The small twist knob for frequency tuning (kHz) on my gns530w suddenly stopped working in flight. Restarting device didn’t work, it is now a permanent problem. Sometimes I can change it by one single 0.005 mhz step.
I learned that it is an optical sensor and apparently the light source sometimes partly fails leading to the symptoms I am seeing. Apparently the knob can be removed and reinstalled and that sometimes fixes the issue for a while longer (in case of partial light source failure).
How can I remove the knob? Just pull it out with blunt force?
No Garmin experience but is their a grub screw? Tightening it might work.
I had a Trig radio lose ability to change frequency in flight. Knob was turning, shaft was not. Found the problem after landing and fixed it.
Last I checked Garmin included changing the sensors in the knobs in their flat-rate price for 530W’s but that was years ago…there must be someone with same prob, but a simple web search did not show anything.
I think SEAM at Aix in France do some repair work, you maybe want to try them . They have plenty of used equipment to rob parts from if required.
These knobs are either grub screw or collet types
Or maybe one needs to open the case of the unit but I find that very hard to believe.
Grub screws often come loose.
If it is a collet type then there will be a plastic cap at the top of the knob which comes off with a knife. I am 100% sure somebody here will know.
Avidyne aso include knobs in their flate rate repair scheme; there is a thread somewhere. One knob thread. IIRC, the Avidyne “knob cost” was $1200. But paying a fixed price repair is crazy, just to change a knob.
I have sometimes manufactured knobs on a lathe but that can be complicated.
The haptic feel is exactly the same as before, so I don’t think there that a screw came loose.
I heard it can be fixed by a garmin avionics shop, but cost is around 1k EUR
HBadger wrote:
I heard it can be fixed by a garmin avionics shop, but cost is around 1k EUR
Yup, thats the Garmin flat rate. We had a GTN650 with a broken memory card slot (the card wouldn’t latch in place) fixed for that amount.
