Gemini PFD Issues

I have installed the Gemini in my 6A, and has 15 hours on it. First flight no A/S, or compass heading although it's hooked up to my Garmin CNX80 with good GPS heading indicator. In flight it started to what I call tumble the A/I the speed which wasn't indicating went yellow and read 816kts the Pitot and static feed off from my manual A/S indicator which works fine. I sent it back to Trutrak for software update (this was a new instrument last December) and after 3 week I get it back and installed to fine it is doing the same thing, A/I tumbles, no A/S and compass heading although moves, reads incorrect.
Trutrak have asked me to shoot some video while in flight because they can't make the instrument perform these issues on your test bench.

Any ideas or solutions from other Gemini PFD users would be helpful.
Thanks
[email protected]

Alan,

I will let TT speak to the questions on the performance of the PFD.

Can you tell us what version of software you have?

Touch the screen here to find the INFO screen with the software version on it:



I have flown behind as many as 6 different PFD's and as many as 10 different firmware revisions and have never seen one not provide an airspeed indication. I would double check to make sure you don't have the pitot/static ports connected with the pitot and static reversed...

As for the ground track/gyro heading indicator, this indicator must have a valid GPS signal to work as a ground track indicator and without a valid GPS signal, it operates much like a mechanical heading gyro. Double check to see that you have a valid GPS signal by looking at the little triangle at the bottom to see if it is white or not.


If you do not have a White triangle, then you don't have a GPS signal that the Gemini can lock onto and this will need to be resolved.

A GS indication with no AS indication will make the entire AS ribbon turn yellow. This is programmed that way on purpose to alert the user that he is operating on GS only.

I have mine hooked up to my Ifly 720 and everything works as it should. I bet Lucas will get you squared away.

You sure you don't have the P and S ports on the Gemini mixed up? Your analog airspeed indicator will work fine either way.

rocketbob said:

You sure you don't have the P and S ports on the Gemini mixed up? Your analog airspeed indicator will work fine either way.

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Bob, I find this hard to believe...

BobTurner said:

Bob, I find this hard to believe...

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The way I took this post was that if the Gemini PFD was accidently plumbed reversed, it would have no effect on the operation of his analog instrument as long as it was originally plumbed correctly...

BobTurner said:

Bob, I find this hard to believe...

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Better check, its entirely possible. I have a friend that plumbed a Trutrak AP and had the pitot/static connections reversed, which caused a lot of head scratching as it behaved normally part of the time.

Gemini PFD

Thanks guys, I wasn't aware that the analog A/S would work with the pitot/static reversed so i will try and switch it on the back of PFD. I also have a 720 IFly and I may wire it through a switch so I have options with my CNX80.
I do get the white arrow telling me I have good GPS signal. The instruments works partially but the A/S and DG never has from the start.
I have the latest software as of 4/25/13 they had the PFD at Trutrak for over two weeks.
if I can't solve this issue soon, i may ask for my money back.
Thanks

I have the same vintage Gemini PFD as you also received in December in my 9. Mine has worked perfectly since install with GPS signal from a Garmin 396. I still have all my analog instruments and it matchs almost exactly with them. You probably already checked this but note that your GPS output must be in the correct format (NMEA 0183 or Aviation) and at 4800 or 9600 baud rates. This is the same as my ADI Pilot II Autopilot so I had it already setup. I do recall initally that the Garmin was at the wrong rate for the Autopilot so that had to be changed. Also I did do some additional plumbing to clean up both the static and pitot lines to T at the altimeter and eliminate sharp bends and fittings. See their notes on Pitot and Static Connections. Hope this helps. This is an amazing little instrument for a 6 pack backup for the price. I have found the support from the folks at Trutrak has always been great.

rv9aviator said:

I have mine hooked up to my Ifly 720 and everything works as it should. I bet Lucas will get you squared away.

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Jim

I have mine wired up to use either whichever panel gps is providing Arinc input to my Efis, or from my ifly. When I tell the ifly to send nmea out it says no serial port detected. Using the ifly cable. Did you do anything special?

Nothing that I can remember. I split the connection that goes to the EFIS/AP and came off that to go to the PFD. Ifly said I could have two things connected to the serial output without any issues. Make sure the baud rate is a match for both and it should work.

rocketbob said:

You sure you don't have the P and S ports on the Gemini mixed up? Your analog airspeed indicator will work fine either way.

Click to expand...

This is absolutely true. Plumbing ANY of our products with the P and S reversed will have positively no effect on any analog instruments, it will only affect the autopilot/flight instrument where it is reversed.

I would like for you to correct that first then we can move on to getting the GPS/DG figured out. Make sure the serial channel that the Gemini is connected to is set to MAPCOM on the output.