Garmin 430 tricks

Guest Discussion
1

The Garmin 430 is almost certainly the most complex aspect of the SR2x aircraft. It has so many tricks packed in that I still find things I’d never found before, even having been working with them for six months or so.

I thought I’d share a couple of tips and tricks that I’ve come across that are handy for me, and encourage other folks to throw in their favorite “Stupid GNS430 Tricks.”

  1. When on an active flight plan, if you highlight a waypoint and hit ->D ENT ENT, you will navigate directly to that waypoint. If, however, you hit ->D ->D ENT ENT, it will fly an intercept to the flight plan leg ending at that waypoint.

  2. If you are flying an approach that uses the VLOC and you have the frequency of the navaid in the as the active NAV frequency, the unit will “crossfade” between GPS and VLOC guidance as you get in close to the FAF (so if you’re coupling the approach the transition will be smooth.)

  3. If you have dual 430s, you can automatically crossfill the active flight plan or ->D destination. I think this comes enabled by default. I’ve found it useful to set up the two units so that #1 auto-fills to #2, but not in the other direction. This lets me play around with #2 (do what-ifs, or just mess around) without fear of messing up the primary (autopilot-coupled) navigation. To get the #2 back in sync, just hit ->D ENT ENT to recenter the #1 needle and the #2 will jump back in line.

  4. I set the #2 430 to autozoom mode, but not the #1. Autozoom is nice for seeing runways and local detail as you get close, but is rather disconcerting when IFR and trying to anticipate waypoints (they keep jumping away but then coming in faster!)

  5. Use NRST (airport) to go ->D to a nearby airport (such as your home airport when you’re doing local stuff) rather than dialling in the identifier.

  6. Use NRST (VOR) to tune VORs, if you ever actually feel the need to do so (at least once every 30 days to stay legal for IFR.)

  7. Use the Scheduler function to remind you to switch tanks. I’ve also set a scheduler to tell me to change the oil. It’d be nice if the MSG annunciator was echoed to the ARNAV, oh well.

Anybody else have their favorite tricks?

2

I thought I’d share a couple of tips and tricks that I’ve come across that are handy for me, and encourage other folks to throw in their favorite “Stupid GNS430 Tricks.”

Dave,

Great post! I’ve bookmarked it - I’ll be coming back to this one quite a lot.

I’ve just started to “armchair fly” the GNS430, using the manual and sim I downloaded from the Garmin website. BTW, has anyone else noticed the similarity of “Look and Feel” between the GNS430 and the handheld 295? It’s not surprising, I suppose. I love my 295, but I just can’t wait to have not one but TWO 430’s when #156 gets delivered.

  • Mike.
3

The Garmin 430 is almost certainly the most complex aspect of the SR2x aircraft. It has so many tricks packed in that I still find things I’d never found before, even having been working with them for six months or so.

I thought I’d share a couple of tips and tricks that I’ve come across that are handy for me, and encourage other folks to throw in their favorite “Stupid GNS430 Tricks.”

  1. When on an active flight plan, if you highlight a waypoint and hit ->D ENT ENT, you will navigate directly to that waypoint. If, however, you hit ->D ->D ENT ENT, it will fly an intercept to the flight plan leg ending at that waypoint.
  1. If you are flying an approach that uses the VLOC and you have the frequency of the navaid in the as the active NAV frequency, the unit will “crossfade” between GPS and VLOC guidance as you get in close to the FAF (so if you’re coupling the approach the transition will be smooth.)
  1. If you have dual 430s, you can automatically crossfill the active flight plan or ->D destination. I think this comes enabled by default. I’ve found it useful to set up the two units so that #1 auto-fills to #2, but not in the other direction. This lets me play around with #2 (do what-ifs, or just mess around) without fear of messing up the primary (autopilot-coupled) navigation. To get the #2 back in sync, just hit ->D ENT ENT to recenter the #1 needle and the #2 will jump back in line.
  1. I set the #2 430 to autozoom mode, but not the #1. Autozoom is nice for seeing runways and local detail as you get close, but is rather disconcerting when IFR and trying to anticipate waypoints (they keep jumping away but then coming in faster!)
  1. Use NRST (airport) to go ->D to a nearby airport (such as your home airport when you’re doing local stuff) rather than dialling in the identifier.
  1. Use NRST (VOR) to tune VORs, if you ever actually feel the need to do so (at least once every 30 days to stay legal for IFR.)
  1. Use the Scheduler function to remind you to switch tanks. I’ve also set a scheduler to tell me to change the oil. It’d be nice if the MSG annunciator was echoed to the ARNAV, oh well.

Anybody else have their favorite tricks?

I like the idea, but how did you do it? I tried it on mine and found the auto/manual and the to/from, but couldn’t get the crosfill to automagically fill the 2nd {slave).

Admittedly I was in my hanger and hadn’t locked on so maybe that was part of it. I could manually send the flight plan back and forth.

