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New (March 1, 2016) Garmin aera 660 Portable GPS

g3xpert said:
Hello Mark,

If a COM frequency is selected from the airport frequency page, the aera 660 will send it to the standby position of all connected COM radios.

If a NAV frequency is selected, it will send it to the standby position of all connected NAV radios.

While you can't choose to which of multiple connected radios the frequency will be sent, you control the use of the swap button to activate the pushed frequency from the standby position.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply Steve!! Just as soon as the 660 gets updated with the XM music and WX, I'll upgrade from my current 496. I'm also planning on upgrading my current transponder to the 345, so 660/345 combo should be nice upgrade.

Thanks again,
Mark
 
gFlyer said:
Hi Steve, and all others reading here,

Steve, understud your drum beat. Often to less input channels are the problem at the audio panel. This was my thought.
But your beat brings me to the autopilot. Do you have any idea how I can access my Centuri I autopilot with the area 660?
This help would be very much appreciated! :cool:

Best regards
GFlyer
Click to expand...

Hi Steve,

Is there a possibility to send a voltage signal of +/- 150 mV out of the unit to control a Autopilot? This is what a VOR do to control the Autopilot.

Best regards
gFlyer
 
gFlyer said:
Hi Steve,

Is there a possibility to send a voltage signal of +/- 150 mV out of the unit to control a Autopilot? This is what a VOR do to control the Autopilot.

Best regards
gFlyer
Click to expand...

Hello gFlyer,

No, the aera 660 will not output a voltage steering signal, but there are third party devices that take the NMEA data from the RS-232 output, extract the lateral deviation guidance from that data stream, and output a +/- 150 mV steering signal.

Thanks,
Steve
 
g3xpert said:
Hello gFlyer,

No, the aera 660 will not output a voltage steering signal, but there are third party devices that take the NMEA data from the RS-232 output, extract the lateral deviation guidance from that data stream, and output a +/- 150 mV steering signal.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...


Steve,

You may know which third party devices these are?

Thanks
GFlyer
 
RV8JD said:
Steve,

Maybe I missed it, but I did not see a way to view the VNAV Indicator on the Map page of the AERA 660, as the GPSMAP 496 could, as shown below.

Can that be an enhancement in a future SW update?

s6nllu.jpg


Thanks,
Click to expand...

Hello Carl,

The first two images in this thread show the aera 660 VNAV indications on both the 3D Vision page and the map. The map VNAV indicator is shown on the upper left of the map below the North indicator.

Portrait3DVisionVNAV.jpg
PortraitMap15_7.jpg


Thanks,
Steve
 
660 with XM

Hey Steve, (or any G3Xpert)

I know you guys really aren't in the habit of releasing product information until you're actually releasing the new product right then and there, but is there any way you can give us a little hint as to when the 660 may be upgraded with XM capabilities? I was really hoping that an announcement would be made this week at Oshkosh but I haven't heard anything as of yet. I really want one and I want to combine it with a 345, but I'm going to hold off until it's XM capable.

Thanks!
 
upgrading my 496

Hi Steve,
I would like to upgrade my panel mounted 496 with the area 660 and I have a Navworx ADSB system mounted and hard wired to the 496 to show traffic. Will the aera 660 connect to the Navworx ADSB and show traffic and weather?

Don
 
Mark33 said:
Hey Steve, (or any G3Xpert)

I know you guys really aren't in the habit of releasing product information until you're actually releasing the new product right then and there, but is there any way you can give us a little hint as to when the 660 may be upgraded with XM capabilities? I was really hoping that an announcement would be made this week at Oshkosh but I haven't heard anything as of yet. I really want one and I want to combine it with a 345, but I'm going to hold off until it's XM capable.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Hello Mark,

Sorry, but we don't have any information to share about SXM for the aera 660 at this time.

You are right about the GTX 345. Works fantastic with an aera 660. I have a GTX 345R in my homebuilt hardwired to the panel mounted aera 660 and love the traffic and weather. The traffic is particularly important in the sometimes busy Kansas City area.

The aera 660 has Target Trend on the traffic page which shows you where a traffic target will be relative to your own aircraft position in a few minutes, and we will be releasing that feature for the map page soon.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Don Patterson said:
Hi Steve,
I would like to upgrade my panel mounted 496 with the area 660 and I have a Navworx ADSB system mounted and hard wired to the 496 to show traffic. Will the aera 660 connect to the Navworx ADSB and show traffic and weather?

Don
Click to expand...

Hello Don,

If the GPSMAP 496 is showing traffic when connected to your receiver, your receiver must be transmitting GTX TIS-A format traffic to the 496.

