Avidyne 540 & Skyview HDX charts

[larrywells51]

I have an Avidyne 540 and a subscription to Jepp charts that is about to expire. I have recently completed installing a Skyview HDX and am about to put the aircraft back in service. Here’s my questions; what do those that have both of these units subscribe to for charts? I understand that the Skyview won’t display charts from the Avidyne but, will the Skyview use the approach information that the Avidyne uses from the charts in the Avidyne?

 

[n144sh]

Hi Larry, I fly with a 550/440 combo and Dynon and have installed a dozen or more. Here is what I recommend: Dynon - subcribe to Seattle Avionics or Airmate to get the geo-referenced charts on your large Dynon screen (good reason to have two!). For the Avidyne, it is so small charts are essentially a waste of money in my mind. Just subscribe to the Nav data or Nav + Obstacles. Substantially less expensive and if you have the ARINC connection then the Avidyne will send the information to Dynon for the waypoints / HSI. Give me a PM if you have any questions and we can have a call if you want.

 

[larrywells51]

Hi Larry, I fly with a 550/440 combo and Dynon and have installed a dozen or more. Here is what I recommend: Dynon - subcribe to Seattle Avionics or Airmate to get the geo-referenced charts on your large Dynon screen (good reason to have two!). For the Avidyne, it is so small charts are essentially a waste of money in my mind. Just subscribe to the Nav data or Nav + Obstacles. Substantially less expensive and if you have the ARINC connection then the Avidyne will send the information to Dynon for the waypoints / HSI. Give me a PM if you have any questions and we can have a call if you want.

Thank you, that’s exactly what I needed. I’m happily transitioning from Garmin and needed a little assurance with the new combo.

 

[airguy]

I'm running the 440 with my HDX, I buy just the NAV charts (from Jeppesen) for the 440 and it will fly the approaches just fine through the HDX. The obstacle data and charts I get from Seattle Avionics for display on the HDX - the larger screen size works to advantage there.

 

[CanardMulti]

I fly an IFD540 and love it. I get actual plates from Seattle Avionics and just the chart *data* from Jeppesen for the 540; as n144sh says, it is less expensive than getting the charts themselves from Jepp. When you enter the approach in the 540 and choose it as the nav source for SkyView, the approach is depicted very clearly on the SkyView nav screen. The 540's 'candy cane' depiction of the next leg it intends to follow is a great cross check between what you THINK the next leg will be and what the 540 actually intends to do.

A setup I really find useful is to put the PFD 50/50 with flight instruments / the geolocated actual Seattle Avionics approach chart, and the MFD with the map screen with the actual approach routing depicted. I agree that the 540's screen is too small to cleanly depict an approach chart, BUT: I set it up for the 3rd person external view and that works well for me. Between the 3 very different presentations (plate, map, external view) I find the ability to maintain solid situational awareness definitely enhanced.

Ken