GNS430 vs. GNS480
 

Based on advertized capability I was ready to go with the GNS480 but a friend with a GNS430 said the Garmin originated 430 is much more intuitive to use that the Apollo originated 480. What is your experience?

Bob Axsom

You can download PC simulators for both models from the Garmin site and check them out yourself. The links are in the upper right corner for each product:
http://www.garmin.com/products/gns480/
http://www.garmin.com/products/gns430/

The user guides are also online. It'll take an hour or so to learn and check them out, but it's a big $$ purchase. It's worth spending the time. After I did that exercise, I found the 430 easier to use. However, I believe the 480 has some higher level flight management capabilities. I'm sure somebody can elaborate further on that.

Bob,

Check this link and explore Tom Roger's Avionics West web site. He has insightful articles that may answer you questions.

http://www.avionicswest.com/myviewpo...alive.htm#1115

I hope to see you again at next year's Cup Race.

Robert Saltsman, Race 19

Thanks Guys
 

Good information from the Forum as usual.

Robert, if they can pull it together agan for 2007 (it always seems to be a struggle) it will be fun to fly the cup race again. You have to be very proud of your performance in that bunch of tough but good competitors.

Bob Axsom

Race #71

480 fan but...
 

I've always really liked the 480 (even before it was Garmin :D). It also gives you WAAS right now (though 430/530 WAAS support seems right there).

As for easier vs. harder. I really think it is what you get used to. For example, I really like the way a KLN94 will delete a duplicate waypoint when you insert a STAR on the fly and it always throws me for a loop when I switch back to 430/530 and it doesn't. On the other hand, I like the way Garmin handles holds...

My one concern about buying a new 480 is its status as a purchased, mature, product dwarfed by an expanding family. If you know a 430, you can work a 530, all the nav features on a G1000, etc. With that in mind, I wouldn't look for much in the way of new features or anything beyond minor maintanence firmware support.

Good Luck!
-jjf

Once the "W" series Garmins come out, do we really think the 480 has much life left in it? I guess there are a few little features that it does, like displaying an HSI on it's screen, but with the advent of EFIS systems, especially when/if they support TSO-146 (will require a WAAS GPS and TSO-146a support), I wonder if the 480 won't be relegated to "maintainence mode" and all the focus put on the "W" series.

Truth be known that already has happened. The only "feature" that I know of for the 480, since it's TSO-146a certification, was really a bug fix. Remember, it can't support all the WAAS GPS approaches without more memory and the appropriate code changes.

Makes one wonder what Garmin really bought UPS AT for?

IFR or VFR?
 

I've heard that the 480 is better for heavy IFR users. IIRC, when you put in a waypoint (an intersection, for example), it automatically prompts you for one of the V airways from that point. Thus, it may allow for quicker IFR work.

The 480 also has the SL30's NAV/COMM section, meaning that it can monitor the standby frequency, track two VORs, etc.

430 is much cheaper than 480, but I no idea what the street price will be for the 430 with WAAS.

The 480 does understand Victor airways, which can be nice for entering a clearance (as opposed to looking at the chart and finding the waypoints at each bend). It is really nice hooked to an MX-20 in IFR chart mode.

But I don't think it is a huge factor for IFR. In busy space like SoCal, I typically just enter the first few fixes and the final destination anyway since the clearance frequently changes. Then, once I am on my way, I fill in the rest of the clearance a bit at a time (don't forget to fly first! ;) )

-jjf