GNS 430 and 530, how reliable?

[terry.mortimore]

Hi gang, I’d like to try and upgrade my RV-6’s panel to be capable of IFR flight.

A new navigator is way over my budget, but a used GNS 430 or 530 is manageable.

Garmin has announced that they can no longer support those units.

The question I’m trying to get comfortable with is, if I buy a good used unit how likely am I going to be to have a problem with it?

Any thoughts would be appreciated, Terry

 

[Canadian_JOY]

Terry - not knowing what else you have in your panel puts me at a disadvantage... I would suggest the answer to your question is "it depends".

I have a GNS480 in my panel. Garmin killed support for this device a number of years ago. An aftermarket repair facility exists for these boxes now and the gentleman does excellent work. I expect he or others will do similar for the 430/530 line.

With that having been said, I would recommend taking a look at other options including adding "just" a GPS, like a GPS175 to the panel. It will come in at about the same price point and will give you a very modern GPS. If you already have a nav/com in the panel then you are set for Canadian IFR requirements.

At a personal level, the only way I would invest in a 430 or 530 would be if I had already started a savings plan to eventually punt the older device in favor of an Avidyne IFD unit. Some believe the 430/530 is on the cusp of a roll-off in their resale value. We are seeing their prices drop. If one were to install one now one would have to assume that money is essentially "gone" as future resale will definitely be lower than current pricing.

Frankly, it's worth the stretch to find a good used Avidyne and install it rather than technology which has reached the end of of its support life (or is very nearly so).

 

[Carl Froehlich]

Yep - the GPS175 is the least bad of all the various overpriced certified GPS navigators. I’m building a panel for a buddy right now using this tiny box.

I’m still debating using this in my new RV-10 project, adding the TRIG NAV/Comm as well as the Dynon radio as Comm #2. I’ve been flying behind the GTN-650 for a decade and while I consider it way overpriced and clunky to use, it is “the devil you know”.

Carl

 

[BobTurner]

OP: to be clear did you mean 430 (no WAAS) or 430W (WAAS)? The non-WAAS box can only do non precision approaches, and has not been produced in some time. I personally would not invest in a non WAAS unit. I have a 420W that is still running strong, but if it fails, I will probably get the 175 rather than pay Garmin’s high fixed price repair and still have an old box. Another option, for me, since I have a pair of GRT Hx efis units, is to buy grt’s gps approach system for a lot less money. Of course it carries no faa approval, so is for emergency use only.

 

[Dugaru]

Was just commenting about this in another thread...

Hi gang, I’d like to try and upgrade my RV-6’s panel to be capable of IFR flight.

A new navigator is way over my budget, but a used GNS 430 or 530 is manageable.

Garmin has announced that they can no longer support those units.

The question I’m trying to get comfortable with is, if I buy a good used unit how likely am I going to be to have a problem with it?

Any thoughts would be appreciated, Terry

If you are talking about the 430W and 530W units, that's not really what Garmin said:

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=F2IAklfED49SmSnkfqpnV9

I've owned two 430Ws in two airplanes over 17 years and have never had to send one in for repair. Looks like Garmin is still repairing them in any event. I think they're still a good budget IFR navigator.

If you're talking about the non-WAAS units, i think you're right that they're orphaned by Garmin. I'd be less excited about buying one of those, although it will probably go for years! Note that these had slower processors, among other things.