I'd keep the 750 and return the 650 - better situational awareness, easier FP entry (I have second monitor too I never touch the GTN charts - they're out of date anyway)

 

Thanks Ryan,

 

I thought about that too, but I am still an old school pilot at heart (and by training).  If it were the real world and had a GTN budget, I would get the whole suite, but I feel the 750 is more than I need...I feel like I am cheating by not using learned skills when I use something like that..  For the sake of a simulator, I am quite comfortable reading HSI, CDI, RMI, ADF, Enroute Chart, Sectional ...etc to determine my position, and I want to maintain those skillsets.  I think the 650 is a reasonable compromise for a stubborn old pilot like me.  B)  It was tough enough to convince myself to move from the clunky old RXP which could take me anywhere in FS, to essentially the same thing with prettier buttons LOL

   

I kind of wish F1 would have sold the 750/650 $60/$40 instead of 50/50, as that would have mirrored the real thing in a sense. 

 

Cheers

TJ

I know what you mean - but I admit the gee whiz stuff is really cool - I actually only run P3D 750 - totally contemplating FSX version too.

I totally understand your thinking, but I would also go for the 750 - so much nicer interface..

 

Like you, I fly the a2a C182 and RealAir Turbine Duke V2 a lot, both equipped with a GTN 750.

 

My Bonanzas each have a GTN 650 in the panel.  The Baron 2X GTN 650.

 

 

This is coming from someone who still uses a flip phone

 

Flippers Unite!   My provider is begging me to switch.. they can kiss my you know what... anything more then 40 bucks a month for phone service is an intellectual crime. I have a desktop computer for havens sake! I don't need my phone to be one with a tiny screen.

 

 

 

flight plans and saved them using the standalone Garmin trainer, then I closed the trainer and copied the contents of GTN1nonvol into the other 2 folders overwriting the existing files. When I loaded the aircraft into the sim the new flight plans I'd made were available in the catalog area of both units and I simply loaded them and flew.

 

Ah-ha! Well done sir... so it's only a matter of time before someone like Plan G will support that file type. That will be my tipping point.

I guess I assumed you already had the GTNs. I'm not sure I'd hold my breath on Plan-G, the files I mentioned are all binaries so someone would need to reverse-engineer the format and develop a compiler of sorts to put the txt based plans into a format the GTNs could read which seems prone to problems to me as they would need to be 100% compatible in order not to break something with the garmin trainer itself. That could potentially create support issues for Flight1 as well as Garmin so I rather doubt a freeware developer would risk it given the relatively low number of folks using the GTN gauges.
 
That said the Garmin trainer itself isn't such a bad flight planning tool. It has a nice graphical interface and "graphically edit flightplan" allows you to drag the pink line to a waypoint, VOR, airport, etc. and then adds it to the flight plan much like the default FSX flight planner. Since it's made for real world use it has some functionality with airways, user-created waypoints, and you can also load departures, arrivals, and approaches and save it as part of your plan.
 
I'm not a hardcore procedures simmer so without actually pretending to know what I'm doing take a look at these screenshots where I've made a flightplan between Boise and Salt Lake City. You can add these published approaches like this and some of these waypoints don't even exist in the default FSX database so therefore they won't be available in Plan-G either without making custom user waypoints. Someone that knows what they're doing could most likely make use of this stuff, I personally have a lot to learn, lol. At any rate there's no reason a person can't download and install the Gramin trainer and have a play without spending a penny as this is all independent of the F1 gauges.
 

 

I totally understand your thinking, but I would also go for the 750 - so much nicer interface..

 

Like you, I fly the a2a C182 and RealAir Turbine Duke V2 a lot, both equipped with a GTN 750.

 

My Bonanzas each have a GTN 650 in the panel.  The Baron 2X GTN 650.

 

I am trying to justify keeping both lol.  If I can avoid getting any other addons for a while I think I can do it.  Easier said than done, I know, but if you think about it, is a redundant instrument any different than getting hangarfulls of airplanes, many of which fly the same kind of mission.  I really do plan on flying the T Duke and 182 alot so the GTN's would get used.

 

As far as the future of GTN, it does appear both A2A and RealAir are getting on board with it, as well as and a lot of other developers.  I did ask at A2A if the Civil Mustang would get GTN650 consideration.  They said they hadn't thought that far ahead, so at least it hasn't been ruled out.  The civil Mustang is a big favorite in the inventory so that will be wonderful it it does eventually get GTN treatnment.

 

 

Cheers

TJ

If anyone's interested, I uploaded a video to YouTube last night containing a very brief overview of the GTN 750 and also a tutorial on how to upgrade the Navdata to the Worldwide version. Hopefully it'll help some people out.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBF6dMsW1v8

Excellent video Ebs!

 

Can someone tell me why when I load a departure procedure it loads with waypoint sequencing suspended? For example clear the flightplan, then hit the home key and go into waypoint info > airports, type KJAC. On the procedures tab select TETON3 then Rwy 19 with the IDA transition. "Load Departure" and then look at the map, you'll see that the OBS button has been replaced with an UNSUSP button and the unit shows "SUSP" in the bottom bar. If you fly this on autopilot with GPS NAV the pink line keeps extending in front of you the further you fly and autopilot will hold you on rwy heading indefinitely(?), if you click the UNSUSP button then the autopilot will put you back on track for KICNE which is the first waypoint in the departure.

 

I don't get it? What's that about? Is it because it's assumed ATC will tell you "fly runway HDG, climb and maintain xx thousand" until they tell you to do something else?

Nice video, but the worldwide upgrade is actually the terrain data.. as correctly featured in the video.

Worldwide navdata is provided in the basic unit.

Oops! can't believe I typed navdata in the post. As you quite rightly pointed out, it's the terrain data. Thanks!

Nice video. Can you tell us how much the disc cost

Thanks

Nice video. Can you tell us how much the disc cost

Thanks

For U.S. customers, it is $25 + shipping. For me that came to $38 delivered. Rather expensive 'shipping and handling' fee that!

Garmin has updated their GTN PC Trainer Lite software from version 2.00.3 to version 5.00.1. The new version is not compatible with Flight1's GTN units but it now includes the worldwide terrain database as well as newer navdata (1405)   

 

I've just installed the new trainer on a second PC and copied the data over to my main PC and it worked as described :smile: 

 

Here is the link: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=5380

Haha typical! 

 

I read that 5.00 has some cool features. Checklists being one of them, I'll have to check it out.

 

Thanks very much for the update Tim! upgrade from 2 to 5 is quite a big one!

Garmin has updated their GTN PC Trainer Lite software from version 2.00.3 to version 5.00.1. The new version is not compatible with Flight1's GTN units but it now includes the worldwide terrain database as well as newer navdata (1405)

 

I've just installed the new trainer on a second PC and copied the data over to my main PC and it worked as described :smile:

 

Here is the link: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=5380

The description at that link still states:

 

"The 'Lite' version of the GTN Trainer provides terrain data only for North and Central America. The full version trainer, which is included with the purchase of a GTN Series product or separately on DVD, includes worldwide terrain and integrated GDU 620 PC Trainer."

 

So, it appears that worldwide terrain data is still not included....unless you can confirm otherwise after downloading it? It doesn't affect me as I already have current nav data and I don't fly outside of the U.S, but others might like to know. Good find, though.