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Mindstar or Flight1 GPS?


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Hello all,

 

I fly exclusively GA and in Europe. In FSX I have used RealityXP GNS430/530 in FSX for some years now and would miss the convenience of an autopilot that is programmable.

 

I am about to buy a GTX970 and switch to P3D (I have versions 1 and 2). The last hurdle to P3D is the GPS.

 

Can I tap the views of the flightsim community and ask for opinion on whether the Mindstar GNS430/530 or the Flight1 GNS750 is the better bet?  Please bear in mind that I am Europe based and that NAVDATA will have to be for that region.

 

I am happy with the functionality of the 430/530 so the latest spec of the 750 is not a major selling point. Up to date NAVDATA most definitely is. 

 

So my question is.... Do I buy Mindstar plus the NAVDATA data OR buy Flight1 and put myself at the mercy of the nearest Garmin agent (Sturgate Airfield) to buy the Garmin training disc and hope that it will contain current/updated NAVDATA

 

Any feedback very much appreciated.

 

Gordon

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The navdata won't come on the disc - that's only terrain for your part of the world. However, the navdata is the same file used in RXP 430/530. So if you had that it can be used in the GTN.

 

Neither product is integrated in many aircraft.

 

I have GTN for p3d and RXP for FSX.

 

GTN is better than RXP IMHO

 

I have no experience with Minstar. But I think they have cheaper official navdata update fees.

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Gordon,

 

Both the Mindstar GNS and Flight 1 GTN units are very good. The GTN gets the edge only because it is the newest GPS technology and the "touch-screen" interface is so user friendly. The downside is finding affordable current navdata, especially for Europe. If you can find someone who is a pilot and has a Garmin navdata subscription, it is perfectly ethical and legal to use that individual's navdata for personal entertainment use. Garmin has no problem with that. Otherwise you will have to purchase a subscription yourself, which isn't cheap. Other than that, the GTN gauges are pretty feature-rich. The negative is the price for each and crossfill is not yet implemented. When it is, I have no idea if it will cost extra or not. Hopefully not. Of course, if you only want the 750, that doesn't matter.

 

The Mindstar GNS units, while older Garmin GPS technology, are also very nice. The advantage of buying this series is you get both the 530 and 430, including crossfill, for $50 USD. For navdata, you have to purchase RealNav subscription for $40 USD annually (for 4 cycles). I personally like RealNav and it is arguably thd most accurate of the available navdata publicly available. The main disadvantage of these units is WAAS is not yet modelled, which means you can't fly LPV approaches. This feature is supposed to be added in the future but it may be a ways off because Mindstar's main focus is the commercial simulator market. Updates are driven by the needs and desires of their commercial customers (as it should be). A big plus for Mindstar is individualized, one-on-one, technical support. They are a small company and are not always available at the drop of a hat, but they will address any issues you have.

 

As for addons, this may ultimately sway your decision. Which addons will you be flying and is VC integration important to you?

 

Cheers,

 

Todd

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Hello Ryan and Todd,

 

Thank you for your responses... I did reply some days ago but my comments aren't showing in this thread, don't know why. So here goes again.

 

Your info regarding Flight1 navdata has really confused me. Is my understanding correct that the worldwide terrain data for the Flight1 product is on the training disc and that it is currently cycle 0611 i.e. June 2011 the same as possible with RealityXP.?

 

What about Navdata, is that upto date, global and included at time of purchase? How is it updated.

 

I have a cockpit (of sorts) and a touch screen with two concentric rotaries dedicated to the GPS so the touch screen of the GTN isn't essential. Up to date Navdata is. The RealityXP database I use at the moment is becoming increasingly dated and irritating. So a GPS system with easy and regular updating of all the Navdata is a major selling point.

 

It would be very helpful if WarpD could respond to this thread with some clear indication of WAAS implementation. As WAAS EGNOS is becoming more common in Europe most of the updated navdata will be for approaches the Mindstar product can't currently use.

