What's new
Van's Air Force

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

GNS430W Questions

mantry

Well Known Member
Howdy, I sold my RV-7 and on to a new RV project. I have a CESSNA 180 that has:

ASPEN (VFR Only no Navi indicators)
PM1000II Intercom
GTR-225 Comm
Garmin 795 GPS mounted in AirGirzmos mount in the radio stack.
GTX-345 Transponder

I'm interested in working on the radio stack at this time.

Important info, I use FLYQ EFB for Nav. Which means NO GARMIN ADSB-IN/OUT as it doesn't play with FlyQ EFB.


So while I have lots of other questions. At some point I'd like to have a NAV radio for some odd reason. So....

I'm thinking about putting a Garmin GNS430W in the Radio stack.

A: What is a good estimate for a good condition 430W? (I see Jessie has a couple that may still be for sale)
B: Any gotcha's on getting these used?
C: Are they a suitable GPS/COMM/NAV unit? Or should I bite the bullet and go Avidyne 440 or 540? I want to keep costs reasonable and I don't like the touch screen aspect as well as the cost of the new Garmin units.
D: What does it cost to update the Databases on a 430W? (I'd like to do an update to get it up to date)
E: What is a good figure expect to update it once a year? (Don't plan on using it for IFR)

Forgot to add: I find the GARMIN database update page extremely confusing!!!!

Thanks in advance!
As a side note, in researching places to get info on SkyWagon's the places that are available PALE in comparison to the resources that are available on VAF!
 
Last edited:
Most all my GA experience is all on a 430/530 and if you know how they operate and the nuances of them then they work great for everything you have listed. A GTN gps I believe you can pick up and use easier off the start as the interface is much more what we would expect from a mobile phone these days.

I?ll be honest I haven?t updated my 530 in a long time but I?m pretty sure through Jeppesen it?s 300 bucks a year.

I admit though I?ve never used an avydine unit so I?m not sure how they compare.
 
430 / 530 did not used to have airways, don?t know if that is important to you or if they ever added that feature. I believe Avidyne does have them. Quite handy if navigating the seaboards IFR. Caveat emptor.
 
Hands down i would go with avidyne.. I had a 430 and did the switch.. Well worth it.
 
If you’re not using them for IFR, any of the below is probably overkill. Having said that, the 430/530 is a great GPS nav/comm. Their prices on the used market reflect that.

However, at this point they’ve been out of production since 2012. GARMIN still does flat rate repairs on them, but there have been rumors of screen shortages on the 430.

GARMIN has been great about supporting these older units, but at some point that will end. Probably not for several more years, but it will happen eventually.

A 430W is still in the $6-7000 range, used, with no warrantee. A new GTN650 is only a few thousand more, and since you’re doing a new install either way it’s a no-brainer to get the 650 or Avidyne, imo (I have zero Avidyne experience, but people seem to be very happy with them). That way you have a warrantee and 15+ years of support ahead of you.

I *really* like the 430/530, and have thousands of hours using them, but it’s tough to recommend them anymore given their age. The screen on the 650 is a massive improvement over the 430 in terms of color and resolution. The touchscreen is fine, and if you don’t like it, GARMIN was nice enough to include a set of knobs for doing some of the more common functions like dialing frequencies.

Screen size on the 430 and 650 (and presumably the smaller Avidyne) is an issue for me. The screen on the 530 is much bigger than the 430, and is therefore much more usable than the dimensions alone would indicate. The map on a 430 or 650 is small enough that I don’t even bother. On a 530, 750 (and bigger Avidyne) they’re fantastic and very usable. Like you, I have a 796 so the map issue is moot.

Summary: If I was installing one from scratch and really wanted an IFR capable unit, I would go GTN or Avidyne. If I were VFR only, I’d save the $15+k it’s gonna cost to buy and install any of these, and just add a new GNC225 or used SL30 nav/comm. The install on a nav/comm will be much cheaper than installing an IFR GPS.

If you think you’ll ever start doing any IFR with the airplane and need GPS approach capability, then doing an IFR navigator makes sense though you may need to upgrade the Aspen as well. Remember that you don’t *need* an IFR GPS to legally fly IFR. A nav/comm will do, as lots of airports still have VOR/ILS capability (though there are FAR more GPS approaches than ILSs now).

Oddly enough, one of the better Skywagon forums is over on SuperCub.org. Seems that everyone with a Super Cub either upgrades to, or supplements their Cub with a 180/185. Another good one is Backcountrypilot.org. Lots of Skywagon owners at both sites.

I don’t quite understand your ADS-b comment. You already have ADS-b in/out with your GTX-345. Are you planning on changing that?
 
Last edited:
That?s correct no airways on the GNS units.

I assume your aspen display needs to be reconfigured once hooked to a nav display? I haven?t seen a vfr only aspen display before
 
Yes, I may swap out the GTX345 and replace with the the Appareo Stratus ESG/3i so it will work with FlyQ EFB. Or maybe I should just install the Stratus 3 and leave the GTX345 in place for the ADSB-OUT.

Thanks all for the other info.
 
Back
Top