KLN 90B help needed

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Ralph Rosignolo

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77Tiger55
I am in the process of purchasing a plane with a KLN 90B GPS installed. There is very little online - read the manual, but would really like to talk to a pilot who has flow IFR with this unit. Thank you in advance.
 
I have used it, but it was around 20 years ago, so I have forgotten what I knew. It worked well for what we did but changing out the database was not easy; can you still get them? I did find this video.
 
90 is the terminal only, 90b includes approach capabilities. If they suspended approach database, thing's a (relative) brick then.

The T-6A in the USAF continues to soldier on with the KLN-900 (military, jitterbug sized button faceplate version of the 90B, aft loaded card....yup, you heard it right, you gotta remove the GPS to update the database lol). By USAF own stipulation, the T-6A has been RNAV1 non-compliant since 2009! Currently prohibited from shooting approaches in IMC conditions, or fly database STAR/SIDs/ODPs. Good times.

I have 1000 hours behind the thing and another couple hundred behind the early cousin 89B (same UI logic). Super NAV 5! Brings me back. Gnarliest weather and approaches I ever did I did behind that monochrome screened 89B. Switching between the two from work and play was fairly seamless. Again, database support and logistical hassle of updating in 2023 would be my concern. Back then, the 89B required a serial cable to a portable netbook with an emulator for an early version of windows, and plug to a hole in the panel of the plane. Only did it one time then I sold the plane. The 900 at work as I mentioned, is carded. I believe the civilian (90/90B) is front loading? I hope for your sake it is.
 
Since one can practically fly & navigate using flight apps like G.P. or Foreflight on the iPad mini, just have it for light backup.

I’m not into throwing to much $$ at decades old avionics, though I do have some older radios.
 
It's been years, not much I remember about operation. Some units were/are set up with a single-pin plug in the panel (maybe as big in diameter as a headset plug, IIRC), the drill was, you downloaded the database to a laptop, then used a cord to plug into the panel, with avionics powered up. I think it took about 10 minutes in the plane. The cord was, of course, some proprietary thing, you needed a serial adapter of some sort. The database cartridge, I think, about the size of a cassette tape, was in the back of the unit, you had to pull the whole thing out of the panel to get to it. (Front loading cards came with the KLN94, or the above mentioned KLN900). I don't even know if it was possible to update databases to the cartridge "at home," I never saw anyone with an adapter like Garmin uses. Usesr may have had a subscription that actually mailed the cartridge, kind of like netflix DVDs.
 
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Jim Carpenter said:
(Front loading cards came with the KLN94, or the above mentioned KLN900).
Click to expand...

The 900 is the military version of the 90B, and it was aft loaded as well. Mx has to pull the unit out (T-6A in our case) in order to access the data card.
 
hindsight2020 said:
The 900 is the military version of the 90B, and it was aft loaded as well. Mx has to pull the unit out (T-6A in our case) in order to access the data card.
Click to expand...

They must have made the military one different. In the early 90's we had a KLN-900 installed in the airplane I was flying. It was definitely front loading. You can see the card, bottom center. ABBPG.QXD (bendixking.com)
 
I used one on a 5 hour flight once. Kinda cool. Garmin 430’s daddy. My research found that the databases weren’t available anymore.
 
King video schools still offers a course on its use. It was in the last flyer I looked at.
 
I have used KLN90b and I have a KLN89b in my Cherokee with a KMD150 moving map with terrain database. It works fine, processor clock speed is like a 66mhz computer from the 1990’s but for IFR en route and LNAV only Approaches it works. Just need to practice working with it.
Especially loading the database with a laptop computer.
Also see if you can get the serial cable and plug with the airplane. It looks like it came from a helicopter headset. That’s what you will need to load the database.

As far as other posts suggesting that database updates not available this is not true. I’m still using my KLN89b to fly IFR and I update it every time the new database is published. You just need to carry the laptop to the plane to plug it in and install it.
It’s best to install the database yourself this way because Honeywell (wingman services) charges 2x the cost to send you the current data card in the mail.

23792CDE-11BA-44D9-B8FD-81474E106104.jpeg
 
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