Cost for Garmin G5 updates?

jd21476

Line Up and Wait
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jd21476
I have heard that Garmin charges about $150 for their updates that they send out for the G5’s and you technically cannot shoot an approach unless your G5 is current. Is this true because that can get expensive very quickly?
 
I have heard that Garmin charges about $150 for their updates that they send out for the G5’s and you technically cannot shoot an approach unless your G5 is current. Is this true because that can get expensive very quickly?
They are free on their website.
 
You can download the software on the Garmin website onto an SD card. If flying experimental, you can install yourself...Certified? Legally, only an avionics shop can install because the unit must be operationally verified again. So whatever the shop charges....if more than an hour of time, they’re scamming you. Frankly, if they charge more than20 min, I’d say they are scamming you. About a minute to install the software.

Remember, I said legally.
 
Something doesn’t sound right here. It sounds like you are thinking about updates for the gps that would feed the g5 the approach data. A g5 alone cannot help you fly an approach of any kind. You’ve got to have a gps or nav driving it. The gps update could cost $150 depending on the device and circumstances. I don’t think there is any rule that you have to update a g5 firmware to fly an approach, unless an AD came out on it..... I think you’re confused about what device needs to be updated.
 
You can download the software on the Garmin website onto an SD card. If flying experimental, you can install yourself...Certified? Legally, only an avionics shop can install because the unit must be operationally verified again. So whatever the shop charges....if more than an hour of time, they’re scamming you. Frankly, if they charge more than20 min, I’d say they are scamming you. About a minute to install the software.

Remember, I said legally.

I would not go to avionics shop just to update the G5. Most likely they’ll update all the Garmin boxes anyway because it will prevent problems of new G5 software not being compatible with older software. Also if there is a problem the first thing Garmin will say is update your boxes, so better to be current. Probably about an hour if you have full compliment of Garmin boxes.
 
Something doesn’t sound right here. It sounds like you are thinking about updates for the gps that would feed the g5 the approach data. A g5 alone cannot help you fly an approach of any kind. You’ve got to have a gps or nav driving it. The gps update could cost $150 depending on the device and circumstances. I don’t think there is any rule that you have to update a g5 firmware to fly an approach, unless an AD came out on it..... I think you’re confused about what device needs to be updated.

That could be true. My plane is still getting its avionics installed but I had a buddy tell me he paid $500 to update his G5 to the current setting
 
That could be true. My plane is still getting its avionics installed but I had a buddy tell me he paid $500 to update his G5 to the current setting
If all it was was a firmware update, he got robbed blind. It literally takes less than 10 minutes, including the time to find and download it.
 
I have heard that Garmin charges about $150 for their updates that they send out for the G5’s and you technically cannot shoot an approach unless your G5 is current. Is this true because that can get expensive very quickly?
No, that's not true. The G5 just shows data coming from your GPS navigator, pitot-static system, etc. System-software updates for Garmin avionics are always free (except that you might have to pay an avionics shop for an hour of their time to install one).

You've probably mixed it up with the GI-275, which does have an internal database to show maps, synthetic vision, etc. That (legally) doesn't have to be updated, since it's not your primary means of navigation, but the GI-275 might disable certain secondary features if the databases are too far out of date (not sure).
 
That could be true. My plane is still getting its avionics installed but I had a buddy tell me he paid $500 to update his G5 to the current setting
I wonder if the update was just part of an avionics invoice that included other things. Perhaps he was hooking up an OAT probe as well, etc. etc. (?)
 
That could be true. My plane is still getting its avionics installed but I had a buddy tell me he paid $500 to update his G5 to the current setting

Without knowing exactly what he paid for I can't say if that is rip or not but I suspect the $500 includes more than just updating the two G5s to the current software and any paperwork. I sure wouldn't make a trip to avionic shop solely for that, maybe in conjunction with a 91.411 & 91.413 inspection tho.
 
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