GTN Thoughts?

[Radial_9]

Have a number of hours in the Bonanza doing pattern work in my backyard KRSW. Took some time but I’m becoming a bit more confident I can actually learn to fly it. You actually fly this AC, if you don’t, you’re in quick trouble. The computer is not flying it, you are. Nice!

I will spare everyone the very long rant about my absolute hatred for the Garmin GPS units in FSX over the years. However, I’m of the mind that before I go too much further afield in my new Bonanza I may want to put one of the newer GTN units in it. Makes sense to equip it the way I will fly it before doing some cross country work. I have downloaded the Garmin trainer and spent some time with it.

Have watched a few of the YouTube vids and read some reviews.

I’m sure this question gets asked over and over here. Please have patience with an old school pilot as he transitions into the modern flight avionics era. VOR’s and NDB’s have served my needs well for many many years. Now that I’m learning the Q400 FMC might as well go “all in” and start learning to fly with bits and pixels rather than cables and levers.

I’m leaning toward the Flight1 dual 750/650 package for the Bonanza. Not sure which will please me most so having a choice seems to make sense.

Are there any issues I need to be dealing with other than RTFM, (over and over for this aging brain)? I see the Bonanza should allow it to just “pop in”. Sounds way to simple to be true.

Thoughts and opinions appreciated. THANKS!

[wothan]

Have a number of hours in the Bonanza doing pattern work in my backyard KRSW. Took some time but I’m becoming a bit more confident I can actually learn to fly it. You actually fly this AC, if you don’t, you’re in quick trouble. The computer is not flying it, you are. Nice!

I will spare everyone the very long rant about my absolute hatred for the Garmin GPS units in FSX over the years. However, I’m of the mind that before I go too much further afield in my new Bonanza I may want to put one of the newer GTN units in it. Makes sense to equip it the way I will fly it before doing some cross country work. I have downloaded the Garmin trainer and spent some time with it.

Have watched a few of the YouTube vids and read some reviews.

I’m sure this question gets asked over and over here. Please have patience with an old school pilot as he transitions into the modern flight avionics era. VOR’s and NDB’s have served my needs well for many many years. Now that I’m learning the Q400 FMC might as well go “all in” and start learning to fly with bits and pixels rather than cables and levers.

I’m leaning toward the Flight1 dual 750/650 package for the Bonanza. Not sure which will please me most so having a choice seems to make sense.

Are there any issues I need to be dealing with other than RTFM, (over and over for this aging brain)? I see the Bonanza should allow it to just “pop in”. Sounds way to simple to be true.

Thoughts and opinions appreciated. THANKS!

Installing the Flight1 GTN's in the A2A Aircraft is really easy. Just use the A2A Aircraft Configurator and select the type of unit(s) You want (650, 750 or both).

I´m not too much of a fan for GPS's either, and find using more old school navigation more challenging and fun, but learning the deeper functions of these units is also challenging and fun.
In the end You don´t have to use the GPS, allthough fitted, if You rather want to train doing dead reckoning or radio navigation.

FinnJ

[Simicro]

Radial_9,

Nice to hear from you after the episode of choosing your A2A aircraft!

wothan said it all. It's that simple.

Me too, I like VOR and NDB navigation but wanted to learn modern avionics and bought a RXP GTN 650 yesterday.

[TreeTops]

Long time user of the F1 GTN 750/650 units and they are very good.

Install is in 2 steps. Running the installer installs the GTN unit. At the end of the install process it will ask you to download the Garmin Trainer so continue on with that. Its a large file to download so be patient.

Using the GTNs is a lot easier than the old 430/530 units as they relied on menus which can be buried 2 and 3 deep.
The new 650/750 units are all touch screen (mouses) and many of the common use items are only 1 touch away, and its all visual on screen and very intuitive.

The 750 is easier to use than the 650 due to its larger screen space but some planes only have space for the 650 (p-51civ and connie) so its still good to have.

At this stage the units are not connected but there has been talk of it happening some time in the future, but I wouldn't let that hold you from buying these units.

[Alan_A]

I'd second the ease of use of the GTN units compared to the older GNS ones - not only because of the menu structure, but also because, in the sim, it's much easier to operate the touchscreen than it is to manipulate the inner and outer knobs using the mouse.

There are many useful tools available that aren't offered in the defaults. The VCALC feature is particularly handy - I rely on it on the Connie and also the PMDG DC-6. Yes, I know, sacrilege, but it does make life a lot easier.