The aera 660 also supports this format, so should also work to show traffic, but not weather.

The best options for complete, full featured dual frequency ADS-B traffic and weather are the GDL 39/39R receivers and GTX 345 transponders.

There are probably lots of GDL 39 units on the used market with so many people installing GTX 345 transponders, so you might keep your eye out for that if you don't want to buy a new one.

Thanks,
Steve
 
g3xpert said:
Hello Mark,

Sorry, but we don't have any information to share about SXM for the aera 660 at this time.

You are right about the GTX 345. Works fantastic with an aera 660. I have a GTX 345R in my homebuilt hardwired to the panel mounted aera 660 and love the traffic and weather. The traffic is particularly important in the sometimes busy Kansas City area.

The aera 660 has Target Trend on the traffic page which shows you where a traffic target will be relative to your own aircraft position in a few minutes, and we will be releasing that feature for the map page soon.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Steve...I'll be patiently waiting. 😊
 
Just tried out the VNAV feature on the map screen this weekend. Very cool :cool:


Question, I have the 660 and GDL 3D. I am thinking about adding a standalone G5 to the mix. Does the 660 have any integration to the G5? Can I couple the two together?
 
On the way to and from OSH with my brand new aera 660 I noticed something. My 496 navigator, Garmin Pilot and iFly apps all showe ASOS & AWOS frequencies in their airport databases but the aera 660 did not. Also, Pilot showed clouds (white overlays) but the aera 660 did not.

I have a GDL-3D on the glareshield and the combination Garmin power cable that connects to both the GDL-3D and the aera 660 via cigarette lighter power port.

Aside from these nits, which I am sure have more to do with my unfamiliarity with the aera 660 or not having updated to the latest database, I really like the unit.

So I had the aera 660 mounted directly in front on the glareshield, a GPS Map 496 with XM weather flush mounted in the panel via AirGizmo, and my Galaxy Note 5 Android phone docked in a slipgrip car mount concurrently running Garmin Pilot and iFly software apps.

Talk about Attention Defecit Disorder. I had to remind myself that the windshield was primary.

Any insight into the missing frequency information?

At OSH I bought a GTR 200 and was counting on the aera 660 sending it's frequency database to the GTR 200 seamlessly without missing frequencies. At the same sitting I purchased two GSA 28 autopilot servos and a GMC 307 control panel.

Jim
 
nippaero said:
Just tried out the VNAV feature on the map screen this weekend. Very cool :cool:


Question, I have the 660 and GDL 3D. I am thinking about adding a standalone G5 to the mix. Does the 660 have any integration to the G5? Can I couple the two together?
Click to expand...

Hello Mike,

Yes, if you connect one of the two aera 660 serial ports to the G5 and configure both ends for NMEA, you can provide navigation guidance to the G5.

Anytime you have a flight plan or direct-to active, the lateral deviation bar will show if you are left or right of course.

A short time before the top of the descent on the VNAV, the vertical deviation bar pops up and provides vertical guidance for the VNAV descent. Note that the flight director (magenta inverted V above yellow airplane symbol in below image) and autopilot active/armed modes shown in this image are only available if you use the G5 as an autopilot.

psubZUkoVMfuH89_m5Irw2DTzujt9Hj8UFG5MYufkTauwTxg3_s9fiXa6M2cNsAGhk_7tD6469ZI3e1ICSVsrVGf9YicU7mhqpGrKgaL6afhBQM7yNvxEAYa6K3Bjem1ZF9787cRFQ78iqQ2Uk2I-OUf-S1P8haHecyWGcH8IctGt7pnSA2UlU-dVp4k3slnO_9O6UGIvb_P7V7o0vsaf58yEzvuMHdAY-QyKXvEZfQhXbMpRF5j8j36tvT5862mBvHwMF2mxNVwpuVxPl1GSz91ij32EWBWkGXH9cjtboTspSxdYkIHCAHUXWcl1WGM4nOt24ud29po8K4V3gfgRjM1PCQSmK5RMb3OjB-dGWcKbpZ6GeXZPWhcdIrHhbh9GVpOuNU_eG1egs8rUk7FJyJjEKocSeSl1LckebrYbi-GcaD9pT2UWDuFnU0iFGe796cZMWU9MsFJMxY5BIRRHNZw4kfkxNbA9n3eQTqoeRoOa7k6FU0nTb3JTdvea4bhhEbi3rg9-OFJ3i5NyWdjaqocxJCj_3uOHWawTgFMUMN4hKvYuVj9Nl3y3VPmdKPoVM1L=w288-h307-no


