! . I'm just disappointed I didn't get to use some duct tape too!

Rich

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LOL! I guess there is something to be said for the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

John,

What I didn't say was the original 496 died, and the "fixed" one wasn't as bright as my 396, so sticking with the 396 is an easy choice. Most of the time I navigate off the IPad Mini and use the 396 for autopilot input. I had the no-NAV issue with the original and "fixed" 496. I checked the settings to be identical on the 396 and 496, so it remains a mystery -- what we nuclear Navy guys used to refer to light heartedly as " a nuclear phenomenon"

Rich