AviationBanter - View Single Post - KLN94 updates with Sandisk writer - unit-specific?

Peter Clark · January 29th 06, 06:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.ifr,rec.aviation.misc

On Sun, 29 Jan 2006 17:19:10 +0000, wrote:

Peter Clark wrote

Using the serial cable to the front of the GPS doesn't make the card
unit-specific either.

The download asks you for the GPS data key, not the serial number.
That key is *card* specific.

That's news to me. Admittedly I have never done this (I have been
purchasing flash cards from BK, returning the old one to them each
time) but looking at the instructions for the downloading process it
looks like the key I have to enter is specific to the KLN94, not the
flash card plugged into it.

What you say suggests each flash card is serialised and it is this
number (or a function of it) that appears in the appropriate KLN94
screen. Is this correct?

That's the deal.

However, can I download the software, write one card (say using the
Sandisk writer), then download the software again and write another
card (if I have a spare card)? Let's say I pay for a 28-day
subscription; can I write the same cycle to two cards?

No. Once you generate your file on their website, it's only good for
that one card.

Could you write the *same* cycle (say 09/05) to two different flash
cards? As I've mentioned I have a spare flash card, from BK.

Yes and no. Yes, you can write the one cycle to as many cards as you
have download credits to burn up. No, you cannot use the *same*
downloaded file (generated against the first cards key) and put it on
multiple cards.

I am aware the cards are modified so they cannot be simply duplicated
in a conventional compact flash writer.

I guess I'm not sure why you would want to? The likelihood of the
card frying is pretty infinitesimal compared to the likelihood of the
unit frying, and you can take that already written card and put it in
the replacement unit. In over 3 years of helping take care of 15
different aircrafts KLN94 databases, I've only seen one defective card
(and it wasn't one that was once working and subsequently died, it
came in the monthly update envelope bad). I've seen 5 different GPS
units replaced though....

In the event that a working card did fry, I would call Wingman and
explain the situation to them and get another download credited to the
account so you could re-generate the current cycle and download it to
the spare card, but their intended use for the spare card is to get
the next cycle at home, and just carry the card out to the aircraft,
not to have two cards running around with the same cycle. From their
point of view, the only reason you'd always (rather than a one-time
"help me" event) want to have two cards with the exact same cycle
running around at the exact same time would be your possession of
multiple GPS units, which would require multiple licenses (and thus
appropriate downloads charged to your account).