GRT transition for a Garmin User

[Eric Minnis]

Looking at an airplane with a GRT EFIS/ autopilot. It is the new 10.1 Horizon. I'm used to Garmin avionics but pretty tech savvy and a quick learner. The airplane will have a mix of GRT and Garmin avionics (VHF, Transponder, and Aera 760) if I leave it alone.

Question is how well the GRT and Garmin flows from a user POV. Appreciate any first hand experience.

[BobTurner]

I have the older GRT Hx; Garmin 420W and SL30; Trio Pro autopilot; Trig TT22 xponder/AdSB-out; Skyradar ADSB-in. The Hx can control the Trio and the Trig as desired. Everything works with everything else just fine.

[Scott Hersha]

I have a new Horizon 10.1, as well as a GRT Mini in my RV4 as a result of a panel upgrade last winter. I’ve had Garmin G3X in both of my RV8’s. The Garmin products are very intuitive in my view, and in many ways similar to what I was used to in my professional flying (retired now). The GRT equipment has a huge amount of capability, much of which I’ll never figure out how to use. It is about as far from intuitive as you can get. For instance - inputting a fix or airport in your route is the most backwards function that I’ve ever seen in an airplane. That function should probably be done on the ground because when you select the screen to input your fix/airport - (by clicking down through a list of letters/numbers to spell out the fix!) - you loose the screen you were on, like the PFD, or map. One advantage to GRT is that it works with practically all types of other onboard avionics, regardless of manufacturer. The Garmin equipment generally only plays well with other Garmin equipment. The GRT equipment works, but trying to figure it out is a challenge (for me). I didn’t study any how to manuals on my Garmin equipment, but I didn’t have any trouble making it all work - it just made sense. This of course is just my opinion, but that’s what you asked for.

Why did I go with GRT on this airplane? Money. It’s very easy to end up with much more invested in an RV4 than it is worth. There is more fun per dollar in this great flying airplane than anything I’ve ever owned, and I wanted to keep it that way.

[agirard7a]

I have a GRT Sport SX. It networks well with my Garmin Aera 660 GPS. (Nice GPS)
I enter flight plan info into my Garmin often by blue tooth from Garmin pilot on my phone. It auto loads into the flight plan of the efis. This is a VFR setup and works well. It will fly an approach with the GRT auto pilot if you have the vertical command feature.

In flight, if I want to enter a new route or waypoint, I do it in the 660. The GRT AP will fly the route.

[JPalese]

Originally Posted by Eric Minnis

Looking at an airplane with a GRT EFIS/ autopilot. It is the new 10.1 Horizon. I'm used to Garmin avionics but pretty tech savvy and a quick learner. The airplane will have a mix of GRT and Garmin avionics (VHF, Transponder, and Aera 760) if I leave it alone.

Question is how well the GRT and Garmin flows from a user POV. Appreciate any first hand experience.

Check out Widget's videos (url below) - they are for the HXr but the work flow and many -if not most- button pushes will be the same.

In particular since Jerry & I flew with Orville & Wilber we liked the "activate - execute" feature for shooting approaches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcky...q66NdDrKDzbFSg

[tom_AZ]

The Widget videos were indeed very nice, and I'd not seen those before. Hats off to him for making the effort to produce them.

I have a Sport SX, with a Garmin 430W, driving a TruTrak (now B-K) AP--the xCruze 100 (upgraded from a DigiFlight II). Consistent with comments of others, GRT has done a great design job to ensure the boxes from various manufacturers play together well. The gap is that there are a number of things that need to be done at proper times, e.g. while the various boxes interact well, the overall integration is a bit complex than more fully integrated designs. It's also not practical for manual writers to anticipate all of the potential combinations. Because of that, I found it helpful to create a step-by-step "bullet point" procedures document. That took a few iterations, and a few phone calls to GRT (thanks, Jeff!).

