DCarlton Posted June 5, 2022 Report Posted June 5, 2022 My GNS-430 is about 15 years old; it's refurbished and in great condition. I've always relied on avionics shops to update my data base. Does anyone know if I can buy the hardware (used or new) and a subscription for these older 430s to be able to update the data base at home using an Apple computer? Appreciate your time. Thanks. Quote
rbp Posted June 5, 2022 Report Posted June 5, 2022 Yes, you can buy a device that plugs into your computer, which hold the data card, and then use the Garmin Aviation Database Manager to get the latest updates and program the card. https://fly.garmin.com/fly-garmin/garmin-aviation-database-manager/ 1 Quote
DCarlton Posted June 5, 2022 Author Report Posted June 5, 2022 (edited) 29 minutes ago, rbp said: Yes, you can buy a device that plugs into your computer, which hold the data card, and then use the Garmin Aviation Database Manager to get the latest updates and program the card. https://fly.garmin.com/fly-garmin/garmin-aviation-database-manager/ Appreciate the link. Nice to see it's MAC compatible. Any chance you know where to find a link to the data card reader/writer device? Thanks. Disregard. I think I found the one that's compatible with the GNS series (430 and 430W). Ordered from AC Spruce. Thanks. Edited June 5, 2022 by DCarlton 1 Quote
Ragsf15e Posted June 6, 2022 Report Posted June 6, 2022 2 hours ago, DCarlton said: Appreciate the link. Nice to see it's MAC compatible. Any chance you know where to find a link to the data card reader/writer device? Thanks. Disregard. I think I found the one that's compatible with the GNS series (430 and 430W). Ordered from AC Spruce. Thanks. If you bought the Garmin card loader, you’ll need a Garmin data subscription. If you got a jepp card reader, you’ll need a jepp subscription. I like Garmin better because it’s cheaper. The first time through will probably be a little confusing but not too bad. You load the data into the left card from the gns430. Leave the right card in. Once you get the data loaded, just slide the card back in and you’re done. 1 Quote
DCarlton Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said: If you bought the Garmin card loader, you’ll need a Garmin data subscription. If you got a jepp card reader, you’ll need a jepp subscription. I like Garmin better because it’s cheaper. The first time through will probably be a little confusing but not too bad. You load the data into the left card from the gns430. Leave the right card in. Once you get the data loaded, just slide the card back in and you’re done. Ordered the Garmin loader (waiting). Got the software downloaded. Working through the account and subscription details now. Trying to make the choice... $299 for annual subscription (13 updates) or $129 for one time. Gotta wonder who actually updates their card every 28 days (that's a pain).... Edited June 6, 2022 by DCarlton Quote
carusoam Posted June 6, 2022 Report Posted June 6, 2022 15 minutes ago, DCarlton said: Gotta wonder who actually updates their card every 28 days (that's a pain).... Simple answer… People that fly IFR need such updates… a 28 day cycle… VFR… an annual update is pretty good…. As long as you carry an iPad with low cost VFR charts that are up to date… Or paper… Something has to be your resource of up to date info… Your panel mounted GPS is best with it updated… on time… But your financial administrator may limit your data updates to the lowest cost available for staying legal… Go WingX! Good luck with your data handling… sounds like you are almost there. Best regards, -a- 1 Quote
DCarlton Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) 22 minutes ago, carusoam said: Simple answer… People that fly IFR need such updates… a 28 day cycle… VFR… an annual update is pretty good…. As long as you carry an iPad with low cost VFR charts that are up to date… Or paper… Something has to be your resource of up to date info… Your panel mounted GPS is best with it updated… on time… But your financial administrator may limit your data updates to the lowest cost available for staying legal… Go WingX! Good luck with your data handling… sounds like you are almost there. Best regards, -a- Being an ex-Govie, I kinda feel like the Govt. screwed us with the 28 day update day cycle but it is what it is.... probably mostly a money maker. Would be interesting to track the changes. I remember years ago I had a aviation subscription where you removed and replaced individual pages in a binder. At least you knew what you were getting. Edited June 6, 2022 by DCarlton 1 Quote
carusoam Posted June 6, 2022 Report Posted June 6, 2022 I watched quite a few CFIs update their paper Jepp binders on rainy days… click, swap page, click… repeat. They really looked driven to succeed… so official in their white shirts…. As if they were dressing for the job they wanted to have… Rainy days were IFR only, and many canceled VFR lessons… No way to make up for the lost income… Looked like a form of CFI hell…. Plan B… memorize FARs to the last word… Plan C… Pray for clear wether… Either way… The data is expensive to get put on every device that you would like it…. Going all Big G has its advantages… update everything you have for one big price…. Jepp printed the data in the most useful way, compared to the government ancient less useable standard… Big G takes government data to a whole new level… and adds glide rings to a moving map that can be zoomed in…. Kind of answers the big question… when you can hear the air flowing by the cabin…. can I glide there..? Some things that are available with their iPad app…. Go big data! -a- Quote
