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Are GTN650 owners generally happy with their purchase?

PeteD wrote:

Weird!

Garmin tech support is available after about an hour on hold – actually 57 minutes most recently in my experience, 45 minutes the time before.

You should call Europe. They answer in seconds.

EGKB Biggin Hill

Yes, the long hold times are I think due to Garmin selling an ADS-B solution that doesn’t meet FAA performance requirements, at least not without a tremendous amount of screwing around. They are on their umpteenth software change, most of which including the most recent aren’t publicized. Unfortunately for Garmin every US installation is performance tested by FAA – which is thereby forcing technology development onto aircraft owners and their dealings with vendors like Garmin.

It appears to me that this is a company that has grown beyond its competence to manage. I’d really rather throw the Garmin stuff in the trash and start over, but I’m too stubborn to throw away $4K and I’ve cut holes in the fuselage specific to a Garmin GPS antenna.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 14 Sep 15:53

While my original opinion of the GTN650 was it should be regarded as a control head for a much larger display I been obliged by circumstance to fly an aircraft with the GTN 650 coupled to a standard OBS indicator.

The experience of IFR flight using this set up for all phases of flight including LPV approaches has been good with the display size being much less of an issue than I first anticipated.

Fitting a glass HSI would reduce the workload substantially and make the GTN650 a very powerful IFR tool at a reasonable price.

Garmin support in Europe indeed responds quickly, almost immediately. Years ago I recall they honored an recently expired warranty in the case of a 696 I had bought used (!!!) and sent me a new unit. I was most impressed and don’t look at other companies for avionics.

Tököl LHTL

I have also requested a software change at Friedrichshafen (April) and it’s been delivered by July.

I find their support superb.

EGKB Biggin Hill

Timothy wrote:

You should call Europe. They answer in seconds.

It is the exact opposite of Jeppesen in that regard.

EGTK Oxford

JasonC wrote:

It is the exact opposite of Jeppesen in that regard.

Yes, but luckily European tech support is provided by the Americans, and is quick and excellent.

It is the Frankfurt based Customer Service which can be really awful.

EGKB Biggin Hill

Timothy wrote:

Yes, but luckily European tech support is provided by the Americans, and is quick and excellent.

It is the Frankfurt based Customer Service which can be really awful.

I guess YMMV. My experience is the exact opposite. I’ve found Jepp Customer Service to be quick, helpful and courteous, while their tech service is quick all right, but unhelpful and rude.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

I suppose that that’s the problem with single data points.

But I have probably contacted each around 20 times and my experience has been entirely consistent with what I said.

Weird.

EGKB Biggin Hill
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