I am looking into purchasing the GPS from RealityXP but I am not sure if I should purchse the GNS 430 WAAS XP™ GPS, the GNS 530 WAAS XP™ GPS or both. Anybody own these to let me know if I need both or which one I should get. The 530 looks like it is just larger than the 430 but is there any differences like options etc?

In the real world, the 530 has been discontinued by Garmin, the 430 is still in production (just), but not for much longer. Spec-wise they are very similar in what they offer and it is really only their screen display which sets them apart, except that the 430 does not support TAWS (the Terrain Awareness and Warning System), which is intended to alert pilots against controlled flight into terrain, whereas the 530 can provide that.

 

Since flying into terrain in FS is not really a major disaster like it would be in real life, the difference hardly matters if you are in a sim, unless you are using the Reality XP simulations to familiarise yourself with real-world operation, in which case it might be, and if that is your intent, then see the link below. So really, where FS is concerned, the one you want is the one which best suits the kind of aeroplane avionics fit you prefer.

 

You can actually download simulations of both the 530 and 430 from the Garmin website and check them out if you really want to see their differences:

 

http://www8.garmin.c...latorPopup.html

 

Al

Depends which addons you plan to use it with...

 

The 530W does a few extra things like ID a VOR and display radial on the screen. It's nice if your plane doesn't have DME.

 

I own both, but not the unlimited pack. Be advised even if you own both, they won't crossfill (like a real plane) unless you buy the unlimited pack for another $100.

 

Anyway, recent addons have 3D integration... to name a few:

 

Baytower RV7 (530)

Carenado Malibu (both)

Carenado King Air 90 (430)

RealAir Duke+ Turbine Duke (both nicely done)

Lotus L39 (430)

Aerosoft Katana 4x (530)

Ant's Tecnam P2002 (530)

Carenado T210

 

And then with some edits it works well in these:

 

Milviz C310R (both I think)

Flight1 PC12 (430's)

Eaglesoft SR22 (430's)

Orbx Lancair (both)

 

FWIW The 430 does have TAWS...

 

Oh, one issue - there's no navigraph updates like you might find with an FMS in the NGX - but there is a recent navdata update (from summer 2011) - you'll have to check their forums for more info...

FWIW The 430 does have TAWS...

 

 

According to Garmin, it doesn't.

 

Al

Really? Hmmm then I guess RXP modeled it incorrectly... because I'm looking at the functionality in my 430 right now.

 

Unless I've misunderstood taws... you won't get an aural warning with the 430w - but there is terrain display and it will give you a message on the unit when you're near terrain.

 

From the Garmin web site:

 

"Using information from the built-in terrain and U.S. obstacles databases, the 430W displays color coding to graphically alert you when proximity conflicts loom ahead."

 

edit: so I did some quick research - and apparently what I thought was TAWS really wasn't TAWS... silly me

RXP should update their web site then...

 

But it does display terrain etc etc

The 430 can display terrain and give some proximity alerts. It's not technically "TAWS". What the Garmin site says about the 430 is that it is not Class B TAWS alerting compatible, which is absolutley correct.

 

Scott

Baytower RV7 (530)

Carenado Malibu (both)

Carenado King Air 90 (430)

RealAir Duke+ Turbine Duke (both nicely done)

Lotus L39 (430)

Aerosoft Katana 4x (530)

Ant's Tecnam P2002 (530)

Carenado T210

 

To Ryan's list I'd add

 

Carenado A36 Bonanza (430)

Carenado Cessna 337 Skymaster (530)

 

All other things being equal, I'd get the 530 for the diplay and it's extended information and clarity, but your decision should also be based on what fits easily (or not so easily if you're brave) in the planes you fly.

 

Scott

I own the Carenado Bonanza and Real Air Turbine Duke for GA other than that I use PMDG and Flight1 which won't use the 530 so it would only be the Bonanza and Real Air Turbine Duke. I looked at the weather radar also but I don't really think it is necessary.

I've been tempted, but it boggles my mind why they are so blessed expensive. $50 for each model? I can't get myself to justify that even if it can be used in other planes.

I own the Carenado Bonanza and Real Air Turbine Duke for GA other than that I use PMDG and Flight1 which won't use the 530 so it would only be the Bonanza and Real Air Turbine Duke. I looked at the weather radar also but I don't really think it is necessary.

 

I would go with the 430 in your case.

 

It fits in both of those planes - and in many more..

 

Weather radar in FSX is of very limited use, so I'd consider that one carefully..

 

If you really like the F33 Bonanza (as I do), i would consider adding the RXP FLT and

possibly FLN gauges as in the attached screenshot..

Cera bell 222 also takes the 530. Larger screen makes it easier to read and use.

I can't get myself to justify that even if it can be used in other planes.

 

I'm a GA flyer and of the 9 planes I fly, 8 of them are RXP GNS equipped, 4 of them with having 2. That amortizes the investment quite nicely. I have to say that when I first bought in I thought I'd made a mistake, but once I got over some initial hurdles I quickly bought the second and I consider the 430 and 530 two of the best investments I've ever made in my relatively short simming history.

 

Obviously if you're not primarily a GA flyer, they might not be quite so attractive.

 

Scott

Eaglesoft SR22 (430's)

 

Will the Eaglesoft Cirrus display route data from the Reality XP 430 units or is it driven solely by the native FSX GPS?

Since flying into terrain in FS is not really a major disaster like it would be in real life...

 

That's a matter of personal style. In the 11 years since I picked up flight simulation for full realism I haven't had a single "crash". That includes a number of approaches to FSX carriers, aerobatic maneuvars and hundreds of thousands of miles in tubeliners. "As real as it getS" means treating each flight as a do or die scenario.

I was trying to take a look at the Garmin simulations but my computer is Windows 7 and it says it is not compatible.