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Navigator Choices for IFR

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psvalentine

Active Member
I am looking for information about Navigators. Specifically which ones interface with Dynon's HDX screens. It doesn't look like Dynon has it's own Navigator. Is this correct? And if so, what have IFR panel owner's installed when choosing Dynon.
The ease of install with the bundles and trays provided by Dynon make it a very attractive option. But no navigator is a deal breaker.
The Garmin GTN 375 would fill the requirements if it will talk to the Dynon system.
Any one in the area please advise.
Susan and Peter
 
I have a dual 10" Dynon Touch setup in my 2020 IFR RV7A. Dynon interfaces gracefully with all of the IFR GPS units.

I had originally planned on a Garmin 650 or 750, but selected an Avidyne 540 instead. I fly a Cessna 182 with a Garmin 750, and find the 540 to involve substantially fewer taps. Also, the 540 physical buttons are much easier to use in turbulence than the 750.

The Dynon screens display much more useful information than the IFR GPS. In hindsight, I would have gone with a smaller IFR GPS just for entering flight plans and providing legal IFR guidance, since I view my charts on the Dynon.

David Harris
 
DavidHarris said:
The Dynon screens display much more useful information than the IFR GPS. In hindsight, I would have gone with a smaller IFR GPS just for entering flight plans and providing legal IFR guidance, since I view my charts on the Dynon.

David Harris
Click to expand...

Exactly. Save your money.

I built four panels with dual SkyView displays and the GTN-650 as the TSO GPS navigator, adding to the very nice Dynon radio (Comm #2) and Dynon XPDR (made by Trig). I picked the 650 as it was the least bad of the certified options. For the new project I’m going with the Garmin GNC-355, pairing it with the Trig TX-56A Nav/Comm (Comm #2 and VOR/LOC/GS). I’ll again use the Dynon XPDR. The end result is the same capability but an independent NAV/Comm, and I’ll save some money.

The integration of Garmin GPS navigators with the SkyView is well done. I flew home on Thursday from Louisiana. At the NC gas stop I set up for the RNAV approach, #3 in line holding above the other two ships. The subsequent multiple holds and then approach was straight forward. The SkyView autopilot (with VNAV) was rock solid.

Carl

315371-B5-9359-4-B4-B-86-FC-FFF663429-C66.png
 
psvalentine said:
I am looking for information about Navigators. Specifically which ones interface with Dynon's HDX screens. It doesn't look like Dynon has it's own Navigator. Is this correct? And if so, what have IFR panel owner's installed when choosing Dynon.
The ease of install with the bundles and trays provided by Dynon make it a very attractive option. But no navigator is a deal breaker.
The Garmin GTN 375 would fill the requirements if it will talk to the Dynon system.
Any one in the area please advise.
Susan and Peter
Click to expand...

I have the GNX375 talking to my legacy D100 HSI via the HS34 and arinc429 and it works fine so I am sure it would work with later Dynon systems. The navigator display output in my case is on the Aera 760 not the Dynon.
Figs
 
With the ARINC module the Dynon products integrate well with most Navigators.
I have a D-1000 Skyview connected to an old GNS-480.
On the HSI compass rose I can have the HSI set to my GPS course from the 480, one of the bearing pointers aimed at a VHF Nav source from the 480 and a second bearing pointer aimed at a Skyview GPS location.
 
I have a couple of Advanced Flight (Dynon) EFISs. I originally had a 430W as a navigator when I bought the plane but didn’t care for it. I upgraded it to an IFD440 (30-min install) and couldn’t be more pleased (not a Garmin guy). The IFD440/540 is also a good FMS. The bluetooth remote keyboard is convenient, as is the ability to send any flight plan from Foreflight to the navigator. The small form factor might have been annoying, but it sends the entire IFD display to an iPad using the IFD100 app, so I keep an iPad Mini around just for that. That IFD is very intuitive…it was a great upgrade.

My display inputs are switchable. The EFIS’s can get their navigation data and/or GPS from either the EFIS itself or from the Avidyne. I used to use the EFiS for VFR navigation because of the un-intuitiveness of the 430W, but the IFD440 is easy enough to use that I pretty much just use that. I like being able to write a flight plan in Foreflight at home and just sent it to the navigator after engine start, not to mention modifying en route.
 
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To add to the mix...

I also had the Dynon Skyview HDX installed in a certified plane (Skylane), and I paired it really easy with an Avidyne IFD440. It worked flawlessly and I loved it! If it was experimental, I'd probably consider the Garmin GPS175 for a certified IFR GPS and then something like VALs for NAV radio. I haven't done that, but that's the route I would seriously consider.

If Dynon would put out a NAV/COM, I'd be super happy. I know some people don't think you need a NAV radio, and I can totally see that (and have no interest trying to defend one side or the other). But to sum it up, yes, go with the Dynon (superior in my humble and ignorant opinion) and you shouldn't need to worry at all about interfacing it with pretty much any IFR-certified GPS.
 
As they say; go big or go home…. GTN750Xi rocks :D
Never heard anyone say ‘I wish I bought the smaller one’.

When all the 10” efis screens came out everyone ditched the smaller screens and upgraded, why do suppose that is?
 
Walt said:
As they say; go big or go home…. GTN750Xi rocks :D
Never heard anyone say ‘I wish I bought the smaller one’.

When all the 10” efis screens came out everyone ditched the smaller screens and upgraded, why do suppose that is?
Click to expand...

Because they are keeping up with the joneses by putting $40k of avionics in a Day/VFR airplane?
 
BobTurner said:
Excuse me, Walt, but I think posts #2 and #3 say exactly that, so "never heard" isn't correct.
Click to expand...

Agreed. If you need an IFR navigator, the cheapest way to go is probably a VHF NAV receiver (VOR/LOC/GS). If you have a dual screen EFIS (2 gyros - non IFR certified), which usually also includes at least one WAAS GPS source, and you also have a VHF NAV receiver, you are legal to fly any IFR flight in the US in most cases. You can file airways, use your EFIS generated course, and follow the magenta line (backed up with VHF NAV course for comparison). You can even request direct routing via GPS course/fixes and use your onboard non-certified - even handheld GPS, for enroute navigation if you are in a radar environment. The only thing you can’t do legally is shoot a GPS based approach in IFR conditions. You would need a GPS navigator that meets the TSO for GPS approaches to do this - and it doesn’t need to be an approved TSO’d instrument. I don’t know of one that actually meets this requirement. In that case you will have to resort to ILS/LOC/VOR navigation for the approach. If enroute radar were to fail, you’ll have to be able to resort to your IFR approved enroute navigation source - in this case, VOR navigation.
In my 50+ years of flying, I have never experienced a failure of enroute ATC radar that affected my flight. I know it has happened, but it is very rare. With ADS-B “radar” that becomes even less likely.
This only relates to the least expensive way to be able to fly IFR legally. If you do this regularly, you might want to consider investing in a full, and very expensive, IFR navigator that gives you both GPS and VHF enroute and approach IFR capability. But for the occasional IFR flyer, the VHF NAV source may be something to consider.
 
I am looking at adding a Garmin GTN for IFR and I have classic Skyview. Does anyone know if Skyview annunciates the enroute, terminal and approach modes for the CDI indications? I can’t seem to find that in a manual.
 
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