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GTN V6.21 Upgrade for EAB Customers

g3xpert

Well Known Member
Advertiser
Hello,

We are pleased to announce that GTN V6.21 is now available as a software download to EAB customers with non-certified aircraft.

Please note that the software images linked on this page which format and auto-create SD cards are delivered to our dealer resource center as a Windows computer self extracting .exe file and are only usable on Windows computers. We apologize up front to Mac users.

As explained in the service bulletin, GTN V6.21 begins use of a new format of the Navigation database to support additional data. The database SD card for the current cycle downloaded using the FlyGarmin Windows installer contains both old (avtn_db.bin) and new (nav_db2.bin) formats, so you should just need to load the new format (the GTN will recognize the correct file) after updating with the V6.21 software. If you do not have a current copy of the Navigation database (Jepp or Garmin), wait to perform this software update since the new software cannot use the old format Navigation database and will remove that database if currently installed.

Note that the above paragraph mentions using the FlyGarmin Windows installer. If you use this database download tool, you have been receiving both versions of the navigation database since early this year.

Jeppesen has also recently started distributing both versions of the navigation database using its Windows tool if you have your subscription with them, but you must be using JDM Win 3.3.0.196 or later.

The FlyGarmin Mac database installer is not yet available, but when it is, it will also distribute both versions of the navigation database. The Jeppesen database update utility, JDM, also has a Mac version in development.

Service Bulletin 1657 and Software for Non-Certified Aircraft

A special non-certified aircraft service bulletin 1657 has been developed to provide the guidance for performing this upgrade. We encourage you to download the service bulletin first, read the instructions, and then determine if you still feel qualified to create the loader card(s) and perform the upgrade and installation verification. If not, the option of seeking assistance from a dealer is still available.

SB 1657, like the certified aircraft counterpart SB 1655, includes a GTN software upgrade, but also a GMA 35 boot block software upgrade (using a separate loader card) IF you have a GTN 750 installed in combination with a GMA 35 audio panel.

If you do not have a GMA 35 installed with a GTN 750, a single loader card is created and much of the service bulletin instructions are skipped that only apply to the GMA 35 software upgrade.

Follow the guidance in the service bulletin for obtaining a suitable blank SD card(s). Commerically available high quality 2G to 32G cards may be used.

For GTN only installations, you will download this single loader card image (from the above linked software download page) and create a single SD card to update the GTN to V6.21:
Service Bulletin 1657 - GTN 6XX/7XX Software Loader Image 006-B1367-36, Ver. 6.21, as of Apr 21, 2016, Download

If you have a GMA 35 audio panel installed with a GTN 7XX, you will download a second loader card image (from the above linked software download page) and create another separate SD card to update the GMA 35 Boot Block:
Service Bulletin 1657 - GMA Boot Block Software Loader Image 006-B2446-01, Ver. 4.20A, as of Sep 25, Download

Let us know if you have questions.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Last edited:
Software update

Steve,
The software update worked without a hitch but when I attempted to boot the GTN 750 with a recently updated (Garmin, downloaded yesterday) SD card with a navigation database, the GTN could not find it. Any ideas?

Thanks,
David
 
Steve,
The software update worked without a hitch but when I attempted to boot the GTN 750 with a recently updated (Garmin, downloaded yesterday) SD card with a navigation database, the GTN could not find it. Any ideas?

Thanks,
David

Hello David,

It would be best to contact us via email or phone for this type of customer support so we can ask some questions and communicate with you more directly.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Happy to do it! I'll call tomorrow.

I posted thinking that others may have run into this and I figured a public response (if I made a common mistake or if there was a common problem) would save you some phone calls.

Thanks
 
No issues

Updated the 750 this weekend with no issues. Called Garmin to take advantage of the new pilot packs to include the GTN750. All worked very well.
Thanks Garmin.
 
Jeppesen Navdata

I just updated my 650. Unfortunately current Jeppesen navdata does not work with the new updated version 6.21 firmware. I spent over 30 minutes on hold with Garmin customer support and was assured everything would work fine if I re updated with the latest Navdata from Jeppesen.

