TAWS/Terrain cards being killed by latest GPS update?

[hmasing]

The most recent GPS update nuked BOTH of my terrain cards (010-10201-21).  I have also heard from other Mooney drivers that this recent update killed theirs as well. The second card was seen for a moment, but as soon as it started to push data, it disappeared and hasn't been readable since - both are corrupted and cause my GNS-530W to crash on boot.



I have one more spare brand new card, and am really reluctant to put it in my programmer to update.  Without the terrain card, my GNS530W boots up just fine, except for the missing GPS data.

Has anyone else had a problem here?  I'm thinking that this is a Garmin issue at this point.

[ArtVandelay]

Id try rewriting the now bad card, and force all the databases to rewritten instead of taking the default to only update expired databases.

I have GTN and this worked on 1 occasion I had issues, YMMV.

[hmasing]

2 minutes ago, ArtVandelay said:

Id try rewriting the now bad card, and force all the databases to rewritten instead of taking the default to only update expired databases.

I have GTN and this worked on 1 occasion I had issues, YMMV.

Yeah, tried that with both.  My next step will involve bourbon and harsh language.

[bdavis171]

Had this happen on my 430W Terrain Card a couple months ago

[kortopates]

There was a new terrain database issued a few months ago that has caused problems with improperly loading on multiple systems/navigators. Garmin has issued some bulletins on how to fix this issue and get it properly installed. I would search the garmin "Aviation Alerts" page using GNS as a key word. I suspect you'll find some help. If not, then call Garmin tech support and they'll get you through it.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/aviationalerts/

Edited March 4, 2021 by kortopates

[carusoam]

Seeing if @KLudwick is cruising by...

-a-

[PT20J]

I had something happen with the terrain card on my GNS 430W after the last update. The obstacles worked but both the main and airport terrain databases had integrity errors. I tried reloading the card and after that obstacles and the main terrain databases worked, but the airport terrain database still had an integrity error. The unit otherwise works fine. I contacted Garmin support and they suggested reloading using the old method (where you download an executable file) and that made no difference. They then had me see if it would load with the NavData card removed. That made no difference. Support is stumped and kicked it to engineering. 

Skip

[hmasing]

Like this? Says the load is fine but this is what I get. 

[PT20J]

22 hours ago, hmasing said:

Like this? Says the load is fine but this is what I get. 

Your initial post said the terrain card caused the GNS 530W to crash on boot. Is this what you meant by crash? From this point can you not press OK and continue even though the database is corrupted?

Here’s a link to the thread where I posted my issues.
 

 

 

[hmasing]

15 hours ago, PT20J said:

Your initial post said the terrain card caused the GNS 530W to crash on boot. Is this what you meant by crash? From this point can you not press OK and continue even though the database is corrupted?

 

[squeaky.stow]

Any updates on this? Has Garmin fixed the problem?

[eng1tx]

530W

I am having same issue after latest terrain and obstacle update.  First both were bad so I reinstalled obstacle and terrain databases, now obstacle is fine but terrain integrity error persists.  
 

Any word of a solution?

[PT20J]

My problem turned out to be a bad card. Garmin support told me that there are no known issues with FlyGarmin updates. 

Skip

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard Eng1.

Best regards,

-a-

[MBDiagMan]

I haven’t updated my WAAS cards in over a month since the Mooney is down for an engine overhaul.  You now have me afraid to update it at all.  Hope this is worked out before I can gather enough yellow tagged parts to build an engine.

I’m currently struggling with purchasing and downloading data for the newly installed 420 non WAAS in my little taildragger.  Garmin seems to make this whole process more difficult than it should be.

[MBDiagMan]

Is this happening with data downloaded from Garmin or from Jeppeson?

[PilotX]

Here we go again with corrupted data cards. Been a week but I updated the IFR card, then went to update the TAWS/Terrain card and FlyGarmin quit. I have tried this on both Mac and Windows machines. Same issue about 18 months ago with a card - no claim of responsibility - but they did send me a new card (different plane). I last updated updated these cards in March when I picked up the plane in FL, then the plane went in for upgrades so no updates until June. Now, I get the yellow text of non-happiness when I insert the card in the right slot of the 530W.