You can even switch from the PFD format to the HSI format if you wish to show the lateral and vertical guidance provided by the aera 660 in that manner.

hlmME9Yfd4cdK5-3UD_yDYjPqpcwzA3rXUKadSk-r8RUUQRX2jdHlZ-PLRErEllUh-Iswzm22oIQonJJ2AiDkJpVXsa38-TSZGg1tYpn2JeWtO8BKAeFGBHBqllDbythIQv8VdlREBL8TMJqsCVoGwJQ6m5kw0M3ytJY2IVd5aCxJ7hr2SPoCYgLLiY-6JhwXhfUPWfnDybAEwLpcuoU_uIb8ziF7wQV5H0arnlhuOUgKFdT510H3I8n_Q3QWd_YLo0Vlw_wbnPnmqwZnIIef0gOoaYtjQDKvJRKOGQS0FreS_GtsblAhp4ioMg2D0wO763e6FiGAIp3k_9yqsbhbkcghRTUSTmwwcJZZlFyrd2_ipjbfJSCXeqboA1NPV4lO66gwQZ0IzT8RRD-Fxm8sSAEwjp6D5SgC1N1W5gu9kbS-7iT42UEkZ8oGFj3hqXhSyuFzMBf7M2GxoFA2H3NTPT2yHQ0_qGa50vsAADDqyQcfU1Bn9EHaS6LKZINWQ3Pac-SEOMFEd4NK27g32HjACNxPmVbkUnwV_oZAt6PVUun2IUErpvv32cc4OokRcy8PUWX=w288-h307-no


Of course the most fun happens when you add 1 to 3 servos and a GMC 307 control panel and let the G5 fly the plane home.

_n0hrI0JD3xBvSdaDj-dBXkx5dO21gA2nKdE22TUNdo70h4zziNmmoz5bbJruUhZFOsjxj-HCti8DY_WGEim87a7gnR7FQq-TTsAGe5rOnG3Ska2kFtmCdRbV7kq-0QEM6n75zBrLb9nlx5FNY3LhZIrvBMVKKXgxeBlK_oNoRaAQHyH22YYUUR3BIwMuWxkpgfxSZBjpWuj6csu8e7oYplLKlu6iA0DAjbLS7WFcOjNMlz9iAEu6WJATbj8vhCZ3ls7Tl9s4dAdMGkr6syGsSrP865bHBKAo2MCwQ1coeH-g7JCuQiYquK4F1vvxmhpD3XGahzK18fzVaHC-pF5i8SLID8jBQ-LdyqDufSjjB5aOLVfMsc8JUoPj1rZuhdbd32-8bGoz_VIUgv8M39E2T8SGXNvSXwqwsyFzWOaN7EhFsmJJLtItkzE64I8n4lQc4jLxCMnDhuDzR1Ggsl5AWsamY0J2PwEzjmX6cyFE3S_rjQt6aHNY8yefIOSc_Dy9OZ_t1-909iM6_igY6au3evMclWefbfl29YhNLmfa8jFtwq3TrQBpDOH5ud6xk2EuqDh=w624-h510-no


Thanks,
Steve
 
I have the 660 as well. It is connected to a GTX 345 xpndr via bare wire cable but I didn't configure everything right (my fault) so I had to use the bluetooth which works awesome. I never noticed any missing info (AWOS, ASOS) but I do have to remember to manually connect the blue tooth after each start up of my GTX 345 or some info (traffic and WX) will be missing. Is there an auto connect feature? On the other hand, my ipad using Foreflight auto connects to the GTX 345 which saves time and provides traffic and WX. As I become more familiar with the 660, I rely less and less on Foreflight.

I would have defaulted to the hard wire connection between the 345 and 660 but I failed to properly configure them (GTX 345/Aera 660) for the barewire set up. Steve (Garmin Expert) walked me through it at Osh despite how busy he was. Many Thanks Steve!

I didn't know the 660 would showed clouds. It did a fine job of showing where the rain, traffic and TFR's were among lots of other useful info. For example, frequencies, detailed airport info and lots more. Perfect for my RV-8 dash. It's super bright too. I turned the brightness down to 85% and it still shows way better than the ipad fully bright.

I really like the 660. I do need to become more familiar with it. A video would be especially nice. I bet they already have one.

My next purchase will be the G5 to replace some steam gauges. Very cool device.
 
jliltd said:
On the way to and from OSH with my brand new aera 660 I noticed something. My 496 navigator, Garmin Pilot and iFly apps all showe ASOS & AWOS frequencies in their airport databases but the aera 660 did not. Also, Pilot showed clouds (white overlays) but the aera 660 did not.

