G3X Chart Overlay

[donkaye]

A simple question:  For those who have the G3X, does it have the Chart Overlay capability on its MFD?   Again, not North up Charts, but geo-referenced Charts that overlay the MAP on the MFD.

Thanks.

[Pinecone]

Yes

 

[donkaye]

1 hour ago, Pinecone said:

Yes

 

Please indicate the keystrokes that will make that happen or can you reference the page in the Manual that describes it.  Thanks.  (Interesting. Garmin support said no).

[PT20J]

It has a MAP page that shows a computer generated map that can be north up, track up or DTK up. It has a chart page that will show raster scanned sectionals or IFR charts always north up. But, they are separate pages.

 

[toto]

As @PT20J mentioned, the G3X supports either FliteCharts or Jepp charts (aka ChartView), but they’re on a separate MFD view. I haven’t seen an overlay view. 

I have seen the overlay view on the GTN, but haven’t really found a use for it. I’d rather have the chart on a dedicated screen and use the map view on the GTN. 

The MFD chart view on the G3X is georeferenced, and shows your aircraft icon in flight. But it’s not overlaid with the map view. 

[donkaye]

Thanks everyone.  I was aware of the separate Chart View, but was looking for the overlay on the map like the TXi, Aera 760, and iPad.  The 760 and iPad are by far the best, as on the Map page you can with a touch change map orientation.  This enable you to easily see profile and minimums in a North up view, then switch back to track view.

[Marc_B]

10 hours ago, donkaye said:

The 760 and iPad are by far the best,

I’ve always wondered why don’t the Garmin units have map layer more akin to geo referenced VFR sectional charts? ForeFlight has the ability to overlay Terminal charts and has the detail of sectional charts as a layer. But I’ve not seen that quite the same with G500, TXi, GTN or Xi. Not sure if it’s different in the G3X?

 

[toto]

30 minutes ago, Marc_B said:

I’ve always wondered why don’t the Garmin units have map layer more akin to geo referenced VFR sectional charts? ForeFlight has the ability to overlay Terminal charts and has the detail of sectional charts as a layer. But I’ve not seen that quite the same with G500, TXi, GTN or Xi. Not sure if it’s different in the G3X?

 

I’m not 100% sure that I understand the question, but the G3X does allow you to use a sectional chart or an IFR enroute chart as the standard map display instead of the “Garmin” map. It’s just one tick over on the MFD page. I often switch between the two when I want to see the “real” chart. 

[Pinecone]

One of those things that you know you can do it, but finding the info in the manual.

In the Rev D manual, it is referenced on page 19.

The thing you have to understand is that Garmin mainly talks about the "Map" for the MFD.  That is their map with various things shown.

You need "Charts" which is on the Charts tab.  This is where you can choose VFR Charts (Sectionals) or IFR Low Charts

Got the Main Menu, touch Setup > Display, and in the PFD/MFD Page field, touch Auto. Selecting Auto, allows you to choose what page to show.

You can also choose using the Page Navigation Bar or the Large Knob for the MFD (like a GTN or GNS).

[donkaye]

This is what I mean by Chart Overlay.  Picture taken from Garmin Pilot on the iPad.

[PT20J]

G3X doesn't do that. 

The G3X Map has various overlays but one annoying thing is that there is no way to change the radar opacity so NEXRAD returns obscure map terrain detail.

The G3X Chart (Sectional and IFR) screen is north up only and has limited overlays (course line and maybe glide range ring -- I can't remember, I seldom use it). Also, you have to switch map regions between US and Canada if you subscribe to both. I usually fly with the Garmin Map page up and use the yoke-mounted iPad to display the sectional and approach charts. I can poke around on the iPad without disturbing the G3X map and then use Connect to upload changes if necessary.

[toto]

It feels like the MFD would be pretty small to try to see a chart overlay. Does this work well on the G500?

Even the GTN isn’t quite enough real estate to do this effectively, though I think there is more room on the GTN than there is in the MFD on the G3X (i.e., half of the total screen real estate). 

[donkaye]

4 hours ago, toto said:

It feels like the MFD would be pretty small to try to see a chart overlay. Does this work well on the G500?