 

Any further clarification on this subject is very much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Gordon

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a heads up on the mindstar. There are a couple of issues that Mindstar addresses to the publishers of other software, that will not be fixed.

For example, in addon aircraft there's a chance that the LCD of the GPS isnt centered and part of the screen falls behind the frame, leaving white borders on the other sides of the screen, like with all Carenado aircraft, for example. Not a huge problem, but annoying to look at all day.

You can not fly IFR anymore. According to Mindstar this is caused by the base programming of P3D and will not be fixed.

And even after the 1.0.05 update P3D regularly crashes when loading other aircraft from menus and might crash on anything else that causes an aircraft to (re)load. This would have been fixed in the 1.0.05 update, but it's only partially fixed, so I expected a hotfix within a reasonable time frame, but after several months, still nothing.

Those problems together, especially the last two, made me drop this addon from my system and I'm not using it anymore until it isnt bugging functions from P3D or any other addons anymore.

Cheers!

Maarten

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The navdata won't come on the disc - that's only terrain for your part of the world. However, the navdata is the same file used in RXP 430/530. So if you had that it can be used in the GTN.

 

Neither product is integrated in many aircraft.

 

I have GTN for p3d and RXP for FSX.

 

GTN is better than RXP IMHO

 

I have no experience with Minstar. But I think they have cheaper official navdata update fees.

Ryan - just help me out here -

1. if the navdata on my rxp unit is newer than the gtn unit, I could simply copy/paste and upgrade the navdata on my gtn?

2. Does the trainer lite for the gnd430/530 have world wide terrain dB, and can that also be used in the gtn product, to substitute the US-only database?

Thx

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Let me jump in here. I believe you have to purchase the trainer cd from either Garmin or a distributor to get worldwide terrain. I believe that Mindstar's main source of revenue is commercial training and high end entertainment. We know what Garmin's business is. We are once again forced to beg due to small volume.

 

I will also be buying one of these units eventually. With Flight1 you get the more complete product. With Mindstar you get up to date data.

 

Personally I find it rather mystifying that they just don't implement the AIRAC the rest of us use and let the product speak for itself. I mean if it works for Aerosoft and it works for PMDG....wait a minute! Product differentiation!

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Let me jump in here. I believe you have to purchase the trainer cd from either Garmin or a distributor to get worldwide terrain. I believe that Mindstar's main source of revenue is commercial training and high end entertainment. We know what Garmin's business is. We are once again forced to beg due to small volume.

 

I will also be buying one of these units eventually. With Flight1 you get the more complete product. With Mindstar you get up to date data.

 

Personally I find it rather mystifying that they just don't implement the AIRAC the rest of us use and let the product speak for itself. I mean if it works for Aerosoft and it works for PMDG....wait a minute! Product differentiation!

Agreed, I was contemplating how/if I could utilize a friend of mine who flies a piper and have the gns installed, of course with navdata updates. Read somewhere that Garmin wouldn't mind if one used those navdata on a personal basis in the sim - not to spread of course... If the format used in the 430/530 is the same as in the 650/750 then that would be a possible (and legal) way to get current navdata (for me, I know). Could of course just try the trainer lite and see if it will accept a newer db file...

 

Mas

Correct. After renaming it to the GTN navdata file. They are different name, same format, from the 530/430 to the 750/650

Splendid - that answer might just made me 65 bucks lighter;-)

 

Edit: would that apply for the terrain database also?

Mas

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Just as an update to the Mindstar 530/430 guages, Ed says that the currently available installers have fixed the 'crash on unload' error, and are now WAAS enabled.

Fr. Bill    

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Can you expand on how one uses the RealityXP data to replace the Garmin 750 data? What files do we port over?

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Just as an update to the Mindstar 530/430 guages, Ed says that the currently available installers have fixed the 'crash on unload' error, and are now WAAS enabled.

 

Glad you gave out the info. I read that it was WAAS, but not having used the product, I didn't want to give out bad information. Perhaps you could help me out. I understand there is a difference between WAAS for approaches and full VNAV. That correct?

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