One thing I have found is that if I plug it into the wall charger, it turns on. If I turn it off after it powers up, the screen stays black and there's no indication that any charging is occurring. I'm still not sure if it charges in this state or not.
Is there a way to turn off the background? I mean the green/yellow shading.
I can do it by selecting the decluter. But I have to do that every time. and when it auto zooms in the back ground comes back.
I really don't see the point of the green/yellow. For me it just detracts from the clarity.
Another thing I noticed was, the battery indicator never did show "fully charged". Even after being on the charger for 24 hrs. I'll check it this evening to see if that was something else with the update.
Hello RV10Man,
Page 3 of the Rev. B manual explains that a new battery will not show full charge until discharged and charged back up. The battery pack includes a battery fuel gauge IC that needs to "learn" the capacity of this battery and will adjust for the meaning of "full charge" as the battery pack ages.
Page 3 of the manual also explains how battery charging mode works when you turn the unit off after plugging in the wall charger.
We keep hoping you will contact us with regard to the issue you keep reporting with needing to remove and re-install the battery pack. Please email [email protected] so we can work this issue with you.
It seems possible that you have a slightly bent battery contact that is barely making connection with the battery pack that re-establishes this connection each time the battery is removed and re-installed.
Thanks,
Steve
Hello Tomww,
It seems you are referring to Topo Shading. From the map page select Menu and deselect Topo Shading.
See page 23 of the Rev. B manual.
Thanks,
Steve
Hi Steve
That was what I meant, sorry I wasn't very clear.
I had tried what you suggested and it didn't work, lots of times before posting on here. I just sat here for several minuets reading the manual and doing it, then reseting it, then turning it off gain. I was getting a bit fed up.
Then I took the SD card out of the slot. Now it works fine! Not only that the topo shading is far better than it was. But I will probably leave it of most of the time as we don't hve much in the way of mountains here in the UK.
Hello Tom,
Ok, that makes sense.
All Aera 660 units come with a worldwide basemap that generally gets the job done, but the Atlantic units also ship with an SD card that includes quite a bit of additional enhanced basemap detail for Europe.
Obviously too much detail for your taste, so just leave the SD card out of the unit and it will work fine.
Thanks,
Steve
I saw a "charging" screen once as well... When I first got mine, and was doing the initial "full charge", I had powered it on and off a couple of times while playing with it, and then plugged it in to leave it overnight and this "charging" graphic came up on an otherwise black screen. I hadn't seen it before, and I have yet to see it again.If I remember when I turned my off here at home it faintly said "charging" or something like that on the screen.
Overall Garmin Portable lineage question.
Is there a chart that gives the specs of the 660/795/796 side by side?
The 660 appears to be recently available and may contain newer processor/speed over the older 795/796? Are newer 795/796 models coming soon? Any time horizon we may consider for this?
I didn't know about the enhanced database. Thanks for the info. I do prefer the display without the enhancement.
But my problem with the TOPO shading remains to a certain extent. If I turn it on it will not turn off. I had to reinsert the SD card and remove it. When I removed it the TOPO turned off. I will leave the TOPO turned off, but I am a bit uncomfortable that there may be a problem. Is this something that could be a problem with my particular GPS? Maybe your bug fixing team should be told if it is unlikely to be restricted to my GPS.
Thanks
Tom
"....but the Atlantic units also ship with an SD card that includes quite a bit of additional enhanced basemap detail for Europe."
So is the enhanced basemap available for download? (if I buy a 660 and fly in the US first and then return to Europe with it?)
Hello,
In case you didn't see this in the G5 Electronic Flight Instrument thread, we just wanted to mention that the aera 660 makes an excellent navigator for a small system with a G5, GMC 307 autopilot control panel, and servos. You can even fly coupled VNAV descents to pattern altitude with the aera 660 connected to the G5.
Thanks,
Steve
Hello Tom,
It would probably be better to contact us directly if this doesn't help.
We are quite certain that the Map, Menu, Topo Shading control works perfectly, but perhaps its operation is being complicated by the insertion/removal of that European VFR Basemap Enhancements SD card since that dramatically changes what is shown underneath the aviation navigation data.
We recommend you power-off the Aera 660, remove that SD card, and never re-insert it again.
Power on the Aera 660 without this card and verify that Topo Shading is turned off (if that is what you prefer).
Reading your posting I thought of something else. Perhaps you not only don't like Topo Shading on your map but also don't like Metro Area shading. If not, from the map page select Menu, Setup, Misc and turn off Metro Area shading.
