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GRT Horizon10.1 vs Sport

edclee

Well Known Member
Patron
I have been over this comparison on the GRT site and still cannot determine what exactly is the difference. THe only thing it might be is that the Horizon 10.1 has a 1280 x 800 display and the Sport does not say what the display is. :confused:

The question is does the sport have a lesser display?? Is there any other difference?
Ed
 
The Horizon has 12 serial ports. The Sport has 6. This is a non-trivial difference. I’ve seen a fair number of posts that say, ‘I’ve run out of ports. Now what?’ It takes careful planning to count how many you need, now or in the future (keep in mind that an in-out pair has to use the same baud rate on both).
 
Internal vs External AHRS

I have been over this comparison on the GRT site and still cannot determine what exactly is the difference. THe only thing it might be is that the Horizon 10.1 has a 1280 x 800 display and the Sport does not say what the display is. :confused:

The question is does the sport have a lesser display?? Is there any other difference?
Ed

Ed,

I am right down the road from you at KCUB.

The most obvious difference between the Horizon and Sport products has been external (Horizon) vs internal (Sport) AHRS.

The. Sport is an easier installation since you don’t have to mount the external AHRS. I am pretty sure that you can now get DUAL (built-in) AHRS in the Sport.

I have Horizon and Sport products in my planes here in the hasngar at KCUB if you need to see something up close.
 
The question is does the sport have a lesser display?? Is there any other difference?
Ed

I just purchased/installed Sport 10.1. Display is the same , yes there are other differences. Here is one such response when asked about moving map , they are not the sectional, some abilities with frequency control not available on sport 10.1. I don’t fly IFR, so many features in Horizon favor IFR flying, approaches etc. I understand your challenge here. Hope this paste from GRT helps. Some things are included in Horizon, but an add on $$ for Sport.

It looks like our documentation editor didn't include notes about what model and options are required for each feature like they usually do. We'll have to get those notes in there. Our Sport products have always been the less featured, cheaper, and sometimes more integrated versions of the Horizon products. The charts and plates have always required a Horizon HX, HXr, or Horizon 10.1 (plus a subscription for charts at least).

Horizon features: Charts/plate viewer (requires subscription), Synthetic Vision included (option on Sport), Vertical Autopilot commands included (option on Sport), 30 mi SV look ahead (vs 10 mi on Sport), remote radio and audio panel controls, 12 serial ports (vs 6 on Sport), 6 analog inputs (vs 2 on Sport), Dual AHRS option, video input option.
 
If you were to add in the uAvionix/GRT Safefly adsb with GPS you get additional ports which can be quite handy with the Sport
 
The most obvious difference between the Horizon and Sport products has been external (Horizon) vs internal (Sport) AHRS.

I think you may have that backwards. My Horizon 10.1s have the internal AHRS.
 
Last edited:
Update/Correction to my post

Ed,

I am right down the road from you at KCUB.

The most obvious difference between the Horizon and Sport products has been external (Horizon) vs internal (Sport) AHRS.

The. Sport is an easier installation since you don’t have to mount the external AHRS. I am pretty sure that you can now get DUAL (built-in) AHRS in the Sport.

I have Horizon and Sport products in my planes here in the hasngar at KCUB if you need to see something up close.

I have the HORIZON 10.1 and the HORIZON HXr 10.4. I have HAD the 7” SPORT SX units.

The responses above are correct and now, you can get the Horizon 10.1 with the internal AHRS.

Regarding limited number of serial ports, there are some accessories that use up a serial port but provide a couple or more in return, so if you have the 6 port Sport, there are ways to get more ports if needed.
 
My Horizon has the internal AHRS also, you can add an external for a second one. I also wanted synthetic vision which is standard on the Horizon. The extra serial ports are a big plus too.
 
Confusion

A bit of confusion due to the nickname ‘Horizon’. The original Horizons, 2010 and earlier (models Hx, HS, WS), used external AHRS’s while the Sport versions of that era used internal AHRS’s. The current generation (10.1) ‘Horizon’ can mount one AHRS internally.
 
