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Over ten grand on a GTN-650

Using GPSS for approaches and holds is far more accurate than HSI/ARINC steering, and ensures that PBN requirements are met in a way that couldn’t be assured by older technology.

It also takes GS into account in a way that older stuff doesn’t. If you have ADC, it also takes account of airspeed and wind vectors to anticipate the turns beautifully.

It’s probably not 100% necessary, but it’s fun and pleasurable, which is what many of us are in this for

EGKB Biggin Hill

RNAV approaches are not flown in GPSS mode but always in NAV mode, at least with all autopilots I know well (S-TEC55X, DFC90, GFC700). Holds, Turns, Arcs etc are flown with GPSS but when interceptingthe final track you have to switch to NAV or you will not get a glide path indication.

Indeed it depends on the autopilot, but with a legacy autopilot you fly GPSS to the IF, then engage NAV for the final approach, and back to GPSS for the missed approach.

EGKB Biggin Hill

How much benefit does the touchscreen bring to IFR approaches ? 6-7 grands worth? :-)

Yes, for sure. It’s like an iPad compared with a Pocket PC from the year 2000.

I don’t think you’ll find anyone of us who, having a GTN650 and having used it for a few hundred hours, would be remotely tempted to swap it for a used GNSx30W if all you’re offering is £6k to squander on beer and fags.

Glenswinton, SW Scotland, United Kingdom

boscomantico wrote:

Sounds almost impossible, unless you made very extraordinary deals on the first two items…

Sending existing 430 unit to Garmin and getting it back modified. I’d have to dig up the exact bill but it was done in an extensive avionic rework and it cost approx. 3000 Euros on top of everything else to do it. We decided kinda last minute to go that way after the FOCA expert coming to see the plane prior to its completion gave us a hint about it. The antenna and cable was already WAAS for some reason, so I’d say it’s the flat rate from Garmin to upgrade a legacy 430 to 430W.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland

$ 33xx is the rate for the conversion at the moment, and AFAIK they will overhaul the whole unit for that price. But you have to pay freight and European VAT on that.

As I said, it was quicker for me to sell the 430s and to buy two “Ws”. But of course that depends on what you find … I was lucky. Otherwise I woould have upgraded mine.

The antenna and cable was already WAAS for some reason

OK, that explains it. In a Cirrus, you have to buy a “kit” for the installation of the new antenna (€€€€) and have to fator in €€€€ for the labor. The Avidnye might also require an update for this to work. All-in, it comes very close to 10000€.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Your Cirrus would not need the PFD Upgrade, because you already got the WAAS Update when you got the Upgrade for the DFC90 Autopilot. The antenna work is really not so bad, but it depends on what is already installed.

boscomantico wrote:

In a Cirrus, you have to buy a “kit” for the installation of the new antenna (€€€€) and have to fator in €€€€ for the labor.

I see. In the Mooney even changing the Antenna is no big deal if you do it during a routine maintenance event where the panels come off. Last time I had an antenna mounted work time was under 2 hours (FLARM) as we planned it for a check.

LSZH(work) LSZF (GA base), Switzerland
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