Thanks,
Steve
Steve,
My RV-8 is currently equipped with the following:
1. Garmin GNS 430W
2. Garmin GTX 345
3. Garmin Aera 660
4. TruTrak DigiTrak II
5. AFS 4500
Yes, the G5 based autopilot will follow the guidance from the 430W and allow you to fly autopilot coupled LPV approaches with both lateral and vertical coupling (with a flight director).I want to add the following to gain additional functionality, specifically:
1. Garmin GM 307 Autopilot Controller (replace TruTrak)
2. Garmin GSA 28 (X2) Autopilot servos
3. Garmin G5 Flight Instrument (Backup to AS 4500)(Replace ASI, VSI, ALT)
4. Garmin GAD 29 Nav Date Adaptor
Will the above proposed combination of items enable the use of the autopilot for GPS steering, WAAS LPV vertical approach guidance?
If the Garmin GNS 430W was being used for an IFR approach and the APR button on the GMC 307 autopilot control panel was activated, will the the autopilot fly the approach and will the Area 660 show the aircraft's position on the approach plate?
With a flight plan entered into 430W and the 307 was being used, what happens if the 430W goes off-line? Does the 660 become the navigator and drive the G5 and in turn the 307? Is it automatic?
Good idea!When time permits, and if appropriate, could you please provide a flow chart (like the one you did above) illustrating the connectivity and flow with the GAD 29, GNS 430 and GTX 345 added to what you already have illustrated?
It would help me better understand.
If you did, you would certainly fly home with a smile on your face with the autopilot coupled to the Aera 660 both laterally and vertically (with a flight director).
Steve, Quick question on this. If you do lose the 430W in flight (or 650/750) how would the 660 provide vertical "guidance"? I know the 660 can provide Lateral guidance to the G5 which would steer the Autopilot, but I was not aware that the 660 would be able to provide vertical guidance if a primary IFR GPS fails. My understanding was that the only vertical information that a 660 could use to input in to an autopilot would be information similar to the VNAV profile but not as a back up to 430 on an LPV approach. That would be awesome if I am wrong
I have been flying with the 660 for 6 weeks or so now. At current software level. In the MAP view at some point in about every flight I loose the terrain or map and it goes to a dark background. Depending on zoom level I might have portion of screen do this with a definite edge with terrain on one part and dark screen on the other part. If I cycle the power it will come back up with all the terrain again. Do I have some setting wrong or is this a known glitch? It is like it is not loading the maps out of memory correctly.
Steve,
I occasionally have the same symptoms as c210pa18 above. The background goes dark as if in night mode. I have version 2.8 software as well.
Curious in St. Louis,
Oly
Hello Oly,
Same response. Please contact us directly so we can see screen shots, etc.
Not that an experienced 660 driver like you would do this, but you would be surprised how often we get a question like this when a customer hasn't disabled the display of non-coverage areas for NEXRAD, sees the purple overlay on the map, and thinks something is wrong!
Thanks,
Steve
Hmmm, Steve that went over my head, having driven the 496 for many years I'm not yet up to speed on this. So maybe that is my problem? If so I need a little more guidance. I went to the manual and am not finding what you are referring to here. I did call in and got help but was told lets try updating the data bases and see if that helps. I'm sill working on that and have been now for several hours. We will see if this helps.
Thanks Gerald
Looks like I will have to make use of your offer to "have my back" above. My FlyGarmin username is Snowflake6, btw.I couldn't find that you had created a free FlyGarmin account and added your Aera 660 to it, but once you do there will be a "Redeem a Coupon" button on the Aera 660 page. The process is pretty self explanatory, but if you have any questions or problems with choosing the free set of databases you want, just contact us by email/phone and we will make sure it works as expected. You are never "SOL" because we have your back (and the keys to make selection changes in FlyGarmin).
Well, you can only load one set of IFR/VFR charts at a time, so you would have to choose, for example, if you want to subscribe to the Canada charts or the U.S. charts. If you purchase the North American database bundle, FlyGarmin asks you to select whether U.S. or Canada IFR/VFR charts are in your annual database bundle.
Looks like I will have to make use of your offer to "have my back" above. My FlyGarmin username is Snowflake6, btw.
When I entered my coupon code, under IFR/VFR Charts, there were only three options given (US, Brazil, and something else that wasn't Canada). So how do I get the Canadian charts? For now I chose "US" because it wouldn't let me proceed without choosing one of them, and I don't need Brazil. I'll assume you can help.
I took a look on the GPS after selecting the US charts. If I click on "Download", it pops up a screen showing all the states, and asking which ones I want to download. I haven't tried it, but i'm guessing if i chose them all I might hit a storage space limitation?
