I’m not 100% sure as I have only started this.
Cloning one card ensures that all databases are equal on both cards and the unit.
It will then stop asking update/continue when swapping the cards.
I have one card at home and one in the unit.
When I update the nav data on the one I have at home and put this into the unit it will ask to update the nav data only. After that there will be no more prompts as the other databases on the card and the unit are equal.
But then you get a update on the one at home of all three. You install them by swapping the cards.
Next month only the NavData changes, so it now has new NavData and old SafeTaxi and Obstacles.
You take that to the aircraft and load the NavData. It then asks you on every boot if you want to load old SafeTaxi and Obstacles.
If you buy your databases from the Garmin website, you can always download again the safe taxi and obstacles db?
But I agree, it doesn’t really seem useful to propose loading obsolete DBs from the card at every start…
JDM won’t let me do that.
A couple of months ago, people were reporting serious problems with downloading from Garmin, so neither supplier appears to have got it quite right.
Timothy wrote:
Next month only the NavData changes, so it now has new NavData and old SafeTaxi and Obstacles.You take that to the aircraft and load the NavData. It then asks you on every boot if you want to load old SafeTaxi and Obstacles.
My understanding is it only prompts you if the safe taxi/obstacle database are different between the card and the unit.
That’s why running the same version on both cards and unit should avoid the prompts.
Sorry. Just understood you also have subscription to the obstacle and safe taxi. So a different issue than the one I have.
My problem is I only subscribe to the nav data.
Yes, that is right. But if you have two cards for one unit, only one is up to date, because they only reissue SafeTaxi and Obstacles (ST & O) every other month.
So, for example, on Friday, the cards in my aircraft had 1701. All three databases were 1701
The cards in my flight bag were 1613, the previous update. They had ND 1613 and an old ST & O, because ST & O was not updated with 1613.
I took the datacards from my flight bag. And downloaded 1702. That contains NavData from 1702, but ST & O is again not updated, so after the download it has ND 1702 but still the old ST & O.
I go to the aircraft today and I put in the new cards. It recognises NT 1702 and I allow it to upload into the boxes. It also sees the old ST & O and offers me the opportunity to upload them (and go backwards) which I decline.
Now, every time I fly for the next month, when I switch on the avionics the GTNs will ask if I want to upload the old ST & O.
It has only really occurred to me as I write this that leapfrogging is a particular problem because one card will always get ST & O and, because it is on a two monthly cycle, the other card will never get it, so the ST & O on one of the cards will gradually become years out of date and that is possibly part of the problem.
But if I have to bring both sets of cards to the computer for cloning, it means that there will be times when the aircraft does not have any cards in it (thus grounding it, so my co-owner can’t use it), so I may as well only have one set of cards.
(I readily admit that I might be being very stupid bout this, that is why I am asking for help.)
The Flightstream 510 retails for about $1500 – probably cheaper from your favourite Garmin dealer.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/155337
The GTN needs a software update to the latest version but otherwise it’s just a replacement wireless SD card (it’s a proprietary Garmin product – not an off-the-shelf card used in a camera). The card will work as a standard data card if you need to upload a new database and don’t have a tablet available to do it wirelessly. The 510 also allows the GTN to communicate with Garmin Pilot with no additional hardware in the aircraft.
The GTN software is approved via an update to the Garmin GTN750/650 STC which now has FAA approval and is just going through EASA validation.
