G1000 Updating Procedure

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JustD

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JustD
I'm struggling with the proper procedures to update the G1000 databases (not NXi) in a 2006 T182T.

I’ve got four cards (two from the PFD and two from the MFD).

When I use the Garmin Aviation Database Manager tool it first prompts me to enter the “the Navigation Data Card from the top SD card slot of your G1000” Is that the MFD or PFD card it’s asking for? It then asks for the bottom card; again? MFD or PFD?

Do I repeat the process twice? Once with the PFD’s cards and then again with the MFD’s cards? This seems to work but I'm not sure if it's correct and occasionally I get the "do you want to update to the older database" on the MFD (which I know how to correct).

Garmin was of zero help. I asked them the exact same question and their answer was:

Thank You for contacting Garmin International. The G1000 has the primary navigation database and supplemental databases. The supplemental databases are updated on the bottom SD cards located in the PFD and MFD. The supplemental cards should be labeled with the Garmin name and GDU Supplemental Data followed by a part number of 010-00330-4(#) or 010-01431-0(#). The supplemental database card is used for databases such as Terrain, Obstacle, Charts, Safetaxi, Airport Directory and OEM checklist. The databases loaded are based on the part number of the card. The navigation database is updated using the upper slot of the MFD and PFD one at a time with the same card. The navigation database card will either be a standard/HC SanDisk brand 2-8 gb SD card or a OEM furnished blank card of multiple part numbers. Please see the Database Management section of your G1000 pilots guide for more detailed information.​

It sounds like:
  1. use the desktop Database Manager to update two cards (from the PFD?)
  2. use those two cards to update, uh, the PFD?
  3. use the upper slot card of the PFD to then update the MFD?
When does the lower card of the PFD get updated?
Does anything live on the upper MFD card? I pull engine data from it, but does it need anything else?

THANKS

-David
 
G1000 updates

Upper slot
Primary first
Remove existing card insert new card
Turn on master
Yes to query
Yes to standby db. May skip if needed
Remove and replace with original card

Same process for MFD

Need to turn on avionics instead of just master.
 
Thanks Dennis.

I take the cards out, update them and then put them back in, so your "new card" reference is the updated card which I'd just use to update the PFD and then leave it in? It sounds like you're saying that I use the same two cards in both MFD and PFD? More confused now, sorry!
 
That is what we do - use the same card for PFD and MFD. Top one is where the new info goes. I think the bottom card just stays put. It has been a while since I’ve done it …
 
I just did an update of two of our club G1000 Diamond while out Manager was away.

We use three cards.

NAV Card - that's the one is the base NAV database. It goes into the top slot.
Other data card - that has all the stuff other than the base database. It goes into the bottom slot. There are two of them. One for the PFD and one for the MFD. It might not make much difference, but we label them "PFD" and "MFD". They go into their respective bottom slots.

If I understand the process, the information on the NAV card is imported by the G1000. The information on the Other card is read by the G1000. And there are probably shortcuts, but this is what we do.

  1. Remove the cards and update them. Or have a spare set so you can just swap them out at update time.
  2. Put the NAV and PFD cards in the PFD .
  3. Turn on the BAT. Say yes to the update prompt.
  4. Turn off the BAT.
  5. Remove the NAV card from the PFD (leave the "Other" PFD card in the bottom slot). Place the NAV and the "Other" MFD cards in the MFD.
  6. Turn on the BAT. Say yes to the update prompt.
  7. Done. Leave the cards where they are. In the case of the NAV card, it's mostly so you can find it next time :)
 
JustD said:
I'm struggling with the proper procedures to update the G1000 databases (not NXi) in a 2006 T182T.

I’ve got four cards (two from the PFD and two from the MFD).

When I use the Garmin Aviation Database Manager tool it first prompts me to enter the “the Navigation Data Card from the top SD card slot of your G1000” Is that the MFD or PFD card it’s asking for? It then asks for the bottom card; again? MFD or PFD?

Do I repeat the process twice? Once with the PFD’s cards and then again with the MFD’s cards? This seems to work but I'm not sure if it's correct and occasionally I get the "do you want to update to the older database" on the MFD (which I know how to correct).

Garmin was of zero help. I asked them the exact same question and their answer was:

Thank You for contacting Garmin International. The G1000 has the primary navigation database and supplemental databases. The supplemental databases are updated on the bottom SD cards located in the PFD and MFD. The supplemental cards should be labeled with the Garmin name and GDU Supplemental Data followed by a part number of 010-00330-4(#) or 010-01431-0(#). The supplemental database card is used for databases such as Terrain, Obstacle, Charts, Safetaxi, Airport Directory and OEM checklist. The databases loaded are based on the part number of the card. The navigation database is updated using the upper slot of the MFD and PFD one at a time with the same card. The navigation database card will either be a standard/HC SanDisk brand 2-8 gb SD card or a OEM furnished blank card of multiple part numbers. Please see the Database Management section of your G1000 pilots guide for more detailed information.​

It sounds like:
  1. use the desktop Database Manager to update two cards (from the PFD?)
  2. use those two cards to update, uh, the PFD?
  3. use the upper slot card of the PFD to then update the MFD?
When does the lower card of the PFD get updated?
Does anything live on the upper MFD card? I pull engine data from it, but does it need anything else?

