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Bendix King AV8OR handheld GPS

Help.. overwritten files..

Stupid clod that I am.. I have somehow overwritten two files in the GOFLY directory... I was trying to get the atlantic and pacific maps to co-exist.. I guess that is not possible..

I have deleted two files (atlantic version):

DATABASE.DAT and
TERRAIN.BIN

If someone could possible email them to me (private msg me) I would be grateful.

Please not the US version..

Really appreciate the help... I have been trying to do this via Bendix but they are very slow...very very slow.......

Thanks
 
av8or

I couldn't wait for a gizmo, so I made my own. not that hard to make
and it works great, the biggest challenge was having both the usb and 12 volt cords on opposite ends. Now I hear air gizmo is getting close to their realease for the av8or panel dock, it'll probably smoke my setup
dsc01798n.jpg
 
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That's a great looking set-up. Can you post a winder panel shot sometime? I guess you have access to all the important things on the side of the case. Did you wire the DC socket directly to the electrical system?

Looks better than an air gizmo, in my mind! Good work!
 
Here's a wider shot, I did wire to ship pwr via a 2 amp fuse, I only need access to the on/off button in flight using a small plastic stylus which doubles as a precision pointer in rough air. This kept it close to the panel, the small cutout in the lwr RH corner allows it to slide to the left and into the modified auto dock.
I can make some drawings if your interested.
my.php
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No need for the drawings, I'm still renting!! But the mount looks great. Looks like you used some type of 90 degree DC plug and wire.

I'm curious what you need the USB connection for. I don't use weather, so maybe that would plug in through the USB (or used for some other peripheral??). The only thing I do with it is to install updates and transfer flight log files.

Oh, and I watched your first flight video. Looked pretty x-windy for a first flight. Nice job!
 
Usb plug

Ineeded to run the USB for serial data for the TruTrack, but still can't update the firmware or software because I'm a Mac user. I have tried to get a local authorized service center to help but haven't made much progress. Has anybody found a Mac way to upgrade. The Gizmo guy's are saying they have a 90 degree USB plug and that would really simplify any installation, trouble is getting a pinout for the plug, must be secret or something
 
Bodie said:
trouble is getting a pinout for the plug, must be secret or something
Click to expand...

I think it is just the standard mini USB pinout.
I can check the pinouts on my mini usb to serial adapter and verify that.

usb_a_b_female.gif

4 pin USB A / USB B / mini-USB jack connector
at the controller

Pin Name Description
1 VCC +5 VDC
2 D- Data -
3 D+ Data +
4 GND Ground

You dont need pin one for power as there is a power jack on the other side for power that you can wire to aircraft power. Also the pin 1 power is 5 vdc not 12 vdc.
So you just need pin 3 for data out and pin 4 for ground. I dont think you need to have pin 2 wired for data in. I only use the data out and ground pins to my Dynons using the Bendix King mini-USB to serial adapter.
The pinouts on the serial side of the mini USB to serial adapter are listed in the manual.
Hope this helps.

On downloading the updates, isnt there a windows emulator you can run on your mac to get it that way?
 
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rvator51 said:
On downloading the updates, isnt there a windows emulator you can run on your mac to get it that way?
Click to expand...
But that requires
a) windows emulator software
b) windows license
Which makes it quite expensive.

Should be easier and faster to find a friend with windows laptop you could borrow for 5 mins.
 
Tomasz said:
Should be easier and faster to find a friend with windows laptop you could borrow for 5 mins.
Click to expand...

This sounds like the best plan to me.

If you cant borrow a laptop, can you send your SD card back to Bendix King service center and have them update it for you?
 
Flight Logs

Guys,

I just started flying with an AV8OR and have a couple of questions about user waypoints and flight logs. I'm running the original software that was loaded on delivery.

Does anyone know how to rename user waypoints and to save them? I am stuck with USR001, etc at the moment, that all seem to be erased some time (a few days) after they are saved. I'm sure its in the manual, but I can't find the right section ...