I have a GDL-3D on the glareshield and the combination Garmin power cable that connects to both the GDL-3D and the aera 660 via cigarette lighter power port.

Aside from these nits, which I am sure have more to do with my unfamiliarity with the aera 660 or not having updated to the latest database, I really like the unit.

So I had the aera 660 mounted directly in front on the glareshield, a GPS Map 496 with XM weather flush mounted in the panel via AirGizmo, and my Galaxy Note 5 Android phone docked in a slipgrip car mount concurrently running Garmin Pilot and iFly software apps.

Talk about Attention Defecit Disorder. I had to remind myself that the windshield was primary.

Any insight into the missing frequency information?

At OSH I bought a GTR 200 and was counting on the aera 660 sending it's frequency database to the GTR 200 seamlessly without missing frequencies. At the same sitting I purchased two GSA 28 autopilot servos and a GMC 307 control panel.

Jim
Click to expand...

Hello Jim,

Glad you are enjoying your new aera 660.

FIS-B weather doesn't include clouds (but XM/SXM does). If Garmin Pilot was showing clouds, it was probably pulled off the internet the last time it was connected.

We had some holes in the automated weather frequencies in the 1604 (April) navigation database that were filled in with the 1605 (May) database, so if your navigation database is that old, you might want to update it. The current database cycle is 1608 (Aug.)

Please email us if you have additional database questions.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Thanks! That is great news. Now that the G5 is STC'd for certified aircraft I am going to put one in my 170. Now all I am waiting for is the non-certified auto pilots to follow suit. I am sure it will eventually happen. Lots of good momentum this year for certified airplanes


g3xpert said:
Hello Mike,

Yes, if you connect one of the two aera 660 serial ports to the G5 and configure both ends for NMEA, you can provide navigation guidance to the G5.

Anytime you have a flight plan or direct-to active, the lateral deviation bar will show if you are left or right of course.

A short time before the top of the descent on the VNAV, the vertical deviation bar pops up and provides vertical guidance for the VNAV descent. Note that the flight director (magenta inverted V above yellow airplane symbol in below image) and autopilot active/armed modes shown in this image are only available if you use the G5 as an autopilot.

psubZUkoVMfuH89_m5Irw2DTzujt9Hj8UFG5MYufkTauwTxg3_s9fiXa6M2cNsAGhk_7tD6469ZI3e1ICSVsrVGf9YicU7mhqpGrKgaL6afhBQM7yNvxEAYa6K3Bjem1ZF9787cRFQ78iqQ2Uk2I-OUf-S1P8haHecyWGcH8IctGt7pnSA2UlU-dVp4k3slnO_9O6UGIvb_P7V7o0vsaf58yEzvuMHdAY-QyKXvEZfQhXbMpRF5j8j36tvT5862mBvHwMF2mxNVwpuVxPl1GSz91ij32EWBWkGXH9cjtboTspSxdYkIHCAHUXWcl1WGM4nOt24ud29po8K4V3gfgRjM1PCQSmK5RMb3OjB-dGWcKbpZ6GeXZPWhcdIrHhbh9GVpOuNU_eG1egs8rUk7FJyJjEKocSeSl1LckebrYbi-GcaD9pT2UWDuFnU0iFGe796cZMWU9MsFJMxY5BIRRHNZw4kfkxNbA9n3eQTqoeRoOa7k6FU0nTb3JTdvea4bhhEbi3rg9-OFJ3i5NyWdjaqocxJCj_3uOHWawTgFMUMN4hKvYuVj9Nl3y3VPmdKPoVM1L=w288-h307-no


You can even switch from the PFD format to the HSI format if you wish to show the lateral and vertical guidance provided by the aera 660 in that manner.

hlmME9Yfd4cdK5-3UD_yDYjPqpcwzA3rXUKadSk-r8RUUQRX2jdHlZ-PLRErEllUh-Iswzm22oIQonJJ2AiDkJpVXsa38-TSZGg1tYpn2JeWtO8BKAeFGBHBqllDbythIQv8VdlREBL8TMJqsCVoGwJQ6m5kw0M3ytJY2IVd5aCxJ7hr2SPoCYgLLiY-6JhwXhfUPWfnDybAEwLpcuoU_uIb8ziF7wQV5H0arnlhuOUgKFdT510H3I8n_Q3QWd_YLo0Vlw_wbnPnmqwZnIIef0gOoaYtjQDKvJRKOGQS0FreS_GtsblAhp4ioMg2D0wO763e6FiGAIp3k_9yqsbhbkcghRTUSTmwwcJZZlFyrd2_ipjbfJSCXeqboA1NPV4lO66gwQZ0IzT8RRD-Fxm8sSAEwjp6D5SgC1N1W5gu9kbS-7iT42UEkZ8oGFj3hqXhSyuFzMBf7M2GxoFA2H3NTPT2yHQ0_qGa50vsAADDqyQcfU1Bn9EHaS6LKZINWQ3Pac-SEOMFEd4NK27g32HjACNxPmVbkUnwV_oZAt6PVUun2IUErpvv32cc4OokRcy8PUWX=w288-h307-no


Of course the most fun happens when you add 1 to 3 servos and a GMC 307 control panel and let the G5 fly the plane home.

