Nav. feature question on the G3X?

Have you guys been using the VOR?LOC/GS function in the G3X? I would like to get some input as to how well it works and how you like it so far. Her is why. We have one of the nice GNC-255B NAV., COM's. and are looking at the installation of the two antenna for the NAV. side. If the G3X works very well with the Nav. for the LOC./GS. it may be better to put one of the nice set of Catwiskers on top of the VS. instead of one of the in wing tip models. At this stage I think the Marker beacon will be well served by one of those strip wire antennas in a wing tip. What have you guys been learning as to how well The G3X works with the Nav. for VOR/LOC/GS use in the field??
Thanks for the thoughts up front. Yours as always. R.E.A. III #80888

I'll be honest Robert - been flying multiple G3X versions now for several years, and the RV-6 even has the 255 (a very nice radio) as a backup to the 650 - and I have yet to find the time to try the VHF Nav stuff (beyond receiving an ILS to make sure it works). GPS Nav just works so well that I haven't had the opportunity to play with VOR's. And I haven't installed a Marker Beacon in donkey years....

Pau

Understud.

Yes I understand this, as being a GPS world today. That will be our goal down the road a few years and is in the works as we have made the mount space and hardware attachment site, along with wiring provision for A GTN-650 in the airframe. For the start-up of this new full G3X touch we will want the basic I.F.R. configuration that is most familiar and will be in use for some time at most of our alter net's. The intent is to make the I.L.S. the primary for now. get the system up and running. Then add the GPS WAAS by 2020 and use the NAV/LOC/GS as the secondary fall back or as needed or just stay in practice for safety sake. Thanks for the comments. Keep em coming. We may all gain something by this thread. Yours. R.E.A. III

Not really sure what you are asking since the G3X will just display whatever the NAV source provides it.

As for how well the G3X user interface works with a VOR/LOC/GS source, it works great or at least with a Garmin radio it does. Nobody integrates better with a Garmin navigation source better than Garmin does.

The EHSI built into the G3X uses industry standard presentation of the VOR/LOC/GS data from the NAV source. The G3X user interface works great for setting the OBS/Course etc.

I agree

Brantel said:

Not really sure what you are asking since the G3X will just display whatever the NAV source provides it.

As for how well the G3X user interface works with a VOR/LOC/GS source, it works great or at least with a Garmin radio it does. Nobody integrates better with a Garmin navigation source better than Garmin does.

The EHSI built into the G3X uses industry standard presentation of the VOR/LOC/GS data from the NAV source. The G3X user interface works great for setting the OBS/Course etc.

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I agree with Brantel

I have the G3X on nav 1 hooked up to the 430w with cat whiskers and the G3X on nav 2 to an SL30 with bob archer wingtip antenna. I also have the nearly extinct marker beacon strip in wingtip. All work great. The cat whiskers pickup the nav signals at longer distances compared to my bob archer. I have done some IFR stuff with mine but mostly practice.

Thanks

Yes this is the kind of stuff I was wondering about. How well the system works together and how well the antennas work to give you that LOC/GS. I have a long hall from here on the north east corner of Charlotte's class B down to the close in west side of Houston's class B. I intend on all going VFR, but what you are supposed to get with weather and what you do find when you get there are not always related. It is in the back of our minds to be able to go to Hobbie, IAH with an ILS. if needed or Winston-Salem up here the same. I know it is nice to have the full WAAS GPS systems installed and that day may come for us, but it would be even nicer to have both. I am working on it guys. This is a hole new system and all Garmin with an auto pilot and controller. It will take some time to train and get good at what we have to start with and then as 2020 comes closer it may be time to add a GTN-650. I am sure that the GDU-460 will take a year or two of hard practice to get good at by it's self. Thanks for the good info on this one. Yours as always. R.E.A. III #80888

I have the same setup as Sean except I am using two Archer antennas one for each nav radio. The Nav integration into the G3X is amazing, especially when coupled to an autopilot. Today I shot two ILS approaches with the system. It would be more appropriate to state that the g3x shot the approaches with only my hand on the throttle. The integration with the Garmin radios works great, you won't regret it