Given that you've built in the infrastructure and capability for selecting maps a-la-carte like this, please consider making the Canadian charts available in a similar fashion, and in conjunction with the US charts. I'd like the *western* Canadian charts, and the *northwestern* US charts. BC/Alberta/WA/OR, and maybe CA, would do.
I suspect most of your Canadian customers would also like the ability to have both the Canadian maps and a couple of adjacent US states... A majority of the population in Canada lives pretty close to the 49th parallel...
Excellent! Thanks very much. For this issue, honestly, I wouldn't even want to try calling Garmin directly. I know they would get me to the same result eventually, but I would have to give them the whole back story to get there. You're already aware of it from the history on this forum, so it was more efficient to do it this way.We corrected your account to include the Canadian IFR/VFR chart database for your coupon. If you have additional product support needs, please contact us directly rather than via a web forum.
While completely a-la-carte chart selection would be the ideal goal, it would be a good start if Garmin could allow the selection of charts a-la-carte from multiple purchased databases simultaneously. I see that I now have both IFR/VFR chart databases for Canada and the US available, but if I have some US charts installed and install any Canadian charts it boots out all of the US ones.Good idea to allow customers to select charts a-la-carte. We already have support for 23 countries, with more on the way, and for many of these we have to pay country specific fees (not chart specific) each time a customer purchases that country database, so there isn't presently a good way to do what you ask. We will, however, keep this in mind when discussing future subscription and data delivery options.
Unfortunately this wouldn't really help either... I'm likely to fly east before I go south across the border, and after OSH i'm likely to cross back and forth into Canada to continue to the east coast. Multiple border crossings on one trip means I now have to find a good internet connection every day or two and completely swap databases... And hope I won't need to divert across the border while enroute.As mentioned in a previous post, if you want to do something like fly to Oshkosh once a year, you could buy a single U.S. IFR/VFR chart cycle for $39.99, load these charts for your U.S. travel, then re-load the Canada charts included in your annual subscription when you come home.
I'm using the Area 660 connected via Barewire cable to a Garmin GTX 345 ADSB All-In-One transponder. I have a Garmin 430W which is the certified GPS position source for the 345. I have a PS Engineering PM1200 Intercom with no vacant audio slots available to connect the 660 alert audio for traffic/terrain/obstacles.
Recently I made an audio cable connecting the 660 via the barewire cable to the 3.5mm jack on my Quiet Technologies Halo Headset. For those unfamiliar, the Halo headset provides a female 3.5mm auxiliary audio input jack for secondary audio sources with volume control.
Now, with the 660 connected to my headset, I get clear crisp audio alerts for traffic/terrain and obstacles in my headset.
The increased situational awareness I get with the audio alerts is very beneficial and adds aspects of safety by limiting my need to look inside and spend more time looking outside.
I really like that this combo provides alerts if you're on course to bust airspace.
For me, the 660 is proving to be a very nice addition to my panel.
Question for Garmin Experts.
Is there any advantage to getting the audio alerts from the GTX345 vs the 660?
I only have the one audio slot described above so I can't do both and think that might cause a conflict anyways.
Hello Charlie,
The traffic aural alerts provided by the GTX 345 (and GTX 45R) are a little fancier than the Aera 660. Instead of just saying "Traffic" it says things like "Traffic, 10 O’Clock, same altitude, two miles".
Most of us with portables don't connect the traffic audio from the GTX 345 and instead use the traffic/terrain/obstacle alerting from the portable, but if you had an audio panel like the GMA 245 which has 4 separately adjustable alert audio inputs, you could connect the Aera 660 audio to one alert input (with traffic aural alerts disabled) and the GTX 345 traffic audio to another alert input. Even the GTR 200 radio has 2 alert audio inputs.
Thanks,
Steve
FYI - I looked at Page 3 of the manual, and based on that and playing with it this is what I think i've figured out:Page 3 of the manual also explains how battery charging mode works when you turn the unit off after plugging in the wall charger.
G3Xperts,
What's the latest news on the 660 being upgraded to have XM music and WX? This was a software upgrade that was suppose to have been done by the end of last year.....I'm patiently waiting.
Thanks,
Mark
I was just updating my area 660 Pilots Guide to Rev B. Page 30 of this new rev describes the CONNEXT feature using either Bluetooth or RS-242. Is the RS-242 a typo? Should this be RS-232? I was unable to find any info (google search) for the -242 electrical interface or protocols. Just curious.
Soooo if y'all ever do get SXM available for the 660 will you announce it here in this thread or a new one? Looking to replace my 496 but not willing to give up the SXM stuff.