_n0hrI0JD3xBvSdaDj-dBXkx5dO21gA2nKdE22TUNdo70h4zziNmmoz5bbJruUhZFOsjxj-HCti8DY_WGEim87a7gnR7FQq-TTsAGe5rOnG3Ska2kFtmCdRbV7kq-0QEM6n75zBrLb9nlx5FNY3LhZIrvBMVKKXgxeBlK_oNoRaAQHyH22YYUUR3BIwMuWxkpgfxSZBjpWuj6csu8e7oYplLKlu6iA0DAjbLS7WFcOjNMlz9iAEu6WJATbj8vhCZ3ls7Tl9s4dAdMGkr6syGsSrP865bHBKAo2MCwQ1coeH-g7JCuQiYquK4F1vvxmhpD3XGahzK18fzVaHC-pF5i8SLID8jBQ-LdyqDufSjjB5aOLVfMsc8JUoPj1rZuhdbd32-8bGoz_VIUgv8M39E2T8SGXNvSXwqwsyFzWOaN7EhFsmJJLtItkzE64I8n4lQc4jLxCMnDhuDzR1Ggsl5AWsamY0J2PwEzjmX6cyFE3S_rjQt6aHNY8yefIOSc_Dy9OZ_t1-909iM6_igY6au3evMclWefbfl29YhNLmfa8jFtwq3TrQBpDOH5ud6xk2EuqDh=w624-h510-no


Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...
 
With respect to my Garmin Pilot showing clouds... Yep. You are right. Since my Pilot app is on my cell phone it is updating weather over mobile networks whenever in range of cellular signals. Makes perfect sense. And here I thought Garmin had figured out how to get more out of FIS-B than advertised.

I eagerly await the Sirius/XM weather accessory. As do Canadians, Crop Dusters, Pipeliners and other pilots who can't recieve FIS-B.

As far as updates, my database date is April (North American Data Cycle 1604) and software version is 2.30, So I registered my aera 660 and added it to my devices at flygarmin.com. I also have it connected to the Internet via a wifi hotspot. When I check downloads menu item I get a message that there are no downloads or updates available. Should I try using a usb connection instead?

Jim

g3xpert said:
Hello Jim,

Glad you are enjoying your new aera 660.

FIS-B weather doesn't include clouds (but XM/SXM does). If Garmin Pilot was showing clouds, it was probably pulled off the internet the last time it was connected.

We had some holes in the automated weather frequencies in the 1604 (April) navigation database that were filled in with the 1605 (May) database, so if your navigation database is that old, you might want to update it. The current database cycle is 1608 (Aug.)

Please email us if you have additional database questions.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...
 
jliltd said:
As far as updates, my database date is April (North American Data Cycle 1604) and software version is 2.30, So I registered my aera 660 and added it to my devices at flygarmin.com. I also have it connected to the Internet via a wifi hotspot. When I check downloads menu item I get a message that there are no downloads or updates available. Should I try using a usb connection instead?

Jim
Click to expand...

Hello Jim,

Ok, using the 1604 navigation database cycle explains the missing weather frequencies.

The current software for the aera 660 is V2.50, so make sure to upgrade your software to take advantage of the many improvements made since V2.30. This could certainly improve the database download feature since many improvements have been made in that part of the software.

Please send us an email at the address below with your FlyGarmin account name so we can check your FlyGarmin account and see if there is a reason why you don't see any database updates available. Also, let us know if you see "Connected to FlyGarmin" at the bottom of your database downloads page on the aera 660. Please upgrade to V2.50 first.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Chkaharyer99 said:
I have the 660 as well. It is connected to a GTX 345 xpndr via bare wire cable but I didn't configure everything right (my fault) so I had to use the bluetooth which works awesome. I never noticed any missing info (AWOS, ASOS) but I do have to remember to manually connect the blue tooth after each start up of my GTX 345 or some info (traffic and WX) will be missing. Is there an auto connect feature? On the other hand, my ipad using Foreflight auto connects to the GTX 345 which saves time and provides traffic and WX. As I become more familiar with the 660, I rely less and less on Foreflight.

