Good Day All,

The Garmin 430W that I have needs updating (I think?). Not the aviation database, obstacles or terrain, but the Frimware software.

The version that is currently installed is "Main SW version 3.3" and the "GPS SW version 3.2".

Both versions I think are now into the 5.0's.

The versions between the old and the new are all "optional" I believe. None mandatory. It is for fixed wing.

I have a WX500 Stormscope that is hooked into it, as well as an STEC-55 autopilot with GPSS steering. Both are working perfectly.

My questions.......

1) Should I worry about getting this Software updated?

2) is there a chance that updating will mess up the interaction with the WX500 and the STEC. Againg they all work perfectly.


If anyone had any experiece with doing these updates, or issues that they have encoutered I would love to hear about them.


Thanks...and looking forward to the Canadian Winter being over!


Macdon221

Updates from GARMIN 430W web page;

http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=010-00412-01

Where did you read about the firmware being in ver 5?

[quote="macdon221"]Good Day All,

The Garmin 430W that I have needs updating (I think?). Not the aviation database, obstacles or terrain, but the Frimware software.

The version that is currently installed is "Main SW version 3.3" and the "GPS SW version 3.2".

Both versions I think are now into the 5.0's.

The versions between the old and the new are all "optional" I believe. None mandatory. It is for fixed wing.

I have a WX500 Stormscope that is hooked into it, as well as an STEC-55 autopilot with GPSS steering. Both are working perfectly.

My questions.......

1) Should I worry about getting this Software updated?

2) is there a chance that updating will mess up the interaction with the WX500 and the STEC. Againg they all work perfectly.


If anyone had any experiece with doing these updates, or issues that they have encoutered I would love to hear about them.


Thanks...and looking forward to the Canadian Winter being over!


Macdon221

Macdon221

I have the Garmin 430w in my 185 and the updates to the latest software actually enhanced the operation of the stec 55x in my aircraft.

This type of firmware update for the Garmin navigators is not generally available online for update and really should be done at a reputable avionics shop....

I had mine updated some months ago. It took about an hour of my time sitting around the avionics shop while the box was pulled and the firmware updated and cost a little over $100. It's a necessary update if the 430W is going to be used for the position reporting part of ADS-B out. It has to be done by a Garmin avionics dealer so that it can be bench tested and then tested again in the airplane after the update. Other than having a logbook entry that tells me it was done (and trusting the avionics shop because they're the ones which installed it in the first place), I couldn't see any changes--all my previously set way points, display choices, etc., remained the same.

Cary

I get them updated all the time, but usually because they break and I have to send them in for repair. It's not all that expensive and some of the bug fixes are worth while. Most of the updates are purely for connectivity to the latest greatest widget thinga ma do hicky box.
If you do take it out make sure you know how to copy the settings and re set the new one. I always take a picture of all the set up menues and save them to my aircraft files on my pc. If you have two 430's or a 43o and a 530 they do have to be the same software version or else the cross fill function will not work...

Thanks,

Yes I plan to get it done at my local garmin dealer.

The told me about an hour or so for labour.

I spoke to the garmin aviation customer tech support. They are the ones that told me that the main software version was 5.2 and the GPS SW version was 5.0.

It is just a single unit. Not hooked into another G430 or 530.

So what I am hearing is that if I be sure to take a picture of the settings I should not worry too much??

macdon221 wrote:Thanks,

Yes I plan to get it done at my local garmin dealer.

The told me about an hour or so for labour.

I spoke to the garmin aviation customer tech support. They are the ones that told me that the main software version was 5.2 and the GPS SW version was 5.0.

It is just a single unit. Not hooked into another G430 or 530.

So what I am hearing is that if I be sure to take a picture of the settings I should not worry too much??

As I said, my settings didn't change a bit. That might be different if the box is sent to Garmin--who knows what techie might do there?

Cary

I realize this is a bit stale, but I wanted to follow up with additional information that doesn't appear in the discussion so far, and I couldn't find another post about this topic.

There is apparently an "exclusion list" of approaches that confuse earlier versions of the Garmin 430W/530W software. From talking to the support techs at Jeppesen today, it seems that the approaches don't have a specific "decent angle" and as a fallback, the GPS just ignores the approach and it's like it doesn't exist. For instance, on my GPS (430W), and on one of my flying club's plane's GPSs (530W), if you go to Campbell County airport, Tennessee (KJAU) there are no approaches. But if I tune my Apollo GX60 to that same airport, I get a listing for the GPS approach to runway 23, which is correct.

Apparently if you upgrade the software in the Garmin to the latest version, it takes care of this. I believe anything past software version 5.0 will work. So I need to schedule an appointment to do that.

Craig Steffen