Maybe I didn’t understand the syntax.So how did you setup #1 and then # 2?

Thanks

Harrell

4

I’m pretty sure that the 295 and 430 share a bunch of software (they’d be crazy to rewrite it if they didn’t have to) though if you go back and forth between the 430 and the 295 you’ll find yourself getting frustrated by the things that weren’t done in quite the same way!

Though for some strange reason I haven’t used my 295 since I visited Duluth. Hmm.

5

Bought a GPSMAP 295 last week myself as a backup to the GX55 in my '85 TB20. It failed after one day! Whenever it would acquire enough satellites to generate a fix, it would shut itself down. Did this both in the normal and simulator modes. Garmin had me do a “Master Reset” and that has fixed it, so far. (It had to do with “initializing” the software (v 2.06) – apparently overlooked by the factory when they shipped it.)

I like it so far, from the limited experience I’ve had with it – one leg from Frederick, MD to Pittsburgh before it failed. I found it more cumbersome to use than the GX55 (even considering I’m a long-time StreetPilot user so fairly familiar with the interface), but then I was hand-holding it rather than having it fully “installed” yet.

Anyway, a few questions:

Any comments on its reliability?

Is there a GPSMAP 295 user group similar to the SR20 board?

Got any “tricks” to share?

TIA

Joe Mazza

N576DM

I’m pretty sure that the 295 and 430 share a bunch of software (they’d be crazy to rewrite it if they didn’t have to) though if you go back and forth between the 430 and the 295 you’ll find yourself getting frustrated by the things that weren’t done in quite the same way!

Though for some strange reason I haven’t used my 295 since I visited Duluth. Hmm.

6

Any comments on its reliability?

Got one about 8 months ago. I love it. (Had a G195 before that, also good.) Has never failed or even hiccuped.

Side benefit: since I spend, tragically, far more time on the road than aloft, I keep it in my car and turn it on whenever I’m driving in any kind of unfamiliar area. Its mainly-aviation database is not extremely detailed in land and road information, but it is good enough to be useful in figuring out navigation questions without pulling over and opening a map “OK, have I already come to the exit I’m looking for, or is it still ahead?” and “OK, if I turn right on Claremont street, will that intersect Ashby, or not.” The Garmin has the answers.

7

For whatever it’s worth, my ramblings on GX55/KLN90B/GPSMAP295/Apollo 920.

Over the years, I’ve used several different GPS’s: The Garmin 295 is my current handheld (because I still fly OPA from time to time, and believe that having a GPS I know and trust is vital). Prior to that, I used the Apollo 920 - a great feat of technology when I got it maybe 10 years back, but seems more like a clunky, awkward thing today - leaves me wondering how I ever read that low-contrast b&w display! It still works, though I wouldn’t really use it for anything serious because it’s database hasn’t been updated in at least 5 years.

I have the King KLN90B installed in my 182RG, and the Apollo GX55 in my 172.

I give high marks to the GX55 - it’s a great device, and the learning curve is not too steep, although it’s a bit of a pain to load approaches (in other words, I was too lazy to read the manual properly).

The KLN90B loses marks because it doesn’t show SUA graphically, and it’s user interface leaves a lot to be desired (although many who use it swear by it). One feature that the KLN90B has that I use a lot, and which I haven’t seen on other types, is a Current Position screen, which always reads your position the way ATC would like to hear it - i.e. radial and distance from whatever VOR you happen to be nearest at the moment; extremely useful for e.g. giving PIREPS etc.

The GPSMAP 295 is my all-time favorite (so far, i.e. before I get to know the 430). It’s easy, powerful, etc; and that’s not counting the color factor. I’ve used it a lot in since I got it (about 6 months ago?).

Any comments on its reliability?

I did have a software glitch happen only once - on approach to Halfmoon Bay in CA, it went nuts (don’t remember exactly what, but I think it started paging through screens spontaneously), and it wouldn’t react even to the POWER button. I removed and replace the batteries, and it’s been fine ever since. I have about 17,000 NM or so on its internal “odometer” so far.

Got any “tricks” to share?

Tricks? Let’s see…

  • I don’t like the display’s “Night Mode”, so I lock it in on Day.

  • You can double or triple battery life by dimming the display, useful when you’re getting low, and you need it to last a little longer; also useful when you want to do something like set up a route while you’re sitting on the ramp prior to startup so you don’t have the Master on, hence no external power yet.

  • I also find the trick of moving the cursor to see distance & bearing to adjacent points to be very useful.

  • The flexibility in setting up the screen is terrific - I use the 8-field display next to the map, and change the fields according to my needs.

  • For non-essential use, I don’t bother putting up the external antenna - it works just fine in the cockpit using just its own little stub antenna. When I’m relying on it to “help” me in my otherwise perfect navigation (yeah, right!), or when it’s a long trip, I take the extra time to hook up the proper antenna.