I would have defaulted to the hard wire connection between the 345 and 660 but I failed to properly configure them (GTX 345/Aera 660) for the barewire set up. Steve (Garmin Expert) walked me through it at Osh despite how busy he was. Many Thanks Steve!

I didn't know the 660 would showed clouds. It did a fine job of showing where the rain, traffic and TFR's were among lots of other useful info. For example, frequencies, detailed airport info and lots more. Perfect for my RV-8 dash. It's super bright too. I turned the brightness down to 85% and it still shows way better than the ipad fully bright.

I really like the 660. I do need to become more familiar with it. A video would be especially nice. I bet they already have one.

My next purchase will be the G5 to replace some steam gauges. Very cool device.
Click to expand...

Hello Charlie,

Thanks for stopping by to see us at Oshkosh! One of the great things about attending the airshows is getting to meet many of the customers we communicate with throughout the year.

There is an auto-reconnect feature in the Bluetooth interface. I have two aera 660s in my office and a GTX 345 (among other things...). One aera 660 is connected to the GTX 345 via hardwire, and one via Bluetooth. Both units automatically connect each morning when everything is powered up.

Make sure you are using V2.50 software and go to the Tools, Setup, Bluetooth page. Now select Menu, Manage Paired Devices and select Automatic Reconnect on the GTX 345. That's all there is to it.

We hope you get your hardwired connection going because that is always the most robust way for the aera 660 to communicate with devices like the GTX 345.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Just received my Aera 660 yesterday along with the GA25MCX antenna and the AirGizmos mount, the bare wire cable was backordered.:(

This thing is awesome! I'm replacing my old 396 and the fact that AirGizmos made the 660 fit in the same exact hole as the 396 is incredible.

Waiting on the bare wire cable is killing me but I may fly with it on battery anyway.

The GTX-345 is next!

Garmin ROCKS!
 
Audio/Music Player

Looking at the manual, looks like Garmin did away with the music player function which the aera 500 series has, or am i not looking at the correct place.
 
Home Dock Base for aera 660

Hello,

We mentioned earlier in this thread that we were working on a home dock option for the aera 660.

The home dock base is now available for $29.99. It includes two sets of hole patterns for either portrait or landscape mounting of any of the available mounts including the bare wire mount.

Some customers not using the supplied yoke mount and cable which came with the unit might want to remove that mount from the yoke mount and attach it to the home dock base.

These are really handy for holding the aera 660 out of the plane while charging the battery and downloading databases.

Note that you can either plug in the power supply that came with the unit, or purchase a power supply separately that works with the CLA power cable or bare wire mount that you choose to use. We plan to offer a CLA power adapter as an option when the compliance testing is complete.

Thanks,
Steve

Actual unit for sale (bare home dock base)
cf-lg.jpg


Home Dock Base with mount attached in portrait orientation.
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aera 660 snapped into home dock mount (portrait orientation).
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I like the dock stand! For this group though, you could probably just give us a drawing for the part and we could make our own... Most of us will have some scrap aluminium lying around somewhere... :)
 
aera 660 Ball Mounts

Bill Rossmann said:
Steve will the 660 attach to a Ram mount..
Thanks Bill
Click to expand...

Hello Bill,

Thanks for asking. I forgot to mention that we also recently added the Garmin 1 inch ball and socket mount accessory which can be used with the aera 660.

cf-lg.jpg


The above accessory includes the arm and two ball mounts. One of the ball mounts attaches to your aircraft, and the other bolts to the any of the available mount/cable accessories (including the CLA mount which comes with the unit) using the 4 supplied screws.

We also offer the ball mount separately if you have multiple locations or aircraft to which you want to attach the aera 660 mount.

All of the mounts use a standard "Amps" mounting hole pattern, so there are lots of options available.

Thanks,
Steve
 
I am getting ready to build a wire harness for both my GDL 39 3D and 660. I would like to use some plug in connectors to integrate it into my existing harness in the plane. I have a question about what connecters you would recommend. The wire gauge is really small and typical connectors probably wouldn't work. Even Sub-D pins look too large.

Any suggestions?
 
I've used standard milspec sub D pins on the small bare wire cables. You can strip and double the tiny braided wire first and then estimate the resulting wire size when you crimp.

This works well with pins, where you can pull the pin tip with small needle nose pliers to lock it in place. The wire on back side is too fragile to push the pn in. Doesn't work as well with barrels. I helped a friend finish some wiring on his -14 and the harness supplier provided some tiny molex connectors for the trim servos. These do not work well. We had many problems with the molex pins not locking. Stick with sub D milspec pins.
 