A bit of confusion due to the nickname ‘Horizon’. The original Horizons, 2010 and earlier (models Hx, HS, WS), used external AHRS’s while the Sport versions of that era used internal AHRS’s. The current generation (10.1) ‘Horizon’ can mount one AHRS internally.

Thanks for clearing that up.
 
Thanks

That's what is so great about VAF. We have so many people who have experience with so many things that the knowledge of just about everything is out there...SOMEBODY has experienced it. I have Several GRT pieces on this and my previous aircraft, all installed by me, but many details are fuzzy in the documentation. I love the products regardless.
Ed
 
But wait .. there's more!

A bit of confusion due to the nickname ‘Horizon’. The original Horizons, 2010 and earlier (models Hx, HS, WS), used external AHRS’s while the Sport versions of that era used internal AHRS’s. The current generation (10.1) ‘Horizon’ can mount one AHRS internally.

And to add further to what may cause some confusion, I am helping my friend with "updating" N332RT (the "RedTail" RV8 that got an "Oustanding Workmanship" award at OSH) to replace an earlier 12" HXr + external AHRS with:

>>Horizon 10.1 Touch Dual AHRS with AOA<<
(the Dual AHRS is INTERNAL)

NOTE: For anyone considering this, there are a few things (not major but important) that you need to consider before the swap out. I will let you know how it goes.

The owner has a lot of stuff removed from the panel for the upgrade of this and some other items. By removing the 12", in the future we can fit a 10.1 plus one of the newer (shorter in height) Garmin navigators. This will facilitate IFR capability in the future.
 
Welcome to GRT's sales documentation. They have the same problems on the EX Horizon and Sport. You can spend a lot of time figuring out what comes on the Horizon since they always call the box EX Sport.
 
Sorry if this is a bit off topic... but I was going to upgrade from Sport SX 8.4" to the new Horizon 10.1"... For the guys who have gone with the Horizon 10.1... were there any regrets after the fact? Did you wish you went a different direction at all? Are you glad you stuck with GRT? I always debate ripping everything out and starting over because it can be cryptic and my avionics guys can't figure out how to setup the A/P servos and get them working... and i don't know how to get A/P working.. ha ha, but GRT seems to be the best value
 
Sorry if this is a bit off topic... but I was going to upgrade from Sport SX 8.4" to the new Horizon 10.1"... For the guys who have gone with the Horizon 10.1... were there any regrets after the fact? Did you wish you went a different direction at all? Are you glad you stuck with GRT? I always debate ripping everything out and starting over because it can be cryptic and my avionics guys can't figure out how to setup the A/P servos and get them working... and i don't know how to get A/P working.. ha ha, but GRT seems to be the best value

SX to 10.1 (SPORT) +
SX to EX

The BIG issue is mapping from the DB37 connector on the SX to the 2x DB25 on the 10.1 and the EX.

I had GRT do a "custom" DB37 --> 2x DB25 pigtail using their "unique color for each wire".

Works just fine.


The biggest issue is being sure to properly document the physical and logical connections so that you can have the ports on the new box properly configured.
 
From a pilot's perspective, I would not want to be without Synthetic Vision, thus I would default to the Horizon 10.1.

Background:
I have a Mini-X and HX, both with Synthetic Vision. The HX is driven by an external Adaptive AHARS with built-in multi-constellation satellite navigation receiver. On the right side of the panel I have a basic Sport EX without synthetic vision and mapping.

I wish that I had purchased the SynViz and mapping options for the Sport EX. I don't need the additional serial ports on that device but I really would prefer to be able to have mapping or SynViz available on that device.

As it is, I run the HX as my "primary" flight display in PFD mode with SynViz visible as a background to the primary flight instruments. Beside it the Mini-X always is set to display in this same mode. Having two instruments displaying exactly the same thing provides excellent and very rapid cross-check capability. I can punch buttons on the HX and change its display as I desire, but the Mini-X I never touch. It's very reassuring to know that I always have one EFIS displaying PFD information and SynViz. The Mini-X has been like a rock; the only time I ever touch it is to change its dimming setting, and once in a long while I use it to change the altimeter setting.
 
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