Garmin 430 rquestion- does the approach always have to be activated via "activate approach"?

Terence,

It sounds like the only
purpose of activation is to set the IAF as the active waypoint.


Hmm. You have me very confused now. What's wrong with the IAF, if
that's where the full approach starts (you mentioned no RV)?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On Sat, 16 Feb 2008 18:49:42 +0100, Thomas Borchert
wrote:

Terence,

It sounds like the only
purpose of activation is to set the IAF as the active waypoint.


Hmm. You have me very confused now. What's wrong with the IAF, if
that's where the full approach starts (you mentioned no RV)?

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Well suppose I am enroute and approaching the SGD VOR. At this point I
am getting close to my destination and want to setup the KCCR VOR
approach which starts at the CCR IAF. If I load and activate the
approach a megenta line will immediately be drawn from my present
position to CCR. Want I want is the route SGD, CCR ... KCCR.

Terence,

Well suppose I am enroute and approaching the SGD VOR. At this point I
am getting close to my destination and want to setup the KCCR VOR
approach which starts at the CCR IAF. If I load and activate the
approach a megenta line will immediately be drawn from my present
position to CCR. Want I want is the route SGD, CCR ... KCCR.


I see. In that case, what's wrong with loading the procedure and then
waiting with activation until passing SGD.

Also, upon rereading the 430 manual I noticed that activating
vectors-to-final will always get you to the FAF. I could find no mention
of the automatic activation mentioned by someone. However, automatic CDI
switching (to VLOC) will only happen on an activated procedure, it
seems.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Thomas Borchert wrote:
Terence,


Well suppose I am enroute and approaching the SGD VOR. At this point I
am getting close to my destination and want to setup the KCCR VOR
approach which starts at the CCR IAF. If I load and activate the
approach a megenta line will immediately be drawn from my present
position to CCR. Want I want is the route SGD, CCR ... KCCR.



I see. In that case, what's wrong with loading the procedure and then
waiting with activation until passing SGD.

Also, upon rereading the 430 manual I noticed that activating
vectors-to-final will always get you to the FAF. I could find no mention
of the automatic activation mentioned by someone. However, automatic CDI
switching (to VLOC) will only happen on an activated procedure, it
seems.

VLOC is only for ILS and LOC, not RNAV

Sam,

VLOC is only for ILS and LOC, not RNAV


I know. However, procedure activation is treated as standard in the
manual, contrary to what you alluded to. There is no mention of
"automatic activation" I could find. Could you kindly point me to it?


--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Thomas Borchert wrote:
Sam,


VLOC is only for ILS and LOC, not RNAV



I know. However, procedure activation is treated as standard in the
manual, contrary to what you alluded to. There is no mention of
"automatic activation" I could find. Could you kindly point me to it?


No, there is no approach activation for ILS or LOC. Approach
activation, as defined for *RNAV* occurs 2 miles from the FAF. When you
select a LOC or ILS, you instead receive an advisory message cautioning
you that RNAV is for monitoring only.

Sam,

When you
select a LOC or ILS, you instead receive an advisory message cautioning
you that RNAV is for monitoring only.


Yes, but you can (and should, per the manual) activate them. So the
question remains, what exactly does that do? In my experience, it starts
both sequencing of the waypoints in the procedure and the change in CDI
sensitivity. And from my experience, same goes for an RNAV approach. The
430 just continues to fly the original flightplan if you don't make it fly
the approach - by activating it.



--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On 02/16/08 10:46, Thomas Borchert wrote:
Terence,

Well suppose I am enroute and approaching the SGD VOR. At this point I
am getting close to my destination and want to setup the KCCR VOR
approach which starts at the CCR IAF. If I load and activate the
approach a megenta line will immediately be drawn from my present
position to CCR. Want I want is the route SGD, CCR ... KCCR.


I see. In that case, what's wrong with loading the procedure and then
waiting with activation until passing SGD.

Also, upon rereading the 430 manual I noticed that activating
vectors-to-final will always get you to the FAF. I could find no mention
of the automatic activation mentioned by someone. However, automatic CDI
switching (to VLOC) will only happen on an activated procedure, it
seems.

... and the localizer frequency must be in the active window -FYI.


--
Mark Hansen, PP-ASEL, Instrument Airplane, USUA Ultralight Pilot
Cal Aggie Flying Farmers
Sacramento, CA

Mark,

... and the localizer frequency must be in the active window -FYI.


Yep, but the unit will remind you to put it there 3 (?) miles from the
FAF.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

On Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:46:19 +0100, Thomas Borchert
wrote:

Terence,

Well suppose I am enroute and approaching the SGD VOR. At this point I
am getting close to my destination and want to setup the KCCR VOR
approach which starts at the CCR IAF. If I load and activate the
approach a megenta line will immediately be drawn from my present
position to CCR. Want I want is the route SGD, CCR ... KCCR.


I see. In that case, what's wrong with loading the procedure and then
waiting with activation until passing SGD.

Not really biggie, but it seems redundant. Why am I activating? What
does it do? I just passed SGD and I'm en route to CCR with a nice
magenta line plotted between the two. Activating the approach will
redraw a magenta line from my current position to CCR.

As I said, I'm confused about what "activate" actually does. Is it
just a shortcut to get me on the approach or does it put the 430 into
some sort of magical approach mode? Or to put it another way, if I
load but don't activate, am I missing something?



Also, upon rereading the 430 manual I noticed that activating
vectors-to-final will always get you to the FAF.

One of the annoyances of VTF is that it erases all the waypoints
before the FAF. I'm not that experienced, but when ATC has given me
vectors, it's usually to a fix before the FAF. The bottom line is I
don't use VTF, it's safer to pick an IAF, and then activate the
appropriate leg manually once ATC has issued vectors onto the
published approach.


I could find no mention
of the automatic activation mentioned by someone. However, automatic CDI
switching (to VLOC) will only happen on an activated procedure, it
seems.

I'll have to read about that. I wasn't aware that the unit
automatically switches from VLOC to GPS or vice versa.