Pinecone Posted June 6, 2022 Report Posted June 6, 2022 (edited) The 28 day cycle comes from paper days. And I had at least one time, where the plates expired and I needed the new ones, and they were not at ANY FBO Yeap, I did the Jepp thing. NIce plates, but woe be to the person who got behind on updates. Fastest way to do it was to flip the plate you needed to replace, rip out the old one, put the new on in the space, but not put it in the clips. Do this until you did all updates for that book, THEN open the clips and get them into all the holes. And if you had to do more than one update, do they all before worrying about getting the clips in the holes. Edited June 6, 2022 by Pinecone 1 Quote
DCarlton Posted June 8, 2022 Author Report Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) Update. Bought a Garmin data card reader from Aircraft Spruce. Downloaded the Garmin database manager to my MAC. Bought and downloaded the updated database from Garmin. Attempted a data card update. Received an error. Tried again. Received and error. Called the Garmin help desk; waited 15 mins for a rep. Followed his instructions and tried again experiencing another failure. Sent failure logs to Garmin for their engineers to analyze. Waiting with no estimated time for resolution. Looks like there are issues with MAC compatibility and the Garmin Aviation Data Base Manager (or their USB driver). Wonder why we do this to ourselves and why we're so infatuated with electronics and software. I never once updated my old KX-155 and it worked great. Death by IT and software. Not my idea of fun... Two hours later... Tried the same Garmin card reader and data base manager software on a much older MAC with a 2.0 USB interface (instead of 3.0) as recommended by Garmin. Received the exact same error codes at the same point in the install. Data base downloaded OK but would not fully install on the older GNS data card. After another hour of waiting on line and working with a Garmin rep, I asked for and received a refund. Conclusion:. Garmin's MAC software is not ready for prime time. Edited June 8, 2022 by DCarlton Quote
Fly Boomer Posted June 8, 2022 Report Posted June 8, 2022 6 minutes ago, DCarlton said: Death by IT and software. Not my idea of fun... And the land line at my house was always crystal clear, and didn't drop calls. This is the future we've all been waiting for. 2 Quote
DCarlton Posted June 10, 2022 Author Report Posted June 10, 2022 One day later.... ended up going to a local major avionics shop to see if they could load my card. Tried two different Windows computers, multiple readers; tried both the iflygarmin website and the downloaded data base manager. Ended up getting Garmin on the phone again; tried everything all over again. After about an hour with the Garmin help desk, we concluded the data card had been corrupted by the files that are written to the card by my MAC computer when using the MAC Compatible Garmin Data Base Manager. I pointed out that their system of systems was corrupting a $200 data card and they said it was Apples problem. I pointed out that they were dependent on a computer to load their software and data base and that they published and offered the MAC compatible software. Fortunately the shop had another data card on hand and we were able to load it successfully. I talked to multiple Garmin reps over the course of the two days and even after sending the logs, root cause appeared to be nothing more than guesses (ranging from USB ports that were too fast, to outdated OS systems, to files being written to the card by my MAC). It's not confidence inspiring at all and doesn't make me want to invest in more software driven data base dependent systems for my aircraft. My plan is to buy a spare data card and try it again with my MAC and see what happens. I'd rather do that than buy a Windows machine just for data base updates particularly when Garmin advertises MAC compatible software. 1 Quote
Ragsf15e Posted June 10, 2022 Report Posted June 10, 2022 Yikes. That sounds bad. I update my 430W on a pc, but I guess I should feel lucky because I would’ve been real mad if that was me! Quote
carusoam Posted June 11, 2022 Report Posted June 11, 2022 Windows machines are cheap by comparison to the time spent in this example… If you have kids… they go through a few in their school lifetime… grab one of their toss outs… My database updates for my BK GPS and JPI downloads are done via a cheap dedicated thrown away portable PC…. It is a cheap tool for the specific job… Not something that has to work on your every day modern machine…. PP thoughts only, not a computer guru… Best regards, -a- Quote
DCarlton Posted June 11, 2022 Author Report Posted June 11, 2022 55 minutes ago, carusoam said: Windows machines are cheap by comparison to the time spent in this example… If you have kids… they go through a few in their school lifetime… grab one of their toss outs… My database updates for my BK GPS and JPI downloads are done via a cheap dedicated thrown away portable PC…. It is a cheap tool for the specific job… Not something that has to work on your every day modern machine…. PP thoughts only, not a computer guru… Best regards, -a- I'm not a computer guru either but agree with your thoughts. I may punish myself one more time with a brand new card and see if I can get through it with the MAC and then report to Garmin if it fails again. I was assured they only get a "few calls per month" with this issue related to MACs and it's not most of the time. Then go Windows if necessary. I haven't touched a Windows machine since I retired and have enjoyed being all in on Apple until this episode. 2 Quote
milotron Posted June 13, 2022 Report Posted June 13, 2022 For what it's worth, I update my GNS 430W nav database card every month on a mac using the Garmin software and have not had any issues. The mac being used is the current operating system, but an older macbook laptop. I had more issues with Jepp software compatibility with the mac which forced the switch, along with lower costs. 1 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.