Garmin Gauges in FSX which is the best

[Illegitimi non carborundum 4]

Hi AllWe now have quite a few software companies offering various "navigation" eg GPS gauges for FSXFor Instance:Friendly Panels Navigation Pack plus others;Simflyer GNS-X series plus othersEaglesoft Avionics Expansion PackReality XP GNS WAAS seriesWhile thay may differ in the gauges they offer the one common factor in that they all offer variants of the Garmin 530/430 GPS series.Has anyone compared these gauges for:1. Ease of Installation particularly into the VC?2. Ease of use? (are they "fiddly"?3. Effect on frame rates if any?4. Integration with 3rd party flight planners?5. The most realistic in real world terms?6. Cost ie value for money7. Work with FSX SP28. Better than the default 500/295?9. Any other significant parameterIt would be interesting to see what other simmers feel about these new gauges.Peter Hayes

[Manny 1,293]

Reality XP GNS WAAS series is Real.Nothing else matters ..for me. I fly for real..And I do not use anything else..cause I don't want to confuse myself, when I am there doing the real thing.If reality is not what you are looking for or you are not going to be using the real thing in real flying.. Default one that comes with FSX is sufficient. Its already been paid for as part of FSX.Manny

[Geofa 108]

I second Manny....nothing better than real! (Reality xp garmin)...with Waas-waas is something I don't have in my kln94 but can learn about in the sim. Really nice to have a real working gps even though a different make-they are fairly similar.GeofaMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[Guest dougwells]

My vote is for Reality XP as well. I own RXP430 & 530. Both WAAS. I also own the Eaglesoft Expansion pack. I'm a real world pilot and having the RXP duplicate the real thing click for click is critically important to me. I am enjoying Eaglesoft's Sandel 3308 (EHSI...very cool DG with moving map and other features) as well as their Sandel Electionic AI. However for the 430/530, no question RXP is my gauge of choice.None of the units that I know of will currently export the flight plan you build in the unit into FSX's default flight plan.I too will be interested in what others has experienced.

[Guest SkullxBones]

Reality XP GNS WAAS series are excellent. They are probably as real as you are going to get. The only thing missing is the ability to capture the glidesope in LPV, but this will probably be worked out.

[Guest UlfB]

Reality XP GNS 430/530 WAAS Ulf B

[jmig 100]

In my opinion the Reality XP Garmin series is overkill for the vast majority of flight simmers. Please don't misunderstand me. The RXP is the most realistic GPS made for FS9/FSX. It is just that most simmers will not use or learn all of it's functions.The main reason for this is the device's real world complicity and, the flight sim's clumsiness in operating the GPS. Add that to the human reluctance to learn something that takes effort and you see why even real pilots often fail to fully understand and use their real world GPS. The first section of the Garmin product book is the "Quick Takeoff" section, which gives a quick overview on operating the system. According to articles and blurbs I have read in AOPA, AVWeb and other pilot publications this is all many pilots read.Now move this into FS9/FSX where 90% of the users aren't real world pilots. How many of us, besides Manny, Geofa and Doug, RL pilots all, have ever used the "NRST" to find and land at an airport, or the NAVCOM section to find and select radio freqs? Not many. The average flight simmer allows FS9/FSX to set the radios.Then there is the clumsiness of the FS9/FSX interface. Unless you have something like Go-Flight modules set to emulate the GPS functions it is a pain to input a flight plan or ever worst, try to operate it while flying. I bought the FS9 version of the RXP Garmin 430/530 GPS. It took me 15 mins. the first time to try and enter the flight plan. I had trouble getting the knobs to turn correctly with the mouse. Try doing that to find a new location in the air while flying. I am assuming the FSX version operates in the same manner, if not, someone correct me.So, as I started. I think the average simmer will not use all or many of the advance features of the RXP system. He or she will want to input a flight plan from FSX or maybe RadarContact and be on their merry way. If so, buy the Eaglesoft version or the Friendly Panels, or which ever one you like the best.

[brucek 38]

I would add my support to the RXP GNS units, they are the nearest thing to real for a GPS that you can get. They even use the Garmin simulator to integrate into a product that in turn integrates with FSX.If you are a real pilot, or even if not- being able to quickly utilize the GPS is something (due to it's vast commplexity) that many real pilots struggle with. It's the most complicated device in most real panels.I also hear John, and yes- FSX is something different to everyone. Some people yearn to passengers and just want to look at a wing, others yearn to be B744 captains. Some just want a realistic GA aircraft that we can precatice real life procedures on.Bruce.

[McCrash 3]

>Reality XP GNS 430/530 WAAS >>Ulf BNice unit but it has no option to load up the FSX flight plan.As well as the hard way they should have also made the easy way.

[Guest SkullxBones]

With Reality XP you have to input the flight plan, just like the real one, and you can save it so you can recall it again without having to input it again.

[N400QW 205]

Since we are mentioned we would like to say few things about the various Garmin systems available for FS.All FS GNS systems currently available rely on the FS database and the sim variables available for the GPS operation.The only exception that we are aware of is the RXP unit which relies on the Garmin Trainer system and its data running in the background in order to obtain a level of realism that unavailable to systems which do not rely on the Garmin Trainer in the background.As has already been mentioned there are a large number of flightsim enthusiast who prefer one approach over the other. Both solutions have a number of benefits and drawbacks but at the end of the day the consumer has choices and that, in our view, is a good thing :-)

[brucek 38]

You said what I was trying to say, but much better Ron :)Thanks, Bruce.

[N400QW 205]

We try Bruce...I know a guy who who spent nearly 50K on a 530/430/audio panel/trnsponder and music system for his Baron.I flew right seat from IL to Charlotte and back and all he chose to use was Direct To even after we we were routed off course for traffic at departure.As far as I know, he never built a flight plan for as long as he owned the aircraft. :-)

[Rimshot 1,131]

Reality XP for me too. It doesn't come closer to the real thing. Apart from all that has been said before I like the fact the RXP units actually display what the real units would do on the map, because they rely on the trainer running in the background. So in mapview you get the option to show roads and railways, or the names of the towns and cities, just to name a few examples. All the other mentioned Garmins rely on the FS GPS system; therefore their mapdisplay isn't quite realistic compared to the real units.

[StamPilot 4]

>Reality XP GNS 430/530 WAAS >+ one vote here