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

[jliltd]

*SOLVED SEE LATER POST BELOW* I still can't seem to get the GDL 39 3D to send AHRS data via the factory GDL aera 660 combination cable. It only shares attitude via Bluetooth. I do have the latest software (download directly to the aera over wifi 2 days ago). *SOLVED BY ENSURING GOOD GPS LOCK OUTSIDE THE HANGAR*

Also, the optional $60 GDL/aera cable has come apart at the Y (where the audio input is). The cable connecting the Y to the GDL and the cable connecting the Y to the aera have pulled out of the Y with the simplest of use. Really. Only 2 flights. The strain relief is non-existent and trying to shove the cable insulation back into the molded Y housing is futile. So now each cable is hanging by the wires only just waiting to get yanked out. Look at the the Y and you will not see any strain relief and a terrible stress concentration where the cables ente it.

Looks like a rush job where the Garmin bean counters called the shots rather than the product engineers being give a chance to design it right from the get go.

On the bright side the combo cable is about the same price as each individual bare wire kit for each component stand alone. So for half the price of separate bare wire/data cable one could by one combination cable and cut out the Y yielding two separate component bare wire cables minus fuse holders. Cuse holders can be added for cheap.

Make one crappy cable and I shall turn it in to two useful ones while cutting my outlay for Garmin accessory cables by 2.

Jim

[g3xpert]

Originally Posted by nippaero

Question:
Every time I power up my 660 it does not reconnect to the GDL 39 3D over Bluetooth. I have to go into tools--->bluetooth settings and click on the GDL. Then it reconnects. My 660 is hardwired to power with the bare end cable. The GDL is running on the rechargeable battery (I plan to hardwire it soon). I always power up the GDL first and wait for a green light then power the 660. How do I get them to reconnect with each other?

Hello Nippaero,

Page 29 of the Rev. B aera 660 Pilot's Guide explains that you may select Menu, Manage Paired Devices on the Bluetooth setup page and enable/disable Automatic Reconnect for any paired device.

Thanks,
Steve

[Shawn25854]

Jliltd,

That's certainly one way of saving some cash. I bought the bare wire cable for my 660 before I got my hands on a GDL-39 3D. Had I known I was getting one I may have done that also.

I did however make my own GDL-39 hardwire cable. I bought the connector and added my own wires and hardwired the 660 and the GDL together and they are powered by the same circuit breaker, no inline fuse needed. Works great and costs me about $8 in parts and wire.

Shawn

[nippaero]

Originally Posted by g3xpert

Hello Nippaero,

Page 29 of the Rev. B aera 660 Pilot's Guide explains that you may select Menu, Manage Paired Devices on the Bluetooth setup page and enable/disable Automatic Reconnect for any paired device.

Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve,

I'll check this setting and report back. Thanks!

I've also noticed a couple things since I did the latest OTA software upgrade. Every once in a while the screen cannot repaint the terrain and I either get a dark background or today I got these stripes. They last for a few minutes and then go away. Anyone else see this?

[g3xpert]

Originally Posted by nippaero

Hi Steve,

I'll check this setting and report back. Thanks!

I've also noticed a couple things since I did the latest OTA software upgrade. Every once in a while the screen cannot repaint the terrain and I either get a dark background or today I got these stripes. They last for a few minutes and then go away. Anyone else see this?

Hello Nippaero,

As described on page 87 of the Rev. B manual, a purple area shown on the map when Nexrad is being shown is an indication of an area where this radar data has not been received.

You may turn that indication off if you like. Under Map Setup select Weather and turn Radar Coverage Off.

Thanks,
Steve

[jeffsvan]

Members,
I am seriously thinking of upgrading my Aera 550, and purchasing this new Aera 660. Has anyone done the same, and can they comment on the larger screen size being big enough to notice a difference? Also I am reading some pilots are finding the 660 has a lot of screen glare similar to an I-pad?

Can anyone who has upgraded similar post any comments?
Can anyone put up a photo of the two units (Early Aera vs. new 660) side by side for comparison?



thanks,

[Shawn25854]

Jeff,

I upgraded from an older 396 to the 660 and the difference is tremendous. I can't comment on the 550 but the 660 has just over 1" bigger display than your 550 which will make a difference. 3/8" taller and just over 1/2" wider. It also has many new features. I love the 660.

