New GPS Available

[Heavyflyer767]

For those of us who have been lamenting the database availablity for their Garmin units from Reality-XP. MindStaraviation, who already provide a Garmin 1000 plugin for FlightSims now have released their Garmin package with updates available through a third party partner "Realnavdata". Hope this is is the solution weve been waiting for.


Pat Snyder

[Keith Smith]

That is good news, thanks for posting. I know Redbird users have been waiting for the ability to update their G1000 data, and I was under the impression Redbird was using Mindstar for the GPS implementation, so it's great that this has transpired. Commercial users will be very happy about that. It's great for home users, too!

[djrisc]

Interesting! Do you know if this integrates in to the A2A C172 panel?

I have RealityXP and I literally can't find DB updates for it. Every thread I see about it is people sharing them in PM's which is frustrating. I'd gladly even pay Garmin for a subscription to the nav data if I knew I could plug it in to RealityXP.

This looks like an interesting alternative, just so long as it plugs in the panel, as I really can't stand pop-up windows when I fly in FSX.

Brett

[jtek]

I'd gladly even pay Garmin for a subscription to the nav data if I knew I could plug it in to RealityXP.

I think you actually can do that (plug the real data into Reality XP). But I'm not sure Garmin will sell you a subscription if you don't own the real hardware.

[jtek]

I wonder how close they get to replicating the operation of the real thing. The nice thing about RealityXP is that it's powered by the Garmin trainer program, and if there is any difference between that and the real device, I haven't found it yet.

The planes I rent all have GNS430s in them, and I use RealityXP to stay proficient. This is a situation where "really close" isn't good enough. It's gotta be right on, or I'm practicing the wrong procedures.

[djrisc]

I totally agree, it's nice that RealityXP is literally using Garmin's 430 simulator. I would have no temptation at all to switch if I could actually get database updates.

Brett

[Mark Hargrove]

I have the new Mindstar GNS 430/530 installed. It works great, but is not totally trivial to install -- you need to be comfortable editing the panel.cfg file for each aircraft you want it in. I've never seen a GNS 430/530 in a real airplane, so I can't speak to its fidelity, but I can say it is tremendously better than the "stock" GNS 530 and seems to match the Reality XP GNS 430/530 in terms of operation. As I understand it, Mindstar's implementation is completely their own code and not every single feature of the GNS 4/5 is implemented (I think there is no terrain data supplied, for example).

It is fully updatable, but be aware that it does NOT use Navigraph or NavDataPro data sets -- they don't have enough data in them to drive the GNS 430/530 correctly. Instead, it uses a data set from a sister-company to Mindstar which costs $40/year for quarterly updates.

Also, it works brilliantly with P3Dv2.

Todd Harrell, one of our forum members (twharrell) was an early beta tester and may be able to speak more to the fidelity of the Mindstar sim.

-M.

[Hesynergy]

I knew better... I damned well knew better ...leaving my partially finished reply, just trying to get the URL for the GNS 530 replacement that I bought (i better paste right now just in case I lost that from my 7$);4:aed}#~\{Safari paste buffer... http://www.fsd-international.com/Hangar ... index.html ) I totally lost every freaking thing that I said. Thank you very freaking much iOS browser .

Okay ...calm now... I purchased the above thinking that it would be a tres cool $22 replacement for not only the 530 but the G1000 And for the most part it is but…

It will ...MAYBE allow me to del or add a waypoint from a flight plan.... Sometimes it will and sometimes it won't... the latter occurring about five or seven times as I took the IFR tests.... I know, I know, I knew what I was getting into, trying out a new instrument on a test… and I did it anyway.

So here's the question, plain and simple... WHEN ATC TELLS ME TO BUST MY LOVINGLY LAID IN VNY1.VNY.DAG/DAG.WHATEVER… SID and/OR STAR AND GO DIRECT TO, will the Mindstar GNS 530/430... CONSISTANTLY allow me to edit a flightplan ??

Yes, in a pinch, I can NAV follow a heading, or triangulate two VORs, and do that umtiump times to my destination, but I want me som funkshunal RNAV without pulling the FMC out of my NGX...am I so bad for wanting such a thing?

Chas

[Keith Smith]

Chas, the question you probably want to ask is, "Can the [insert avionics suite] allow me to proceed direct to a fix along a flight plan?"

You're not EDITING The flight plan (that's a different use case), you're just needed to go direct to a fix along an existing flight plan.

I've seen some commercial sims outfitted with the Mindstar G-1000, and they could do it. I assume the GNS430/530 implementation would allow it as well. It's pretty easy, "FPL, cursor, move the field to the desired fix, direct, enter, enter." Then hit the FPL button again to go back to NAV screen".

[hoser70]

I've heard the refresh on these is horrendous...