Installing Garmin aera - do I need external gps?

FORANE · #1 02-08-2014, 04:29 PM

I am installing a Garmin Aera 560 in the panel of my 9A. It will be center stack, at the top, under the glareshield, in an airgizmos panel dock.
Should I install an external gps for it, or should I expect good reception with its internal gps?
The Aera is new to me so please excuse the novice nature of this question.

bhester · #2 02-08-2014, 04:51 PM

Mine works great mounted on the panel with the internal antenna!
It even works while I'm sitting on the couch in my living room, across the room from windows.
Add a Garmin GDL39 the weather is great to have.

tlongo · #3 02-08-2014, 04:52 PM

You will probably get reception with internal antenna, but you will get much better with external antenna.

bhester · #4 02-08-2014, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlongo

You will probably get reception with internal antenna, but you will get much better with external antenna.

I had a Garmin 296 that had to have a external to work very good.
When I got my Garmin Aera 510, I have never used an external antenna and it has always had great reception,
in the plane, in the car, and in my house. That was before I added my GDL39 which also is a external GPS antenna.

Don · #5 02-08-2014, 05:06 PM

I've used my Area 510 mounted under the glare shield without any problem. In fact, I get better GPS reception with my Aera 510 there than I get with my KMD 150 with an antenna mounted externally in front of the windshield.

FWIW, I rarely lose reception with the KMD 150 in normal flight but I have lost it doing steep turns. Inside the hanger the KMD 150 is blind but the Garmin Aera can usually find enough satellites to locate itself. My point is simply that the Aera with the internal antenna has proven more than satisfactory with my 9A.

FORANE · #6 02-08-2014, 05:31 PM

Great
Thanks guys.
I have bought a gdl39 also and intend to install it under the panel with a rg400 cable to the gdl39 antenna remote mounted inside the lower portion of the cowling forward the firewall.

bhester · #7 02-08-2014, 05:53 PM

I think if I was going to use a remote ant. for the GDL I'd use a Ted transponder ant. Mounted on the bottom of the acft. I currently have my GDL on the glare shield.

flightlogic · #8 02-08-2014, 06:24 PM

Here are some tips... since I just did a Garmin right under the glare shield on my 9A. The GPS units have a page where you can see signal strength. Watch the bar graphs and hold the unit where you plan to mount it. In mine, I cut a bit of aluminum away from the glare shield itself... and got perfect coverage with internal antenna. You can't see the cut because the plastic edging hide it.
Eliminating antennas, wires and clutter is always my goal in the 9. Too small otherwise.
Point two: the Garmin can share its own GPS data via RS232 to the GDL39. One less antenna....
Point three: The $17 transponder stub antenna I got from Spruce is picking up ground stations from 90 miles away. I put it on the belly, directly under the panel. That way the coax run is short up to the ADSB unit. Simple... low cost and very little drag on the airframe. My transponder stub is back under the baggage area... so the distance is fine between the two.
Best of luck with your project. (GDL is mounted under the panel... tie wraps to the plastic mount Garmin provides... no need to have it up on glare shield)