WAAS upgraded G1000 (401.34) "Easter Eggs" new capabilities list challenge

[Robert C.]

So, for all of us G1000 drivers who've taken the plunge to upgrade to WAAS (and ADS-B), what new features (beyond the approaches) have you discovered? I'll start:

1) enroute vnav profiles now give the VDI and RVS (required vertical speed) on the AHRS

2) "banana" on MFD shows where we get to the target altitude

3) curving track vectors on the MFD

4) can edit the Flight ID for the transponder

5) insert HOLDS anywhere and the A/P flies them!

6) Data logging is amazing (and much more than just engine)

7) Profile view (of winds aloft and terrain) on the MFD

what have I not yet discovered?

Robert

[Jeff_S]

Hi Robert. There probably won’t be too many in our “tranche” for your market research project but I’ll say that I’ve definitely experimented with #s 1,2, 5 & 6. I just recently had my system reconfigured for#4 but I haven’t tried it yet. I really love the MFD indicator showing the location where you will hit your target altitude either ascending or descending. I use that all the time to make sure I don’t climb too fast or descend too slowly and bust the Bravo airspace around Atlanta.

How do you use the curving track vectors? That’s something I haven’t messed with yet?

[Piloto]

The track vector or noodle projects the flight path ahead according to the turn rate. Very useful for determining the turn rate when going from base to final so you will not over/under shoot the turn.

José

[Robert C.]

Hi Jeff, so far mostly for intercepting localizer and final appr courses and missed approach holds but should be useful as well when hand flying airway segments.

Robert

[Txbyker]

9 hours ago, Robert C. said:

So, for all of us G1000 drivers who've taken the plunge to upgrade to WAAS (and ADS-B), what new features (beyond the approaches) have you discovered? I'll start:

1) enroute vnav profiles now give the VDI and RVS (required vertical speed) on the AHRS

2) "banana" on MFD shows where we get to the target altitude

3) curving track vectors on the MFD

4) can edit the Flight ID for the transponder

5) insert HOLDS anywhere and the A/P flies them!

6) Data logging is amazing (and much more than just engine)

7) Profile view (of winds aloft and terrain) on the MFD

what have I not yet discovered?

Robert

8) Replication of database from one SD card to another for database changes.

9) Victor airway loading

Russ

[kortopates]

How about RF leg GPS approaches? That's a question because I don't know yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jeff_S]

Hey Paul. Most of the RF leg GPS approaches I see, at least around here in Atlanta, require special authorization, so I haven’t tried flying them. Would be fun to try!

Russ, we had airway support for flight plans even prior to the WAAS upgrade; is there something different about it in the .34 release?

[Txbyker]

28 minutes ago, Jeff_S said:

Hey Paul. Most of the RF leg GPS approaches I see, at least around here in Atlanta, require special authorization, so I haven’t tried flying them. Would be fun to try!

Russ, we had airway support for flight plans even prior to the WAAS upgrade; is there something different about it in the .34 release?

Jeff, you could load a flight plan with victor airways prior to .34?  I guess I missed it or stumbled across it after upgrade.

[Jeff_S]

Hi Russ. Yes, the airways procedure isn't any different in .34 that I can see.  What is true is that depending on what version of the original documentation you had, the feature may not have been in there. When I bought the plane, it came with the original G1000 manual from Garmin, but the software had been updated to .30 sometime after. I could tell that the original manuals were wrong because many of the features I was seeing in the panel were not in the manual. I downloaded a later version of the manual from the Garmin website, but also bought the Max Trescott G1000 book which had a lot of great tips for the later versions, most of which were in the .30 release.

I've also downloaded the latest manual from Garmin again which seems to cover the .34 release in its entirety. Having that in ForeFlight Documents has been very handy!

[Robert C.]

9) Just discovered today that the new software will fly DME arcs for us

Guess that is old hat to the 530W and 430W users, but new for us !

@Txbyker Russ: how does the database replication work?

Robert

[Jeff_S]

@Robert C. Robert, let me know if you need soft copy of the Users Guide. It explains how to use the database replication feature for both the Nav and MFD databases. I can send you a copy if you need it.

[Txbyker]

10 hours ago, Robert C. said:

9) Just discovered today that the new software will fly DME arcs for us

Guess that is old hat to the 530W and 430W users, but new for us !

@Txbyker Russ: how does the database replication work?

Robert

Robert, you should only need update the MFD card to crosstalk the Garmin updates to the PFD.  You can check database versions on the Aux page that shows latest database version and use the soft key to toggle MFD or PFD. However, I am impatient with the progress when updating flightcharts and terrain for example as they are large databases, and I do it the old way, switching cards and rebooting. If not, I get a DB mismatch alert while it copies.

Russ

[DavidB]

Hi Robert,

I'm looking at a GX Bravo with an stec A/P that's going to need the upgrade from GIA63 to GIA63W with the ADS-B package attached. It looks like you've already done that? Any chance you could share what the cost of that was? Loved the G1000 in my Diamond DA40 but it was a stepping stone to the GX and so I passed along the need to upgrade to the new owner. Now it looks like I might be in that position!