THANKS

-David
Click to expand...
I do updates for a G1000 182 at my CAP squadron, starting from the FlyGarmin Web site. The nav database updates only require one card. When doing an update, I use that card first in the top slot of the PFD, and then in the top slot of the MFD, powering down the system while I move the card from one to the other. When you answer the on-screen prompts, the system copies the database to the bottom card in each unit. (We remove the top card and store it between updates, because leaving it in results in update-related prompts that confuse the pilots.)

The G1000 manual says that you can either:

1. Install the nav-data update in the PFD only, and the system will automatically copy it over to the MFD at the appropriate time; or
2. Install the nav-data update in both the PFD and MFD (one after the other).

We use option #2, because option #1 creates (temporary) error messages that confuse the pilots.

As you have discovered, there are non-nav updates that require you to install them directly to the bottom cards. Those need to be installed on both of the bottom cards individually. I found that I have to restart the update process to get the update-manager software to install the updates to the second card. The instructions that the update manager gives don't make this clear.

We leave a separate card in the top MFD slot for collecting engine data, because if we leave in a card that has a nav-data update on it, the system will ask if you want to do an update even if you don't need one, which could confuse the pilots.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all for the responses. It seems that the update process isn't as easy as I'd think it could be but that my "system" (updating both sets of cards manually) is working and not breaking anything!
 
I flash one top sd card, install in left screen, move card to right screen, install again. Bottom card, i just flash one card, put in left or right bottom, and no install prompts are required.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I just did an update of two of our club G1000 Diamond while out Manager was away.

We use three cards.
...
Click to expand...
I update my DA40/G1000 exactly as Mark describes.
Once I bring the NAV card home, I upload the "data log" files (flights since the previous month) to Savvymx.com for a comprehensive analysis of engine performance.
Wayne
 
JustD said:
Thanks all for the responses. It seems that the update process isn't as easy as I'd think it could be but that my "system" (updating both sets of cards manually) is working and not breaking anything!
Click to expand...
It is easy. Just not as efficient as it could be with a single card and two panels that exchange the information.
 
texasclouds said:
I flash one top sd card, install in left screen, move card to right screen, install again. Bottom card, i just flash one card, put in left or right bottom, and no install prompts are required.
Click to expand...
This is certainly the easiest approach. I actually use two bottom cards, though, going through the PC update process twice every 28 days. While the system will run on a single bottom card when both PFD and MFD are fully functional, I think you need a bottom card in each in case of a GDU failure. For example, what if your bottom card is in the MFD, it fails, and you have to go to reversionary mode with only the PFD? Do you want to be swapping bottom cards from MFD to PFD inflight? I believe using two bottom cards is the safest option for redundancy.
 
I guess I have been doing it wrong since I had my 182 and now my 206. I use 2 cards, one PFD the other MFD. update them with the garmin program, though lately have been doing it using the manual method. Then update the unit with the card in the bottom slot. First PFD and then MFD. I use the top slot in the MFD with a generic sb card to collect flight data. I was taught this method when I did my checkout on my 182 years ago and it seems to work. My concern is that the PFD and MFD cards are married to my unit and when they fail you have to buy replacements from Garmin which when I last check were not cheap. Thankfully this has not happened yet.
 
douglas393 said:
I guess I have been doing it wrong since I had my 182 and now my 206. I use 2 cards, one PFD the other MFD. update them with the garmin program, though lately have been doing it using the manual method. Then update the unit with the card in the bottom slot. First PFD and then MFD. I use the top slot in the MFD with a generic sb card to collect flight data. I was taught this method when I did my checkout on my 182 years ago and it seems to work. My concern is that the PFD and MFD cards are married to my unit and when they fail you have to buy replacements from Garmin which when I last check were not cheap. Thankfully this has not happened yet.
Click to expand...
"Different" doesn't mean "wrong."

There are a few differences based on the age of the units but in terms of replacement, have you tried cloning the Garmin SD cards? I tried that a few months ago as an experiment, figuring worst case scenario would be a "bad card" rejection. My cloned cards worked perfectly. And that was using a micro SD fitted into an adapter. YRMV.
 
midlifeflyer said:
"Different" doesn't mean "wrong."

There are a few differences based on the age of the units but in terms of replacement, have you tried cloning the Garmin SD cards? I tried that a few months ago as an experiment, figuring worst case scenario would be a "bad card" rejection. My cloned cards worked perfectly. And that was using a micro SD fitted into an adapter. YRMV.
Click to expand...
Tried that years ago with my 182 and they did not work. No harm in trying again.
 
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