I searched for the troubleshooting procedures mentioned by @kortopates but I didn't find them. Does wanting to save $250-325 on a new card make me a CB?

[jlunseth]

“FlyGarmin quit” - don’t exactly know what you mean by “quit,” did the software spontaneously exit or freeze, or was it working on a download and install and that stopped. If it was downloading, and stopped downloading, you can hit “Pause” (there is a “button” in flyGarmin) and then hit “Resume” and it will usually start loading again from where it left off. If the data has been downloaded and it was working on installing the data, you can back out to the “Devices” screen and the “Install” button should appear, hit that and it should restart.

One reason this can happen is if the computer has run out of memory. To check that, click on the Windows Start button and when the start pop-up comes up, type in “Computer” or “PC” and you should get a screen that let’s you choose Device Manager. On that screen you should see your C:// and there should be a bar that shows how much memory, if any, you have left. You may need to run Disc Cleanup to clear some junk off your hard drive and make room. When this happens, flyGarmin just stops, it does not tell you why it has stopped, it just stops.

[PilotX]

The app shuts quits spontaneously and brings up the error screen on my Mac when I insert the terrain card now. There was no indication that anything was happening to the card the first time I tried to update it. No flashing lights, no nothing.

Garmin tech support, says there are no troubleshooting steps, that the card is corrupt and that it just happens. There is no remedy (according to the tech).

[squeaky.stow]

Similar discussions going on at Beechtalk.

According to the poster over there, Garmin knows about this and the way to avoid it is to download IFR, then exit and re-enter FlyGarmin and download terrain. “Don’t tick both IFR and Terrain updates in the same batch”.

I have been avoiding updating my terrain card since I read this thread, hoping to hear more info. I think I am brave enough to try the terrain card separately now. Update to follow....

[PT20J]

On 6/18/2021 at 1:14 PM, squeaky.stow said:

Similar discussions going on at Beechtalk.

According to the poster over there, Garmin knows about this and the way to avoid it is to download IFR, then exit and re-enter FlyGarmin and download terrain. “Don’t tick both IFR and Terrain updates in the same batch”.

I have been avoiding updating my terrain card since I read this thread, hoping to hear more info. I think I am brave enough to try the terrain card separately now. Update to follow....

I discussed this with Garmin when my terrain card died after an update.

They didn't tell me to completely exit the flygarmin updater, but they did say to only select one card at a time for programming. I always thought the application acted squirrely when I checked both boxes anyway. I asked if this meant that there was a problem with the programming application and they said, "No, this  is just considered a best practice." I thought this explanation strange. Why would there be a feature of the programming application that they recommend you not to use if you complain that it killed your card if the feature wasn't problematic?

Skip

[mhrivnak]

I also started seeing terrain DB integrity errors with my 530W after the April update. I've tried each method of writing to the card with no change.

[PT20J]

3 hours ago, mhrivnak said:

I also started seeing terrain DB integrity errors with my 530W after the April update. I've tried each method of writing to the card with no change.

It appears that after a card is corrupted, there is no way to recover it. Did you check both update boxes to update both cards and the terrain card became corrupted, or did you do them one at a time and still get the corruption?

[mhrivnak]

1 hour ago, PT20J said:

It appears that after a card is corrupted, there is no way to recover it. Did you check both update boxes to update both cards and the terrain card became corrupted, or did you do them one at a time and still get the corruption?

I update them both at the same time, so I probably selected both and did them back-to-back. But it wasn't until a day or more later that I put the cards back in the plane and discovered the problem, so I didn't take close note of what procedure I used for the update.

[squeaky.stow]

Updated both cards today with no problem. I selected only the IFR DB and updated, then closed the app, selected only the TAWS DB and updated it.

Maybe overly cautious but everything worked.