While we're talking about Garmin GPS

On an IFR proficiency flight with my partner the other day, we got into a
little debate about the best way to use the Garmin 430 for ATC position
reporting. He uses the cursor on the map page to point at an airport or
NAVAID, then reads out the distance and (reciprocal) bearing. I go to NRST,
and pick an airport or VOR which have continually updated distance and
bearing. For those 430/530 users out there, which way do you prefer?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a 'Position' button; an easy to reach menu
choice, softkey or button that gives the following configurable readout
(don't display what you don't want):

- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest airport
(22nm NW Reid Hillview KRHV)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VOR
(10nm SW Mustang FMG or maybe 215 Radial?)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest NDB
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest intersection
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VFR reporting point
- If within 2nm of any of the above, a message that says "Vicinity Squaw
Valley SWR" e.g.

Punch the button, wait for the frequency to clear, then just read off the
position to our friends with the big screens. Punch the button again and
you go back to the previous display. NRST works just fine for me, but it's
always fun to bitch about your expensive, useful panel toys..

"Windecks" wrote in message . ..
On an IFR proficiency flight with my partner the other day, we got into a
little debate about the best way to use the Garmin 430 for ATC position
reporting. He uses the cursor on the map page to point at an airport or
NAVAID, then reads out the distance and (reciprocal) bearing. I go to NRST,
and pick an airport or VOR which have continually updated distance and
bearing. For those 430/530 users out there, which way do you prefer?

For IFR, you should use the reporting points called out on the charts (or
implied by the rules).

For VFR, I use a NRST VOR. On the 195, the NRST FREQ gives you the
closest center frequency as well as telling you the offset to the nearest VOR.

Ron Natalie wrote:

For IFR, you should use the reporting points called out on the charts (or
implied by the rules).

For IFR, you've a flight plan programmed, right? That means you've your
distance to your next waypoint on your map (unless you swap out that
number; the Garmin leaves room for only four values as I recall).

You can have your desired track to the next waypoint too, but you know that
anyway as you're keeping that number - or something like that number
balanced by wind - in your HI.

Why isn't that enough for a position report if you're between waypoints?
That is, if you're 20 miles from the SAX VOR flying a course of 080, you're
20 miles out on the SAX R260.

Actually...I miss some things from the planes I used to rent. For one, the
NAV/COMs had the ability to display the TO/FROM bearing right on the
NAV/COM panel. I liked that. A lot. For intercept purposes, I preferred
that to the CDI. It made knowing one's location relative a VOR simpler; no
CDI twisting and hunting.

More, the MFD installed with the KLN GPS had a little data field (in the
lower left, maybe) which always had the "best" (for some definition)
"location report". All you had to do was read that to ATC.

- Andrew

For IFR, you've a flight plan programmed, right? That means you've your
distance to your next waypoint on your map (unless you swap out that number;
the Garmin leaves room for only four values as I recall).

You can have your desired track to the next waypoint too, but you know that
anyway as you're keeping that number - or something like that number balanced
by wind - in your HI.

Why isn't that enough for a position report if you're between waypoints? That
is, if you're 20 miles from the SAX VOR flying a course of 080, you're 20 miles
out on the SAX R260.

Actually...I miss some things from the planes I used to rent. For one, the
NAV/COMs had the ability to display the TO/FROM bearing right on the NAV/COM
panel. I liked that. A lot. For intercept purposes, I preferred that to the
CDI. It made knowing one's location relative a VOR simpler; no CDI twisting
and hunting.

More, the MFD installed with the KLN GPS had a little data field (in the lower
left, maybe) which always had the "best" (for some definition) "location
report". All you had to do was read that to ATC.

- Andrew


Andrew:
Product is the KMD150, 550, and 850 MFD. Data field was in the lower right
corner, and had to be configured for the "NRST VOR" rather than the "NRST
WAYPOINT". Also keep in mind that the distance would be expressed in NM, but
the direction would be expressed as cardinal, i.e. NNW 15.7 nm DCA vortac. Plus
it would not pull up the nearest TACAN even if that was the closest navaid.

It would have been more convenient if Honeywell would allow you to specify an
easier format such as DCA 338 15.7 nm. Not all controllers can work with a
"north by northwest". They confuse it with some Cary Grant & Eve Marie Saint
movie that Alfred Hitchcock made.


paul k. sanchez, cfii-mei
on eagles’ wings
2011 south perimeter road, suite g
fort lauderdale, florida 33309-7135
305-389-1742 wireless
954-776-0527 fax
954-345-4276 home/fax

paul k. sanchez wrote:

It would have been more convenient if Honeywell would allow you to specify
an easier format such as DCA 338 15.7 nm. Not all controllers can work
with a "north by northwest". They confuse it with some Cary Grant & Eve
Marie Saint movie that Alfred Hitchcock made.

