GNX 375 and 430W questions

[bradcarr]

Ok so new to IFR work and training just getting started.  My instructor far mor familiar with g1000 etc.  So far so good.  Shooting RNAVs, tracking VORs etc.  Got two questions though.

#1 does the GNX 375 do anything with Minimums? are there any alerts? can you modify minimums? In other words plate says at 40 is that possible? Does it ever give you an audible warning about reaching minimums?

#2 on the 430W.  I found the screen to track DME from at VOR.  Had to change the bottom left from airport to VOR, but we can at least now see our distances.  My question is how to I change the VOR listed in the bottom left?  Is it just based on what freq i have entered?  do i have to select the freq and then push in the big nob to swap it to that VOR.  Reason I ask is because we have been working at the same VOR and its been that same one every time.  But I got no clue how I made it say MHZ which is the VOR for madison.

 

Hope all is well with everyone.  Keep enjoying the flying.

[kortopates]

Ok so new to IFR work and training just getting started.  My instructor far mor familiar with g1000 etc.  So far so good.  Shooting RNAVs, tracking VORs etc.  Got two questions though.
#1 does the GNX 375 do anything with Minimums? are there any alerts? can you modify minimums? In other words plate says at 40 is that possible? Does it ever give you an audible warning about reaching minimums?
#2 on the 430W.  I found the screen to track DME from at VOR.  Had to change the bottom left from airport to VOR, but we can at least now see our distances.  My question is how to I change the VOR listed in the bottom left?  Is it just based on what freq i have entered?  do i have to select the freq and then push in the big nob to swap it to that VOR.  Reason I ask is because we have been working at the same VOR and its been that same one every time.  But I got no clue how I made it say MHZ which is the VOR for madison.
 
Hope all is well with everyone.  Keep enjoying the flying.

#1 - No, minimums is a PFD function not GPS. Plus they are not automatically known, such as ILS, or Loc or circling minimums.

#2 Because of the poor terminology this may not be a direct answer. But i assume you are referring to the Nav frequencies: active and standby. You can toggle the cursor between the Com and Nav frequencies to dial in either one. But when you load the approach that will automatically put the proper frequency into the standby NAV frequency. Then all you need to do is make that standby frequency the active frequency. You also have to identify VOR/LOC on the 430 by listening to the audio.
Secondly it doesn’t give DME distance but GPS distance from/to the active waypoint or along a DME arc.

The 530 though self identifies the nav station and also gives GPS distance from it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ragsf15e]

4 hours ago, bradcarr said:

Ok so new to IFR work and training just getting started.  My instructor far mor familiar with g1000 etc.  So far so good.  Shooting RNAVs, tracking VORs etc.  Got two questions though.

#1 does the GNX 375 do anything with Minimums? are there any alerts? can you modify minimums? In other words plate says at 40 is that possible? Does it ever give you an audible warning about reaching minimums?

#2 on the 430W.  I found the screen to track DME from at VOR.  Had to change the bottom left from airport to VOR, but we can at least now see our distances.  My question is how to I change the VOR listed in the bottom left?  Is it just based on what freq i have entered?  do i have to select the freq and then push in the big nob to swap it to that VOR.  Reason I ask is because we have been working at the same VOR and its been that same one every time.  But I got no clue how I made it say MHZ which is the VOR for madison.

 

Hope all is well with everyone.  Keep enjoying the flying.

For number 2, you have to put in the vor as the active waypoint.  So Spokane vor is GEG as opposed to the airport which is KGEG.  Put in GEG and you get the distance and can use direct or obs to navigate to/from the vor.

[Slick Nick]

Respectfully, you need to be doing a lot more reading about your avionics and how they function. IFR training is not the time to be learning how your avionics work. You should know their functions inside out beforehand. The manuals exist for a reason. 

[jamesm]

I am working on my instrument also. If you have an Ipad mini 6 or newer ,can't say about the other Ipad models. You can download the Garmin  Simulator from the Apple App  store, it contains GPS175,GNC355,GNX375 navigators and see what you have to work with. also another way to learn  Garmin products  is Xplane and  I  am guessing  that  MS flight sim has something similar. I have GNC255 GNC355 & GNX375 2 G5's and GFC500 AP. On my GNC255 I get DME readout. Both GNC355 & GNX375  you 3 fields on the flight plan page that you can setup however  you want.  I have mine  setup as dtk . distance,  time to fix.  So the way I do it the GNC355 has my flt plan page up on the. GNX375 it shows me the map. 

 The only way, I know to get a DME "like" read out from the GNX375 has some sort of a approach overlay.  However once get to the  IAF inbound, I my case I have to switch to  the Green needles (VOR/ILS) on the G5. I only have one  CDI with GP or G/S indications.I can switch between  to pink for GPS approaches / green  for VOR/ILS approaches but I have no way displaying 2 full CDI displays with vertical guidance (GP). So I Have to switch to the Green Needles for indication  per the AIM 5-4-3 (d)   https://faraim.org/faa/aim/chapter-5/section-5-4-3.html  . To my knowledge the 2" navigators &  slightly larger  GNS4x0 navigator don't have a  4 th column on the flight plan page for Altitude field. it not an options. it would be nice  if  it did but it doesn't. They do have a Vnav Calc  page that features which  tells  you about your descent  profile but that is more for en route phase of the flight.  I  used GFC500 for Autopilot but also for Heading bug and altitude bug which  does the 1000' and 200'  chimes to go of the  target altitude selected but only  does Altitude in increments  of 100 ft.   you can set a heading bug on the G5 without going with G5 menu or GMC507  Autopilot interface/head. the Altitude without using  the GMC interface kind of a pain but you can do through the G5 menu.