Keep in mind that once the GTN is installed, you can swap it out and go old-school just by clicking the GPS/No GPS toggle in the SHIFT-3 menu. You'd only need to go back tot the aircraft configurator if you wanted to change back to the default GPS or change to some other third-party unit.

In all, I'd say they're a good investment.

[stephan.cote.1]

One thing to consider: I noticed, but latest version of the sim or the f1 GTN got it better, is the CPU cost of the GTN 750/650.. I run an OC 4690K at 4.7 ghz and when flying A2A GA bird in P3D V4.3, with active sky, ORBX it really become noticeable.. not unusual to see 80-95% cpu load on all 4 cores..

Don’t get me wrong, I still highly recommend the GTN combo but I think you really need a solid computer to run both the 650 and 750 at once in the dash (I only do so in the 182)




Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk

[Alan_A]

That could be. I typically use only one unit - generally the 650 - and I don't see a performance hit, but I don't doubt it'd be challenging to run both together.

[TreeTops]

Im still running an old 2600K 7 years old and I have no problems running dual GTNs.

[n421nj]

Get the gtn complete it comes with the 650 and 750 so you can decide which one or both you like. For a touring plane like the bonanza or Comanche a gps is needed. Makes things so much easier. Plus the gtn650 can be used on more A2a planes than the 750

[wothan]

One thing to consider: I noticed, but latest version of the sim or the f1 GTN got it better, is the CPU cost of the GTN 750/650.. I run an OC 4690K at 4.7 ghz and when flying A2A GA bird in P3D V4.3, with active sky, ORBX it really become noticeable.. not unusual to see 80-95% cpu load on all 4 cores..

Don’t get me wrong, I still highly recommend the GTN combo but I think you really need a solid computer to run both the 650 and 750 at once in the dash (I only do so in the 182)




Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk

In the GTN config app, You can change the affinity setting for the GTN's, but personally I never had the requirement to fidle with that.
I see no - or only very little performance impact on my modest system.

FinnJ

[Tyrion]

I really like the GTN as well.
But do remember to exclude the installation folder from your antivirus. It has a tendency of not working otherwise. Took me a while to find why they just wouldn't work for me.

The one thing I do not like about the F1 GTN series is the lack of an updated navigation database. You're subject to what Garmin ships with the trainer, which is still a 2016 database if I'm not mistaken.

Lars

[Radial_9]

Thank you! These comments and opinions help. I'm going to pull the trigger on the F1 GTN750/650 this afternoon.

This may come across as a really dumb question, but I need to ask. Will the GTN, once installed, pop out and enlarge for use once installed in the Bonanza? Kind of like the pop out instruments and the FMC in the Q400 and other AC, they enlarge to use and then drop back into the instrument cluster with a click.

These old eyes just ain't what they used to be. I can always set a view in Chase Plane to zoom in so as to push buttons and twirl dials, but I believe it takes a bit too much focus away from flying. Taking the focus away from what is immediately in your hand (the yoke and the horizon!) in this AC is a non-starter. Even switching the view down a bit to lower the gear or flaps has its issues. Might get easier over time, but not for now.

Yes... No.... ???

Thanks!

Bob

[patful]

Will the GTN, once installed, pop out and enlarge for use once installed in the Bonanza? Kind of like the pop out instruments and the FMC in the Q400 and other AC, they enlarge to use and then drop back into the instrument cluster with a click.

Indeed it does. There's a click spot to trigger the popup version. And I challenge you to a bad eyes throwdown!

[Radial_9]

Simply unbelievable. In less than 15 minutes I rubbed my neck, wrote a check (even after fumble XXXXing around with the new F1 wrapper), downloaded the GTN Complete, installed it, downloaded the Trainer, unzipped into my P3D SS drive, fired up the A2A Configuration tool, chose the GTN, reloaded the AC, pointed the GTN to the trainer AND.... there I sit at KRSW, pretty as a picture on a warm FL day with a shinny new GTN in my AC. Simply unbelievable. All it took was $65 bucks!

In nearly two decades of flightsimming, I do not believe I have EVER seen such a flawless and smooth install of ANYTHING. I can only pray my Crosswinds, due tomorrow from Croatia, go as smooth.

We truly are in the golden age of Flightsimming. Thank you Gents. It's off to the first day of school.

Cheers!

and oh yeah, Pat, I even found the click spot on my own. There's hope!

Bob