So you strip the wire a little longer and double it over onto itself. Then crimp it on the pin. I guess this would make the wire a little larger to crimp.
 
I used a Molex connector with the smallest pins (0.062 I think it was) and didn't have any problem with the crimper however I also striped extra and doubled over the wire.
 
Audio / Music Player

Looking at the manual, looks like Garmin did away with the music player function which the aera 500 series has, or am i not looking at the correct place.
 
g3xpert said:
Hello,
Click to expand...


Will the new area 660 work using an existing roof mounted external GA56 antenna?

This antenna has RG400 going to a standard BNC connector hooked to a Garmin 296. I assume it would work fine if I fabricated a short MCX to BNC adapter, (660 to replace the 296)
 
Last edited:
n5ff said:
Looking at the manual, looks like Garmin did away with the music player function which the aera 500 series has, or am i not looking at the correct place.
Click to expand...

Hello N5FF,

You are correct that the aera 660 doesn't have the capability to play MP3 files.

Thanks,
Steve
 
bnt83 said:
Will the new area 660 work using an existing roof mounted external GA56 antenna?

This antenna has RG400 going to a standard BNC connector hooked to a Garmin 296. I assume it would work fine if I fabricated a short MCX to BNC adapter, (660 to replace the 296)
Click to expand...

Hello bnt83,

The GA 56 antenna (011-00134-00) requires a supply voltage of 4.5V +/- 0.5V, and draws 20 mA at that voltage. The GA 56W uses much more power.

The aera 660 uses a 3.7V battery, so ideally we prefer an antenna that works well when operating on 3V or less.

Both the GA 25MCX and GA 27C antennas that are recommended accessories for the aera 660 are spec'd to operate down to 2V.

The GA 56 might work OK as long as the aera 660 is being operated from aircraft power (at which point the available antenna voltage is ~4V), but it is generally not recommended.

Thanks,
Steve
 
krashmaster81 said:
Hi,

Does the 660 have the ability to export the flight log gpx/kml file into applications like Cloudahoy or Google earth?

-Matt
Click to expand...

Hello Matt,

Yes, you may connect a USB cable to your aera 660 and use the free Garmin Basecamp program to retrieve routes (stored flight plans), user waypoints, and tracks you have flown for display in Basecamp.

Basecamp will also allow you to export data in gps and kml format for use by other programs.

You can also use Tools, GPS in Google Earth to directly retrieve and display some stored track and waypoint data, but this capability is less complete.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Aera 660

If I have the Aera 660 RS 232 'out' going to the Garmin G5 RS 232 'in' then why would I need an external GA-26C external GPS antenna for the G5 as some have suggested?

If the G5 is receiving good data from the 660 why would it need an external antenna?
 
g3xpert said:
Hello Matt,

Yes, you may connect a USB cable to your aera 660 and use the free Garmin Basecamp program to retrieve routes (stored flight plans), user waypoints, and tracks you have flown for display in Basecamp.

Basecamp will also allow you to export data in gps and kml format for use by other programs.

You can also use Tools, GPS in Google Earth to directly retrieve and display some stored track and waypoint data, but this capability is less complete.

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...

Steve,

Perfect, that's just what I needed to know. Thanks!

-Matt
 
olyolson said:
If I have the Aera 660 RS 232 'out' going to the Garmin G5 RS 232 'in' then why would I need an external GA-26C external GPS antenna for the G5 as some have suggested?

If the G5 is receiving good data from the 660 why would it need an external antenna?
Click to expand...

Hello Oly,

Good question.

As you likely know, if you configure your G5 to receive NMEA data from your aera 660, even without using its internal GPS, the G5 leaps into action and shows ground speed, ground track, lateral deviation, and vertical deviation.

What it can't do with NMEA format GPS data is use this data to improve the accuracy of the attitude solution. It does quite well operating even without GPS aiding of the attitude solution, but operates with higher accuracy when this data is available.

The G5 may use the following GPS data to improve the accuracy of the attitude solution:
1. G5 internal GPS receiver, either using internal antenna (when not blocked) or external antenna (like GA 26C or even GA 35/36).
2. MapMX serial data coming from a GNS/GTN unit
3. GPS data coming from a GPS 20A over the CAN bus.
4. GPS data coming from a G3X or G3X Touch system over the CAN bus.

For your installation, the easiest way to assure you are getting the best possible performance from your G5 (and have the most independence - even with the aera 660 turned off), is to install the G5 external antenna.

