GPS Updates

My Apollo headheld GPS database update is serial number specific. By that I mean that the datcard will ONLY install on MY unit tagged to MY serial number. My question is the following: For those out there with the “C” package and 2 Garmin 430’s, are they charging you each 56 days for 2 database updates or will one update work for both units?

My Apollo headheld GPS database update is serial number specific. By that I mean that the datcard will ONLY install on MY unit tagged to MY serial number. My question is the following: For those out there with the “C” package and 2 Garmin 430’s, are they charging you each 56 days for 2 database updates or will one update work for both units?

Depends on how you do it. The basic subscription scheme is to send you little cards on a 28 day cycle along with a return envelope, so you get as many copies as you pay for. If you only buy one subscription, you can pull the expired card and stick it into GPS2 and this ought to suffice (though I discovered that the units will refuse to crossfill unless the database versions are the same–clever.)

The other scheme is to buy a flash burner that plugs into a PCMCIA slot and allows you to download the database updates off of the internet and erase and reprogram your cards. This is a lot cheaper (even including the cost of the burner). As far as I can tell, the database updates are keyed to the s/n of the burner, not the GPS units (these are never asked for) and the software will allow you to burn multiple copies of the same database (not sure if there is a limit, but it is at least two). It appears that they decided that the risk of someone setting up shop and burning cards for a living was a fair risk to make it convenient for the user. You just can’t put your images up for download, which is the bigger risk for them.

You can haul your laptop out to the airport and update your cards that way, or buy an extra or two (pricey), burn 'em at home, and swap them at your leisure.

All more reasonable than I had expected…

My Apollo headheld GPS database update is serial number specific. By that I mean that the datcard will ONLY install on MY unit tagged to MY serial number. My question is the following: For those out there with the “C” package and 2 Garmin 430’s, are they charging you each 56 days for 2 database updates or will one update work for both units?

And there is a 3rd method: Look into the Jeppesen catalogue; they already offer updates for dual Gramin GPS 430 installations, which is a little more expensive than 1 subscriptiob, but mucgh cheaper compared to 2.

Timm Preusser

My Apollo headheld GPS database update is serial number specific. By that I mean that the datcard will ONLY install on MY unit tagged to MY serial number. My question is the following: For those out there with the “C” package and 2 Garmin 430’s, are they charging you each 56 days for 2 database updates or will one update work for both units?

And there is a 3rd method: Look into the Jeppesen catalogue; they already offer updates for dual Gramin GPS 430 installations, which is a little more expensive than 1 subscriptiob, but mucgh cheaper compared to 2.

Thanks Tim. What are they currently charging for the “dual” GPS update at Jeppesen?

Brian

Timm Preusser

Thanks Tim. What are they currently charging for the “dual” GPS update at Jeppesen?

The Jeppesen “online store” at www.jeppesen.com has all the details.

Standard Americas annual service for dual 430/530 (also works with 420 and 400) is $695 in the US (i.e. they mail you the datacards); the Skybound Datawriter annual subscription (i.e. you download the database every 28 days and reprogram your cards) is $450. The first year will cost you an extra $100 for the DataWriter, and probably about $200 for a couple of spare cards (not essential, but very handy).

International subscribers save even more, due to elimination of postage costs.

You can also choose regional (in the US, this is a choice of East or West) databases, to save about $100/year.

For comparison, the single GNS430 service is about $100 cheaper.

I’ve been using the DataWriter since July, and it works fine (there is a small learning curve though).

Thanks Tim. What are they currently charging for the “dual” GPS update at Jeppesen?

The Jeppesen “online store” at www.jeppesen.com has all the details.

Standard Americas annual service for dual 430/530 (also works with 420 and 400) is $695 in the US (i.e. they mail you the datacards); the Skybound Datawriter annual subscription (i.e. you download the database every 28 days and reprogram your cards) is $450. The first year will cost you an extra $100 for the DataWriter, and probably about $200 for a couple of spare cards (not essential, but very handy).

International subscribers save even more, due to elimination of postage costs.

You can also choose regional (in the US, this is a choice of East or West) databases, to save about $100/year.

For comparison, the single GNS430 service is about $100 cheaper.

I’ve been using the DataWriter since July, and it works fine (there is a small learning curve though)

Clyde:

Thanks again for a very informative answer. I have never had an IFR certified GPS in the past so the database update interjects a whole new cost and procedure. I will review the Jep. website but it sounds like the datawriter may be the best cost effective way to go. I have always keep my paper IFR charts up to date. Do you still do the same or have you abandoned paper chart currency in lieu of the electronic updates? Old charts with an electrical failure would not be a bad scenario as the chart problem would be the least of your worries.

From an FAA perspective, is an updated Garmin 430 a legal substitute for updated charts?

Brian

I have always keep my paper IFR charts up to date. Do you still do the same or have you abandoned paper chart currency in lieu of the electronic updates?

To answer this in a slightly circular manner…

I recently subscribed to Jeppesen’s new “Jeppview” service. This gets you the approach plates on CD-ROM, a new one very 14 days, and you just print out the ones you need. It does require a little planning to make sure you have the ones you might need for any given flight. It eliminates the tedium of manually updating the approach plate books.

The Garmin itself does not substitute for the paper approach plates, as the Garmin database lacks a lot of necessary information (like MDA and DH). Hopefully in the future we will be able to bring up the approach plates on the Arnav display.

The IFR enroute charts I still carry, even though you don’t often need to refer to them in flight if you are using the GNS430, they come as part of the Jeppview subscription (on paper).

From an FAA perspective, is an updated Garmin 430 a legal substitute for updated charts?

I’m not sure of the answer (and it might well vary from one FSDO to another) but for my money, I would not take the risk (either the legal or actual risk).

From an FAA perspective, is an updated Garmin 430 a legal substitute for updated charts?

Brian

According to the AOPA Safety Advisor, “GPS Technology,” a very good publication, the answer is NO. Can you use an out-of-date database? It’s legal (but not necessarily wise) to use an out-of-date database for en route operations, if you use current paper charts to check fixes. For approaches, you need a current database.