Need advice - Flight1 GNS 530/430 or GTN 750/650

[jclay13]

Looking to purchase either the Flight1 GNS 530/430 or the GTN 750/650 and need some advice on which one to get as I'm not able to decide between old school tried and true GNS series or new school GTN touch series. Any thoughts or advice are welcome. Thanks!

Jon

[AKar]

Well, in my opinion, it is entirely down to which one you want to simulate. GTN's are more modern units with better map and much more user-friendly interface. GNS'es on the other hand are what you'd more likely find in the bulk of the fleet flying today. With their idiosyncratic (some say idiotic!) user interface and everything, they are still very capable units, just with less graphics and more knob-turning.

I've got the Flight1 GTN 650 myself, but surely will get the GNS 430 or 530 if the next Accusim release supports it.

-Esa

[Les Parson]

Well, in my opinion, it is entirely down to which one you want to simulate. GTN's are more modern units with better map and much more user-friendly interface. GNS'es on the other hand are what you'd more likely find in the bulk of the fleet flying today. With their idiosyncratic (some say idiotic!) user interface and everything, they are still very capable units, just with less graphics and more knob-turning.

I've got the Flight1 GTN 650 myself, but surely will get the GNS 430 or 530 if the next Accusim release supports it.

-Esa

Very well stated and I'm 100% in agreement. My preference is to simulate to real-world as a first priority. As such, my GA aircraft have G530/G430. While there are the newer generation G750/G650 examples in service, the majority are still G530/G430. On the other side, there are several people that will only consider G750/G650. In other words, if it ain't 750 capable, it's a non-starter.

[scottb613]

Hi Folks,

The biggest difference for me is that if you do a great deal of IFR flying the GTN has airways built in - the GNS doesn’t - this can save you a HUGE amount of time loading flight plans - the GTN also has a much better more intuitive interface that speeds it up as well...

Regards,
Scott


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AKar]

Yeah, the point really comes down to a fact that each unit is, in what comes to IFR capability, just about exactly as capable as the other (in configurations that are simulated and meaningful in the sim).

The other family represents the previous, though still prevailing, generation of user interface whereas the later family brings you to the touchscreen era. You can achieve the same result with both, but the earlier ones keep you a bit more in the loop as their interface is outdated (like airliner FMS'es). I like that!

I actually see they are selling a GNS 530/430 combo. That's a rather common avionics package in well-equipped IFR airplanes, and extremely capable. If that was supported by the next Accusim GA, I'm all in.

Personally, I find the most popular one (as it appears), the GTN 750, extremely out-of-place in a steam gauge GA. This is my view only of course, but when speaking of regular GA types, I've mostly seen them in some laborious, partial glass cockpit retrofits which actually steal a wider share of photos than of numbers installed in the actual fleet.

-Esa

[caribpilot]

The GNS530/430 is a very nice unit and one you will likely find in any GA aircraft. The issue of loading flightplans isn't so much of a problem now that you can export flightplans from skyvector.com and load it to the GNS. I use the new RXP GNS v2 and it's very nice.

[scottb613]

The GNS530/430 is a very nice unit and one you will likely find in any GA aircraft. The issue of loading flightplans isn't so much of a problem now that you can export flightplans from skyvector.com and load it to the GNS. I use the new RXP GNS v2 and it's very nice.

Hi Folks,

Which can be equated to real world ops - as Garmin now sells a box that creates a WiFi in your plane and you can use your iPad to create/modify flight plans - then wirelessly sync them to your 430/530... The data entry being far more intuitive and easy on the iPad...

Regards,
Scott


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[AKar]

For users of Navigraph Charts, I understand they now support a real-time following even on a separate device. In an EFB style. When I've got a chance to update and fire up the sim again, I'll surely do that with FSL.

Flying GAs in the sim, I actually prefer simulating an older environment that is less intuitive than the state-of-the-art would be. Steam-gauge compatible, to say. This brings some intuition and perspective into the complexities of the area navigation, having, say, a good old KLN 90 driving your steam needles. In principle, even that does just about everything but RNPs of what they can throw at you.

-Esa