You already paid for that great high performance WAAS GPS receiver inside the G5 - use it! :)

Thanks,
Steve
 
I've got a 660 with the GDL 39 3D power harness dock mount. I have been unable to receive attitude information via serial connection provided by the dock. However the ADSB information is passed perfectly. In order to see the attitude info on Syn Vis page, I must connect the 660 to GDL39 3D via Bluetooth, only then will the attitude info appear. Is this normal? Or am I missing a setting? The only inconvenience is that the GDL occupies the single Bluetooth connection that I would rather have available for the iPad.

Thanks,

-Matt
 
krashmaster81 said:
I've got a 660 with the GDL 39 3D power harness dock mount. I have been unable to receive attitude information via serial connection provided by the dock. However the ADSB information is passed perfectly. In order to see the attitude info on Syn Vis page, I must connect the 660 to GDL39 3D via Bluetooth, only then will the attitude info appear. Is this normal? Or am I missing a setting? The only inconvenience is that the GDL occupies the single Bluetooth connection that I would rather have available for the iPad.

Thanks,

-Matt
Click to expand...

Hello Matt,

You will want to update to V2.60 whenever possible since it removes this limitation.

Some more good news with V2.60. This is the last software update most of us will ever do using the USB cable. After installing V2.60, subsequent software updates will be delivered over WiFi from FlyGarmin automatically.

Each time your aera 660 powers up with a WiFi connection, it will quickly check with FlyGarmin to see if there is new software available for the aera 660. If so, it will ask you if you want to update now, or wait until later.

Another nice new feature is TargetTrend traffic information on the Map and Charts pages just like previously provided only on the Traffic page.

Thanks,
Steve

Change History
Changes made from version 2.50 to 2.60:
Add Wi-Fi software update support
Add display of user waypoint comment text
Add terrain status icon to map page
Add TargetTrend(TM) traffic motion vectors to map page
Add aviation points to Recent used list when reviewing
Add GDL 39 3D attitude data processing over RS232 connection
Add support for 10 different aircraft profiles
Add support for Flight Stream 510
Add Mark WPT button to quick settings control bar
Add VNAV setup button on Flight plan and 3D Vision pages
Improve Wi-Fi Database download processing
Improve ADS-B traffic status display
Improve Connext interface
Improve Data Link Info page weather availability
Improve sunrise/set fields on flight plan page
Rename charts tab on airport review page to 'Charts'
General improvements to system operation
Includes GDL39 software version 4.70
 
Last edited:
There is mention above of a G-meter that can be reset on the 3D Vision page.

Where is this? It is not mentioned in the manual.
 
Bluebeard said:
There is mention above of a G-meter that can be reset on the 3D Vision page.

Where is this? It is not mentioned in the manual.
Click to expand...

The G-meter appears/replaces the HSI on the 3D-Vis page when you pull around 2G. OR if you go inverted. However, you can manually replace the HSI with G-meter on the 3D-Vis menu pages. I think it's under the "more options" button.

-Matt
 
g3xpert said:
Hello Matt,

You will want to update to V2.60 whenever possible since it removes this limitation.

Some more good news with V2.60. This is the last software update most of us will ever do using the USB cable. After installing V2.60, subsequent software updates will be delivered over WiFi from FlyGarmin automatically.
Click to expand...

Steve,

This update did the trick! I think the AHRS data seems to be much more robust now that it's streaming via serial.

However, I have not been able to find "Add VNAV setup button on Flight plan and 3D Vision pages" options in the 2.60 update.

Thanks,

-Matt
 
krashmaster81 said:
Steve,

This update did the trick! I think the AHRS data seems to be much more robust now that it's streaming via serial.

However, I have not been able to find "Add VNAV setup button on Flight plan and 3D Vision pages" options in the 2.60 update.

Thanks,

-Matt
Click to expand...

Hello Matt,

Select Menu on either of these pages and you will see the VNAV setup button in the button bar.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Bluebeard said:
There is mention above of a G-meter that can be reset on the 3D Vision page.

Where is this? It is not mentioned in the manual.
Click to expand...

Hello,

In addition to what Matt posted above in response to this question, we should point out that the G-meter functions are not available unless the aera 660 is connected via RS-232 or Bluetooth to an external attitude source like the GDL 39 3D ADS-B receiver or one of the ADS-B In/Out GTX 345/345R/45R transponders.

Thanks,
Steve
 
In regards to installing an external receiver antenna for the GDL39 on the bottom of the plane, does it matter how close it is the the actual transponder antenna since its receive only?
 
Yes, it does matter. But the actual minimum distance is controversial. How about as far away as practical and convenient? I would try for 2 feet or more. Less than that might not be a problem, but why chance it?
 
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