Dugaru
Well Known Member
Okay, so for reasons that are unimportant, and at the risk of mixing matter and anti-matter: I've ended up with a combination GRT and Garmin panel. Relevant to my questions, I've got:
Garmin 430W
connected to a
Garmin G5
with a Garmin GAD29, and running a
Garmin GSA 28 autopilot with GMC 307 controller
The Garmin G5 acts as my nav indicator for ILSs, LPVs, etc. etc.
I do not have the Garmin magnetometer, so the "heading" bug on the 307/G5 sets ground track.
AND MEANWHILE
my main EFIS is a GRT Horizon EX
with GRT's adaptive AHRS and digital magnetometer
I'm actually very happy with this setup. The EX is a great box, talks to my existing GRT EIS 4000 perfectly, and was a (relatively....) simple upgrade from the old WS. The G5 is an absolutely terrific gadget. Price/performance is off the charts and the redundancy with the battery backup is awesome. The 430W user interface is showing its age, but I have been reasonably fluent in 430 for a long time now, and given the price of new GPS navigators, I am TOTALLY happy with it.
But there are still a few quirks.
First, the current GRT Horizon EX recently replaced an old Horizon WS. The old Horizon WS had an ARINC box bolted to the back (D-dub connector "C", for those of you who speak old GRT), and played just fine with the 430W. But when I replaced the WS with the EX, I didn't purchase the (now entirely separate) GRT ARINC box that would go with the new EX. This means that although I get GPS waypoints from the 430W displayed on the EX (via a serial connection, I believe), I no longer get any of the CDI-type stuff.
On startup, the 430W also complains that it's not seeing the ARINC data it was previously getting from the WS. Not surprising, since it's no longer connected across an ARINC box.
None of this is a major problem, because as noted above, my 430W/G5 combo is my "official" IFR solution.
But I think I'd like to cross the Ts and dot the Is, and make everything happy. For one thing, it would be nice to have a real CDI on the EX screen. I'd also like to have compass data on the G5.
So, after that too-lengthy lead-up:
1. Can my current GAD29 act in place of the GRT ARINC box, while simultaneously feeding my G5? Or will i need to buy and wire in the separate GRT ARINC box?
2. Can my current GRT digital magnetometer give the G5 what it needs for compass data?
3. I almost never use VORs for any real-world purpose. But the G5 is all I have right now for an OBS. Assuming I solve 1 and 2 above, am I right that I'll get back to having a cool HSI available on the EX screen?
Thanks!
DMG
Garmin 430W
connected to a
Garmin G5
with a Garmin GAD29, and running a
Garmin GSA 28 autopilot with GMC 307 controller
The Garmin G5 acts as my nav indicator for ILSs, LPVs, etc. etc.
I do not have the Garmin magnetometer, so the "heading" bug on the 307/G5 sets ground track.
AND MEANWHILE
my main EFIS is a GRT Horizon EX
with GRT's adaptive AHRS and digital magnetometer
I'm actually very happy with this setup. The EX is a great box, talks to my existing GRT EIS 4000 perfectly, and was a (relatively....) simple upgrade from the old WS. The G5 is an absolutely terrific gadget. Price/performance is off the charts and the redundancy with the battery backup is awesome. The 430W user interface is showing its age, but I have been reasonably fluent in 430 for a long time now, and given the price of new GPS navigators, I am TOTALLY happy with it.
But there are still a few quirks.
First, the current GRT Horizon EX recently replaced an old Horizon WS. The old Horizon WS had an ARINC box bolted to the back (D-dub connector "C", for those of you who speak old GRT), and played just fine with the 430W. But when I replaced the WS with the EX, I didn't purchase the (now entirely separate) GRT ARINC box that would go with the new EX. This means that although I get GPS waypoints from the 430W displayed on the EX (via a serial connection, I believe), I no longer get any of the CDI-type stuff.
On startup, the 430W also complains that it's not seeing the ARINC data it was previously getting from the WS. Not surprising, since it's no longer connected across an ARINC box.
None of this is a major problem, because as noted above, my 430W/G5 combo is my "official" IFR solution.
But I think I'd like to cross the Ts and dot the Is, and make everything happy. For one thing, it would be nice to have a real CDI on the EX screen. I'd also like to have compass data on the G5.
So, after that too-lengthy lead-up:
1. Can my current GAD29 act in place of the GRT ARINC box, while simultaneously feeding my G5? Or will i need to buy and wire in the separate GRT ARINC box?
2. Can my current GRT digital magnetometer give the G5 what it needs for compass data?
3. I almost never use VORs for any real-world purpose. But the G5 is all I have right now for an OBS. Assuming I solve 1 and 2 above, am I right that I'll get back to having a cool HSI available on the EX screen?
Thanks!
DMG