480 vs 430/G1000

As a CFI I have a good amount of experience with the G1000 and 430
systems so I thought I ought to sit down with the 480 and try it out.
Partly because I may buy one, but partly because there is a good chance
as a Mooney CFI I will run into a student with such a unit. I guess I
was pretty shocked at the differences. This certainly is not an
evolution between the units. In fact, the G1000's nav system seems to
be taken right out of the 430 but the 480 is entirely different. My
first impressions were...

1) I *REALLY* like the airways. I've written to Garmin on many
occasions complaining about the lack of airways in their units for
those of us that thread the mountains out west.

2) Holding. The holding abilities of the 480 make the 430/G1000 look
like a toy! Its awesome. I really like the "arbitrary hold" where you
can make a hold out of any fix, just like in a real FMS. You program
the direction of the hold, then length (in nm or min) and the course
and it sets it up. Also, it will drive you around the hold and even
intercept an element of the hold (you don't have to first cross the
holding fix). The 430/G1000 won't do any of that. When you hit a hold
in the G1000/430 the system just suspends and drives off into nowhere
(expecting that you will switch the autopilot to heading mode,
althought the Cessna factory CFIs told us with the G1000/KAP140 system
they just muscle around the hold).

3) I think there will be a larger ramp up time for students with the
480. In the 430 and G1000 I can sit down with a student behind the unit
and describe for them how to navigate the pages, use the cursor, etc in
about 10-20 minutes. The 480 relies heavily on softkeys. That
introduces another layer of complexity. Now the first question is going
to be "how do I get the button to come up". Even setting nav/com
requires the use of softkeys.

4) For a pilot proficient in the 430, I don't think it will take more
than a couple of hours to come up to IFR proficiency in the 480. The
basic functionality is the same and the approach to problems is the
same. However, for the non-GPS-IFR pilot, it will probably take a
longer to learn.

5) All in all, these units are highly intuitive compared to what we
used to have. I always got a bit of anxiety when a student would call
me to fly with him and tell me he had some sort of odd King IFR GPS.
You almost couldn't fly those units w/o the manual. The Apollos were
not much better.

6) I wonder what Garmin's future direction will be. They obviously
decided to base the new G1000 on the 430. Will they use the 480 code
moving forward, will they merge the code, etc???

I understand the 480 came for UPS, I wonder if they bought it because
they wanted the technology or because they didn't want the competition.

-Robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:
In fact, the G1000's nav system seems to
be taken right out of the 430 but the 480 is entirely different. My
first impressions were...




3) I think there will be a larger ramp up time for students with the
480. In the 430 and G1000 I can sit down with a student behind the unit
and describe for them how to navigate the pages, use the cursor, etc in
about 10-20 minutes. The 480 relies heavily on softkeys. That
introduces another layer of complexity. Now the first question is going
to be "how do I get the button to come up". Even setting nav/com
requires the use of softkeys.

It helps if you were NEVER exposed to the 430/530 braindamage before
using the 480. The software simulator works well enough (as long
as you turn off multiprocessor/hyperthreading). While I had a little
experience using mine VFR, the instructor put me through my paces on
the simulator when I did my IFR training in short order (of course I
am a computer geek).


I understand the 480 came for UPS, I wonder if they bought it because
they wanted the technology or because they didn't want the competition.

I thought it was so they could get access to engineers that could
actually deliver a WAAS implemementation.

Another neat 480 feature is that it will sequence you around to the
missed approach point again without any manual twisting or SUSP button
mashing. This is accomplished by having a much richer database than
the 430.

Ron Natalie wrote:
Another neat 480 feature is that it will sequence you around to the
missed approach point again without any manual twisting or SUSP button
mashing. This is accomplished by having a much richer database than
the 430.

I have noticed that. I was wondering what would happen if you were
flying an approach that callled for an immediate climbing turn on the
missed. If the pilot didn't disengage the autopilot and was getting the
plane configured for short final and all of the sudden the plane
started turning. It would be especially odd for me since my plane was
certified with a full time autopilot. As a result, when I press the red
button on the yoke the autopilot disconnects, but when I release it,
the autopilot comes back on. I did get a POH update though that allows
me to pull the breaker out (which is actually how I fly most of the
time local) but that means I'm flying around with a big red warning
light on that I have to explain to passengers "This big red, annoying
light just means teh autopilot is off".

-Robert

I did get a POH update though that allows
me to pull the breaker out

That =allows= you to pull the breaker out?? What kind of plane do you fly?

Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

I agree, the 480 (or equivalent) is a far superior unit compared with
the 430.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

snip
6) I wonder what Garmin's future direction will be. They obviously
decided to base the new G1000 on the 430. Will they use the 480 code
moving forward, will they merge the code, etc???

Do you suppose the upcoming GNS430/530 WAAS upgrade will provide any of
these "neat" features now offered by the 480, such as airways and ad-hoc
holds?

--
Peter

Speaking of the upgrade, has anyone seen any information lately as to when
it will be available?


"Peter R." wrote in message
...
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

snip
6) I wonder what Garmin's future direction will be. They obviously
decided to base the new G1000 on the 430. Will they use the 480 code
moving forward, will they merge the code, etc???

Do you suppose the upcoming GNS430/530 WAAS upgrade will provide any of
these "neat" features now offered by the 480, such as airways and ad-hoc
holds?

--
Peter

Bill Denton wrote:

Speaking of the upgrade, has anyone seen any information lately as to when
it will be available?

I called my avionics shop, as I am on the list and still very interested in
having it done. The latest scoop I was given was that the upgrade again
slipped to December of this year.

--
Peter

"Peter R." wrote:

Do you suppose the upcoming GNS430/530 WAAS upgrade will provide any of
these "neat" features now offered by the 480, such as airways and ad-hoc
holds?


I've heard it will not include airways. Not sure about holds.

Mike

Peter R. wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

snip
6) I wonder what Garmin's future direction will be. They obviously
decided to base the new G1000 on the 430. Will they use the 480 code
moving forward, will they merge the code, etc???

Do you suppose the upcoming GNS430/530 WAAS upgrade will provide any of
these "neat" features now offered by the 480, such as airways and ad-hoc
holds?

As far as I know from talking to the Garmin guys at Oshkosh, the answer
is unfortunately no. There's no substantial user interface changes to
the WAAS upgrade other than what is necessary to get the WAAS to work.