Hi All, I'm new here, have been referred by someone from another forum to ask a quick question regarding backing-up/inputting user waypoints and flight plans to a Garmin 430W.
Has anyone used the Garmin Flight Plan Migrator Kit to send data from PC flight planning software to the 400/500W series Garmin units via the Migrator SD card?
If so, do you have any particularly positive or negative experiences? Any advice on choosing between the flight planning software solutions available: Jepp FliteStar, RocketRoute etc (I'm even told that SkyDemon now support .fpl export)? The primary purpose will be the inputting and backing up of 150+ custom waypoints preferably via grid ref (OSGB) but lat/long will suffice.
Finally, are you able to export a flight plan route with altitude information from the planning software, and if so will a coupled autopilot fly that route with it's vertical profile (VFR only of course...)?
Much appreciated
I don't think there is a way to upload user waypoints.
I do have the migrator kit but I don't use it anymore, even though it was extremely expensive. You have to use a Windows app to load the flight plan onto the card, then you have to turn off the GNS, insert the card, turn it on, confirm that you want to load the flight plan, then turn it off, switch back the old navdata card and turn it on again.
If for whatever reason the flight plan does not work correctly (I often had that with RocketRoute), e.g. it has waypoints the GNS does not understand, the plan is locked and you have to correct it manually.
Nowadays, I enter the flight plan manually, but only a few waypoints from takeoff plus the destination and then continue en route as required. Most of the time, ATC chooses a different routing anyway and 90% of the waypoints are useless.
Thanks for the prompt reply Achimha, that sounds slightly frustrating as waypoints are my primary purpose for wishing to use the kit. It is something i'm interested in investigating further as it might depend on the flightplanning software used, I think Jepp FliteStar might be more comprehensive. Are you hoping to sell the Migrator Kit with the Card? If so we could be interested at the right price. If so, you could contact me at [email protected]
Thanks
Aucky,
you can install the software of the migrator kit, it's a free download. There is nothing about waypoints in there. You can store flight plans on the card, nothing else. Each flight plan occupies a position on the card and this is the same position it will have on the device.
I am pretty sure there is no way to transfer waypoints. Only the Garmin Windows software writes to the card, not any of the 3rd party apps. The card does NOT show up as a storage device on your system, it requires the proprietary migrator software to be written to. In my experiments, flight plans cannot contain user waypoints, they will be unrecognized and the flight plans locked until you remove those waypoints.
Selling it would just make me realize how much money I've wasted so I'll keep it for now 
ATC chooses a different routing anyway
That's under IFR; the OP was talking about VFR...
The locked waypoint problem also happens on a G1000, and interestingly even when reimporting a flight plan exported by the G1000 itself (with the same database).
Strange, the Garmin web page itself states an essential tool for allowing operators to create and import multiple user waypoints and flight plans from their PC.
I am pretty sure there is no way to transfer waypoints. Only the Garmin Windows software writes to the card, not any of the 3rd party apps. The card does NOT show up as a storage device on your system, it requires the proprietary migrator software to be written to. In my experiments, flight plans cannot contain user waypoints, they will be unrecognized and the flight plans locked until you remove those waypoints.
I'm sure your right if you've tried, though it conflicts with what Garmin say, I'll have to speak to them again, or the guys at Skyfox.de who are apparently quite clued up.
Thanks for your input so far
Install the migrator software and see for yourself. Maybe I'm just too stupid
I have been using the migrator kit successfully for years. flight plans can be create using skydemon, rocket route, jepp flitestar, saved as garmin format. If the Garmin Pilot App would cover Europe slightly better, the Garmin Pilot App in combination with the Garmin Flightstream 210 (not yet fully TCO’ed) is an easier way of sync FPL’s between the GNS/GTN series but until then for me at least it works.
Achim,
if you might ever wanna sell it, I’d be interested :)
Does anyone know the specification for the Garmin GNS 430W/530W Flight Plan Data Card which is used by the Garmin migrator kit mentioned above? I want to know in particular if I can use an old GNS430W Navdata card…rather than have to shell out €448 euros (!) for an official Garmin blank Flight Plan Data Card.Link to data card vendor
Thanks in advance.
Howard
