GPSMap 396 / Panel Dock / XM Weather (x-posted)

ggroves

ggroves

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Mar 6, 2005
Messages
2,003
Display Name
Display name:
Titanium
The decision was made. I opted to go with the GPSMap 396 with XM Weather and an AirGizmos Panel Dock. I had the avionics shop do the following:

- Remove the R-50 Loran and antenna
- Replace the Sigtronics intercom with a PS Engineering 1000II with isolate modes and music input
- Move the stack down so the Panel Dock could be installed below the GNS430.
- Interconnect the GNS430 to the 396 so routes can transfer down to the 396.
- Interconnect the 396 XM radio output to the intercom
- Double stick tape the satellite antennas to the dash

Net outlay - $6K for hardware and labor. The cheapest quote we got on the MX20, GDL69A, and PS 1000II was $16K. Nice alternative.

Greg
182RG
 

Attachments

  • PanelDock01.JPG
    PanelDock01.JPG
    282.1 KB · Views: 51
  • PanelDock02.JPG
    PanelDock02.JPG
    287.3 KB · Views: 31
  • PanelDock03.JPG
    PanelDock03.JPG
    316.9 KB · Views: 35
  • SatAntennas.JPG
    SatAntennas.JPG
    122.4 KB · Views: 32
Looks nice, Greg.

Who did the avionics work? Someone at OKV?

You'll love having the weather - and the XM on long trips. I've enjoyed mine, the only problem has been the wires.
 
wsuffa said:
Looks nice, Greg.

Who did the avionics work? Someone at OKV?

You'll love having the weather - and the XM on long trips. I've enjoyed mine, the only problem has been the wires.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill,

Let me know when you're back in OKV. After lunch, you can see it firsthand.

Hagerstown Aviation @ HGR did the work.

Greg
182RG
 
ggroves said:
- Double stick tape the satellite antennas to the dash
Click to expand...

Greg,

That looks pretty sweet!

With the location of the 396 antenna, how much was your mag compass affected by the magnets in the antenna? Did the avionics shop give you a new compass card?

Man, weather in the cockpit... I'm jealous. :yes:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
With the location of the 396 antenna, how much was your mag compass affected by the magnets in the antenna? Did the avionics shop give you a new compass card?
Click to expand...

Fortunately, no effect on the mag comp. at all.

Greg
182RG
 
Greg,

You mention that the routes can be moved from the 430 to 396...can routes be moved the other way as well? For example, can I program primary and alternate routes at home on the 396, pop it into the dash mount and transfer the route to the 430 when I get to the plane?

Personally, I've been wondering what the ability to show weather on the $2,500 396 would do to sales of the $6,000 GDL69. I've been thinking along the lines of what you've done for the Mooney. I'm also waiting to see if someone will figure out how to xfer the wx info from the 396 to a 530 or 430 without the use of the GDL69.

Thanks,
Len
 
Len Lanetti said:
Greg,

You mention that the routes can be moved from the 430 to 396...can routes be moved the other way as well?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, it is a one way street. The explanation I got from the avionics shop was that since the 430 is certified for IFR, Garmin did not provide for capabilities to push routes to it from a non-certified unit like the 396.

As for cutting into the GDL69 sales, that is yet to be seen. I would have preferred the 6 inch screen on the MX20....I just couldn't pull myself to part with the $$.

Greg
182RG
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Greg,

That looks pretty sweet!

With the location of the 396 antenna, how much was your mag compass affected by the magnets in the antenna? Did the avionics shop give you a new compass card?

Man, weather in the cockpit... I'm jealous. :yes:
Click to expand...

Remove the magnets! Silly they put them in there anyways!
http://www.numa.aero/GXM30.html
 
Last edited:
Wow! What a great solution, Greg! I hadn't heard of the AirGizmo dock.

I could do the same, maybe put in a Garmin 300XL and use the 396 as the map.

I knew I could interconnect a handheld and panel mount because I had thoughts of doing that with my GPSMAP295. The 295 does connect to the JPI EDM-800 engine analyzer so I can get MPG and such.
 
Last edited:
Len Lanetti said:
Personally, I've been wondering what the ability to show weather on the $2,500 396 would do to sales of the $6,000 GDL69. I've been thinking along the lines of what you've done for the Mooney. I'm also waiting to see if someone will figure out how to xfer the wx info from the 396 to a 530 or 430 without the use of the GDL69.