Saturday I flew 5 times, but seem to only have a log file for the last flight. Can I rename the log file so it is not overwritten?

Thanks for your help, Pete
 
Its pretty easy to rename the user waypoints you created. Go to the main menu page and click on the Flight Plan icon. On the Flight Plan page, click on the User Wpts button.
Highlight USR001 on the list and click the Edit Wpt button or just tap twice quickly on the USR001 waypoint to select it.
Then change the ident name to whatever you want.
You can also assign the icon you want it to show as. If you select an airport icon, you can also enter data about the airport. I use this for airpark etc that arent listed in the database.
You can find the data on how to edit the user waypoints under the flight plan section in the manual.

Which flight log are you using? There are several different formats.
I think the flights just keep getting appended to the logs. I know this is true for the Google Earth flight log.
 
AV8OR manual

Kyle,
Just picked up my AV8OR on return from Sun n Fun and noted that there was no manual supplied. I called Honeywell and, after bouncing around for a half hour , found one person who advised that a printed pilots guide is available for $ 20.00. the part # is : D200803000008. I was further advised to purchase same from the dealer that sold me the unit. They have 1000 or so in stock.

I contacted Tom Smith @ Sarasota who had no knowledge of the Pilots Guide. He is special ordering.

I don't know about you but I find it helpful to have a printed document to better learn the operation of a new piece of equipment. I don't know the content of the manual since I have not yet received same but I am willing to pay 20 bucks to check it out.

Dick Jordan
RV8A
N888BZ
 
homemade usb to serial cable for the av8or?

So did you build your own cable from the USB port on the av8or to the dynon or did you buy the cable from Bendix King? I wasn't sure by your post.

Normally you need a usb to serial converter to this type of thing. Or so what I thought of usb. the $39 dollar cable from bendix king seems pricy for such a cable.

rvator51 said:
I think it is just the standard mini USB pinout.
I can check the pinouts on my mini usb to serial adapter and verify that.

usb_a_b_female.gif

4 pin USB A / USB B / mini-USB jack connector
at the controller

Pin Name Description
1 VCC +5 VDC
2 D- Data -
3 D+ Data +
4 GND Ground

You dont need pin one for power as there is a power jack on the other side for power that you can wire to aircraft power. Also the pin 1 power is 5 vdc not 12 vdc.
So you just need pin 3 for data out and pin 4 for ground. I dont think you need to have pin 2 wired for data in. I only use the data out and ground pins to my Dynons using the Bendix King mini-USB to serial adapter.
The pinouts on the serial side of the mini USB to serial adapter are listed in the manual.
Click to expand...
 
I used the BendixKing cable. I understand that their may be electronics involved in the cables that convert from USB bus to RS-232 so it may not be straight wiring.
I know the USB to serial converters I use to talk to the Dynon and Vertical Power units on my RV from a laptop have electronic circuits in them to convert from USB to serial.
 
AV8OR Manual

Check out the "Qref" guide for the AV8OR. It is very well done and I think it costs $29.00.

bear said:
Kyle,
Just picked up my AV8OR on return from Sun n Fun and noted that there was no manual supplied. I called Honeywell and, after bouncing around for a half hour , found one person who advised that a printed pilots guide is available for $ 20.00. the part # is : D200803000008. I was further advised to purchase same from the dealer that sold me the unit. They have 1000 or so in stock.

I contacted Tom Smith @ Sarasota who had no knowledge of the Pilots Guide. He is special ordering.

I don't know about you but I find it helpful to have a printed document to better learn the operation of a new piece of equipment. I don't know the content of the manual since I have not yet received same but I am willing to pay 20 bucks to check it out.

Dick Jordan
RV8A
N888BZ
Click to expand...
 
Database files..

Still looking for the database files to fix my SD card if anyone can help. At this stage, I'll take the US database files, just so I can at least get my unit to boot up.

Anyone, thanks?
 
Serial or USB?

