GNS data updating

[Rich]

So here we are. The Mac issue is still unresolved, as I don't currently have any spare cards to potentially be corrupted by a crummy program. I sent them a substantial list of other connections using the USB ports I have (all of which must go through USB-C ports for the last couple of years). This particular usage is the solitary exception.

I got a spare card from my local service center onto which I was able to load the current obstacle database using their Windows PC. Unfortunately it is a bit too small (128 MB) to accommodate the current 2.04 terrain database (130 MB) so it is stuck on 2.03. So far this doesn't seem to present any problems.

They sent me a new Card Programmer which I used to load the current obstacle data using my neighbor's Windows PC. So now my two units look like this:

My problem is likely a bad data card that the Mac version of FlyGarmin is not robust enough to handle, crashing instead of reacting like Jepp's JDM, which just says something like "card not detected" (it's been years since this last happened to me for a Jepp Nav Data Card). I figure they simply never tested this scenario.

An argument I heard from them is that the cards are old tech, the card programmer was designed in 2004, blah, blah, blah. But I use other old stuff all the time and have no problem. The real difficulty is that FlyGarmin for Mac needs a bug release. And the process itself is laughable. For example Garmin's own "Garmin Express" is far more straightforward to use, as is Jepp's muti-platform JDM.

Peter, it looks like you're doing OK with a similar environment to mine, which is encouraging. If you experience a crash of FlyGarmin, at the moment I'd be inclined to think it's a corrupted/damaged data card. I've long kept 4 cards for my 2 units (rotating which pair is in use after each cycle) so in the rare card failure scenario I've had a ready spare until I could obtain another. I'd advise to to have one of each type at the ready and using some type of rotation technique to confirm efficacy.

[Rich]

I received the replacement card today. Contrary to what their support guys told be, it came with current terrain and obstacle data preloaded. So I just left it in the 430W. The Mac issue remains dormant for now. Maybe experiment a bit later on.

There is one unresolved curiosity. The 530 and 430 basemap versions do not agree (4.00 vs 2.00). One guy told me it was part of the firmware revisions load, while another said it would update with the terrain data. It's possible the versions being different may not be wrong. Does anyone with one of these ancient 430W boxes have a different basemap version?

[Rich]

BTW, I did note the vast difference in speed of loading terrain vs. nav data. Terrain is 130 MB and loads in seconds. Nav is like 8 MB these days and takes something close to 10 minutes. In the flip/flop card scenario (or for me as the only user) this is no big deal but interesting.

[perossichi]

I had my 430 non WAAS card go bad at the connectors. I asked my avionics shop tech and he said the connectors wear out all the time. They have a huge jar of old cards and was able to use one of them.

Several friends use the bad elf wombat in conjunction with Jepp phone app to update cards (note you need the sky bound USB adapter to do this.) and also to update the SD cards in the G1000.

We are stuck here with 25 plus year old technology. It’s a wonder that our planes don’t have crystal set radios.

[Rich]

I don’t remember exactly when but a number of years back Jeppesen came out with the “Orange Label” version of these cards. For whatever reason these required the use of the Skybound G2. These handle both the Silver and Orange Label cards. Note these are both 16 MB WAAS nav data cards. I’ve never had an Orange Label card fail. And it’s been many years (at least 10) since I’ve had any nav data card fail. The 4 cards I have now have been inserted/removed hundreds of times in the Skybound and the boxes themselves, as every 4 weeks the updates for both units.

The terrain cards at this time are strictly Garmin-supplied units. I don’t know exactly which unit’s card failed but for each unit the cards sat untouched for years at a time.

Those of us with GNS units are not really “stuck” with this old technology. GNS boxes are not going to spontaneously evolve into something new. We’re free to ante up for GTNs or Avidynes if we want. And many have.