As for the glare, you could add an anti-glare film to it. I've noticed it to be a little bothersome but acceptable given I was using a 396.

I'm going to try this film and wanted to share it with everyone. This company makes a few types of anti-glare film and is cut to fit the Aera 660.

http://www.nushield.com/index.php

I may order both the DayVue and the Triple A to test both. At $18 and $15 respectively it's worth the test.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

[mooniac]

I upgraded from a 550 to a 660, and have found it a big improvement. The improved screen size is helpful but the overall functionality is much better. I also use an ipad in the cockpit and find the 660 screen much easier to read because the screen is much brighter and less glaring.

[nippaero]

Originally Posted by g3xpert

Hello Nippaero,

As described on page 87 of the Rev. B manual, a purple area shown on the map when Nexrad is being shown is an indication of an area where this radar data has not been received.

You may turn that indication off if you like. Under Map Setup select Weather and turn Radar Coverage Off.

Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve. I check the Bluetooth reconnect setting and turned on the reconnect feature. Thanks for pointing out the Nexrad issue. I must not have noticed that prior to the upgrade so I thought there might be something wrong but turns out it is working perfectly.

I hooked up the audio out to an unswitched audio input on my audio panel. It is awesome getting the alerts for terrain and traffic in my headphones.

Thanks!

[jliltd]

This is an update to my previous post (quoted below). After an unsolicited quick note from Steve, the Garmin G3xpert, I can in fact get AHRS attitude information to display through the direct wire cable between the aera 660 and the GDL 39 3D. My problem had been that when I originally tested the combination in the hangar the 660 didn't have a GPS lock. No GPS lock, no attitude information, irrespective of whether then GDL 39 3D is talking through Bluetooth or wires. Apparently the GDL AHRS requires a GPS signal to provide a reliable attitude solution and without such it refuses to give the aera a bad attitude. I flew a Super Swift on a 2 hour ferry flight Sunday and turned off the Bluetooth receiver option in the aera 660 setup in order to make sure it was exclusively talking to the GDL 3D through the optional combination power cable. It worked fine and as advertised.

My comments concerning the build quality of the aera/GDL combo power cable still stand. The individual cables going to each accessory have come completely apart at the Y split/audio interface and are dangling by the internal signal wires at that point. And I am very careful with my equipment. I will take photos later.

If the Garmin aera "cable" team is listening.... Strain relief. Strain relief. Stress concentration. Stress concentration. How about we mold in or glue the cable jackets into the splitter. The cable/splitter interface has, by it's very geometry, a huge change in cross-sectional area and moment of inertia between two materials of very different elasticity, at a single point. The cables here very much need strain relief to smoothly transition normal bending loads. The reliefs can also add the missing tensile strength to keep things from coming apart. Meanwhile I will provide my own fix by globbing some Permatex Right Stuff gasket maker around the cable/splitter interface and smoothly tapering it down the cable. That is what's known as a "strain relief" for any Garmin aera "cable" guys out there.

Meanwhile thanks to Steve at Garmin Team X again. He sought me out directly and his hint about testing the interface under GPS lock was the ticket. And I know the cable design issue is a problem for the aera portables department and not directly reflective of Team X. But from a customer prospective Garmin is Garmin.

Jim

P.S. I am going to Florida tomorrow to ferry a newly completed aircraft back to Texas for a friend. It has a new Skyview panel but I will have my aera 660 / GDL 39 3D combination on the quick draw.

Originally Posted by jliltd

I still can't seem to get the GDL 39 3D to send AHRS data via the factory GDL aera 660 combination cable. It only shares attitude via Bluetooth. I do have the latest software (download directly to the aera over wifi 2 days ago).

Also, the optional $60 GDL/aera cable has come apart at the Y (where the audio input is). The cable connecting the Y to the GDL and the cable connecting the Y to the aera have pulled out of the Y with the simplest of use. Really. Only 2 flights. The strain relief is non-existent and trying to shove the cable insulation back into the molded Y housing is futile. So now each cable is hanging by the wires only just waiting to get yanked out. Look at the the Y and you will not see any strain relief and a terrible stress concentration where the cables enter it