Thanks,
Len
Click to expand...

The GDL69 is around $3,500.

Greg, your system looks great! Enjoy XM...worth its weight in gold.
 
Iceman said:
The GDL69 is around $3,500.

Greg, your system looks great! Enjoy XM...worth its weight in gold.
Click to expand...

I have an Avidyne EX500 with XM wx (Heads up technologies) and IMO the 396 does it better except for the size of the display. The EX500 provides no function to pan the display to view wx in another area and it doesn't show winds aloft or a bunch of other stuff like satellite (clouds), city wx, surface analysis etc. Hopefully Avidyne will improve this service in the near future.
 
lancefisher said:
I have an Avidyne EX500 with XM wx (Heads up technologies) and IMO the 396 does it better except for the size of the display. The EX500 provides no function to pan the display to view wx in another area and it doesn't show winds aloft or a bunch of other stuff like satellite (clouds), city wx, surface analysis etc. Hopefully Avidyne will improve this service in the near future.
Click to expand...

That is the main reason we went with the mx20. It is able to use all the xm functions. I hope you have good luck with Avidyne...they have been very slow with cirrus/lancair owners with the 5000 unit. I think they still want datalink to take off.
 
Iceman said:
That is the main reason we went with the mx20. It is able to use all the xm functions. I hope you have good luck with Avidyne...they have been very slow with cirrus/lancair owners with the 5000 unit. I think they still want datalink to take off.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they were still trying to promote their Orbocom link but the Avidyne guy I talked to last time admitted that people just aren't going for it. I don't even have it hooked up on my plane (yet) as the only advantage I can see for it is the messaging capabililty which I don't see being worth the cost of another antenna. I would have loved to go with the MX-20 instead of the Avidyne but I gave up waiting for them to interface my RDS-81 after more than a year and a half of "it's coming soon" from the sales guys along with "it's not even on the roadmap" from the support folks. At least the EX500 has more CPU horsepower (faster screen updates) than the MX-20, but they'll probably never equal the MX-20's integration with the GNS480. Heck, AFaIK the MX-20 even interfaces better with Avidyne's own traffic sensors although to be fair the traffic (Ryan) and MFD (Avidyne) only got together a couple months ago. Hopefully Avidyne is busy working on something that will make my setup more useful and/or easier to use.
 
Last edited:
Iceman said:
That is the main reason we went with the mx20. It is able to use all the xm functions. I hope you have good luck with Avidyne...they have been very slow with cirrus/lancair owners with the 5000 unit. I think they still want datalink to take off.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they were still trying to promote their Orbocom link but the Avidyne guy I talked to last time admitted that people just aren't going for it. I don't even have it hooked up on my plane (yet) as the only advantage I can see for it is the messaging capabililty which I don't see being worth the cost of another antenna. I would have loved to go with the MX-20 instead of the Avidyne but Garmin AT wouldn't even put interfacing other radars like my RDS-81 on their roadmap. I waited over a year and a half for them to back up a salesman's promise of "coming soon" before I gafe up and went with the EX500. At least the MFD I have has more horsepower than the MX-20 (faster screen updates etc). Hopefully Avidyne will get going on the improvements soon, they've got to be working on something.
 
Iceman said:
That is the main reason we went with the mx20. It is able to use all the xm functions. I hope you have good luck with Avidyne...they have been very slow with cirrus/lancair owners with the 5000 unit. I think they still want datalink to take off.
Click to expand...

Can you pan the MX-20 or does panning the GNS480 also pan the MFD? I sure found that feature useful on the Garmin 396.
 
lancefisher said:
Can you pan the MX-20 or does panning the GNS480 also pan the MFD? I sure found that feature useful on the Garmin 396.
Click to expand...

Yes, the mx20 has a panning function that works well (on the unit not the GPS (530)). Also the xm downloads the weather for the entire US every update so you can move around and not have to worry about a new update per area. I think the WSI needs to receive a new update if you pan it.

I agree it is so hard to get a true answer from these large companies. I don't think garmin will ever add more radar unit compatability as they have come out with their own system now. I also think that the mx20 is getting pretty old and will be repaced with an upgraded unit in the next couple of years and I think they have stopped writing new software for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top