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Garmin G5 GPS Antenna?

RV6_flyer

RV6_flyer

Well Known Member
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Looks like my G5 will be here on Wednesday. Thank you SteinAir for fast shipping.

My Vacuum AI went TU on way to Oshkosh. After sitting in on several Garmin seminars, I decided that I would replace my AI with the G5.

Been looking though the install manual but one thing I will not know till it is installed unless someone who has one can report in. Does the Garmin G5 built in GPS work mounted in an RV panel without using an external antenna?

My plan is to use the G5 as an Attitude Indicator and not add a GPS antenna. IF the internal GPS works without an antenna, there are other features in the G5 that I may be able to use.

Other than the GPS antenna, the electrical install looks extremely simple. The mechanical install with be the hard part. My desire is to prepare the mechanical install so that a 2nd G5 can be added in the future when the vacuum DG goes TU. Was dreaming that the G5 replacing the DG would make it into a nice HSI but my old IFR GPS/COM does not look like it will work. At the present time, I use an ACU coupling the GPS / SL30 to my CDI and that looks like it will need to stay.
 
Gary, I think it is best to add a GPS antenna (a Garmin GA 26C works well, available for about $50 on eBay), although there is an internal antenna that may work just fine. Adding the antenna will ensure that the internal GPS is receiving a good signal, which I have been told by Garmin will also enhance the integrity of your attitude sensor's output.

P.S. I mounted mine right on the glareshield with velcro. Works well.
 
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Mine works fine without an external antenna. No problems at all with the panel mount. Stop by my hanger and take a look. I bought the backup battery also.
 
Mine did not work without external antenna

Mine is located top center in my -9a tip up panel. It did not work well at all. Added an external antenna and it works perfectly now. Picked up the specified antenna on ebay for $35
 
RV6_flyer said:
Looks like my G5 will be here on Wednesday. Thank you SteinAir for fast shipping.

My Vacuum AI went TU on way to Oshkosh. After sitting in on several Garmin seminars, I decided that I would replace my AI with the G5.

Been looking though the install manual but one thing I will not know till it is installed unless someone who has one can report in. Does the Garmin G5 built in GPS work mounted in an RV panel without using an external antenna?

My plan is to use the G5 as an Attitude Indicator and not add a GPS antenna. IF the internal GPS works without an antenna, there are other features in the G5 that I may be able to use.

Other than the GPS antenna, the electrical install looks extremely simple. The mechanical install with be the hard part. My desire is to prepare the mechanical install so that a 2nd G5 can be added in the future when the vacuum DG goes TU. Was dreaming that the G5 replacing the DG would make it into a nice HSI but my old IFR GPS/COM does not look like it will work. At the present time, I use an ACU coupling the GPS / SL30 to my CDI and that looks like it will need to stay.
Click to expand...

You will really like the G5 top & center. Perhaps before you buy a second one, do yourself a favor and fly with somebody that has a GRT Mini GA and try the various map pages and approach features in flight. It will mount right over the DG hole in minutes.
 
F1R said:
You will really like the G5 top & center. Perhaps before you buy a second one, do yourself a favor and fly with somebody that has a GRT Mini GA and try the various map pages and approach features in flight. It will mount right over the DG hole in minutes.
Click to expand...

SteinAir had a great display of all the small EFIS at AirVenture 2017 where one can compare all the different options.

I made my decision based on what will work best with my panel and two G5s were what fit the requirements the best. There was more positives for the G5 than any other unit that was on SteinAir's display. The plan is one now and one maybe later.

Building a new airplane, I plan to keep everything working in the 20-year old flying airplane and not do upgrades till the new airplane is DONE. When something requires maintenance or repair in the old airplane, a cost benefit analysis is done and many times it is more cost effective to upgrade to new instead of overhaul of the old.
 
My G5 worked fairly well in my 9A slider with just it's internal antenna - but it was slow to grab satellites and frequently would not have a fix until I was already at the runway, occasionally even airborne. I bought an external GPS antenna for it and it grabs a good satellite fix very quickly now and is rock solid.

Does it work on the internal antenna by itself? Yes.
Does it work much better with the external? Yes.
 
G5 RV10

When I replaced the D6 with a G5 I thought for sure I would need the additional GPS antenna. To my surprise it has worked perfectly with the internal antenna. Approx 100 hours and it never missed a beat. Mine is located above the center stack just under the glare shield.


Gary
 
Does the G5 used as an attitude indicator have a heading bug that can be controlled with the GMC305/307 controller? Or do you have to have another G5 as a HSI for that?
 
My friend that set me up with 2 G5s last year (used as Art Horz/DG...I'm now vacuum free), who is now a Garmin Rep for the midwest, advised me the internal GPS antennas will be sufficient. Even though I was skeptical, I went ahead and installed them without the external antenna. He was right, so far they've performed very well. As other posts have said, the external may work better, I just didn't want ANOTHER antenna....making it number 9, to have to install.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/148189365@N07/
 
Thanks for all the reports on GPS antenna with the G5.

Both G5s installed and I have GPS signal on both mounted in the panel when the airplane is inside my hangar. This is an RV-6 with slider canopy.

Calibration complete and vibration test preformed. Both worked perfect in the air. Will need to transition to digital Airspeed and Altitude. When using the G5 as reference, I would chase altitude and airspeed more than I do on the old analog that is still installed.

Magnetometer should be installed next week.

Thanks SteinAir for getting the stuff to me in a very quick manor.

2017-08-19_13.55.31.jpg
 
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