With my combination, the specific procedures are a bit different depending on whether the approach is an ILS or GPS/LPV, whether you fly the full approach (possibly including a PT or HILPT) or get vectors, etc... Also depending on whether it's an ILS or GPS approach, the missed approach procedures are slightly different as well. For example, if the Lateral AP is in GNAV, it won't couple to a GS. If in ENAV, it will fly the GS, but won't fly PTs, holds, etc... that reside in the Garmin d-base. As another example, if there are mandatory step-down fixes prior to GS intercept (think mountains), you need wait to press "EXECUTE" until you've passed that last step-down fix.

In the end, the boxes will fly both the lateral and vertical aspects of an approach like the A/C is on rails, but there are just enough nuances between various types of approaches that I find the bullet point document to be helpful. Of course it's important to have those procedures ingrained rather than trying to follow a "do list", but when I'm approaching my destination and am expecting a specific approach, I'll often pull that document out and do a quick review--both of the setup and also the missed approach buttonology.

[Eric Minnis]

I really appreciate the replies. Since posting the original message I got a chance to play with an GRT Efis a bit.

I'll be honest- I'm on the fence. I know it is something I can learn and it may become second nature to me. My reservation is that I already have another airplane with a G3X and I'm not sure I want to mix things up, especially on the airplane I plan to use on a regular basis for XC and marginal VFR/ IFR. I really want everything to flow and work seamlessly.

Like mentioned- I've rarely needed to open a manual on my Garmin equipment. It's not that I am against doing it- I just have not had to.

These are good decisions to struggle with. Thank you all again for your honest feedback.

Eric

[RV8iator]

I have been flying behind GRT equipment for many years. Started with a Sport and upgraded to what is now called by GRT, their Legacy equipment, an HXr with dual Mini’s and a Garmin GTN650 as the primary navigator. All have their own internal GPS’s also.
I never use the GRT flight planning function for entering waypoints or routes. As Scott Hersha said, it’s painful. It works, but it’s painful. With the 650 feeding my HXr I use Foreflight for planning. It seamlessly loads into the 650 through the Flightstream 510 and feeds the HXr all the flightplan data. It will fly all the approaches, missed procedures and holding patterns or anything else loaded and display it all on the FLTPLN page. Enroute I can make changes either on the 650 or Foreflight and they pass the info between each other.
Since I have GRT servo’s the autopilot works easily also. Anytime the 650 is driving it’s in GNAV until it automatically switches to ENAV on approach and then if you go missed it automatically reverts to GNAV. I will say, as noted above if you have a different brand of autopilot you will have to use different button punches, but it still works.
As to the original question, Garmin is extremely intuitive. GRT, not so much. But, GRT is easily learned and very reliable. I’ve flown both and it’s like Ford or Chevy. They both are great products, work great and last a long time.
Would I not buy a plane because I had to learn a new system? Heck no! You’ll love either one and have fun with it.
Now remember though. Every bit of advice you get on this site is worth exactly what you pay for it. Find a plane close by with GRT in it and go see what’s really involved. I like to tell folks just getting into stuff I know about, “if I can do it, so can you,”

[BobTurner]

Originally Posted by RV8iator

Since I have GRT servo’s the autopilot works easily also. Anytime the 650 is driving it’s in GNAV until it automatically switches to ENAV on approach and then if you go missed it automatically reverts to GNAV. I will say, as noted above if you have a different brand of autopilot you will have to use different button punches, but it still works.
”

I have a Trio Pro autopilot, and once you engage the servos there are no different button pushes, the HX completely controls it, automatically. Of course, the Trio can stand alone, too, so if the efis quits one toggle switch connects the Trio directly to the 420W, and it can fly the airplane, and a full LPV approach, without the efis.

[KatieB]

Originally Posted by RV8iator

I have been flying behind GRT equipment for many years. Started with a Sport and upgraded to what is now called by GRT, their Legacy equipment, an HXr with dual Mini’s and a Garmin GTN650 as the primary navigator.

OMG Widget... you made me feel really old when you just called your HXr "legacy equipment!" But heck it's been 8 years... a lifetime in electronics. And I didn't dream I'd be working for Garmin either, but here we are.

Eric, I can't really comment because I work for Garmin... however, I also worked for GRT, so I'll just say listen to Widget, he knows his stuff.