Here's an interesting quote from the user's manual about the USB/Serial port: "This is used for standard USB connection to a PC to download movies, pictures, Ebooks and new updates to the navigational software. Also used for RS 232 connection to external hardware with special cable."

And just to make things confusing, WxWorx offers a specific interface module for the AV8OR that calls it "RS232 interface module specific for Bendix King AV8OR". Those receivers have both USB and serial outputs possible at the circuit card level (ask me how I know), so they are outputting serial directly to the AV8OR, I believe. It seems that the USB/Serial port on the AV8OR is software-reconfigurable internal to the device, since you go into setup pages and tell it you want "Serial" or "USB" and then tell it to expect weather, external GPS, etc.

So I think the "special cable" part is hooey.

TDT
RV-10 40025
Forever finish kit
 
yooper said:
So I think the "special cable" part is hooey.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was hoping that was the case, it's not. I grabbed an old mini USB cable I had and cut one end off. I connected each exposed wire in turn to the serial input in my Digiflight II and plugged the other end into my AV8OR, no good.

I ordered the special cable from Sporty's (it's a couple of bucks cheaper than BK). Naturally it came with no pinout or instructions so I tried each pin on the DB-9 and pin 3 gave me the blinking *. Also pin 3 on the serial end does not ohm out to any of the 5 pins on the USB side so there mist be some electronic conversion trickery going on in the cable.

I went flying, ran the mag. heading cal program then punched in some destinations. The Digiflight flew the courses perfectly. 37 bucks well spent.

Paul Danclovic
Jamestown NC
RV8A N181SB
 
Anyone having any issues with the supplied yoke mount ? I can't get a tight enough grip on the ball joint - yesterday it was shaking like crazy on a flight back from Sedona.

So, I was think about going back to my old ram mount hardware and noticed that their website shows this product as being capable for the AV8OR


http://www.ram-mount.com/CatalogRes...65077045072079076045080068050085/Default.aspx

I wonder if it would work with the extended life battery fitted ?
 
AirGizmo Panel Dock

Here is a pic I just got from AirGizmo showing how the panel dock will work, with the side power cable, and two top buttons:


20090507_165417_PanelDock.jpg
 
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Scrabo said:
So, I was think about going back to my old ram mount hardware and noticed that their website shows this product as being capable for the AV8OR

I wonder if it would work with the extended life battery fitted ?
Click to expand...

I purchased one and it is a tight fit with the bigger battery, but it is a lot more solid mount than the Honeywell bracket

a1.jpg



a2.jpg
 
Batteries

Hi Guys - I'm a new member here so please be gentle...:)

Following excellent earlier posts, I bought a second standard (800 mAH) battery off ebay - its a Nokia BL-5C and works a treat, however I'd be interested in moving up to the larger battery as my unit has the later mounting bracket so can accommodate the extra height of it. What I'd like to know is if the bigger battery has a generic part number and can thus be sourced cheaper and easier than via the B/K route?
 
01/05 ?

Thanks to all who helped me get my database going again. I finally received an updated SD card for the Pacific Region from Bendix, so can now have a serious play with this thing in my local airspace!

I just downloaded the AV80R Guidebook off the Bendix site.. it references Software version 01/05.. but my latest software update is only 01/04 ? Pehaps they've released the updated manual early, and we should be seeing 01/05 shortly... and by the looks of the manual, quite a few updates/improvements.

Or.. perhaps I just can't find 01/05 correctly - any else looked into this?
 
macwolf said:
, and we should be seeing 01/05 shortly... and by the looks of the manual, quite a few updates/improvements.

Or.. perhaps I just can't find 01/05 correctly - any else looked into this?
Click to expand...

Thats interesting, they told me last week there was nothing planned for several months.

I will download the guide and review it

Revision 3, April 2009
Summary
This user guide supports the 01/05 release of Go Fly

Airport Services Database added to Airport page

Extended runway centerlines for selected runways can be displayed

XM Winds Aloft added to Weather Services

Canadian METARs, NEXRAD and TAFs added to Weather Services

Text METARs are translated into a more readable form.

