Garmin 396 'installation' in the Maule

In article .com,
"Mike Granby" wrote:
Garmin needs to provide a way for us to
get rid of it without voiding the warranty.

Would sticking a steel (or better, soft iron) disk to the antenna help
by keeping the field lines contained? My physics is a bit rusty, but
ISTR it would help...


Didn't seem to help much for the GPS10.


JKG

George, it's always a pleasure getting some Maule-specific advice.
Thanks, several times.

That's the question, will it work thru the fabric?

George Patterson wrote:
Try tucking it up between the headliner and the fabric top of the
fuselage. I had my MBR antenna under the floor boards and it worked well
through the fabric. IIRC, M. Powell has a gps antenna mounted over the
headliner in this way. If it works, you can clamp a mounting plate to
the frame tubes up there.

Jonathan Goodish wrote:

In article , xyzzy
wrote:

I wonder why the GXM-30 has to have view of the sky? The WxWorx antenna
that comes with the ControlVision solution works fine in the side pocket
of a Cherokee. I may try my GXM-30 there just to see what happens.



I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that the XM antenna works while
stowed in the side pocket. I have a difficult time getting a good
signal for weather even when it's on the glare shield, unless it's in
just the right spot.

Are you sure that you aren't getting the antenna and receiver confused?
With the Control Vision solution, they are separate, but the receiver
and antenna are integrated into one unit with the 396.

You may be right on my having the receiver and antenna confused,I'll
have to double check. I read it in an Aviation Consumer article, plus a
pilot I know who has one told me that, but they may have been referring
to the receiver now that I think about it.

It seems to work just fine up there thru fabric and insulation -
perfect! I can get as far away from the compass as the cable allows.
Looks like the magnet naturally finds a crotch a in the tubing to
magnetize itself too.

Maule Driver wrote:
That's the question, will it work thru the fabric?
George Patterson wrote:
Try tucking it up between the headliner and the fabric top of the
fuselage. I had my MBR antenna under the floor boards and it worked
well through the fabric. IIRC, M. Powell has a gps antenna mounted
over the headliner in this way. If it works, you can clamp a mounting
plate to the frame tubes up there.

Maule Driver wrote:
That's the question, will it work thru the fabric?

Depends upon how much aluminum powder is in the primer.

Mike Granby wrote:

Would sticking a steel (or better, soft iron) disk to the antenna help
by keeping the field lines contained?

Don't think so. The steel or iron would become also magnetic, so it might make
the problem worse.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Maule Driver wrote:
It seems to work just fine up there thru fabric and insulation -
perfect! I can get as far away from the compass as the cable allows.
Looks like the magnet naturally finds a crotch a in the tubing to
magnetize itself too.

Great! Just keep it away from the aileron cables.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.

Mike Granby wrote:

Garmin needs to provide a way for us to
get rid of it without voiding the warranty.

Would sticking a steel (or better, soft iron) disk to the antenna help
by keeping the field lines contained? My physics is a bit rusty, but
ISTR it would help...

It would be reduced if the iron formed a closed loop between the North
and South poles.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Jonathan Goodish wrote:

In article , xyzzy
wrote:

I wonder why the GXM-30 has to have view of the sky? The WxWorx antenna
that comes with the ControlVision solution works fine in the side pocket
of a Cherokee. I may try my GXM-30 there just to see what happens.



I'm sorry, but I just don't believe that the XM antenna works while
stowed in the side pocket. I have a difficult time getting a good
signal for weather even when it's on the glare shield, unless it's in
just the right spot.

Are you sure that you aren't getting the antenna and receiver confused?
With the Control Vision solution, they are separate, but the receiver
and antenna are integrated into one unit with the 396.


Followup:

I got reception on the GXM-30 weather antenna with it sitting on my
dining room table, probably 15-20 feet from the nearest window. I
wasn't really expecting it to work; I was sitting there playing with it
and programming in my flight plan for the next day, and to my surprise
weather data started coming in.

In flight I haven't tried sticking the GXM30 into the side pocket of the
Warrior because when I put it on the glareshield (on the far left side,
where the glareshield slopes down sharply so there's probably actually a
good amount of stuff between it and the w-compass -- located there the
top of it was probably pointing out the left side more than up) I got
good reception and it didn't seem to have a noticeable effect on the
w-compass.

With the GPSMAP396 on the yoke mount of a Warrior, I got good GPS
reception without needing to use the external antenna. I hooked it up
and turned it on early in my preflight, by the time I started up it had
full reception and wx data downloaded.

Battery life seems excellent so far, I had it on for about three hours
without plugging it in, and the battery meter still showed at least 7/8
charge

I'm glad I waited to buy until this one came out, and glad I bought it.
Great box!

xyzzy wrote:

I got reception on the GXM-30 weather antenna with it sitting on my
dining room table, probably 15-20 feet from the nearest window. I
wasn't really expecting it to work; I was sitting there playing with it
and programming in my flight plan for the next day, and to my surprise
weather data started coming in.

Ditto for my dining room table. :-) I was surprised that it also was able to get
a GPS position on the dining room table. My Garmin 196 was unable to get a
position with the two of them sitting side-by-side. The 396 seems to have more
sensitive GPS receivers.


In flight I haven't tried sticking the GXM30 into the side pocket of the
Warrior because when I put it on the glareshield (on the far left side,
where the glareshield slopes down sharply so there's probably actually a
good amount of stuff between it and the w-compass -- located there the
top of it was probably pointing out the left side more than up) I got
good reception and it didn't seem to have a noticeable effect on the
w-compass.

Good news. Thanks for that report. I haven't been able to fly with mine yet.

With the GPSMAP396 on the yoke mount of a Warrior, I got good GPS
reception without needing to use the external antenna. I hooked it up
and turned it on early in my preflight, by the time I started up it had
full reception and wx data downloaded.

More good news! My 196 wouldn't work on the yoke of the Mooney without the
external antenna. I'll try out the 396 as soon as I get the plane back from
Sparkchasers.

Battery life seems excellent so far, I had it on for about three hours
without plugging it in, and the battery meter still showed at least 7/8
charge

Now that's really good news. I was concerned about the number of wires. If the
GPS reception is good on the yoke, and the battery life is good enough to leave
it unplugged, then life will indeed be good.


I'm glad I waited to buy until this one came out, and glad I bought it.
Great box!

I agree. Haven't flown with it yet, but it's great for watching Katrina on the
dining room table (that's the hurricane, wise guys).

DGB