i have the Mindstar GNS 430/530 because it uses
the RealNav data - so we are using current approach plates
rather than 7 years old procedures. There have been many
changes to approach procedures since then.
Using old
approaches is not so critical in the SIM environment perhaps
but if we are to use current charts and approaches we need
a current nav database.
Probably our thinking/expectations have been influenced by
our use of reality xp with ILS and vertical guidance
approaches. The reality xp GPS will do ILS and LPV approaches
with the Bendix/King
autopilot and in the ILS case will switch automatically
from GPS to VLOC and acquire the glideslope quite
early, say at initial approach fix. In the LPV case we must
manually select APR once on approach. It is a GPS approach
so GPS remains selected on the GPS.
But apparently it does the approaches because of a few
hacks - 'workaround a bug in the Garmin Trainer to enable automatic
GPS->VLOC during ILS approach'. It also switches autopilot to APR
mode', links the CDI and the Garmin trainer.
For the C172 the Mindstar GNS acquires the glideslope quite
late in the procedure - at the outer marker but this is
normal in a real world situation. The approach plate will
indicate an initial fix and altitude but the glideslope
will be above that so that if we make our initial fix
higher the Mindstar GNS will acquire the glideslope at
a higher altitude. This works in the A2A C182. It would be
good for the Mindstar VOR to show heading on mouse over.
joe