How embarrassing is that, really? If that is how the former #1 avionics company treats its customer base then I see no reason why they should not go out of business.
Chris wrote:
What are your experiences?
Since many years we don’t send those PCMCIA cards to Honeywell anymore. Instead we download the navdata updates from their website (they can provide the login details) and copy them to the cards on a local computer. The card then goes back into the plane where it stays till the next update. So far two cards have failed, but we could find replacements on eBay where they start to get really expensive… Some experiments to use cheap SD or CF cards with an adapter were unsuccessful.
This looks like HBK have run out of the 20MB PCMCIA Intel Linear Flash used in the KMD550 – search here for “linear flash”. This has obviously been out of production for some 10-15 years. The memory was available elsewhere and with that German PCMCIA writer (in the link) people could just share the database. HBK always included a return envelope but I know for a fact that they didn’t police this, because I didn’t sent mine back once or twice and there is no form to send it back with so they could never tell who sent theirs back anyway!
The KMD550 MFD never had an internet download option. Only the card swap.
The KLN94 uses a 48MB Sandisk Compactflash cartridge which does have a card swap option but probably nobody uses it, since the cards can be programmed with downloaded data with a specially modified CF writer, or there is a download option which uses a laptop and a cable and doesn’t involve removing the cartridge from the GPS. I reckon these cards won’t go short anytime soon.
Some experiments to use cheap SD or CF cards with an adapter were unsuccessful.
It remains a mystery how this was achieved. I do know that HBK implement a hacked (non DOS) FAT file system on the card, but a CF writer which allows physical block access should still work, but somehow none of them do. I find it hard to believe that HBK got Sandisk to mod the card hardware…
I read a post years ago saying that a product called Winhex could write the KLN94 cards but that didn’t work for me.
I see no reason why they should not go out of business.
You would not say that if your plane had those products in the panel, like many thousands have, and apart from LPV they do all that’s needed.
For the KLN90B I use a usb to rs232 cable and home docking station, update using Windows 10 and the typical old honeywell DOS like app for KLN94/89/90 etc….I mostly take out the GPS and do it at home. Just renewed my subscription for another 13 downloads valid for 18 months. I give Honeywell another 3 years I think…;-)
and apart from LPV they do all that’s needed.
Exactly 
Apart from LPV is pretty bad, I think. How about LNAV/VNAV? LNAV+V? Terrain?
Hmmm… terrain is quite hard so one needs to fly higher than it, to avoid damage. +V is the same H+V guidance as LPV, just with a higher DH. No idea what LNAV/VNAV is.
The GPS approach hierarchy:
LNAV (lateral)
LP (localizer performance)
LNAV/VNAV (lateral+vertical)
LPV (inofficial precision approach)
LNAV+V (advisory GS by Garmin)
Ah, i see – you don’t think terrain is a useful feature. That can make an interesting thread, because the FAA thinks otherwise. (Didn’t you ask for a handheld with terrain?).
Alexis, you have a point yes, but still ripping out a good working equipment seems like blasphemy to me….I am happy with LNAV. Would be more interested in a descent affordable TAS solution when I need to cancel IFR and go down the deck…What bothers me is the panel space that a KLN94/89.90 takes there is no WAAS alternative in this format which mean a complete radio rack adjustment in order to upgrade..or even two times if you would go for TAS ADS-B in/out Lynx 9000+ first..
I think the Cirrus G2 is pretty useless and should be tossed.
After all there is a Cirrus G6 now.
