6 hours ago, RXP said:

Hi, you may find this information at least on our website main page:

Jean-Luc, From your and other's posts and links it appears that the RXP GTN database is very up to date and includes the small airports I in the database that I have been inquiring about. Would you tell me what type (world wide or regional) and version(date) database the RXP GNS series comes with? The only GNS trainer I found on the Garmin website is from 2009.

Thank you,

Ted 

23 minutes ago, Ted Striker said:

I did not see on the RXP product website or the pinned forum topics any mention of what type or version of database the GNS comes with or if/how it can be upgraded. Hence all my newbie questions. The website says GNS version 3.3 but it is not clear if that is the RXP version or one of the Garmin Trainer version numbers.

Hi,

As for GNS DB questions, there is a 110msg/19900+views discussion pinned in our forum here with lot's of information, questions and answers:

 

 

As for the version numbers, I'm sorry if this is confusing. Let me try to further explain:

The Reality XP website says: New Garmin GNS Trainer with GPS software 3.3 integrated navigator

Please note: this is the GNS trainer which is referenced in this sentence. Furthermore, the GPS software version included in this trainer is v3.3. We often call this trainer: GNS Trainer 3.3 to make it shorter, but this is still a reference to the trainer.

The Reality XP GNS V2 version number is irrelevant, unless you just want to make sure you have installed the latest version, or, you'd like to read how much work and how many updates we publish over time, in our 'Release Notes' discussion here:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/534861-rxp-gns-530w430w-v2-fltsim-v245-released/ (GNS V2 FltSim)
https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/534860-rxp-gtn-750650-touch-fltsim-v2510-released/ (GTN FltSim)

 

 

 

9 minutes ago, Ted Striker said:

The only GNS trainer I found on the Garmin website is from 2009.

@Ted Striker Ok I get where the confusion comes from. Please see my link above (re: GNS DB discussion), then review my comment about the G600 DB, then review the couple few messages starting from here:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/546848-rxp-gns-530w430w-v2-database-update/?page=3&tab=comments#comment-3721185

This discussion sounds like the tree hiding the forest kind of situation isn't it? Just read, don't assume, you'll like what you find...

 

As for your specific DB cycle question, again, it is already in the DB discussion (well a DB discussion is meant for this isn't it)? See the following link to my post, and while you're at it, my other post a few messages up this one:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/546848-rxp-gns-530w430w-v2-database-update/?page=5&tab=comments#comment-3941958

@fppilot see my first link in this post 😉

 

Edited December 20, 20187 yr by RXP

You know? Back in the days of paper charts and IAP's all I needed to do was drop my a local airport's pilot lounge and ask for somewhat non-current discards.  Worked like a charm.....  Could that not work for say just-over-one-year-old digital updates?  I used to ride along with a GNS equipped C310 pilot friend who has left that charter job and moved out of state.  Dang it!

My most current paper is now late 2012 (LOL)!

Edited December 20, 20187 yr by fppilot

1 hour ago, RXP said:

Please see my link above (re: GNS DB discussion),

I've read though all your linked threads Jean. Now I understand why I feel like I've been asking questions at the CIA's headquarters!

I was going to purchase all four GPSs but I think I will pass on the GNS series and just get the GTNs. The GTNs appears to be complete and relatively up to date. The GNSs would be more appropriate for my smallest GA aircraft but I also want a database that I can use with current charts and while this may be achievable it does not appear to easy or cost effective.

Thanks,

Ted

6 minutes ago, fppilot said:

Back in the days of paper charts and IAP's all I needed to do was drop my a local airport's pilot lounge and ask for somewhat non-current discards.

Back in the day I used to use my expired charts for flight simming. I stopped flying before this digital evolution started which is why I'm still comfortable flying the steam gauges and all this GNS/GTN is a new language I'm trying to learn.  

Ted

Both GPS have their virtues!

I like the GNS a lot as I can quickly go to essential tasks related to navigation with just a few button press. I also realize it is becoming second nature after 16 years offering GNS simulation products LOL.

In addition, the GNS V2 has a very small footprint (both the device screen/bezel and the trainer process) which makes it perfect fit for any kind of computer/aircraft/simulator combination.

Last but not least, it also includes the GPS500 which is the perfect device to fir any default FltSim aircraft, because they all have at least the sock GPS500 included in any FltSim to date.

The GTN is certainly better at handling the task of entering flight plans on the screen, along with the additional of Visual Approaches Assistance (since trainer 6.41) and VNAV mode (since trainer 6.50). It is also more capable in displaying more information to the screen but at the same time I find the display sometimes too cluttered.

The GTN trainer process is more demanding but we manage to tame it so that it is not impacting the simulator performance, and our unique R&D makes pan-and-touch a butter smooth experience, regardless you display 1 GTN on one popup window, or 2 GTN on 4 popup windows each!

