Garmin 480??

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rgrentz

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rgrentz
I have a chance to pick up a Garmin 480. I was wondering if anyone on here has one/used one and what they think? Also If anyone has heard if Garmin is going to continue supporting the unit? Would I be wise to also get the MFD with the unit? I also have a 696 is there a way to link the two units? And Lastly whattya thing it'll cost to install the unit/units? OR AM I CRAZY FOR EVEN THINKING OF DOING THIS? I currently fly a PA-235 with dual VOR/glidescope, and radios. We have a yoke mounted aero560 (I think that's the model #) and the 696, with weather. Thanks for your help
 
rgrentz said:
I have a chance to pick up a Garmin 480. I was wondering if anyone on here has one/used one and what they think? Also If anyone has heard if Garmin is going to continue supporting the unit? Would I be wise to also get the MFD with the unit? I also have a 696 is there a way to link the two units? And Lastly whattya thing it'll cost to install the unit/units? OR AM I CRAZY FOR EVEN THINKING OF DOING THIS? I currently fly a PA-235 with dual VOR/glidescope, and radios. We have a yoke mounted aero560 (I think that's the model #) and the 696, with weather. Thanks for your help
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You don't want it let me know....those that have them love them.
 
Have one in the club Skylane. Love it!
 
It's very different. It's got a buttonology that I've never used on any other box.
 
Hasn't Garmin already dropped support for the 480 as well as non WAAS 430/530s?
 
frcabot said:
Hasn't Garmin already dropped support for the 480 as well as non WAAS 430/530s?
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No. It has been discontinued for some time now, but there was just a software feature update recently. Out of warranty repair is available and customer support is available. The GNS430/530 legacy units and the GNS430W/530W are in the same status.
 
rgrentz said:
I have a chance to pick up a Garmin 480. I was wondering if anyone on here has one/used one and what they think? Also If anyone has heard if Garmin is going to continue supporting the unit? Would I be wise to also get the MFD with the unit? I also have a 696 is there a way to link the two units? And Lastly whattya thing it'll cost to install the unit/units? OR AM I CRAZY FOR EVEN THINKING OF DOING THIS? I currently fly a PA-235 with dual VOR/glidescope, and radios. We have a yoke mounted aero560 (I think that's the model #) and the 696, with weather. Thanks for your help
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I have one along with a (rather flaky) GMX-200 MFD. The larger screen of the MFD makes the combo desirable over just the 480, but you do not absolutely need the MFD, and if you have a 696, you can probably forgo it. The best thing about my setup with the GMX-200 is MX weather and ADS-B traffic, but there are other ways to get both.

As others have said, do not expect the 480 to work the way other Garmin units do. It was not designed by Garmin and its buttonology is very different from the 430/530 line. Expect to spend a lot of time poring through the pilot's manual. I would recommend Keith Thomassen's book on the unit as a supplement, available direct from the author (not sure if he has any copies left though). But once you know how to use it, it is a wonderful device with great features that will help you fly IFR routes accurately and safely and enable you to fly GPS approaches to LPV minimums (built-in WAAS).

I don't know how long Garmin will continue to support it, but they did recently put out a new software revision and they still repair them out of warranty, AFAIK. That is the only real downside to the 480 - it IS yesterday's technology and will be abandoned sooner than the 650 or 750. But for what it does and the capabilities it gives you at the price some of them are available for today, I don't think you can go too wrong with one.
 
I would recommend Keith Thomassen's book on the unit as a supplement, available direct from the author
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Big +1 to this. I obtained one in addition to the ZD Publishing one sold by other online pilot shops. The Thomassen book is superior in many ways.

You can get it from Keith's website, www.avionicswest.com
 
Warlock said:
You don't want it let me know....those that have them love them.
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I've got an extra one, with a fresh 8130. Nothing wrong with it, just decided it is not yet time to make the plane IFR. PM me an offer.
 
I think it depends on how much IFR flying you do and how much you'll get the unit for. Do you required the /G capability and LPV approaches? I enjoy mine when I was current, now it's just a glorified VFR GPS with a radio. I still like though. Very capable box even for its age. Has TIS s well. Just had it worked on by Garmin a few months ago. Beware, minimum $1100 fee just to look at it.
 

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I had one installed and actually just got the plane back a week ago. The install estimate for the 480 and its antenna was $2000.00. I don't have the invoice with me but I know it was pretty close to the estimate for all the work I had done.

Edit - This was on a 68 Cherokee 140.
 
