Garmin 430W Comm Trivia....

[Ironflight]

I learned something today that maybe I once knew and forgot, or maybe it's news to others.... as folks with a 430 know, there are two power breakers - one for the Comm portion, and one for the GPS/Nav portion (the second breaker also powers the front face controls and display). I know that the unit is modular - the Comm portion is more or less a separate unit bolted to the rest. Well today we popped the "Comm" breaker (turned out to be a short in the connector on the back of the rack - the strain relief shorted to a pin - took a jeweler's loop to find it!), and realized it when I couldn't hear Louise transmitting in the pattern.

Interestingly enough, the Comm receiver portion of the 430 still worked! the 10 amp Comm beaker apparently only powes the transmitter portion of the unit - we could hear just fine with only the "Nav" breaker closed. Like I said - maybe it's common knowledge, and I just forgot. But it is a good thing to know on a dark and stormy night.....

(Oh yeah, and I was reminded just how much I hate the 430's backshells and strain releif device! Garmin really scored with the G3X designs - the 430's connectors are horrible.)

 

[frankh]

I knew that

and had forgotten it too.

As you say on a dark and stormy night in IFR with yer transponder sqwarking 7600 that could come in very handy!

Reminds me of the Archie league story where ATC gives the pilot an approach clearance in IMC by clicking "once for yes and 2 for no".

That would have had a pucker factor of of about 7.5 on my IFR scale..

Frank

 

[Noah]

Enroute Nantucket yesterday, I was testing another little known 430W Comm feature. If you hold the flip/flop button for 2 seconds, the radio reverts to emergency frequency 121.5. Since I have flip/flop on my control stick, I can activate emergency comms without removing my hand from the stick. Not that I can think of any reason to need to do this. Although I was daydreaming about a passenger checklist for an incapacitated pilot; this simplifies the # of steps required for them to establish emergency comms. "Hold down the blue button and the red trigger on the stick and you will be talking to someone" or something like that.

Anyway, even if you then flip-flop back to your earlier active frequency, you will STILL be transmitting on 121.5 (ask me how I know). You have to actually TURN OFF the radio to reset this feature. Don't know whether pulling the comm breaker would do it (rather than turning it off) which would be nice because you wouldn't lose all of your active NAV info. I don't know whether this was working as designed or there is a problem with my unit; I received a "Comm not responding" error. I seem to recall reading that 121.5 stays active until you reset it.

Just some more trivia to think about.

 

[dmaib]

Enroute Nantucket yesterday, I was testing another little known 430W Comm feature. If you hold the flip/flop button for 2 seconds, the radio reverts to emergency frequency 121.5. Since I have flip/flop on my control stick, I can activate emergency comms without removing my hand from the stick. Not that I can think of any reason to need to do this. Although I was daydreaming about a passenger checklist for an incapacitated pilot; this simplifies the # of steps required for them to establish emergency comms. "Hold down the blue button and the red trigger on the stick and you will be talking to someone" or something like that.

Anyway, even if you then flip-flop back to your earlier active frequency, you will STILL be transmitting on 121.5 (ask me how I know). You have to actually TURN OFF the radio to reset this feature. Don't know whether pulling the comm breaker would do it (rather than turning it off) which would be nice because you wouldn't lose all of your active NAV info. I don't know whether this was working as designed or there is a problem with my unit; I received a "Comm not responding" error. I seem to recall reading that 121.5 stays active until you reset it.

Just some more trivia to think about.

Wow! that is good to know. I was not aware of that function and certainly intend to try it out on my 430W and see if it works the same way as yours. I learned Paul's lesson about the comm side of the 430W when it's power is interrupted about a year and a half ago and just re-learned it today!
Great information.