Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Keith
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:27 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Keith »

Just returned from my first long trip with the Sport EX. Flew to Denver (CFO) and back to 36WI. It was about 1300 miles give or take. The system worked great. The auto pilot was really nice. As mentioned, I also used an iPad with FlyQ and WingX for additional info. I find the FlyQ does a better job of displaying weather. I was most happy with using a split screen with the PFD as primary and the nav screen on the right. I think I still have a little fine tuning on the auto pilot but it really did work well even in some turbulence. Getting more and more comfortable with the use of the system. I also did some VFR practice approaches using SAP with a safety pilot a few weeks ago. Pretty impressive. My next step is the add an IFR navigator (thinking about the Garmin 175) to make my plane IFR legal. It would have been really handy on this last trip.

Keith
pilotmansam
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 11:30 am

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by pilotmansam »

Hello Keith. Was reading your posts on Vansairforce regarding adding the Garmin 175 along with your autopilot and the GRT EX. How is this coming along? I am doing essentially the same thing, but not tearing into it until I have clear understanding of the wiring connections. Do you have your 175 up and running Yet?

-- Sam Hart
Keith
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:27 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Keith »

Sam,
I am in the process of installing right now so don't have any results yet. I hope to have it installed this week. Waiting on the ARINC unit and some antenna coax from Stein Air. One thing to remember is that apparently you need a minimum length of antenna coax (6.5 ft I think). I don't need that much but mine will be 8 ft long and I will just coil up the excess under the glareshield. I will be mounting the GA 35 GPS antenna on the glare shield in my Tailwind. That seems like the best location for my situation.

I ran into an issue with the length of the Garmin 175. I only have 7 inches behind my panel in my original planned location. While the radio would fit, the would be a clearance issue with the antenna. I elected to move my GRT EIS to the proposed location and then install my Garmin 175 in the current EIS loation. Different size cut out but I can manage that. It will actually be a much better location.

I am looking forward to seeing how this works. If I am correct, the AP should fly the approaches just fine. I am a little unclear about whether or not it will also fly the "holds". The Garmin transfers the flight plan information to the Sport EX but I think I read somewhere that the Sport EX will not display the "holds" on the flight plan page so I don't know whether or not it will actually fly the hold or procedure turns. I think it will but not sure.

I will keep you updated.
Keith
Bobturner
Posts: 444
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 6:34 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Bobturner »

Assuming the 175 is similar to the 420W, it should fly holds and procedure turns as long as they’re in the gps database. The EFIS needs to be in GNAV mode. The flight path will not be shown on the GRT map page but will be shown on the 175.
Keith
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:27 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Keith »

One additional question: I currently use my SafeFly GPS/Echo UAT (set as GPS2) for ADSB in. It displays traffic and weather on the EFIS including waypoint weather if I have a flight plan loaded. When I add the Garmin 175 (will be set as GPS1) and use it for navigating, will I still see traffic and weather on the EFIS? I seem to recall that "ADSB in" information is a separate source setting in the EFIS. So currently I have that ADSB info coming in via Safefly/Echo UAT (GPS2). Will that still come in and "overlay" the Garmin 175 flight plan which is coming from the external GPS now labeled GPS1?

Excited to get this up and running. Won't be able to fly for a week or so as the weather has been consistently below zero F. Still need to get everything wired up and configured also.
Keith
Bobturner
Posts: 444
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 6:34 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Bobturner »

I have a different system (Hx, Skyradar adsb-in +gps-2 via usb, G420W as gps-1) but it works as advertised, with wx and traffic overlaying map or hsi page, and frontal traffic on the main efis page as well. But I don’t think it overlays the flight plan page.
Keith
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:27 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Keith »

I have the Sport Ex and the Garmin 175 talking but it is too darn cold outside (below zero) to even take the plane out to see about getting a GPS signal to further test things. I have my ARINC unit connected to Serial port #4 and the RS 232 output from the Garmin connected directly to The Sport EX on serial port #5 input. When I set both port 4 and 5 input to "GPS1 Aviation/MapCom" as I should, I get an error message from the Sport Ex of: "Serial port conflict: same inputs on 4 and 5". Is that a problem? Can the G175 send the same data to two separate ports on the Sport EX? I did a little research on the internet and it seems like it is OK to send the same "output" to multiple serial ports (which is what it looks like I am doing) but not OK to have a single input port accept multiple "outputs" (which is NOT what I am doing). Why am I getting the error message? The External flight plan from the Garmin 175 DOES come over to the external flight plan page on the Sport EX so I know they are talking.

Can't wait to get it outside and check things out more and then fly it.
Keith
Keith
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:27 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Keith »

I think I figured it out. I believe I misinterpreted the EFIS setting instructions. I had set the "ARINC connection" to: "yes port 4" but then also down below on another setting line for Serial Port #4, I had set the input to: "GPS1 Aviation/MapCom" . I had misread the instructions. I think that setting was for the RS232 serial port (I have mine on port #5) not the ARINC port. So when I had "GPS1 Aviation/MapCom" on both port 4 and 5 I got the conflict message. I just left the serial port #4 input "off" because I had already specified up farther in the settings that it was connected to port 4 and the conflict message went away. All seems to work OK on the ground. Will check in flight when it warms up. I sent a note to Jeff explaining what I found/did and am waiting for confirmation but am hopeful I now have it right.
Keith
Bobturner
Posts: 444
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 6:34 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Bobturner »

I think you got it figured out. Yes, one rs232 out can go to several rs232-in’s, but not on the same box. If the box needs to look at that data it gets confused-should it look on port 4 or port 5? I think that if port 4 used format ‘gps2 aviation/mapcom’, that would work - the box would look only at the one port, depending on whether you specified to use gps1 or gps2. But easiest to just hook up to one port. This format selection for port 4, in your case, is applied to the new rs232 ports that are physically located on the arinc adaptor box. Remember that new port is limited to, I think, 19k baud rate.
Keith
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:27 pm

Re: Sport EX "must learn first" ?

Post by Keith »

Update: Jeff got back to me and confirmed that in my case ( I have the RS232 connection going direct to the EFIS not through the ARINC pass through port), I should leave SP #4 set to "off". The ARINC module is configured from the "ARINC connected" setting not on the SP #4 setting farther down in the settings list. I should be good to go now. I really appreciate the support I have received from Jeff.

Keith
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