Added button on status page to allow WxWorx box to be forced into
activation mode.

Increased the touch area around the North Arrow

Increased the colors for terrain and precipitation types

Legends on Weather pages are more user friendly

Changed title from Notepad to Checklist

Corrected which WX products can be display on Overlay setup
pages
 
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01/05

For those interested, Bendix's support team notified me that the 01/05 software update should be available in about 2 weeks from now (so - late may, early June).
 
It is up on their website now - date May 6th version 0105

Edited 06/02/09

*** Warning ***

Installed the latest Jeppesen Americas Database on 5/28 and the unit worked perfectly.

On Friday evening I installed the software update 0105 and tested everything in demo mode, all appeared normal.

Yesterday I went flying with the unit, outbound flight has no issues but upon rebooting the unit after lunch, it indicated that there was an issue with the Navigation databases. I rebooted/reset/ power cycled the unit several times and in the end, had to reinstalled the Jeppesen Database , after first deleting the files in the Vector folder on the card.

Be aware that this will delete user waypoints so you should backup them up before installing sw upgrade.

Contacted BK and told them of the problem, I might as well have asked to the cat for advice.
 
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I did just the software upgrade. It worked like a charm and the actual running of the update wizard was almost instantaneous. I found it hard to believe that it worked, until I saw the new software version on the display. I have to say, I am really only going to benefit from the extended runway centerlines. But they look like a great feature! I don't use weather or related features.

Mine ran fine in my apartment, but I haven't updated the database for about 5 months. I didn't try the flight guide database either. I assume that is just some fuel price information and the like?? Nothing that seems to appeal to me (if I am correct in what I think you get with the service anyway!).

One thing I liked about the update this time was it didn't seem to overwrite my map settings. I seem to remember having to reconfigure all my map options after one of the previous updates. That might have been the firmware though and not the software update that caused the reset.

Good to see Honeywell is putting some good effort into this product anyway. I still feel happy with my GPS choice.
 
Software Upgrade 01/05

I?m new to the list. I don?t fly a Van but I do have an AV80R with XM Weather. Since this appears to be the best forum on the Aviator I thought I would share my recent experience.

I deactivated my XM Weather service from January through May. I wasn?t flying during that period. Just before I reactivated the service I checked for any upgrades from Bendix King. I uploaded 01/05. In the airplane the XM weather wouldn?t work. In the bottom right corner I got a symbol for the antenna but no bars .

To make a long story and a 4 hours exercise short I helped King discover a bug in their 01/05 software upgrade. For the XM weather download to start working the unit needs to be REFRESHED. This was found out only after talking to King, XM Weather and XM Worx. The smartest guy is a man named Joseph at XM Worx.

To refresh your Aviator do the following steps:
1. From the GO Fly menu select Settings
2. On the right side is a button labeled Satus
3. Scroll down the list and find XM Weather, highlight it and push Select button
4. If you find blanks for Sat 1, Sat 2, Ground and Service Level you need refreshing, push the Refresh Mode button on the right
5. Contact XM Weather and have them send you a refresh signal
6. Wait until all the fields are filled including Service Level. After I saw Aviator Lite on the line for Service Level I was able to press the Normal Mode button. This may take 15 minutes.
7. Return to the map page and you should see bars now. Again wait awhile and all your weather should start appearing. The METARS took the longest.

As far as the new features I do like the English translation of the METARS but the scroll bar doesn?t seem to work very well. I?m hoping that with some practice it will get better. The touch area for changing the map direction around the North indicator is a lot better.

I did pass on a few complaints while I was talking to everyone. I asked King to adopt the power down routine that Garmin has. After disconnecting the power source I want a message to say on the screen ?If you don?t touch the screen in 20 seconds I?m going to turn myself off.? It is easy to leave the airplane and drain the Aviator battery.

I told King and XM Weather that there are weather reporting stations not co-located with airports that do not show on the METAR page. For example KVTP is an automated weather station on La Veta Pass in Colorado. If you want to transition the pass this would be nice to have.
 
