Helpful Hints & Wisdom from experience
Printed From: Avidyne
Category: Avidyne General
Forum Name: IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
Forum Description: Topics on Avidyne's IFD 5 Series and IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
URL: http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=633
Printed Date: 05 May 2024 at 5:39am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Helpful Hints & Wisdom from experience
Posted By: jwjenks
Subject: Helpful Hints & Wisdom from experience
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2015 at 1:13pm
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I was just wondering if we might be able to get beyond the Certification, Installation, and Debugging issues and start a thread that provides helpful hints from experienced users and some answers to newbe owners/users. First question (me being a 3 month newbe): While flying a prescribed flight plan I get half way there and realize the weather at my destination is really bad and so is my alternate. I would like to delete the current flight plan and go direct to an airport next to my home airport. Is there a way to delete my current plan, hit the direct to button and have the IFD load the charts to my new airport? What's the shortest/fewest button pushes to accomplish the task? Currently, when I hit "Direct To" then the "Charts" button I get last week's airport. I'd rather not re-type in the airport on the Charts page of the airport I just entered in the direct to page. #2: When I activate the approach, while I'm halfway between the IAF and the next fix, I can't seem to get the IFD to sequence me to the next fix - easily. It wants me to go back to the IAF and start all over. What's the fewest button pushes to get me to the next fix? John ------------- JWJ |
Replies:
Posted By: Gring
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2015 at 1:44pm
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#1 my procedure would be to go to the end of the flight plan, add your new destination airport, hit direct to to make it the current waypoint. Then go to charts, hit the paste (destination airport identifier) LSK and select the chart. Obviously there are many, many different scenarios (IFR/VFR, ATC instructions, etc.), however, the method is the same, add the destination airport with any intermediate waypoints required by ATC. #2 I am assuming you are after the IAF somewhere and want to begin the approach on the leg between the IAF and an IF. Highlight the next fix and hit Direct To which will give you navigation to the next fix after the IAF.
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Posted By: oskrypuch
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2015 at 2:20pm
Gring has more hours with the 540, than anyone I think, outside of Avidyne! As he notes, you need to expand your idea of a flight plan. The 540 allows multiple airports and arrivals and approaches, all in one continuous strip. If you want to go somewhere else, or somewhere in addition, just add it to the flightplan. To get to charts quickly, you can also touch the little chart box icon, bottom right of an airport datablock in your flightplan strip, to go directly to the charts for an airport. Pushing the PROC button will skip through the arrivals (if any) and approaches for EACH of the airports in your flight plan. If you really want to delete your current flight plan for some reason, you can do that from the FMS|ROUTE page. * Orest |
Gring wrote:Posted By: jwjenks
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2015 at 3:35pm
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Thanks. Greatly appreciated. I have an IFR currency appointment Friday and this helps. John ------------- JWJ |
Posted By: SB Jim
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2015 at 12:53pm
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I've needed to change to nearby airports several times in the last couple of weeks (not weather related). I've had success using the NEAREST button, then scrolling to the desired airport, then hitting the DIRECT key. I think it requires a couple of "ENTER"'s after that and you're good to go. |
Posted By: SB Jim
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2015 at 2:15pm
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PS. What I'd really like is a bullet point type cheat sheet documenting how various tasks are best accomplished. Especially as they relate to instrument approaches, missed approaches, VTF, etc. |
Posted By: rolfe_tessem
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2015 at 2:30pm
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I agree with the above, a manual appendix with some real world examples would be helpful. I have managed to practice most of the "normal" procedures after three test flights under VFR conditions. One that I haven't tried is abandoning an approach, either before or after the MAP, and initiating a different approach at the SAME airport. Is the flow as simple as hitting the proc button again and selecting and activating the new approach or is there some sort of canceling out the existing approach required?