Ultimately, you'd want them all... 😉

9 minutes ago, Ted Striker said:

this may be achievable it does not appear to easy or cost effective

Not easy as click-and-set, but certainly you may want to re-read the posts linked above... especially the one for which I say "then review the couple few messages starting from here"

Edited December 20, 20187 yr by RXP

4 minutes ago, Ted Striker said:

I've read though all your linked threads Jean. Now I understand why I feel like I've been asking questions at the CIA's headquarters!

I was going to purchase all four GPSs but I think I will pass on the GNS series and just get the GTNs. The GTNs appears to be complete and relatively up to date. The GNSs would be more appropriate for my smallest GA aircraft but I also want a database that I can use with current charts and while this may be achievable it does not appear to easy or cost effective.

Thanks,

Ted

 

Happy for you that you have reached a decision. 

Question? What charts are you using?  I do not use paper any longer.  I do use both Fltplan Go IOS app and the associated FltPlan.com website and also Skyvector.  Using 1513 when I fly with GNS equipped models I am unable to recall a mismatch between the charts and the GNS. 

I fly exclusively GA and my GNS equipped aircraft are mostly light singles that I fly into smaller airports.  Corvallis and Troutdale, Oregon, St George, UT, and Goodyear and Grand Canyon, AZ are examples, as well as State College and Williamport, Pa.  The other GNS equipped aircraft I fly use GNS because of panel limitations.

Sim flight-wise I am currently in San Juan, PR.  When I looked for approach information for an interim stop in the Turk Islands area I was amazed that an RXP GNS had more current approach selections than the most current I could find online.  MBPV was my destination.

19 minutes ago, RXP said:

I like the GNS a lot as I can quickly go to essential tasks related to navigation with just a few button press. I also realize it is becoming second nature after 16 years offering GNS simulation products LOL. 

Let me add something to that as a 10 year user of your GNS product.  That C310 pilot I referred to often delegated some GNS functions to me during flight, using his unit 2. He was so amazed at my proficiency that unit 1 started to feel my touches.

Funny short story, Jean Luc. You may recall that with v2 I was all over you to gain back legacy knob controls. Thank you for accomplishing those.  The reason in the background is that I had gained so much efficiency in my timing when mouse-tuning letters with the knobs, that I found myself going either too slow or too fast in the IRL units. Of course there were the effects of bumpy flights and g-loads during turns that contributed, by I got more than a couple of laughs out of it.

I use the GTN's in my twins with more sophistication designed into the panels, those such as the TDv2, Beech Baron 58, and 421 Golden Eagle, but I just cannot get beyond GNS in single engine Cessna models, the Mooney 201, or the great Beech B55 Baron where I learned with all analog.  GNS is just more of a fit there.  I fly two versions of the Milviz 310 Redux, one with GTN and one with a pair of GNS.

Edited December 20, 20187 yr by fppilot

3 minutes ago, fppilot said:

What charts are you using?

I do not use paper charts anymore as I haven't flown a real aircraft in 15 years. I do not even know if they still print paper charts. For flight simming I use skyvector.com for flight planning and charts on a second computer and screen. It is good to know that the 1513 database is still fairly agreeable with the current charts and I thank you for mentioning that. I wanted to get the GNS series as I thought that the GTN series may not fit as well in my single engine GA aircraft. I just going to try and shoehorn in the GTN 650 if possible. I've been doing fine with the default G500 but I am getting tired of dealing with the mismatch with the old database in the sim. I was just going to update the sim database and call it good but if the 1513 database matches the current charts fairly well then maybe I'll reconsider the GNS series.

Ted

Despite the great sale that is underway. If your budget is a key issue then I suggest you evaluate the panel options that are convenient to use for each aircraft you routinely fly and balance that out as best you can.  Among the GNS and GTN gauges there are in my opinion (3) different physical sizes to to deal with.  The GNS430 and GTN650 are close to, if not the same size.  The GNS 530 is the same width, but taller, the GTN 750 taller yet.  Take a look at your most oft used aircraft and see which size fits more often.

 

 

Most quality third party GA craft will support the GNS430, GNS530 and GTN750 in the virtual cockpit.

In reality you're most likely to see the GNS models purely because they've been around longer. They do look better in a steam panel too as they're smaller.

I own both units as of today and if you're on a budget I'd say get the GTN750 as it is more capable, displays more data, far easier to use, has a newer nav database and is much quicker to programme IFR routes into. Also a lot of the smaller airliners like the Carenado S340, Do228 etc support it in the virtual cockpit. The 650 does not seem as common and my experience with 430/530 tells me the extra screen space of the 750 is very handy.

The GNS are still useful for authenticity to real life fitments and training to use it in reality. But I can't see me going back to it much.

Edited December 21, 20187 yr by ckyliu

1 hour ago, fppilot said:

The reason in the background is that I had gained so much efficiency in my timing when mouse-tuning letters with the knobs, that I found myself going either too slow or too fast in the IRL units.

Spot on! Now that I read you saying this, I can relate this to my own experience as well and finally put words on it.