  • When you’re using the unit “offline” - perhaps with no antenna attached - start the Simulator mode; that speeds up response to your inputs.

By the way, when I bought my GPSMAP 295, I also bought the MapSource “Streets” CD ROM. This thing is a GOLDMINE. It has helped me find my way around lots of strange cities, and even helped me identify detours around traffic snarl-ups nearer home; definitely a significant part of the value to me. However, I’m pretty sure that this feature is not available on the GNS 430. For some reason, I won’t miss it!

  • Mike.
8

For whatever it’s worth, my ramblings on GX55/KLN90B/GPSMAP295/Apollo 920.

CORRECTION - What I have installed in my 172 is the Apollo GX60, not the GX55. It’s also my COM 1 - so at least I’ll be somewhat familiar with having my GPS and my radio be the same box when I get my SR20.

  • Mike.
9

One feature that the KLN90B has that I use a lot, and which I haven’t seen on other types, is a Current Position screen, which always reads your position the way ATC would like to hear it - i.e. radial and distance from whatever VOR you happen to be nearest at the moment; extremely useful for e.g. giving PIREPS etc.

The Garmin 430 does this as well, on the position subpage of the Nav section. It defaults to the nearest airport, I think, but you can choose which waypoint to go relative to.

Another 430 trick–OBS mode. I was IFR from WVI to RHV today, and got a clearance of “fly heading 040, join the SNS 345 radial, direct GILRO.” I wussed out and actually tuned the VOR (thought I’d never do that) but then after I got down on the ground I tried out OBS mode. Basically what I should have done is selected NRST VOR, selected SNS, hit ->D, then hit OBS, and set the course needle to 345. In OBS mode it acts like an…OBS. Turning the course needle acts just like it would with a VOR (the needle centers when you select the radial or bearing). Then I should have hit HDG and NAV together on the 55 and all would be fine. Once I intercepted the radial, I would go back to the flight plan (which is still present, but suspended, when selecting a direct waypoint) and punched up direct GILRO, remove OBS mode, and I’d have been all set.

Next time…

10

I like the idea, but how did you do it? I tried it on mine and found the auto/manual and the to/from, but couldn’t get the crosfill to automagically fill the 2nd {slave).

Admittedly I was in my hanger and hadn’t locked on so maybe that was part of it. I could manually send the flight plan back and forth.

Maybe I didn’t understand the syntax.So how did you setup #1 and then # 2?

Thanks

Harrell

Go to the Default Nav or Flight Plan pages, then hit Menu. Select Crossfill? and select Auto for unit 1, and Manual for unit 2.

Note that it will not crossfill unless the database versions are identical (but it won’t even if you’re trying to do it manually, so this isn’t your problem.)

Another neat trick–the departures are smarter than I thought. I was departing SBP today and was given the WYNNR1 departure, which starts with “Turn RIGHT 130 heading to intercept and proceed via MQO R-100 to Mishi Int…” The flight plan page showed MISHI as the next waypoint, at some oblique bearing (the direct course from the airport to the waypoint) but as it turns out the first leg is actually from an unnamed point on the 100 radial to MISHI (as displayed on the screen) and the GPS was set up to do the intercept. I had done the OBS trick off of MQO on GPS2, but the needles centered together (strangely enough.)

More impressed every day.

11

I like the idea, but how did you do it? I tried it on mine and found the auto/manual and the to/from, but couldn’t get the crosfill to automagically fill the 2nd {slave).

Admittedly I was in my hanger and hadn’t locked on so maybe that was part of it. I could manually send the flight plan back and forth.

Maybe I didn’t understand the syntax.So how did you setup #1 and then # 2?

Thanks

Harrell

Go to the Default Nav or Flight Plan pages, then hit Menu. Select Crossfill? and select Auto for unit 1, and Manual for unit 2.

Note that it will not crossfill unless the database versions are identical (but it won’t even if you’re trying to do it manually, so this isn’t your problem.)

Another neat trick–the departures are smarter than I thought. I was departing SBP today and was given the WYNNR1 departure, which starts with “Turn RIGHT 130 heading to intercept and proceed via MQO R-100 to Mishi Int…” The flight plan page showed MISHI as the next waypoint, at some oblique bearing (the direct course from the airport to the waypoint) but as it turns out the first leg is actually from an unnamed point on the 100 radial to MISHI (as displayed on the screen) and the GPS was set up to do the intercept. I had done the OBS trick off of MQO on GPS2, but the needles centered together (strangely enough.)

More impressed every day.

This all sounds great. I think I will need to get TCAS for sure. I will be having so much fun looking inside that I will need an automatic way to look outside for me.

Is someone writing a little Tricks Check list so we can pass it around to everyone else?

Keep it up guys, just take a sneak peek outside every now and then, ok…

Still waiting… I sure like to get a ride on the SR22. Anyone listening? :>) . . . I hope so.

Have a great Cirrus day.

Woor #324 old SR20 don’t know what # for the 22