Garmin to Avidyne

[KLRDMD]

It looks like I'm pulling and trading in most of my Garmin products for Avidyne.

Out: Garmin 530W, 430W, 330ES, GDL-88 & GDL-69A

In: Avidyne IFD-540, 440 (with WiFi & BT), AXP340 & SkyTrax 100

Keeping: GMA-340, KFC-150, KAS297B, KCS-55A, WX10A, Shading Miniflo & EI GEM (that will be the next upgrade)

[1964-M20E]

I'm sure you will enjoy the Avidyne.

 

 

[StevenL757]

Ken, I'm curious - what's attracting you to the Avidyne hardware as opposed to the Garmin stack, aside from price point?  Have you explored the GTN750/650, and possibly the L-3 NGT series of ADS-B/Transponder/Active Traffic options?

[carqwik]

Who's doing the job?  Please keep us posted on progress and results!

[KLRDMD]

53 minutes ago, StevenL757 said:

Ken, I'm curious - what's attracting you to the Avidyne hardware as opposed to the Garmin stack, aside from price point?  Have you explored the GTN750/650, and possibly the L-3 NGT series of ADS-B/Transponder/Active Traffic options?

Price point is important. I like the way the Avidyne feels and the 10.2 software and IFD100 mobile app blows away anything Garmin will have for years, if ever. And with the big boxes being plug and play, the only real avionics labor will be wiring the new transponder and ADS-B, pretty minimal and painless upgrade with minimal down time. That's important too. And I'm getting a very good price on both purchasing the Avidyne equipment and in trade value for the old Garmin stuff. Anytime I can do "other than Garmin" I'll generally take that choice.

[KLRDMD]

11 minutes ago, carqwik said:

Who's doing the job?  Please keep us posted on progress and results!

At this point I plan to pull the GDL-88 and GDL-69A with associated wiring, etc. and swap the 540/440 for the 530/430 under A&P supervision. Then there's just the transponder and ADS-B install. Hopefully I can get Juan at Southwest (Sonoran) Avionics at KRYN to do it if he can fit me in. The shop at KAVQ has done zero of these installs so I want to go somewhere with experience.

[gsxrpilot]

I bought my 252 from a gentleman in New Philadelphia, OH. The shop on the field there did a little work on the plane for me before I flew it home. As I was ready to leave, Eric, the proprietor told me if I ever wanted an Avidyne stack installed, he would guarantee it was worth the flight to bring it back to him from Texas to have it installed. I don't know more than that, but they seem to do a lot of them.

[Bob_Belville]

My A shop told me that while the Avidynes do use the Garmin chassis the wiring harnesses have to be modified.

[LANCECASPER]

4 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

My A shop told me that while the Avidynes do use the Garmin chassis the wiring harnesses have to be modified.

If you have a Garmin 530W and want to install an Avidyne IFD 540 it is plug and play - no wiring changes whatsoever. Same thing for changing from a Garmin 430W to and IFD440. It requires copying down all of your configurations on the setup page of the Garmins and then entering those configs once the Avidyne slides in. It's about a 30 minute process.

[Piloto]

A friend of mine got an IFD 540 and had some issues with it. We replaced my GNS 530 with his IFD 540 on my plane (slide out and slide in) and the IFD 540 worked perfectly, including autopilot steering and traffic interface to the ATD-300. We flew it to GNV and were very well impress how well it works on an LPV coupled approach.

José

[carqwik]

What about the quality of the Avidyne boxes?  I recall the old Avidyne glass panels would fail often in the Cirrus/Piper aircraft and would be a very expensive repair... Has that situation changed now with Avidyne?

[KLRDMD]

Just now, carqwik said:

What about the quality of the Avidyne boxes?  I recall the old Avidyne glass panels would fail often in the Cirrus/Piper aircraft and would be a very expensive repair... Has that situation changed now with Avidyne?

Based on all the research I have done, it seems to not be an issue today.

[NotarPilot]

On September 19, 2016 at 6:51 PM, KLRDMD said:

In: Avidyne IFD-540, 440 (with WiFi & BT)

Just curious why you're getting the 540 (which is standard wifi and BT) and a 440 with Wifi and BT too when they sell a cheaper version of the 440 without the wifi and BT. Could save you some money since it's not really necessary for both to have wireless capability if they are cross feeding.  I had two 440s installed and only one has wireless connectivity. The avionics shop said its not really needed and I would just be spending extra money unnecessarily.  Food for thought. 

P.S. - I've had no issue with my 440s and they really do blown Garmin's GTNs out of the water with features. I learn new features all the time that are well thought out and useful. I also agree with your "other than Garmin" comment. But in the case of the Avidynes, they're a much better product. However, Garmin is like a religion with very devout followers and anything else you speak of is pure heresy. 

[KLRDMD]

7 hours ago, NotarPilot said:

Just curious why you're getting the 540 (which is standard wifi and BT) and a 440 with Wifi and BT too when they sell a cheaper version of the 440 without the wifi and BT. Could save you some money since it's not really necessary for both to have wireless capability if they are cross feeding.  I had two 440s installed and only one has wireless connectivity. The avionics shop said its not really needed and I would just be spending extra money unnecessarily.  Food for thought. 

