GMX200: is Chartview transferrable?

[Chip Sylverne]

Before we make an expensive mistake. A buddy bought a used GMX 200 with the chart view feature unlocked. Installed it, works great and chart view shows the expired plate, but no geo ref. He wants to do a one-time update to see if it's worth a subscription, but we have no idea how this works in terms of downloading data to the card that came with the unit. Is this card unique to the GMX, or is it somehow keyed back to the previous owner's account, or is Chartview, once unlocked, forever unlocked for subsequent owners?

 

[flyingron]

You're good, I suspect.

The chart database download (which is just a file) is independent of the version of the GMX software (just a glorified copy of Windows NT 4 by the way). If you have a Chartview datacard that works, it will always be a chartview datacard. On the MX20 (the predecessor), I don't think you can stick a chartview card into a non-chartview unit and have it work. But it looks like you have a Chartview unit (or at least one hacked to work).

The Jepp download doesn't give a hoot about the unit. The JSUM software (the only thing that works with the MX/GMX downloads) will allow ONE card to be updated. I think the unit serial number is stored in one of the FAT headers like the VolumeID (or that may just be the 480).

I don't know if Jepp will sell you a single update.

I'm also concerned that there's no GEOREF. My expired charts in ChartView do not lose georef (unlike ForeFlight). There may be something else wrong.

There's a bunch of very knowledgeable guys over on the GNS480 forum on YahooGroups (the MX/GMX is considered part of that family).

 

[Chip Sylverne]

Something to look into. The ship's position is fine on the ifr chart, and that comes from the 430W, so that's properly configured. Don't know why that should go away when a plate is loaded. Switch from plate back to the chart and the own ship position is correct.

The MX 20 uses a version of NT. The GMX uses XP, according to a case sticker, for whatever that's worth.

 

[flyingron]

The MX 20 uses a version of NT. The GMX uses XP, according to a case sticker, for whatever that's worth.

You can tell if you press the + button on the power rocker switch to bring up the intensity as soon as you power the unit on. If it says Build 1381, it's NT.

Anyhow, I was confused. THere's no difference on the MX20 or the GMX for charts. If you have a valid card that will boot, it will work. I do note that Garmin calls the chart feature on the GMX FliteCharts and not ChartView. I don';t know if it's purely a marketing change or if the software is different.

My MX20 is on it's last legs (the thing is running out of memory and crashes when the XM NEXRAD gets too complex). I'm really thinking Avidyne at this point. Mainline Garmin doesn't thrill me (especially after getting reamed by the Olathe service policy on my audio panel).

 

[Chip Sylverne]

If I were buying for myself, the Avidyn EX600 would be the choice. I have a hard time supporting the Garmin monopoly.

Question on the georeferencing. Does your work only in North up? Maybe that's the problem. Not sure how the GMX was configured, first flight and all.

 

[flyingron]

Mine runs in TRACK up. But I just thought of something. Are you talking about the CHART page itself (i.e., you pushed the CHART hotkey at the bottom). I don't think that actually has any position information on it. It just displays the chart. If you select a chart (or you have the approach info fed over from the 480), then you will see the plan view superimposed over the custom map (The one you get with the MAP hotkey). If you need to see the profile or the minimums you can push the INFO hot key and then select which ever of those you want temporarily.

 

[azure]

When I bought my Cardinal the GMX-200 had a current Chartview database installed and I used it until it expired. As far as I'm concerned Chartview is too expensive and offers ZERO advantage over Foreflight Pro with georeferenced taxi diagrams and approach plates. If you need to have the chart or approach plate in your scan, get a panel or yoke mount for the iPad. As I recall, adding Chartview plates to the nav database for the 480 and the GMX-200 would have jacked up my Jeppesen annual subscription costs to over 1 AMU. No thanks.

JMHO, YMMV as usual.

 

[Chip Sylverne]

I'm talking about the actual approach plate, selected from the approach choices presented by the chart hotkey, and from what I've read of the GMX this is view supposed to be with position info like Foreflight or other georeferenced plates. The map page with the flight plan legs for the 430W loaded approach works as it should.

 

[flyingron]

I don't think so. The plan view is shown on the custom map page. I don't think position shows on the CHART page. You have to be in the custom MAP or IFR page. If the GPS tells the GMX what approach you've selected, then you never have to go to the CHART button. It just automatically appears on the map (you'll see a small banner at the top of the GMX display that tells you which chart is active).