Thanks

Thanks guys. I think we can say that a set of Catwiskers on the tail and a strip antenna in a wing tip would give the reception that we want. That is kind of what I had suspected. We will look in to putting a good antenna on top of the VS., if it is not a good spot, then under the tail like I have seen many others do. I think we should be able to make something work on top as I have seen many old Cessna's do. Next stop call Rami and see what they suggest. I am looking forward to watching this system shoot its own approaches and having that fall back in the bag tools. I know that the GPS approaches are the way that most small to medium airports are going now, but a pole of all the Heavy drivers up here out of Charlotte, and some internet study leads me to think the I.L.S. at most big fields will be with us for some time.. Yours as always. R.E.A. III #80888

I have a single Cat Whisker under the tail feeding both my GTN 650 and an SL 30 via a splitter. I'm not flying yet (hopefully any day now--waiting on the FAA to come to the hangar) but I recieve the localizer (no VOR nearby) perfectly from inside the hangar on both radios. Obviously this doesn't provide you any real data points, but I'm confident I won't suffer any significant VOR/LOC/GS reception issues by going with a single antenna (I'll know for sure once I get into my test program). I also opted to forgo the MB and went with a PE 5000EX audio panel.

Hrm, just curious, I'd never heard of installing cat whiskers *under* the tail. Would you do any type of bonding of them to the underbelly? My mind immediately jumps to the thought of catching the antenna on my leg, and bending it, if I'm next to the tail on my preflight walk around.

sbalmos said:

Hrm, just curious, I'd never heard of installing cat whiskers *under* the tail. Would you do any type of bonding of them to the underbelly? My mind immediately jumps to the thought of catching the antenna on my leg, and bending it, if I'm next to the tail on my preflight walk around.

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If you mount it to the belly in the vicinity of the F-710 bulkhead, the antenna elements will be underneath the footprint of the horizontal stabilizer and elevators, and thus you'll have no problems walking into them:



More here: http://www.rv7blog.com/2009/11/01/vor-antenna/

mcb

Interesting Matt. Thanks! I'll have to file that away as a possible idea.

Robert,
You talk about two Nav antenna but only mention the Garmin 255 as a Nav source. Are you thinking the G3X can receive Nav or are you talking about two Nav antenna so you get Loc and GS?
The G3X does not receive Nav. only displays the Nav source provided by something like the 255.
If you are talking about two separate antenna for Loc/ GS then I think you will find that the single antenna does both with a spliter.
I have a G3X with GTN650 using a wingtip Archer antenna and it is flawless.
I receive VOR from 80-100 miles. I have no problem recommending the wingtip antenna over a cat whisker type.

Yes and No.

Yes you are right I did say two without saying the other would be for the marker beacon. We have a Garmin 340 audio panel also in the radio stack. this give use control of the two radios, if we add a second later on and the marker beacon in the 340 unit. Sorry Mark, my bad. Yours as always. R.E.A. III #80888

was wanting to know how you wired your gtn650 and archer antenna. how do you connect up? What should I do to achieve this. I have an archer antenna in wing tip; gtn650; g3x.

old but good thred.

Mark L said:

was wanting to know how you wired your gtn650 and archer antenna. how do you connect up? What should I do to achieve this. I have an archer antenna in wing tip; gtn650; g3x.

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It has been some time now and we are up and running and like what we have as we did put a Ramie on top of the V.S. and then went with one of their good marker beacon antennas on the belly about a foot behind the bulked at the rear of the baggage area. I don't know about the GTN-650 for now, but as we have it now the marker beacon antenna goes straight to the 340 audio panel and the VOR antenna goes to the 255B. The audio panel ties to the 255B and then the 255B talks to the GDU over a serial port. I don't know for sure but that is how I think the 650 would be tied in also. Some of the LRU's do tie to the C.A.N. buss as well so I would have to ask the radio shop on that one. We did the full installation our selves and am very happy with what we have. The system is a lot smarter than the pilot, but he is catching up slowly. Thanks, Yours, R.E.A. III #80888

P.S. most of the wiring is in the Garmin installation manual and the manual is free online. If you have any questions about it, Garmin's guys have always been just an E-mail away.