P.S. - I've had no issue with my 440s and they really do blown Garmin's GTNs out of the water with features. I learn new features all the time that are well thought out and useful. I also agree with your "other than Garmin" comment. But in the case of the Avidynes, they're a much better product. However, Garmin is like a religion with very devout followers and anything else you speak of is pure heresy. 

Good point. The avionics dealer I'm working with offered to include WiFi & BT for free on the 440 in my quote so I went with it. I guess I could ask him if I decline Wi-Fi & BT if he'll give me $1,000 credit (the value of those as he presented it). And you're right, Garmin is like a religion . . .

[donkaye]

11 hours ago, NotarPilot said:

P.S. - I've had no issue with my 440s and they really do blown Garmin's GTNs out of the water with features. I learn new features all the time that are well thought out and useful. I also agree with your "other than Garmin" comment. But in the case of the Avidynes, they're a much better product. However, Garmin is like a religion with very devout followers and anything else you speak of is pure heresy. 

I feel like I'm a Garmin "Deplorable".  So I viewed this video.  It is an interesting introduction to the Avidyne 440.  It does have a lot of features.  It also has a tremendous amount of button pushing--too much for me.  Whatever the menu system is I personally don't like it.  Some others apparently do, though.

As deplorable as I may be, I am really glad to have my all Garmin simplistic panel.  Regarding database upgrading, since the System 6.11 update to the GTNs and the institution of the new OnePak, I switched to the Garmin databases with no issues whatsoever.  I'm looking forward to the System 6.21 update that has been TSO approved with STC approval expected in the next couple of days.  With it you will have 2 choices for simple update; Download all databases to one card and through a Concierge program, after inserting that card into a  GTN, it will transfer all the databases to other GTNs and G500; or Wifi all databases to an iPad and then Wifi all databases to a Flightstream 510 multimedia card that takes the place of a GTN card, and then that card will sync all databases to other Garmin GTNs and G500.   Garmin continues to push the envelope in its own way.

[carusoam]

I like the competition.  They are both getting stronger every day!

Best regards,

-a-

[KLRDMD]

Just now, donkaye said:

As deplorable as I may be, I am really glad to have my all Garmin simplistic panel.  Regarding database upgrading, since the System 6.11 update to the GTNs and the institution of the new OnePak, I switched to the Garmin databases with no issues whatsoever. 

As a Mac guy, how are you dealing with the Windows only requirement of Garmin downloads ?

[Simpson Bennett]

We also have a webpage, IFD440.com, that has a few other snippets of features and functionalities if anyone is interested.

[KLRDMD]

Just now, AviSimpson said:

We also have a webpage, IFD440.com, that has a few other snippets of features and functionalities if anyone is interested.

Thank you !

[carusoam]

Simpson is like having a friend inside of Avidyne!

Best regards,

-a-

[Simpson Bennett]

It's good to have friends everywhere! 

[KLRDMD]

This is written by Avidyne so obviously biased but it is an interesting read:

http://www.avidyne.com/products/ifd/ifd540-value-compare.html

[donkaye]

16 minutes ago, KLRDMD said:

As a Mac guy, how are you dealing with the Windows only requirement of Garmin downloads ?

Ken, all downloads are via flygarmin.com directly from the Mac to the card.  There is NO Windows restriction.  If, when you go to flygarmin.com it gives you a Windows only option, that can be changed.  I called Garmin on the same issue when I accidentally changed things to Windows.  They had me go to a quick link of the flygarmin.com page and change it.  When I go there now, I see a quick link to go to Windows.  If I was in Windows it probably gives the link to the Mac.  Hope this helps. If not call Garmin and they will set you straight.  Just get up early, because recently they seem to be understaffed with long wait times.

[KLRDMD]

4 minutes ago, donkaye said:

Ken, all downloads are via flygarmin.com directly from the Mac to the card.  There is NO Windows restriction.  If, when you go to flygarmin.com it gives you a Windows only option, that can be changed.  I called Garmin on the same issue when I accidentally changed things to Windows.  They had me go to a quick link of the flygarmin.com page and change it.  When I go there now, I see a quick link to go to Windows.  If I was in Windows it probably gives the link to the Mac.  Hope this helps. If not call Garmin and they will set you straight.  Just get up early, because recently they seem to be understaffed with long wait times.

Is that specific to the GTN series ? I was on the phone with Garmin this Monday (40 minutes on hold) and was told that I absolutely, under no circumstances, even running Windows 10 under VMWare could use a Mac to update my current GNS 530W/430W. That was just one more reason for me to decide to dump Garmin. I don't own a Windows computer and refuse to buy one. Tom Gresham on BT is having the same issue, he's also a Mac only guy and can't upgrade his 530W with a Garmin download.

[donkaye]

Just now, KLRDMD said:

This is written by Avidyne so obviously biased but it is an interesting read:

http://www.avidyne.com/products/ifd/ifd540-value-compare.html

A few differences between that comparison and my installation.

GTN 750 (much bigger screen) $13.675; no charge for SD cards, no need for full TAWS with the G500 and Synthetic Vision (I do get alerting, just not RA alerting), have Garmin flight charts so no charge for that. I have Jepp on both the iPad and 796 on the yoke.  So the cost really is $13,675 + $549 (FS210) = $14,224 or $13,675 + $1,499 (FS)510 = $15,174.  This is less than the $16,999 for the 540 in both cases.