Dear All
I have just had a Garmin GTX345 ADSB in/out transponder fitted to my plane. The GNS 530W’s traffic screen shows “no data”. Does that mean that there is simply no ADSB broadcasting traffic around, or alternatively does it mean that there is no valid connection to the GTX345?
I can’t fly the plane at the moment, otherwise I might be able to do a proper test. I am however, hoping that someone clever here can tell me which of the two alternative meanings of “no data” is correct. (I have Googled…no help sadly.)
Thanks
Howard
It doesn’t say “No data” when there is no traffic.
I’ve seen that when there is a RS232 or Arinc connection set up but nothing is responding on the line. So maybe something is not connected, or you’re using the wrong RS232 setting in the GNS.
see http://static.garmin.com/pumac/GNS530W_InstallationManual_190-00357-02_.pdf page 118 for instance.
Thank you everyone. That is very helpful. I love this place. I have another question…
Someone at the maintenance shop said that they think the lack of data it’s a firmware issue and my GNS530W (which has some pretty recent firmware, but I don’t know the version number) needs to be updated to the latest version to allow the GNS and GTX345 to speak to each other. Does that sound right? Does the GNS need to be bang up-to-date to work? Surely the GTX345 speaks standard traffic data, mimicking much older traffic devices, and should therefore work with some pretty old firmware versions of the GNS? Does anyone here know?
It could be, do you have “GTX345” as an option in the sources for traffic? Anyways it can’t hurt to run the latest version of the firmware, don’t they have the SD card to perform the upgrade?
I would update your software to 5.40 on the GNS530W. It fixes a bunch of issues
They were telling me today that the GNS530W has to be removed and sent from the UK to Garmin in the USA because too many Garmin dealers in the UK have “bricked” GNS devices (as in turned them into expensive but useless bricks) when doing a firmware update. I want to go flying soon and waiting for my GNS device to return from the US is going to screw up my plans. :-(
Ok .. in my little experience upgrading a GNS is “insert the sd card” – “power up the box” – “wait until it says done”. But indeed you need to work with a cooperative dealer who can send you that little card.
Another option is to leave everything as-is and get traffic via garmin pilot on an ipad, and come back to that firmware upgrade later when you have more time. I don’t know how it is where you fly but here in Toulouse I’ve stopped looking at the traffic page has it gives the false impression that the sky is clear while there are tons of little non adsb-equipped aircraft buzzing around.
That being said, you should also check how the GNS now gets the barometric pressure. If you are supposed to get it from the transponder and this is inop too, it’s a bigger concern than not having traffic
(PS: I’m not an avionics expert by any means. I just happened to have rewired/upgraded my panel once)
