GTX345R Not Transmitting

[aggiepilot04]

Has anyone seen this issue? Powercycle had no effect. Planning to reseat connections, but anything else to try? No red X, and can still connect to the unit via Bluetooth.

 

 

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[Tom 4536]

My 345 stopped transmitting when the shop forgot to reconnect the wire to the antenna after the belly was removed. Only way I knew there was a problem was ATC said I was not transmitting.

Tom

[PT20J]

1 hour ago, Tom 4536 said:

My 345 stopped transmitting when the shop forgot to reconnect the wire to the antenna after the belly was removed. Only way I knew there was a problem was ATC said I was not transmitting.

Tom

It’s not good for the transmitter to operate without the antenna connected. 

[PeteMc]

1 hour ago, Tom 4536 said:

My 345 stopped transmitting when the shop forgot to reconnect the wire to the antenna after the belly was removed...

I'll second what @PT20J said.  Next time the plane is either at an avionics shop or anywhere else the 345 can be taken out, I'd send it to an avionics shop for a quick bench test.

 

[Tom 4536]

I haven't had the 345 removed and tested but occasionally I have asked several ATC facilities if it is working and their answer always is that it is working. It will get it's 2 year test in a few months.

Tom

[aggiepilot04]

Quick update on this.  Took it to Crystal Avionics at KBAZ (who installed the GTX345R initially).  This required some coordination getting back into Austin to return home, and getting back out for the repair...but Austin Tracon was super helpful in the coordination.

Apparently this problem can't be troubleshot in the field, so Garmin exchanged the unit for $1,600.  The install was 3 and a half years ago, so I'm a year and a half out of warranty .  The overhauled exchange unit was also DOA, so I'm now waiting on a second exchange unit.

This begs the question though...are these things really that flakey?  Anyone else having similar issues?  For ~$6k, I would expect this unit to last longer than 3.5 years, and now I have no confidence that the replacement unit will last much longer since the first exchange also had an "internal failure".  Crystal can't even tell me how/why the unit failed because Garmin doesn't tell them.

[LANCECASPER]

People keep saying that modern panels with solid state avionics and glass panels are so much more reliable that the old equipment. While they are very nice, with great features (I have a modern panel), I'm not convinced that they are more reliable.

[PT20J]

On 4/28/2021 at 9:57 AM, aggiepilot04 said:

Quick update on this.  Took it to Crystal Avionics at KBAZ (who installed the GTX345R initially).  This required some coordination getting back into Austin to return home, and getting back out for the repair...but Austin Tracon was super helpful in the coordination.

Apparently this problem can't be troubleshot in the field, so Garmin exchanged the unit for $1,600.  The install was 3 and a half years ago, so I'm a year and a half out of warranty .  The overhauled exchange unit was also DOA, so I'm now waiting on a second exchange unit.

This begs the question though...are these things really that flakey?  Anyone else having similar issues?  For ~$6k, I would expect this unit to last longer than 3.5 years, and now I have no confidence that the replacement unit will last much longer since the first exchange also had an "internal failure".  Crystal can't even tell me how/why the unit failed because Garmin doesn't tell them.

It would seem unusual that 2 units would have the same problem. It’s not impossible, of course, but did the shop check everything in the maintenance manual troubleshooting chart?

 

[aggiepilot04]

1 hour ago, PT20J said:

It would seem unusual that 2 units would have the same problem. It’s not impossible, of course, but did the shop check everything in the maintenance manual troubleshooting chart?

 

Good question.  I'll find out.  I don't have a way of knowing that the second unit failed in the same exact way...just know that it had an "internal failure".