Dont need to use the scroll bar!!

bpfarrar said:
As far as the new features I do like the English translation of the METARS but the scroll bar doesn?t seem to work very well. I?m hoping that with some practice it will get better. The touch area for changing the map direction around the North indicator is a lot better.
quote]

You dont have to use the scroll bar to scroll the list (any list)! Just put your finger on the list and drag your finger up or down and the whole list will scroll up or down. This works with anything that has a scroll bar as far as I can see. I just use the scroll bar to show where I am in the list not to drag the list up or down. Its too small while flying to do that!
Click to expand...
 
Software Upgrade 01/05

In reference to my earlier post, I found this information also noted starting on page 3-158 of the latest manual. It is under the title Weather Status. You can dowload the manual from the BK site.
 
Bendix King service guys thumbs up

Just for those reviewing info to make a gps decision, thought i would pass along some feedback.
I certainly dont have the experience most have with gps in the planes, but did my research and love this unit for car and plane use. I had an issue with the clip on delivery, and when i finally got ahold of someone at bendix they went above and beyond. They fixed me up, threw in a extra few things for the trouble...and followed up to ensure all is 100%. Nothing more i could ask for....topnotch.

Great unit, great price, and top quality service when needed. The bang for the buck for $600 or so is amazing.
 
I believe it was 629 including shipping from pilotmall or pilotshop. Wait a few weeks till osh, all sorts of that stuff goes on promo even if you dont attend. Sporty's etc will put out their osh specials and throw in a few things or take 50 off etc. I can dig out my bill if you want. It came out at 699list i think and everyone discounted it last year.
 
Wx Works pairing

I saw where pairing to the WxWorks box doesn't stick. After powering off/on both boxes, I have to re-pair. Just updated to software version 0105, does anyone else still have this problem?

Does B/K (still)know about it?

David
 
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Aircraft Spruce has it listed for $610. I've been looking at this unit for months. Since I'm going to Oshkosh, I think I can wait a little longer :)
 
AV8OR 1.05 upgrade

macwolf said:
I just downloaded the AV80R Guidebook off the Bendix site.. it references Software version 01/05.. but my latest software update is only 01/04 ? Pehaps they've released the updated manual early, and we should be seeing 01/05 shortly... and by the looks of the manual, quite a few updates/improvements.

Or.. perhaps I just can't find 01/05 correctly - any else looked into this?
Click to expand...

version 1/05 is released (and free)... and a new "1 step" download process for both free firmware and free software upgrades... need to have a user account and your AV8OR connected to your laptop. Used it yesterday.. pretty slick.

https://www.bendixking.com/wingman/av8or/Av8orHome.jsp
 
Trying to get XM bluetooth to work

BACKGROUND:

With the help of Honeywell Tech Support, I got the AV8OR and XM to talk to each other when they were not in the plane, i.e., plugged into the the wall at home withthe XM antenna run outside on the deck.

Got accessory plugs wired into the -6A, docking station installed, XM mtg. bracket installed etc. then left for one week vacation in San Diego. Used the AV8OR in SD in the rental car and got a "fatal error" message. The unit would not turn off, so I pulled the battery out. It booted up and seemed to work after that incident.

Got back home, put the stuff in the plane and the AV8OR doesn't receive info from the XM.

I have not yet upgraded to Version 1.05 incase that makes a difference in the answers to my questions.

QUESTIONS:
1. Where is a successful location for the XM antenna in a -6A? Can it be installed in any orientation?

2. By pulling the battery out of the AV8OR did I lose the "handshake" between the two units?

3. Should a "fatal error" while using the AV8OR in auto mode cause me to be concerned enough to initiate a warranty exchange. I have already made one warranty exchange when the power switch broke. Honeywell Tech Support volunteered that there were some QA problems with early units - both of the ones I had were built in Sept. 08.

Please note that I am barely computer literate, but any help will be gratefully accepted.

