What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Time running out to sign up for GNS-430 upgrade!

Help...!

I got both of my 430's back after the upgrade to WAAS capable, I have not installed the new antenae that are required yet. Two things are not right and thought someone here could shed light on them. The crossfill option does not seem availabe??? It is shaded in the menu. Also the heading on the check page at the beginning is off by about 10 degrees on both units. I had planned to call garmin when I had a chance during their business hours but then thought I'd ask the experts first!!! Ha Ha!

Just to say, after the upgrade I think the screens look considerably better and the radios tune down to the 3rd decimal but the terrain avoidance could be nice in the right situation but for normal around the area flying it is more of a nuisance!

Just my humble opinion
Thanks Greg
 
And remember

You don't have to get the actual upgrade done by the 1st, just register your intent so to speak with the dealer.

Mine is scheduled for October 1st.

Frank
 
430 upgrade

Hi,

If you don't have a favorite avionics dealer give me a call tomorrow and we'll get you an RA number for future upgrade.

1 877 STEINAIR
651 460 6955
 
gstone said:
I got both of my 430's back after the upgrade to WAAS capable, I have not installed the new antenae that are required yet. Two things are not right and thought someone here could shed light on them. The crossfill option does not seem availabe??? It is shaded in the menu. Also the heading on the check page at the beginning is off by about 10 degrees on both units. I had planned to call garmin when I had a chance during their business hours but then thought I'd ask the experts first!!! Ha Ha!

Just my humble opinion
Thanks Greg
Click to expand...
Greg,

Not sure about the crossfill but make sure that the ports configured for crossfill when the unit came back from the factory are the same as the ones wire for corssfill. As I mentioned the memory of an upgraded unit is totally new and will not have your previous configuration. Hope you or your avionics dealer wrote down the configuration prior to the upgrade.

When you say the "heading check page" do you mean the heading on the CDI. Remember a GPS does NOT show heading only track. Heading is the direction in which you are pointed, track is your movement over the ground. If the CDI is not aligned when you have verified that you are on the course center line, you can adjust the CDI by adjusting the internal screw beneath the lower right (I think) mounting screw of the CDI.

Also, I would not risk running too long with the old antenna. Garmin antennas are "powered" and who knows what is happening with the old antenna when the unit is expecting the new antenna. Most likely they are the same electically but why risk it?
 
Two questions:
1. Do you get a current nav database with the upgrade? Mine's a few years old. (I understand that the old-style cards don't work once you upgrade, so I would assume so...)

2. Does the $1500 include the new antenna?

Actually 3 questions: Do you get terrain too if you're going the upgrade? The upgrade page doesn't say.
 
Paul Eastham said:
Two questions:
1. Do you get a current nav database with the upgrade? Mine's a few years old. (I understand that the old-style cards don't work once you upgrade, so I would assume so...)

2. Does the $1500 include the new antenna?

Actually 3 questions: Do you get terrain too if you're going the upgrade? The upgrade page doesn't say.
Click to expand...
Yes to 1.
Yes to 2.
Yes to 3.

Also, be SURE to write down all the current configurations of you unit BEFORE you pull it out. All settings will be LOST. Ask me how I know.

Also, the new antenna is a TNC connector. I simply cut the BNC connector off the old RG400 and added a TNC and it works well.
 
Paul Eastham said:
Two questions:
1. Do you get a current nav database with the upgrade? Mine's a few years old. (I understand that the old-style cards don't work once you upgrade, so I would assume so...)
Click to expand...
Garmin gives you a new data card (the old one is not large enough) with from what I understand, the latest jeppeson database.

Paul Eastham said:
2. Does the $1500 include the new antenna?
Click to expand...
Yes, part of the $1500 is the GA35 antenna. Be aware the new antenna has a TNC connector instead of a BNC connector on the GA56 antenna.

Paul Eastham said:
Actually 3 questions: Do you get terrain too if you're going the upgrade? The upgrade page doesn't say.
Click to expand...
Yes, terrain/obstacle comes with the WAAS upgrade.


Also, Garmin throws in a 1 year warranty from the time the upgrade is done. So, if you register by tomorrow, but don't get the upgrade until next March, then the new warranty is valid through March, 2009.

