GNS-480 questions

[mike d]

I have a new to me GNS-480.
Is there a way to tell if the VOR being tracked is an actual VOR signal or a GPS "equivalent".

Is there anyway to get a database update once or twice a year? A years subscription would not be much use to me.

Thanks!

 

[AggieMike88]

I have a new to me GNS-480.]

You've made a good choice. Might I suggest a really good reference book to help you learn it?

Keith Thomasson's "Using the GNS480" is an excellent guide to the basics and the more advanced. You can purchase a copy from his website, www.avionicswest.com.

Is there a way to tell if the VOR being tracked is an actual VOR signal or a GPS "equivalent".

Ummmm... listen to the morse code? Also, once you tune the VOR signal, after about 10-15 seconds, the CNX80/480 will display the 3 letter code of the VOR.

To make sure your CDI is "pointing" to it, you must press the "CDI" button on the CNX80/480 to switch the signal being sent to the CDI from GPS to VOR. You should see the appropriate annunciator light up on the CDI.

Is there anyway to get a database update once or twice a year? A years subscription would not be much use to me.

Thanks!

From Jepp, no. It's a 12 month subscription or nothing.

Do you plan to fly IFR frequently and make GPS / RNAV approaches? If so, you'll need to keep the database current to be legal for those approaches.

 

[flyingron]

You know you are tracking a VOR and not some GPS fix because the CDI NAV /GPS indicator tells you (there is one on the lower left side of the screen plus if your installation is too far from the center of the pilot instruments, you should have an GPS/NAV annunciator). It explicitly tells if the CDI (both the external one and the two internal ones in the 480) are displaying VOR/LOC or the GPS signal.

The word GPS right next to the CDI button tells you. Otherwise it would say NAV. If you punch the CDI button it toggles between the two.

The presence of the ID in the NAV window doesn't tell you what the CDI is doing. It displays the ID of whatever is tuned in the NAV window regadrless of whehter you are using it or not.

The good thing is that the 480 tries not to let you screw up. If you have selected a ILS for example, it will keep reminding you if you are trying to fly on GPS guidance (it even loads up the LOC freq for you).

As AggieMike points out, there is no way to do incremental updates with Jepp.