Not sure if Answered some of your questions. 

Good Luck on your flight training.

James '67C

[midlifeflyer]

12 hours ago, bradcarr said:

My question is how to I change the VOR listed in the bottom left?  Is it just based on what freq i have entered?  do i have to select the freq and then push in the big nob to swap it to that VOR

If I’m understanding the question (and like @kortopates I’m not sure I do), yes, you have to have the VOR frequency in active to track a VOR. 

[LANCECASPER]

17 hours ago, bradcarr said:

#2 on the 430W.  I found the screen to track DME from at VOR.  Had to change the bottom left from airport to VOR, but we can at least now see our distances.  My question is how to I change the VOR listed in the bottom left?  Is it just based on what freq i have entered?  do i have to select the freq and then push in the big nob to swap it to that VOR.  Reason I ask is because we have been working at the same VOR and its been that same one every time.  But I got no clue how I made it say MHZ which is the VOR for madison.

MSN is the VOR for Madison. It operates on 108.60 MHZ (megahertz). 

(https://www.airnav.com/cgi-bin/navaid-info?id=MSN&type=VORTAC&name=MADISON)

 - - - - 

If you don't have a separate DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) box in your panel (or a remote DME box) you don't have DME, you have GPS distance from the VOR

https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2025/06/gps-vs-dme-distance-ifr-flying/#:~:text=Ends in: Sign up for,than your planned ground distance.

 

[bradcarr]

This MEI on bottom left is what i was referring to.  and based on yalls response that 29.5nm isn't a dme and can't be used as such?

 

[bradcarr]

6 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

MSN is the VOR for Madison. It operates on 108.60 MHZ (megahertz). 

(https://www.airnav.com/cgi-bin/navaid-info?id=MSN&type=VORTAC&name=MADISON)

 - - - - 

If you don't have a separate DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) box in your panel (or a remote DME box) you don't have DME, you have GPS distance from the VOR

https://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2025/06/gps-vs-dme-distance-ifr-flying/#:~:text=Ends in: Sign up for,than your planned ground distance.

 

its actually MHZ its the VOR for Madison Bruce Campbell under the Charlie of KJAN

[Utah20Gflyer]

25 minutes ago, bradcarr said:

This MEI on bottom left is what i was referring to.  and based on yalls response that 29.5nm isn't a dme and can't be used as such?

 

That depends on what you mean by “can’t be used as such”.  It’s not DME so you aren’t using it as such but you can use it as the approved GPS alternate to DME.   I don’t have a DME in my plane and used my GPS instead during my IFR training.   It works great. 
 

[Ragsf15e]

52 minutes ago, bradcarr said:

This MEI on bottom left is what i was referring to.  and based on yalls response that 29.5nm isn't a dme and can't be used as such?

 

As @Utah20Gflyer said, it’s legal to use it as if it were dme, but no, it’s not actually dme.  You’ll need to dig out the reg (AIM) and read about gps substitution so you know exactly when and when it’s not legal to substitute gps for dme or bearing to/from different nav sources (dme, vor, localizer, etc).  That will be on your checkride and your written.

[bradcarr]

10 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

As @Utah20Gflyer said, it’s legal to use it as if it were dme, but no, it’s not actually dme.  You’ll need to dig out the reg (AIM) and read about gps substitution so you know exactly when and when it’s not legal to substitute gps for dme or bearing to/from different nav sources (dme, vor, localizer, etc).  That will be on your checkride and your written.

Ok that makes sense.  Ill grab the reg in a bit and read over that one.

[kortopates]

GPS is a approved substitution for DME Distance with any approved IFR GPS for all phases; including your 430W.
But really nobody uses that NAV page with the compass orientation at the top you have displayed. Instead the first two pages are much more widely used, especially the Default page with all the data fields. The Distance/DIS field on the GPS is the distance to the active waypoint which is equivalent to the DME distance as long as the active waypoint is the VOR facility (note there is an exception when the active waypoint is actually a DME arc on a loaded approach and then the distance is the along arc distance to the end of the arc).
Keep in mind, regardless of what mode the Navigator is in, VLOC or GPS, everything displayed on the GPS screens is 100% GPS data. The only VOR data is on the CDI/OBS head.
Your instructor should already know all this, else he/she is almost as new to IFR as you are and I'd respectfully recommend finding a more experienced CFII. 
Oddly in your picture, it appears the GPS is only being used as a Nav Radio for the VOR, as there is no flight plan with a destination airport within 30 NM loaded, because its in Enroute phase.