Lancaster Avionics has a nice writeup of the upgrade here:
http://www.lancasteravionics.com/waas.htm
 
Hey Walter

walter said:
Also, the new antenna is a TNC connector. I simply cut the BNC connector off the old RG400 and added a TNC and it works well.
Click to expand...


First off...how is your Dad doing?..Is he all healed up..Excercising?..:)

If I remember correctly you have your 430 antenna under the cowl?...And your telling us you get OK WAAS reception with the antenna being in the same place?

Presumably your RG400 lead is pretty short too?

Thanks

Frank
 
frankh said:
First off...how is your Dad doing?..Is he all healed up..Excercising?..:)

If I remember correctly you have your 430 antenna under the cowl?...And your telling us you get OK WAAS reception with the antenna being in the same place?

Presumably your RG400 lead is pretty short too?

Thanks

Frank
Click to expand...
Thanks for asking, He's doing very well. I'll tell him you asked.

I haven't tested the reception with the upper cowling in place. I had the cowl off to replace the antenna and to monkey with a few other things. I plan to test it with the cowl on this weekend. I suppose it could be an issue and if it is, then it will get moved.

Yeah, the RG400 lead is very very short. Initially I thought I would have to add some RG400 but according to Garmin that may be unnecessary now. According to the 430W Install Manual the cable loss from the GPS antenna shall be between 3dB and 7 dB in order to maintain proper rejection to interference signals. But, recently I read that Garmin was reducing the low end to 1dB. If you factor in that you get a typical loss of .2 db for each connection/connector and a typical cable loss of about .2 per foot of cable then I'm golden. I'm trying like heck to find the 1dB reference but I'm coming up short. I'll look for it more when I'm not in the office.

Update: I found the reference. Here's the text found at: http://www.pennavionics.com/WAAS_UPGRADE.html

"The 3db min loss requirement was to prevent the WAAS receiver from being overdriven during these worst case signal conditions. Garmin is now re-running their EMI testing and it looks like the 3 - 7 db spec may be changed to 1 - 7 db. If this does happen it should simplify the coax installation portion of the WAAS upgrade"
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the Replies Everyone!!

My local dealer has agreed to make the install right in a week or two. The heading differences I'm getting are between the OBS on the CDI and what the gps thinks the OBS is set at. They are about 10-11 degrees different. I don't think my dealer has heard about the new resistance on the ant cable, I hope this is right so I don't have to take the head liner out of the Skywagon!! I've been told by the dealer that the big difference in the ant is that the old ones had a funnel shaped reception and the new ones are much more wide spread and near horizontal reception to facilitate the WAAS reception required to perform. Might lead me to believe that the need to pointed skyward and have a fairly unobstructed view in all directions???

Thanks to All!!
Greg
 
GPS WAAS Approaches

Just got done doing a bunch of approaches in our company Seneca with the WAAS upgrade. Wow, that thing is accurate. I really like having the glide slope on GPS approaches. It will also give you a 10 second arrival countdown to your next WP. It will also give a dotted lead in line for inbound corse intercept. The only thing I don't like and maybe there is a way to make it stop is if you have it zoomed in it will zoom back out after you hit the next waypoint. For me I like to have it zoomed down as far as it will go in order to be on the guidance line as accurate as possible. Other than that, the thing rocks.
 
bmurrish said:
Just got done doing a bunch of approaches in our company Seneca with the WAAS upgrade. Wow, that thing is accurate. I really like having the glide slope on GPS approaches. It will also give you a 10 second arrival countdown to your next WP. It will also give a dotted lead in line for inbound corse intercept. The only thing I don't like and maybe there is a way to make it stop is if you have it zoomed in it will zoom back out after you hit the next waypoint. For me I like to have it zoomed down as far as it will go in order to be on the guidance line as accurate as possible. Other than that, the thing rocks.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's sweet!

You can turn of auto zoom. On the map page select menu then map setup . I usually leave my 430 on the 20 mile scale as on this scale it will show small airports. Since I have the attached portable 195, I also turn off the numerical data display for a larger map display.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top