I never had a problem using that style of reporting. I'd guess it was
enough information that they knew where to look on their RADARs for my
squawk.

I do wonder, though, why this style was chosen instead of a bearing. As a
programmer, I can see that converting the bearing to a verbal and
approximate description is a little extra work. As someone familiar with
navigation, I see it represents a loss of detail.

So...why do it?

Anyway, it's been months since I've used those airplanes. I'm now in a club
which flys with Garmins, so - even though I do miss aspects of those
rentals - what those rentals did is not too important to me anymore.

- Andrew

I use NRST. It's easier than etch-a-sketching around to something that I
may or may not have displayed on the map.
--
Jim Burns III

Remove "nospam" to reply

"Windecks" wrote in message
. ..
On an IFR proficiency flight with my partner the other day, we got into a
little debate about the best way to use the Garmin 430 for ATC position
reporting. He uses the cursor on the map page to point at an airport or
NAVAID, then reads out the distance and (reciprocal) bearing. I go to
NRST,
and pick an airport or VOR which have continually updated distance and
bearing. For those 430/530 users out there, which way do you prefer?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a 'Position' button; an easy to reach menu
choice, softkey or button that gives the following configurable readout
(don't display what you don't want):

- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest airport
(22nm NW Reid Hillview KRHV)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VOR
(10nm SW Mustang FMG or maybe 215 Radial?)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest NDB
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest intersection
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VFR reporting point
- If within 2nm of any of the above, a message that says "Vicinity Squaw
Valley SWR" e.g.

Punch the button, wait for the frequency to clear, then just read off the
position to our friends with the big screens. Punch the button again and
you go back to the previous display. NRST works just fine for me, but
it's
always fun to bitch about your expensive, useful panel toys..

Isn't it just as easy to eyeball the map (with reference to the scale)?

Jose


--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

****Isn't it just as easy to eyeball the map (with reference to the
scale)?****

No.

If I am not over an intersection, airport or navaid, or close to one, I will
pull up a VOR on my nav to and give DME distance, radial from that VOR as my
position.

For me thats just as easy or easier then flipping through screens on the 430. I
always have a vor on my nav 2 anyways, just incase the 430 has a problem.

Jeff
http://www.turboarrow3.com


Windecks wrote:

On an IFR proficiency flight with my partner the other day, we got into a
little debate about the best way to use the Garmin 430 for ATC position
reporting. He uses the cursor on the map page to point at an airport or
NAVAID, then reads out the distance and (reciprocal) bearing. I go to NRST,
and pick an airport or VOR which have continually updated distance and
bearing. For those 430/530 users out there, which way do you prefer?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a 'Position' button; an easy to reach menu
choice, softkey or button that gives the following configurable readout
(don't display what you don't want):

- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest airport
(22nm NW Reid Hillview KRHV)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VOR
(10nm SW Mustang FMG or maybe 215 Radial?)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest NDB
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest intersection
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VFR reporting point
- If within 2nm of any of the above, a message that says "Vicinity Squaw
Valley SWR" e.g.

Punch the button, wait for the frequency to clear, then just read off the
position to our friends with the big screens. Punch the button again and
you go back to the previous display. NRST works just fine for me, but it's
always fun to bitch about your expensive, useful panel toys..

I presume you mean non-radar full position reports. That is where having the
route as a flight plan would be quite useful.


Windecks wrote:

On an IFR proficiency flight with my partner the other day, we got into a
little debate about the best way to use the Garmin 430 for ATC position
reporting. He uses the cursor on the map page to point at an airport or
NAVAID, then reads out the distance and (reciprocal) bearing. I go to NRST,
and pick an airport or VOR which have continually updated distance and
bearing. For those 430/530 users out there, which way do you prefer?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a 'Position' button; an easy to reach menu
choice, softkey or button that gives the following configurable readout
(don't display what you don't want):

- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest airport
(22nm NW Reid Hillview KRHV)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VOR
(10nm SW Mustang FMG or maybe 215 Radial?)
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest NDB
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest intersection
- Distance and reciprocal bearing to the nearest VFR reporting point
- If within 2nm of any of the above, a message that says "Vicinity Squaw
Valley SWR" e.g.

Punch the button, wait for the frequency to clear, then just read off the
position to our friends with the big screens. Punch the button again and
you go back to the previous display. NRST works just fine for me, but it's
always fun to bitch about your expensive, useful panel toys..