Garmin 430 / 530 Data Card Programmer Sharing

[cpnoe]

With great luck I've now found myself in a new (to me) plane with a Garmin 530W.

My obstacle database is going on 6 years old though, and as quickly as they put up towers down here I'd like to install a new update (<$50).

I don't mind giving Jeppesen ~$60 for a card writer for navdata but I find it preposterous to give Garmin $200 for their proprietary card writer (needed to update obstacles and/or terrain).

So... I was wondering if others in my predicament might be interested in "sharing" a programmer (card writer) to help keep our individual costs more reasonable.

Garmin likely has some legal prohibition on "renting" the units to other people but surely they couldn't prohibit us from "borrowing" the card writer from one another.

If there were a few interested individuals I would be willing to buy one and then let others "borrow" it for the cost of shipping (wink wink); perhaps $25?

Or if ANYBODY has one of these programmers already I'd be more than willing to give them $25 if I could borrow it for a day.

Any interest???

Chuck

 

[poadeleted20]

There is no prohibition on sharing the use of the programmer, only on loading the current database into more than one GPS.

 

[flyingron]

I agree with C'Ron. The card writer can program as many different units as you've purchased subscriptions for. It's the serial number of the unit encoded into the card itself which JSUM validates to find out if you can update it.

You can kick Garmin for their incredible stupidity in not using industry standard cards. At least the later units (as well as the old ex-Apollo stuff) use standard cards and you don't need anything special to program them (my GNS480 came with a SanDisk card programmer, but I've been able to use just about any flash card interface I've tried including the slot on my Macintosh).

 

[frfly172]

Which reader are you looking for. Windows and the Mac use different devices?

 

[poadeleted21]

My 530 is in the shop being transformed to a 530W as i type this. I dunno what my need for updating a terrain database will be but I'd be game if/when I ever need it.

 

[N747JB]

Garmin is OK sharing the programmers, just not the data! Actually you can move the 430/530 cards from unit to unit, but I understand the G600 and the 650/750 cards are by serial number.

 

[N4ohj]

When I had a Garmin 430 (non-WAAS), Jeppesen provided their Skybound usb writer to me for free at the time I called to subscribe. I just told them I didn't have one, and they sent it. I know of them doing that for one other subscriber as well. That was about two years ago; I don't know if they still have this program.

 

[rbridges]

When I had a Garmin 430 (non-WAAS), Jeppesen provided their Skybound usb writer to me for free at the time I called to subscribe. I just told them I didn't have one, and they sent it. I know of them doing that for one other subscriber as well. That was about two years ago; I don't know if they still have this program.

It wouldn't surprise me. They offered to upgrade my older version card reader to a newer one for no charge. I'm sure the reader isn't too expensive to them, especially compared to the money they get from you for future database updates.

 

[N747JB]

It wouldn't surprise me. They offered to upgrade my older version card reader to a newer one for no charge. I'm sure the reader isn't too expensive to them, especially compared to the money they get from you for future database updates.

Yeah, kind of like a printer company giving you a printer to keep you buying ink cartridges! The card reader is a $15.00 piece of hardware and if it gets you to subscribe, the ROI is pretty good.

 

[John Collins]

I agree with C'Ron. The card writer can program as many different units as you've purchased subscriptions for. It's the serial number of the unit encoded into the card itself which JSUM validates to find out if you can update it.

You can kick Garmin for their incredible stupidity in not using industry standard cards. At least the later units (as well as the old ex-Apollo stuff) use standard cards and you don't need anything special to program them (my GNS480 came with a SanDisk card programmer, but I've been able to use just about any flash card interface I've tried including the slot on my Macintosh).

The GNS430 came out in 1999 but the design technologies were chosen prior to that year and were used by the earlier GNC300XL .... The GNS480 in 2003. SD was introduced in 1999. The G1000 (2006) and GTN (2011), G500 (2009) all came out later and all use the SD card. Had the GNS been designed in 2006, it too would likely have used SD.

It was not incredibly stupid in 1998.

 

[cpnoe]

Which reader are you looking for. Windows and the Mac use different devices?

I'm looking to acquire a card writer for PC not Mac. But Garrmin only shows one unit for programming terrain/obstacle updates see: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/prod1190.html

Others should note that I already have Jeppesen's Skybound writer for navdata updates but it won't write the terrain/obstacle updates.

And bartmc, I'll keep you in the loop if more interest evolves. I've got one more person in another forum interested.

Chuck

 

[flyingron]

The GNS430 came out in 1999 but the design technologies were chosen prior to that year and were used by the earlier GNC300XL .... The GNS480 in 2003. SD was introduced in 1999. The G1000 (2006) and GTN (2011), G500 (2009) all came out later and all use the SD card. Had the GNS been designed in 2006, it too would likely have used SD.

It was not incredibly stupid in 1998.

It **WAS** incredibly stupid. While SD wasn't available, CF cards were in broad use for various computer and digital camera uses. They were out for over 5 years before the GNS 430 was released.

 

[John Collins]

It **WAS** incredibly stupid. While SD wasn't available, CF cards were in broad use for various computer and digital camera uses. They were out for over 5 years before the GNS 430 was released.

I guess they have suffered financially as a result of their stupidity. I hope to be as stupid.