Hi everyone! Sorry, I know this is an old post and I am a new member (usually post on the other xplane forum), but I have a question about the RXP GTN 750/650 databases--- Which AIRAC cycle is the most current? Is it still the one form August 2019? 

Also, I have seen this question asked before, but can't find any good answer for it - I have a real world Garmin 430w in my PA28R-200 Arrow. I have a Garmin subscription that gives me updates every 28 days. I update the 430w via the card writer (download the data via my mac and use the card writer). Can I use this data to update the RXP GTN 750/650 database? 

If not, is there any way to get updated data for the RXP 750/650? I use the xplane 430w for IR practice when I can't fly and need to have up-to-date data. I have a navigraph sub that helps out here. But I would need at least once every few months updates for the RXP 750/650 to make it usable.

Thanks for the help!

4 hours ago, deelee said:

Can I use this data to update the RXP GTN 750/650 database? 

Depends on what files you get with your subscription..

For GTN:

nav_db2.bin can be used for the Garmin GTN Trainer

For GNS:

avtn_db.bin, which is the same file as worldwide.bin, can be used for the Garmin GNS Trainer (just rename as appropriate).

Edited February 14, 20215 yr by Bert Pieke

1 hour ago, Bert Pieke said:

Depends on what files you get with your subscription..

For GTN:

nav_db2.bin can be used for the Garmin GTN Trainer

For GNS:

avtn_db.bin, which is the same file as worldwide.bin, can be used for the Garmin GNS Trainer (just rename as appropriate).

Thanks! Ok, I am not afraid to ask this... because I am old and not savvy with such things... I have never looked at any of the files that are downloaded when I update my real GNS 430w. 

Here is what I do:

I take my laptop to the plane. I use my iPhone to create a hotspot in the hangar. I got to flyGarmin.com and yada yada yada... I follow a bunch of steps that eventually leads me to a button that says " Launch FLYGARMIN Desktop". When I do that, I plug in the Garmin card writer that I bought into the USB drive. I take the card out of the front of the 430w and (carefully) plug it in to the card writer. I click continue and then, after a few progress bars.... garmin desktop says it is all done. I take the card out of the writer and plug it back in to the front of the 430w and then go file IFR and shoot approaches to minimums (lol ok not always). I guess my question is:
Can anyone please tell me how to get the files off of that card and on to my laptop after I do the update. And then to the right place on my PC so that the RXP GTN 750 that I want to buy will be updated with the right nav data for that month? 

Is the nav_db2.bin the file I need for the GTN? If so, how can I get the lates one after updating my 430w card from my subscription?

Thanks all! I really want to buy the RXP GTN750/650, but I need to have a process in place to keep it up-to-date. 

 

Suggest you put the sd card into the sd slot on your laptop and examine the contents with file explorer.

On 2/14/2021 at 5:09 PM, Bert Pieke said:

Suggest you put the sd card into the sd slot on your laptop and examine the contents with file explorer.

I am afraid it does not write to a SD card for 430W files, as it needs a special card writer hardware device to wrote to the 430W datacards.

 

If it would be Jeppesen updates ypu would use Jeppesen Distribuition manager, to "Download Only" the update. That will store a bin file in C:\ProgramData\Jeppesen\Jdm\.jsum\download which you can write with a program like Win32DiskImager to an empty USB stick. Then you can read those files from the USB stick.

Reading from the 430W datacards via the Jeppesen hardware convertor does not seem to be possible.

Perhaps a similar procedure is possible for flyGarmin., but I do not know ehether it can do an intermediate storage to file on your harddisk.

Garmin does not have Europe nav database updates for the 430W, so then you have to use Jeppesen. The other way around Jeppesen has similar databases as Garmin for other parts of the world, so you might need to switch to Jeppesen if you like it to be used for the sim as well.

1 hour ago, PeterBremer said:

Perhaps a similar procedure is possible for flyGarmin., but I do not know ehether it can do an intermediate storage to file on your harddisk.

Yeah, doesn't work. I went to the hangar and updated the 430w card/db last night. While the garmin writer was plugged in to my laptop, I tried to see files on the proprietary card... no luck. Oh well...

I still think I'm going to buy the RXP. Looks like the newest Garmin trainer has AIRAC 2004 so I assume that will work with the RXP software. 

22 hours ago, deelee said:

While the garmin writer was plugged in to my laptop, I tried to see files on the proprietary card... no luck. Oh well...

Prior the files gets copied to the cartridge, there are most likely first downloaded and saved in either the Windows or your user temp folders, otherwise in a Jeppesen and/or Garmin (depending on the tool) working folder (most likely in ProgramData or Documents)

Edited February 16, 20215 yr by RXP

23 hours ago, RXP said:

Prior the files gets copied to the cartridge, there are most likely first downloaded and saved in either the Windows or your user temp folders, otherwise in a Jeppesen and/or Garmin (depending on the tool) working folder (most likely in ProgramData or Documents)

For Jeppesen for sure if you select "Download Only", but is a disk image, so you need to write to a USB drive with Win32Diskimager or so.

No idea how it will be for flyGarmin. I think flyGarmin does not support offline programming a card. But perhaps it stores it somehwre intermediately somewhere as you say.

I think ya'll are right. No way I can figure out how to get the files off. No matter. I picked up the GTN 750 after I had downloaded the latest Garmin trainer which comes with AIRAC 2004. When I installed the RXP GTN 750, it picked up the most up-to-date trainer (and associated nav data) so now at least I have data as of April 2020. Which is good enough for playing around with. 

Once question - are there any tutorials out there for removing the GNS 530 bezel/knobs/buttons and adding the GTN 750 Bezel/knobs/buttons? I was able to easily modify the GTN .ini file for one of my XPlane Aircraft to get the 750 to display on the panel. But it is bounded by the old GNS 530 controls! It works, but it looks funny. I want to add a proper GTN 750 bezel to the 3D panel. I can't find any tutorials on how to do something like this. I assume it involves Blender (which I have, but haven't played with much). 

One comment - this plug in is probably going to be the most expensive plugin ever. Because now that I am flying with in in XP, I want to upgrade our 430w in the Arrow. $10k for the unit plus installation. Thanks a lot!  🙂 

3 hours ago, deelee said:

 

One comment - this plug in is probably going to be the most expensive plugin ever. Because now that I am flying with in in XP, I want to upgrade our 430w in the Arrow. $10k for the unit plus installation. Thanks a lot!  🙂 

Do pay a bit to add baro altitude to the GTN 🙂  It will be worth it for enroute VNAV.