Bendix King's worthless GPS loader software

Okay, it's not actually totally worthless, because I DID manage to
update my KLN-94 GPS database via an internet download and the gps
loader software available on the bendixking.com website. But it's kinda
close to worthless in my opinion.

First, I have to comment and say that the Bendix King "Wingman" site
needs some serious help. (Anyone listening over there?) I've built
websites for a living in the past and this one exhibited just about
every user interface flaw known to man. It took me some time to
understand how and why I needed to create an account in order to
download products, then more time to actually find the correct product I
needed, and then it got a lot worse - trying to actually buy and
download subscription updates. That website is in BAD shape! It all
makes sense in retrospect, but not in the process of trying to
understand it.

But I got to that point where I was downloading the product and
installing the GPS loader software. Then something bad happened -
somehow some .DLLs in my Windows 98 OS got mangled by the install.
(Somehow, I knew that would happen.) And of all things, it trashed my
email, which I use for both work and personal communication. The GPS
loader in conjunction with the data uplink cable successfully updated
the GPS, which is a GOOD thing, but now I want my computer back to its
original state. Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just me? Why
the heck is my computer all screwed up just from installing the Bendix
King GPS Loader?

-Ryan

"Ryan Ferguson" wrote:

First, I have to comment and say that the Bendix King "Wingman" site
needs some serious help. (Anyone listening over there?) I've built
websites for a living in the past and this one exhibited just about
every user interface flaw known to man.

This is the new "improved" site. It was much more usable until about three
months ago when they fixed it. I think they used the same contractor that
is handing e-mail to the White House.


But I got to that point where I was downloading the product and
installing the GPS loader software. Then something bad happened -
somehow some .DLLs in my Windows 98 OS got mangled by the install.

Well there you go. Shame on you for not upgrading to Windows 2000.


Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just me? Why
the heck is my computer all screwed up just from installing the Bendix
King GPS Loader?

I went through hell trying to keep that monstrosity working on my Macintosh
with VirtualPC and a USB-to-Serial adapter. After a year and many nearly
dead aircraft batteries and wasted hours and delayed departures, I bought a
POS PC laptop for $300, proving that two wrongs do indeed make a right.
(The only problem with the VirtualPC solution is that the transfer protocol
is excessively timing dependent.)

"Ryan Ferguson" wrote:
First, I have to comment and say that the Bendix King "Wingman" site
needs some serious help. (Anyone listening over there?) I've built
websites for a living in the past and this one exhibited just about
every user interface flaw known to man. It took me some time to
understand how and why I needed to create an account in order to
download products, then more time to actually find the correct product I
needed, and then it got a lot worse - trying to actually buy and
download subscription updates. That website is in BAD shape!

Yes, it exerts an extreme negative static pressure. My company is a customer
of Honeywell's Commercial Division, whose web site is just as bad. At a
customers' roundtable in Minneapolis last week we all bitched mightily about
it. The Honeywell guys acted surprised.

But I got to that point where I was downloading the product and
installing the GPS loader software. Then something bad happened -
somehow some .DLLs in my Windows 98 OS got mangled by the install.
(Somehow, I knew that would happen.) And of all things, it trashed my
email, which I use for both work and personal communication. The GPS
loader in conjunction with the data uplink cable successfully updated
the GPS, which is a GOOD thing, but now I want my computer back to its
original state. Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just me? Why
the heck is my computer all screwed up just from installing the Bendix
King GPS Loader?

I can't explain that, Ryan. I've installed and run it on two different
laptops with no problems. One is a W95 Compaq, the other is a W98 IBM.
However, neither of these machines is used for email.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Why
the heck is my computer all screwed up just from installing the Bendix
King GPS Loader?

For the same reason that I lost MY email and wireless connectivity on my
Compaq laptop after installing the JPI EDM-700 software.

I swear, if it says "aviation" on it ANYWHERE -- whether it's software,
hardware, or service -- you can expect nothing but trouble.

Well, except at our inn, of course...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

What, you don't like the tiny little "click here to download" button? Or the
fact that this button is buried under about five layers of menus, none of
which explicitly tell you how to get to the download page? Or the threats
that if you use the back button on your browser that you will mess up your
subscription?

And you don't like the software, either? Just because its progress bar
freezes and the upload program appears to have stopped when in fact it has
not?

Whassa matter with you?

Could be worse. I also own a UPSAT MX-20. Try to find out on their web site
how to buy a database update.

First, I will agree that the new Wingman website leaves a lot to be
desired. E-mails and phone calls to Bendix-King basically says that's
the site. I explained there is too much navigation to get to the
download page. It is not user friendly.

However, I have been using the simple GPS Downloader software for
several years for my KLN 89/B and it works fine. When I heard they had
software to just program the card for the 90 (or 94) I check with Bendix
and they didn't have anything for the 89B. So I will continue to take my
laptop to the plane to program the GPS. I really have no problems with
the downloader.

Ryan Ferguson wrote:

Okay, it's not actually totally worthless, because I DID manage to
update my KLN-94 GPS database via an internet download and the gps
loader software available on the bendixking.com website. But it's kinda
close to worthless in my opinion.

First, I have to comment and say that the Bendix King "Wingman" site
needs some serious help. (Anyone listening over there?) I've built
websites for a living in the past and this one exhibited just about
every user interface flaw known to man. It took me some time to
understand how and why I needed to create an account in order to
download products, then more time to actually find the correct product I
needed, and then it got a lot worse - trying to actually buy and
download subscription updates. That website is in BAD shape! It all
makes sense in retrospect, but not in the process of trying to
understand it.

But I got to that point where I was downloading the product and
installing the GPS loader software. Then something bad happened -
somehow some .DLLs in my Windows 98 OS got mangled by the install.
(Somehow, I knew that would happen.) And of all things, it trashed my
email, which I use for both work and personal communication. The GPS
loader in conjunction with the data uplink cable successfully updated
the GPS, which is a GOOD thing, but now I want my computer back to its
original state. Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just me? Why
the heck is my computer all screwed up just from installing the Bendix
King GPS Loader?

-Ryan


Ryan Ferguson wrote:

Okay, it's not actually totally worthless, because I DID manage to
update my KLN-94 GPS database via an internet download and the gps
loader software available on the bendixking.com website. But it's kinda
close to worthless in my opinion.

First, I have to comment and say that the Bendix King "Wingman" site
needs some serious help. (Anyone listening over there?) I've built
websites for a living in the past and this one exhibited just about
every user interface flaw known to man. It took me some time to
understand how and why I needed to create an account in order to
download products, then more time to actually find the correct product I
needed, and then it got a lot worse - trying to actually buy and
download subscription updates. That website is in BAD shape! It all
makes sense in retrospect, but not in the process of trying to
understand it.

But I got to that point where I was downloading the product and
installing the GPS loader software. Then something bad happened -
somehow some .DLLs in my Windows 98 OS got mangled by the install.
(Somehow, I knew that would happen.) And of all things, it trashed my
email, which I use for both work and personal communication. The GPS
loader in conjunction with the data uplink cable successfully updated
the GPS, which is a GOOD thing, but now I want my computer back to its
original state. Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just me? Why
the heck is my computer all screwed up just from installing the Bendix
King GPS Loader?

-Ryan