I recently purchased a Piper Cherokee with a Garmin 430w. I didn’t receive a card reader/writer for the data card. Do I need the Garmin device or the Jeppeson skybound reader?
Depends where you're getting updates. Garmin is cheaper but requires a different card reader than Jeppesen. I use the Garmin site. Other people may know if there are any differences, but it works great for me and is a little less expensive than Jeppesen. Garmin: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JTFZPFG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Jeppesen: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/jeppskyboundadapt-org.php?clickkey=103836
Either the Garmin reader or the Jeppesen Skybound will work with the silver 430W data cards. The Garmin data subscriptions are cheaper. The readers are not interchangeable. You need the Garmin adapter for Garmin, and Skybound for Jeppesen.
I have the links above. Amazon was a little cheaper for me at the time, but several places will sell it.
The silver Jeppesen data cards for the GNS-430W will work with either USB reader. But if you purchase the Jeppesen Skybound adapter, it is only compatible with the Jeppesen data download software and subscriptions. The Garmin adapter is compatible only with the Garmin data update software and subscription service. So choose your subscription service first, then purchase your programming adapter to match. The Garmin Adapter will also work to program the obstacle database card, which is NOT the same as or compatible with the navigation database card. I think I remember that the Skybound adapter will not program the obstacle database card. You don't need to keep the obstacle database up to date to be IFR current, but it's not a bad idea to do it once in a while to take full advantage of obstacle clearance warning in the GNS-430W box. Quite frankly, you want the Garmin USB adapter and the Garmin data subscription. The Garmin nav data updates are cheaper than Jeppesen, and the Garmin USB adapter can program both of your GNS-430W cards as needed.
