Hi
Was checking prices today on barnstormers and ebay
and didn't see any used units under 5K
and one guy wanted to trade GTN650 to 430W
Why are they so high in price?
If I were building a new panel, I would think twice about installing a 430/530. Once Garmin decides to stop supplying database updates, the unit will become obsolete as an IFR GPS navigator.
And cudos to Garmin for designing a product that fills a market niche so well that it is an enduring product. It seems like the perfect compromise of display size and capability for the panel space it uses, and the price.
How often does any electronic box of any kind hold market value and demand for something like 22 years?
and I think database updates for 430W units can be installed on couple of units not like new 650 750
I don't think Garmin designed it. I thought it came from the Apollo / UPSat acquisition, along with the SL30/40 and others. Two revolutionary , well designed appliances for their day.
Larry
Are you sure about this? I would like to swap a subscription between two units for a bit, but thought it wasn't possible. I know that I needed to provide a serial number for the subscription.
Larry
Before spending your hard earned money you may want to check with Garmin. I believe these older units are no longer supported by Garmin and there is currently no know repair options available.
As far as GNS 400/500 series holding their value, a ~$6k WAAS GPS/NAV/COM is an outstanding value right now. At twice the price for new GTNs, a good used GNS is a great deal.
You?re thinking of the 480, the first TSO?d WAAS navigator. Garmin acquired it from Apollo/UPS. At the time Garmin was selling the non-WAAS version of the 430.
The SL30 was an Apollo/UPS design. IMHO the best nav-com ever.
Sorry, but I beg to differ....at ~$6k a GNS 430W is a terrible deal. The unit has now been obsolete for 8 years. It?s replacement, the GTN 650 has already been superseded by the newer GTN 650 Xi. It?s only a matter of time before Garmin has difficulty procuring crucial parts for the GNS series from subcontractors who will be reluctant to continue producing very low volume components utilising antiquated technologies. Personally I would not be investing a large sum of money in an aged technology with absolutely no guarantee of hardware support into the future whatsoever.
If you shop around you can buy a new GTN 650 for ~$9k, and a second hand unit for even less.
Bob, I was told by a Garmin Rep at OSH there was 130K model 430/530's out there worldwide ( read, there is money in this line ).
GTN came out *right* when I procured my 430W, and yeah, I was bummed...at first. Then I realized that I'd been quite lucky...I got all the additional capability I needed for my SV system, but without all the expensive bells and whistles that I didn't need and my Dynon already provided.
You can contact us directly for a repair on a unit from an experimental aircraft.
Justin
Hi Justin,
I may have gone through the wrong channels last year when I sent in my 430 for repair. But I was told even experimental still had to go through a dealer. I think I had just called the normal Garmin 1-800 type of line and not the Number in your guys signature here.
So to be clear in the future, should I contact you guys first?
Hi Justin,
I may have gone through the wrong channels last year when I sent in my 430 for repair. But I was told even experimental still had to go through a dealer. I think I had just called the normal Garmin 1-800 type of line and not the Number in your guys signature here.
So to be clear in the future, should I contact you guys first?
First, it's not "obsolete"...Garmin still supports it and has stated they will for a long time.
Oh really!!! Please refer us all to the official Garmin source stating that they will be supporting the hardware of the GNS 430W for ANY period into the future. I am aware that Garmin is currently supporting the device but I am not aware that they have ever committed to supporting the device into the future. I don't think they can do that.
The reality is that they will probably continue to support the hardware for as long as they can source components from their subcontractors.
For example, the screen technology on the 430 is well over 20 years old. Logic says that the manufacturer of that screen will have very little incentive to maintain an antiquated production line for that device for a current sales volume of perhaps a few hundred units a year. In the end it will not be Garmin that pulls the pin on 430W hardware support....it will be their suppliers....one by one...that's the way it goes with sold state devices. So buying a GNS 430W at the moment involves a fair bit of risk that critical parts for repairs may not be available tomorrow. At some price point that risk might be worth taking...but IMHO that price point is certainly not anywhere near $6000. But just my opinion. Incidentally, the average GNS430W is now 12 years old...that's certainly worth thinking about before you plonk down a big bag of money on one.![]()
See post #17 for a statement from the Garmin rep.
I have a feeling my flying days will be over before the 430's is.
See post #17 for a statement from the Garmin rep.
So the question for Justin is: How long into the future does Garmin guarantee hardware support for the GNS 430W ???
Watch this space. This will be interesting.![]()
Hi Justin,
I may have gone through the wrong channels last year when I sent in my 430 for repair. But I was told even experimental still had to go through a dealer. I think I had just called the normal Garmin 1-800 type of line and not the Number in your guys signature here.
So to be clear in the future, should I contact you guys first?
...
Garmin needs/wants to get most of the 430 upgrade business...
Anyone talking about businesses "guaranteeing" support for legacy products is not worth listening to, fwiw.
the limiting factor in this case will be the screen, and I have heard rumors that the supply is getting very low.
, it’s unlikely that Justin can answer this question because Garmin don’t know when suppliers of crucial components will pull the pin.
the limiting factor in this case will be the screen, and I have heard rumors that the supply is getting very low. custom LCDs are not something you order a few thousand of. the cost is ungodly in small batches. i would guess that garmin ordered a number they thought would run the expected life of the unit plus spares, at one time, and when those are gone they are gone.
bob burns
RV-4 N82RB
You are making an assumption that Garmin orders each necessary electrical component every time a 430 is sent in for repair.