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Thanks for all the great info. So do I need to MFD if I want to get weather and traffic? Im thinking if I put the 480 and an mfd, I can sell the 696. As I won't really need it if I'm getting weather and traffic thru an ads-b on the mfd. or can the ads-b be tied to the 480? Thanks
 
If the plane already has it, it's fine. We have one in ours, but you have to recognize that at some point, support from Garmin will stop.

I've heard there are only about 5000 or so in the field.
 
Much better than the 430/530/650/750. Colors, customizable maps, radio monitoring, airways, holding, built in Sim Mode, built in HSI, etc.etc.
 
BillyBH said:
Much better than the 430/530/650/750. Colors, customizable maps, radio monitoring, airways, holding, built in Sim Mode, built in HSI, etc.etc.
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430/530 - yes I'd agree.

650/750 - I'd probably rather have one of those that the 480.
 
dans2992 said:
430/530 - yes I'd agree.

650/750 - I'd probably rather have one of those that the 480.
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Yeah, 650/750 interface beats 480 hands down, plus Flight Stream won't control the 480. As a fresh install proposition, the 480 is now not a wise choice.

If I wanted to add IFR WAAS GPS for the minimum money and already had solid nav/com, I would go with a Garmin 400w controlled through an iPad and a Flight Stream 210. If I wanted to do a glass panel right the way I like it, I would have side by side mirror G-500/G-750s with the engine panel between. That way it has full independent side by side systems.

Hopefully something like the new G3X thing will eventually be available for certified retrofit.
 
Henning said:
Yeah, 650/750 interface beats 480 hands down, .
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That's a matter of opinion. Despite the finger-smudging touch screen that is a large improvement on the disaster that the 430/530 is, the 650 doesn't offer much of an improvement over the 480 in my opinion.

It still suffers from the Olathe brain damage. I'm pretty sure nobody in their design department actually flies anything other than direct-to VFR.

Still the 480 is a 15 year old design. If you liked the 480, take a look at the Avidyne offerings.

The MX20 was a marginal unit at the outset and is completely unsupported now. It has a known problem that can't be repaired when you're flying with a XM FIS link with very busy NEXRAD data. Just when you need it the most, the thing blue screens on you.
 
flyingron said:
That's a matter of opinion. Despite the finger-smudging touch screen that is a large improvement on the disaster that the 430/530 is, the 650 doesn't offer much of an improvement over the 480 in my opinion.

It still suffers from the Olathe brain damage. I'm pretty sure nobody in their design department actually flies anything other than direct-to VFR.
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650 maybe not, but 750 for sure. Rubber banding clearance amendments over V-airway assignments or whatever rocks. Thing is, I can get that now with a 400w and a FlightStream 210 along with an iPad, Android, or 796. 420w and 430w get me some radios as well. The lack of support of the FlightStream upload is what has finally obsoleted the 480 as a new install option to me. I wouldn't toss one out, but I would no longer put one in.
 
Henning said:
650 maybe not, but 750 for sure. Rubber banding clearance amendments over V-airway assignments or whatever rocks. Thing is, I can get that now with a 400w and a FlightStream 210 along with an iPad, Android, or 796. 420w and 430w get me some radios as well. The lack of support of the FlightStream upload is what has finally obsoleted the 480 as a new install option to me. I wouldn't toss one out, but I would no longer put one in.
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I think the 650 is phenomenal. And the touch-screen is very easy to use. Obviously I'd prefer a larger screen but the 650 does the job quite nicely. And I have a GNC 300XL as a backup + for other functions (i.e., I'll use moving map, traffic or weather on the GTN 650, and have the GNC 300XL set to nearest).
 
I agree, if I was to replace my 480, I'd want a 750 at minimum. Now whether I could afford one is another question. I'm actually very happy with my 480, and as long as it continues to work, I'm not about to throw it out.

The GMX-200 with its pink screen and flaky jumpiness is another matter (seems to have a temperature-dependent tendency to first lose GPS position intermittently, then crash and reboot itself with a 0x20 error code). I'm on the verge of just turning it off, even though that means no traffic or weather unless I buy a Stratus. :(
 
Well, I just "modernized" my panel with a 480/MX20 combo I bought at a great price. Did the 330GTX ES upgrade as well. I've used the 480 before and I am retired from the airlines.

For what it's worth, I really think it's operating logic makes more sense than the 430/530. On top of the bundled price for the combo, installation by an independant in my hangar was about $1500. Compare that to a quoted $14,000 installed for a GTN650 from one of the "big boys" and the 480 keeps making sense.

Garmin recently announced that they would support both the GMX200 and the MX20 with their GDL88/84 for traffic and weather. Several other companies support the "capstone" interface that the MX20 has giving you traffic and weather on the MX20.

If money matters, you might be surprised at what you can do with the 480/MX20.
 
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