LarryT
 
Larry -- Here are a few answers to your questions.

1. I cannot give you specific on the location for your aircraft but generally you want to mount the XM weather antenna on the glare shield with a clear view of the sky and of course the WX logo pointing straight up to the sky. The more sky the antenna can see the better. Metal obstructions and some types of windows can cause signal degradation.
2. Pulling the battery out of AV8OR and then re-installing the battery WILL NOT cause the units to lose the "handshake" between units. What will cause a loss of handshaking is a Firmware upgrade. In this case, simply go back into the Bluetooth main menu, search for your device and when found enter "9679" as the passcode key. The best place to verify that you have a Bluetooth connection is on the XM status page (in the Settings menu). Look for the radio ID number and a green check mark on "receiving data". A red x on "Receiving valid data" indicates AV8OR is not receiving valid data from the WX receiver which could indicate a loss of signal or an XM problem.
3. A "fatal error" msg. is not an immediate cause for alarm in the GoDrive mode unless you are seeing it over and over again. There have not been any type of s/w or f/w upgrades to the GoDrive database. I would suggest if you continue to see this msg in GoDrive, then contact Honeywell Tech Support, 800-601-3099.
 
Software Upgrade 01/05

I initially thought that there was a bug with the software upgrade. After the upgrade I had to reconnect with the XM Satelite (Refresh). This is discussed in a prior post.

After talking to Bob Herring at BK he suggested that my Refresh was required not because of the 01/05 update but because I had suspended my XM subscription for 5 months. He said that that long a discontinuance required a remating of the two radios. This is done as noted above with a request to XM Weather to send a Refesh signal and a tap of the Refresh button on the AV80R.

So if you plan to take a leave from using your XM Weather be prepared for the need to "Refresh."
 
Problems Connecting to PC via USB

:confused:Anyone got a solution to this one: 95% of the times when I connect my AV80R to the PC using the supplied cable I get a "Device not recognised message" from Windows (XP). I always get the full red circle icon on the AV80R. When it does sucessfully connect and allocates the AV80R a drive letter typically J: on my machine I can then do things like copy off the flight logs for viewing on Google Earth. I've tried on several PCs so dont think the problem is at the PC end.
 
I connect my AV8OR to both my home pc and work pc and never have a problem. Both are running Windows XP. I get a box that asks me what I want to do and I always select 'Open folder to view files".
Another option for you is to put the SD card from the AV8OR in a SD slot if you have one on your PC.

MartinT said:
:confused:Anyone got a solution to this one: 95% of the times when I connect my AV80R to the PC using the supplied cable I get a "Device not recognised message" from Windows (XP). I always get the full red circle icon on the AV80R. When it does sucessfully connect and allocates the AV80R a drive letter typically J: on my machine I can then do things like copy off the flight logs for viewing on Google Earth. I've tried on several PCs so dont think the problem is at the PC end.
Click to expand...
 
I have an AV8OR with the WXWORKS hooked up with the mini USB or RS232 cable, (looks like the power plug to my cell phone) and now I'm looking at purchasing a Zaon PCAS XRX. I know it is compatable with the AV8OR through the same port, the question is can I use the WXWORKS and the PCAS at the same time? Called Bendix King and stumped them, they are going to call me back next week, hopefully.
 
jtoolson said:
I have an AV8OR with the WXWORKS hooked up with the mini USB or RS232 cable, (looks like the power plug to my cell phone) and now I'm looking at purchasing a Zaon PCAS XRX. I know it is compatable with the AV8OR through the same port, the question is can I use the WXWORKS and the PCAS at the same time? Called Bendix King and stumped them, they are going to call me back next week, hopefully.
Click to expand...

There is only one RS-232 port in the mini USB connector so you cannot use two RS-232 devices at the same time through it. But I think that the Zaon PCAS XRX can also do a bluetooth connection. So you could use Bluetooth for the XRX and the mini USB for the WxWorx antenna. That will save on wiring also. Will that work?
 
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