GTN-650 or IDF540?

[Carl_Froehlich]

I've been flying a dual 10" SkyView and GTN-650 set up in the RV-10 for over four years. The RV-10 is sold - now working on an RV-8. For this project I plan on one 10" and one 7" SkyView display.

Recently I engaged in a discussion on using the IDF540 instead of the GTN-650 in the RV-8. Price would be about the same. I have no time behind and IDF540 so I'm looking for recommendations from those who have.

Which one, the GTN-650 or the IDF540?

Thanks,
Carl

 

[johnsteichen]

This may not help. I have flown behind the gtn750 and Skyview
It does everything I want it to do, without any head scratching. I like the lack of buttons. I spent too much BUT no remorse. Garmin is a solid company that did their homework. They will not go away and will support their equipment for a long time. I would not take a risk to gain I am not sure what. I am not knocking the IDF 540. I just can't see where it would exceed the garmon. My only complaint with the garmin product line is the expense of their databases. I only subscribe to nav east of the Mississippi, skip safe taxi and obstacles updates. I rely on the Skyview for obstacles (free).

 

[shenweas]

No experience with the IDF 540 but I have heard good reviews.

I have close to 1100hrs now behind the Gtn 650 and I would probably just stick with it to keep from having to learn something new

 

[Carl_Froehlich]

This may not help. I have flown behind the gtn750 and Skyview
It does everything I want it to do, without any head scratching. I like the lack of buttons. I spent too much BUT no remorse. Garmin is a solid company that did their homework. They will not go away and will support their equipment for a long time. I would not take a risk to gain I am not sure what. I am not knocking the IDF 540. I just can't see where it would exceed the garmon. My only complaint with the garmin product line is the expense of their databases. I only subscribe to nav east of the Mississippi, skip safe taxi and obstacles updates. I rely on the Skyview for obstacles (free).

I looked. The IDF540 nav only database is the same $480 (all US) as the GTN-650 on Jepp. I agree - overpriced. I don't get the terrain or obstacle as the SkyView does a much better job at this than the GTN-650 anyway.

I am a Garmin user only because there was no other reasonably priced option for a TSO GPS navigator when I built the plane. The GTN-650 is grossly overpriced, and unnecessarily clunky to use. I also got burned by Garmin with paying for two "known problem" fixes that rose their ugly heads just after the warrantee ran out (warrantee runs from date of purchase, not first flight). The third GTN-650 hard failure got fixed by Garmin but only after I yelled at any Garmin person I could get on the phone or email.

So what am I waiting for? The IDF540, on paper, is a boatload better box than the GTN-650 and the price quote I have for both are within $200 or so. But - paper is one thing. Finding someone who has used it and can filter out the marketing noise is what I need.

What I really want is a SkyView TSO GPS navigator!!!

Carl

 

[Raymo]

What I really want is a SkyView TSO GPS navigator!!!

Carl

Me TOO!!!

 

[ChiefPilot]

I went through a similar decision process last fall.   The GTN650 and the IFD540 are close enough in price and provide similar functionality.   After looking at the respective iPad simulators for each, I went with the IFD540 for several reasons:

• It's not limited to the touch screen - almost everything can be done via LSKs, knobs, and buttons.
• The QWERTY on-screen keyboard works better for me.
• I found more people praising Avidyne support than Garmin.
• It has WiFi, BT, and FLTA built-in.   I added a TAWS annunciator to my RV's panel to take advantage of the FLTA feature.

The free bluetooth keyboard they offer when you register for the warranty is a nice touch too, although it wasn't a deciding factor and I haven't used the keyboard much yet.

If you're installing it yourself, you'll come across the only real downside to the IFD540 that I have encountered - their installation manual isn't nearly as complete as Garmin's is. Since it's plug-compatible with the GNS530W, I found myself using a 530W installation manual as much as the Avidyne one.

It works great with Skyview, of course, and I'm pretty happy with the system in my -6A.

 

[Carl_Froehlich]

I went through a similar decision process last fall.   The GTN650 and the IFD540 are close enough in price and provide similar functionality.   After looking at the respective iPad simulators for each, I went with the IFD540 for several reasons:

• It's not limited to the touch screen - almost everything can be done via LSKs, knobs, and buttons.
• The QWERTY on-screen keyboard works better for me.
• I found more people praising Avidyne support than Garmin.
• It has WiFi, BT, and FLTA built-in.   I added a TAWS annunciator to my RV's panel to take advantage of the FLTA feature.

The free bluetooth keyboard they offer when you register for the warranty is a nice touch too, although it wasn't a deciding factor and I haven't used the keyboard much yet.

If you're installing it yourself, you'll come across the only real downside to the IFD540 that I have encountered - their installation manual isn't nearly as complete as Garmin's is.   Since it's plug-compatible with the GNS530W, I found myself using a 530W installation manual as much as the Avidyne one.

It works great with Skyview, of course, and I'm pretty happy with the system in my -6A.

Thanks for the feed. I share your conclusions. If you flown with it, how does it play?

Carl

 

[ChiefPilot]

Thanks for the feed.  I share your conclusions.  If you flown with it, how does it play?

I've flown it, but only about 8 hours. However, that 8 hours was spent going through a seven pages of checkout tasks focused on the unit so I'm pretty confident that it is in and doing everything it's supposed to.

It talks nicely with Skyview and I have no issues with it's performance for VOR/Localizer/ILS/RNAV (LNAV, LNAV+V, LPV) approaches using raw data, the flight director, or flying fully coupled approaches. Everything I've done with it in the terminal environment has functioned correctly with no surprises.

I appreciate the FMS style interface, especially as they relate to crossing restrictions. Flying under, in, and around the Minneapolis Bravo airspace means crossing restrictions are not uncommon and I like the way the unit handles them in terms of both entry and in terms of notification. Entry, from the standpoint that it's easy to add a restriction to a waypoint and see it show up on the IFD's map. Notification, in terms of how it paints a top-of-descent symbol on the display and provides an aural annunciation a few seconds prior to the descent being needed.

It'd be even better if the TOD marker was display on the Skyview map, but it's not. It'd be completely awesome if it and Skyview could handle enroute vnav but I don't think there is anything for little airplanes that does that similar to how a ProLine FMS operates on larger aircraft. These aren't deficiencies in my mind however, just ideas on how it'd be even better.

I've found that both the IFD's map and Skyview's map are great, but have tended towards leaving the FMS interface active on the IFD and using Skyview's map. That may change as I gain more time with the system.

The terrain awareness coloring on Skyview's map is higher resolution and, frankly, prettier. The IFD's aural annunciations ("500 feet", "Caution Terrain", "Terrain Pull Up!") complement this nicely. I picked up a MidContinent TAWS annunciator off ebay for $40 and hacked it a bit to provide all the lights and switches - definitely not required for FLTA functionality but I thought it was neat-o.

Flight planning is great - Skyview won't edit plans on the IFD, but I think it's easier on the IFD than on my Skyview classic display anyway. Squirting plans into the IFD from ForeFlight is not here yet as it is with Skyview, but that's coming apparently.

Support has been good. When I first received the unit, there were a couple of stuck pixels. A call to Avidyne and Steinair resulted in a replacement unit sent overnight with pre-paid shipping for the original unit back to Avidyne all under warrenty. I was really happy with that - I expected it to take a week or more instead of the overnight service.

That's my IFD story so far...