Thanks 

David

[BradB]

48 minutes ago, dafzero said:

Hi Robert,

I'm looking at a GX Bravo with an stec A/P that's going to need the upgrade from GIA63 to GIA63W with the ADS-B package attached. It looks like you've already done that? Any chance you could share what the cost of that was? Loved the G1000 in my Diamond DA40 but it was a stepping stone to the GX and so I passed along the need to upgrade to the new owner. Now it looks like I might be in that position!

Thanks 

David

David,

Keep in mind that you have an option to upgrade from ADSB compliance without upgrading the GIA63’s.  Depending on the approaches at the airports you use, it could save you big bucks on the upgrade or allow you to upgrade over time depending on what is important to you. 

 

Brad

 

[DavidB]

Roger that Brad. It is a question of "just enough" or go ahead and get it all done. I'm looking for a good IFR platform and having WAAS is part of the equation. And who knows? Garmin and Mooney might come up with a legitimate G1000 NXi upgrade path that doesn't cost the price of a debutante's wedding. Okay, I'm dreaming. 

[PaulM]

5 hours ago, dafzero said:

I'm looking at a GX Bravo with an stec A/P that's going to need the upgrade from GIA63 to GIA63W with the ADS-B package attached. It looks like you've already done that?

Cost was $21,900 (factory price for GIA63W+ antenna kits and other things) + $1,800 labor

GTX345R was $4500 + $1800 labor. 

add STEC-55X hardware REV upgrades of about $1000 (optional) 

Included  2-year IFR+transponder cert. 

G1000NXi will be an entire other realm... and will require the GIA63W first..   They aren't related.. G1000NXi is just the display system (GDU), it uses the same LRU's for the rest of the system.    

In the long term the question will be will be if the G1000NXi requires the GFC700 system,   or will Mooney certify the STEC?.  Or they may never do anything at all.  

At this time the -34 software rev is GIA63W only...   future hardware/software configurations could similarly be ZZZ only. 

[DavidB]

Thanks Paul. That’s about what I expected. Actually a little better than expected. What shop did the work for you? I know there have been a lot of shops making it up as they go with the ADS-B upgrades with the customer paying for their education. 

Thanks again

David

[PaulM]

51 minutes ago, DavidB said:

What shop did the work for you?

It was LV Avionics in Allentown.. they have done a number of the mooney upgrades and Mike knows what he is doing. 

[DavidB]

He has an impressive resume. Thanks

[LANCECASPER]

16 hours ago, PaulM said:

Cost was $21,900 (factory price for GIA63W+ antenna kits and other things) + $1,800 labor

GTX345R was $4500 + $1800 labor. 

add STEC-55X hardware REV upgrades of about $1000 (optional) 

Included  2-year IFR+transponder cert. 

G1000NXi will be an entire other realm... and will require the GIA63W first..   They aren't related.. G1000NXi is just the display system (GDU), it uses the same LRU's for the rest of the system.    

In the long term the question will be will be if the G1000NXi requires the GFC700 system,   or will Mooney certify the STEC?.  Or they may never do anything at all.  

At this time the -34 software rev is GIA63W only...   future hardware/software configurations could similarly be ZZZ only. 

Very seldom do you ever get a dollar for dollar value increase in your airplane when you do a panel upgrade, but I would say in this case you do. If I was shopping G1000 Mooneys, one that had all this done would definitely be worth $30,000 more to me. If I owned one of these my fear would be that if I didn't do it soon the deal would be gone and then it would dramatically affect resale value.

(I am hyper sensitive on this issue since I bought an M20M where the previous owner didn't take advantage of Mooney and Lycoming's deal they had going on the Bravo conversion on the engine. At some point they stopped offering it. Tracking down all of the parts for the conversion has been challenging and at least four times more costly than the deal they offered owners originally.)

[DavidB]

Roger that. Or maybe $30k less for not having it. I really missed not having WAAS in the Diamond’s G1000. 

[Robert C.]

David,

Apologies for not responding earlier. I've been in Europe and am behind

I had my upgrades done 2 weeks after Paul at LV Avionics and paid the same as Paul. Am very pleased with the new capabilities

Robert

[DavidB]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for the confirmation. I’m sure the new functionality is completely enjoyable. 

Cheers,

David

[Danb]

Paul, Roger and Russ, I’m finally getting the WAAS upgrade done at DMax in August, I’ll be bothering you guys for info when done. Would you recommend any preliminary research on my part,I’ll be picking up the plane in Longview Tx and flying back to Delaware without any time behind the new software.

[Txbyker]

Congrats @Danb.  I can't think of any gotchas in regard to learning the software that you probably couldn't do while in flight back.  The features discussed on this thread are pretty easy to ascertain.  You remember I had the STEC servo issues.  I believe your servos have all been rebuilt/replaced.  The approach coupling was messing with me at the start.  I know that STEC upgraded my head unit to software 7 in addition to completely overhauling it and the servos.  You may want to double check yours.  I am sure Don could hop over to Mineral Wells to upgrade it to 7 if you are on 6 but I am not really sure you need 7.  Everything will be the same except the WAAS approach guidance.  

Russ