After updating the navigation data again as instructed, still no success. I attempted to call Garmin on the phone to advise them of this, but there was another 30 minutes of hold time in my future so I bailed on that idea. I called Jeppesen and they informed me that indeed there is not a working solution and they had only been warned by Garmin two weeks ago that this change was coming.

Jeppesen said they should have a working solution within the next few days.
 
I updated my 650 a few days ago and reinserted the NAVDATA card with a current database on it and no problems. It is a card that I update every 28 days from Jepp's service, JDM, Jeppesen Distribution manager.
 
I just updated my 650. Unfortunately current Jeppesen navdata does not work with the new updated version 6.21 firmware. I spent over 30 minutes on hold with Garmin customer support and was assured everything would work fine if I re updated with the latest Navdata from Jeppesen.

After updating the navigation data again as instructed, still no success. I attempted to call Garmin on the phone to advise them of this, but there was another 30 minutes of hold time in my future so I bailed on that idea. I called Jeppesen and they informed me that indeed there is not a working solution and they had only been warned by Garmin two weeks ago that this change was coming.

Jeppesen said they should have a working solution within the next few days.

Hello Chuck,
my apologies for the problems you experienced on this issue, but hopefully I can clear up some of the confusion on this as I have been working directly with our Jeppesen representative here at Garmin as well as working directly with the database team at Jeppesen at their facility.

Jeppesen does support the new required ADB2 databases, what makes them different from the NAV data downloads that Garmin provides is we provide both databases on the download request to the card. the unit it is being inserted into (in this case the GTN) decides which one it needs depending on the software level, this is why we added the note to the bulletin identifying that you need to re-download the new NAV data which has both files.
what Jepp does differently is you have to have your account changed with them when you update the GTN to the latest 6.21 release, so basically they don't include both files so you have to contact them to request the new ADB2 database for the download. I've personally checked this with some of our system that we've changed with them and it is working perfectly.

My apologies I'm not on the forum as much as I should, I've currently on 8 different forums and as you can imagine time is spread thin with normal daily work activities, but if there is ever a question from anyone and I don't see if in a timely fashion please don't hesitate to send me a PM and it will ping me and I can get with you on it, my goal is to make your Garmin experience a pleasant one.

Best Regards,
 
Hello Chuck,
my apologies for the problems you experienced on this issue, but hopefully I can clear up some of the confusion on this as I have been working directly with our Jeppesen representative here at Garmin as well as working directly with the database team at Jeppesen at their facility.

Jeppesen does support the new required ADB2 databases, what makes them different from the NAV data downloads that Garmin provides is we provide both databases on the download request to the card. the unit it is being inserted into (in this case the GTN) decides which one it needs depending on the software level, this is why we added the note to the bulletin identifying that you need to re-download the new NAV data which has both files.
what Jepp does differently is you have to have your account changed with them when you update the GTN to the latest 6.21 release, so basically they don't include both files so you have to contact them to request the new ADB2 database for the download. I've personally checked this with some of our system that we've changed with them and it is working perfectly.

My apologies I'm not on the forum as much as I should, I've currently on 8 different forums and as you can imagine time is spread thin with normal daily work activities, but if there is ever a question from anyone and I don't see if in a timely fashion please don't hesitate to send me a PM and it will ping me and I can get with you on it, my goal is to make your Garmin experience a pleasant one.

Best Regards,

Thanks for the quick reply and explanation. I will contact Jeppesen with the information you provided.

Best,

Chuck
 
Issue Resolved

After some more time on the phone with Jeppesen this morning the issue has been resolved. It turns out that the Macintosh version of JDM does not have compatible databases with the new GTN firmware while the Windows JDM version does.

I have verified this on two separate GTN units.

There is no need to have Jeppesen update your account as Trek suggested. The only requirement is that you use a Windows computer to update your Navdata from Jeppesen until the Macintosh JDM is fixed. Hopefully my struggles will prevent some others from going down the same path.
 
Hello,

The original posting has been updated to state that if you are using a Jeppesen subscription, you must be using JDM Win 3.3.0.196 or later to receive the new version of the database needed by GTN V6.21.

Thanks,
Steve
 
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