Even the GTN isn’t quite enough real estate to do this effectively, though I think there is more room on the GTN than there is in the MFD on the G3X (i.e., half of the total screen real estate). 

On the G500 TXi the Garmin Chart overlay can be expanded, but since it is not raster generated, it becomes blocky on expansion.  I don't believe Jeppesen does that, but I can't recall.  With the Jeppesen Charts you can change the view to see either the Header, Plan View, or Minimums.  On both the TXi and GTN only the Plan View is shown with the Garmin Plates.  For me the Aera 760 is primary for Approach Plates.  The whole chart on the Map Page is shown in either Track up of North up and can be expanded at will with no blockiness.  The iPad with the same capability is a backup to the Aera.  Also, the opacity on both the Aera 760 and iPad can be changed for better viewing of underlying information.

[Z W]

I have a G500TXi.  The chart overlay feature shown works OK, but is a little clunky.  Like Don said, it's always track up, or at least it stays track up since that's what I have the MFD map set to.  So you may be reading the numbers on the chart sideways or upside down.  It also zooms in too much, automatically, and repeatedly.  Like, so far in you can only read the step-down altitude of the leg you're on, and you have to keep zooming out to see the next leg, or how far you are from the airport.  Zooming out is easy, but you have to do it so often it's annoying, as it zooms in again at each fix.  If they fixed the auto-zoom feature it would be a lot more useful.  Come to think of it, I should check and see if that's an adjustable setting, which I've never done.

The chart overlay makes it pretty much impossible to get confused as to what part of the approach you're on, so that part is good, but I always have the chart open on my phone so I can read all of the data and information easily.  Or, once I'm established on the approach plate, I'll just switch the G500TXi's MFD off the map to show the approach plate itself instead, which is then the proper orientation and still shows the geo-referenced blue airplane dot on it. 

Once on approach, the map overlay feature seems to me to be of little use.  It's more helpful while you're 50 miles out and wanting to get oriented about where the approach and potential missed is going to take you in relation to the rest of the world.  I always thought that was its intended use, and not trying to fly the approach itself on the map page.  But you can certainly fly an approach with it.

Never knew the G3X didn't have that feature.  But I wouldn't miss it too much if I were choosing between the two today.

[Pinecone]

11 hours ago, donkaye said:

This is what I mean by Chart Overlay.  Picture taken from Garmin Pilot on the iPad.

Aaaah, that I don't know.  But it seems from other answers, no.

Maybe a later software version.  Or the G3Xi

 

[Marc_B]

Had to look though my pics to see if I had one that had chart overlay showing; not the best pic but can get the gist.  It also shows them zoomed so you can see the difference between sharpness of the background chart comparison...TXi not as sharp but certainly readable.

I find that I don't use chart overlay on the GTN at all as it seems not very functional and keeps a screen with standard map available.  But I've turned on chart overlay on the G500TXi and now also have turned on "All" altitude constraints to show on the TXi (on the GTN I set "Active & Selected Altitude" constraints on).  But Don is right, the Aera or my iPad is a much better place to zoom in and do an approach chart brief...but for that I actually go to charts.

[PT20J]

@Marc_B can you set the overlay opacity on the G500TXi?

[Marc_B]

@PT20J I don't think so...but I'll have to take a look....I don't find anything about changing opacity in the pilot guide though. 

The way I understood it was that the various overlays were just fixed settings and some of them are mutually exclusive...and it's interesting that it's not the entire chart either...just plan view (on the G500TXi).  So even in North up (or trying to get chart normally oriented) you couldn't use it for briefing...that's why I like the Aera (or iPad if using that) and just go to expanded chart quickly for brief and info.  You can pull up the full chart ("Charts") on the GTN as well as the MFD on the G500, but I don't think they are as readable and easy to use as the Aera (or iPad). YMMV.

[Mooney in Oz]

We all develop our own way of doing things and I do the following;

On both the G3X MFD and iPad, I prefer to view only the lower part of the approach chart in expanded side profile so I can clearly see each sector altitude limitation.  I primarily view the iPad approach chart that is set to landscape and easy to read.

I use this method as I don’t want to be caught out during an approach in case the iPad fails due to overheating or for some other reason. I can therefore revert to the G3X approach plate to continue the approach. The G3X approach plate display offers redundancy and is not too difficult for me to read.