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Posted By: oskrypuch
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2015 at 2:33pm
Yes, it is just that simple. You are asked to confirm that you really want to replace your approach. * Orest |
Posted By: rolfe_tessem
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2015 at 3:33pm
That is great news! Thanks, Rolfe |
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 10:50am
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I think this type of information and/or cheat sheet is an area where it's really the users who can contribute the most, even if Avidyne were to kick it off with their own experience (Steve posted a number of his tips/favourites in earlier thread). Whether this forum is the best place to track that or store documents as a repository is another discussion. Attaching and managing files is not necessarily this particular forum's strong point. ------------- Vince |
Posted By: MysticCobra
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 1:11pm
| What it really is, is a capitalist opportunity. Go to Amazon.com and type in "Garmin 430"...there are numerous books, pilot's guides, checklists, etc. that have been developed over the years to help new users get to know their avionics and how to use it. Somewhere, a clever early adopter is out there writing the first such book for the IFD540, too. |
Posted By: SB Jim
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 1:56pm
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I don't have time to read a book, although that's fine for those who do, I'm just not interested. I'll just make my own cheat sheet. I had zero training with the 540 and in my first 30 minute flight I was making flight plans and easily accessing all the functions. It's not that hard to use. I'll just keep playing around with it. Jim |
Posted By: oskrypuch
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 2:10pm
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I would concur. It takes very little time and/or effort to get comfortable with the basic operation of the IFD540. * Orest |
Posted By: edanford
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 3:17pm
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This training by Trip Taylor is useful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMu3xXflHjM ------------- Ed |
Posted By: rolfe_tessem
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 3:35pm
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There is one kind of manual that explains the function of every button and mode. There is another kind that gives real-world examples of how to do certain things -- like fly a DME arc for example. I believe that both types came with the G* boxes I've purchased in the past. I don't care if the second kind is Avidyne produced or done by some enterprising pilot/writer. I'd rather have an understanding of how to do something before doing it for real in busy Approach Control airspace. The existing manual is good as far as it goes, but doesn't do the example thing to any degree. Rolfe
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Posted By: SB Jim
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 5:23pm
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The Garmin manuals left a lot to be desired (says the guy who bought a new CNX 80 from Garmin in 2004). Keith Thomassen (Avionics West?) developed written books (with photos) with tips and tricks that were very well received by purchasers of Garmin GPS units (including the 430 / 530). Since the CNX 80 / GNS 480 did so much more than 430 / 530 his books are still sought after by folks buying aircraft equipped with those units. I've not heard of anything similar being done with the IFD 540. Having said that, all I want is a one page bullet point checklist or cheat sheet. If I fly with the box for another month I may not even need that. I've only had it for 2 weeks and I'd feel good about launching in IMC right now. |
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2015 at 6:17pm
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There was only one Garmin manual with the 430 and it described each button (point 1). This is really a reference manual rather than a user guide. The second wish for "how to" task descriptions was only ever satisfied from non-Garmin sources. I'm not aware of the "tips & tricks" manual mentioned for the 480, but there is a whole set of manuals published under the ZD Publishing banner. The 430 and then 430W ones by John Dittmer are much more useable than the Garmin manual in that they present real-world tasks step by step. I keep one in my flight bag because it is good enough to use in flight for seldom-used (and often forgotten) tasks. I find that Steve did a super job with the 540 pilot's guide, and we all also contributed to the result with our reviews and input pre-cert via this forum. In that respect, Avidyne is light years ahead of Garmin. From all the comments in this forum from 540 users and my practice with the sim, I'm eager to see if such a user manual is really needed (beyond the Avidyne pilot's guide). I suspect not. The 540 is so much more intuitive than the 430 that solutions to common situations can be figured out on the fly (sorry ;-). A lot of the tips and tricks are coming out in the Q&A style of forum user input anyway, just like the various postings on favourite datablock configurations. Now if someone wants to consolidate that and "publish" it ... is it necessary? As SBJim hints, it might be better to spend the time hands-on with the box than reading steps that need to be transferred to it mentally in the end anyway. ------------- Vince |