King KLX 135 and TruTrak "Digitrak" autopilot...

[[email protected]]

Can anyone here tell me if the King KLX135/A GPS/COM is capable of
outputting serial RS232 data in a standard format (like NMEA-0183) that
is compatible with the TruTrak/DigiTrak autopilot? The TruTrak docs do
not mention the King GPS units by brand, only the Garmin and
Apollo/UPSAT brands. I almost find it hard to believe that King
wouldn't have made the KLN35/35A and KLX135/135A units not able to
output an industry standard data stream... but on the other hand it
wouldn't surprise me either.

[Sammy]

> Can anyone here tell me if the King KLX135/A GPS/COM is capable of
> outputting serial RS232 data in a standard format (like NMEA-0183) that
> is compatible with the TruTrak/DigiTrak autopilot? The TruTrak docs do
> not mention the King GPS units by brand, only the Garmin and
> Apollo/UPSAT brands. I almost find it hard to believe that King
> wouldn't have made the KLN35/35A and KLX135/135A units not able to
> output an industry standard data stream... but on the other hand it
> wouldn't surprise me either.
>

From a quick look at the install manual dated August 1995, its a standard
King/Aviation format output using RS-232. It's not NMEA. Garmin stuff like
430/530 and older Garmin things like the Apollo/UPSAT also output
King/Aviation format, so if the TruTrak works with them it should work with
the KLX135.

The KLX135 uses the extended sentence format that includes all flight plan
waypoints except when its in OBS mode. The sentence is transmitted once
every 2 seconds. The serial port setting is 9600/8/1/N.

The output is semi-human readable kind of like NMEA, so it can be
instructive to pipe it into your PC if you want to record your flight or
troubleshoot something.

[[email protected]]

you KLX 135 experts...

How are B and C airspace depicted on this
unit? Or are they?

Bill Hale

[[email protected]]

Sammy wrote:
> > Can anyone here tell me if the King KLX135/A GPS/COM is capable of
> > outputting serial RS232 data in a standard format (like NMEA-0183) that
> > is compatible with the TruTrak/DigiTrak autopilot? The TruTrak docs do
> > not mention the King GPS units by brand, only the Garmin and
> > Apollo/UPSAT brands. I almost find it hard to believe that King
> > wouldn't have made the KLN35/35A and KLX135/135A units not able to
> > output an industry standard data stream... but on the other hand it
> > wouldn't surprise me either.
> >
>
> From a quick look at the install manual dated August 1995, its a standard
> King/Aviation format output using RS-232. It's not NMEA. Garmin stuff like
> 430/530 and older Garmin things like the Apollo/UPSAT also output
> King/Aviation format, so if the TruTrak works with them it should work with
> the KLX135.
>
> The KLX135 uses the extended sentence format that includes all flight plan
> waypoints except when its in OBS mode. The sentence is transmitted once
> every 2 seconds. The serial port setting is 9600/8/1/N.
>
> The output is semi-human readable kind of like NMEA, so it can be
> instructive to pipe it into your PC if you want to record your flight or
> troubleshoot something.

Got word back from TruTrak themselves today that the 135 has too slow
output rate for the DigiTrak to maintain a consistent lock to the GPS.
The aviation data format and baud rate are ok, the information updates
themselves just don't come out of the 135 at a fast enough frequency.
Bummer.