Garmin 430 to 530 - Is it easy to exchange/modify?

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mrcshbs

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Marcos STL
So, I am looking at an airplane (77 Piper Arrow) that had some of its avionics stolen a while ago. It had a Garmin 340 audio panel and a Garmin 430 GPS. I don’t know if it was a WAAS unit or not. The thieves didn’t destroy anything on the panel per se, just popped out the units and took off.


The questions are:

  • Is it easy to install a Garmin 530 where a 430 unit was?
  • Are the wires the same?
  • Assuming the wires are the same, is it just a tray swap?
  • If the old unit was non-waas unit, the replacement 530 will also need be a non waas, right?


I think the options are just to slide-in another 430 GPS (and 340 audio panel), but having a little bigger screen of the 530 would be really nice if it’s not too much of hassle.


Thoughts?


Thanks
 
It is easy to install a 530 where a 430 was if there is enough room. The 530 is 2” taller than the 430. The wires are the same. The connectors would just unscrew from the 430 backplate and screw into the 530 backplate. The new u it can be WAAS too. You would just need to replace the antenna with a WAAS antenna, which is easy. In short, a 430, 430W, 530, 530W or an Avidyne 440 or 540 would all except the same harnesses that are already installed. The 5xx unit’s would need a tray and backplate swap and the WAAS units would need a new antenna (and possibly new gps antenna coax).
 
Yes, there is room. Maybe the transponder will need to be moved, but I don't think it will.

How many hours (roughly) do you think it would be to put the 530? I would think removing the existing 430 tray/plate and installing the new one. (Ball park)

thanks
 
I could do it in a leisurely day at the hangar. Jesse could probably do it in two hours. :rolleyes:

I just did a GPS 400 swap to upgrade to WAAS, the hard part was figuring out some of the data settings so that the new unit talked properly to my EFIS. And, I had to wait for a new cable, the new antenna is a TNC connection, the old one BNC. A shop like Jesse's can just put a new end on the existing cable, I don't yet have the tools to do that so I buy prefabbed ones.
 
Why not just replace the 430? Rumor has it that Garmin is not totally supporting the 530.
 
Somewhat unrelated but aren't these units serialized? I'm always amazed when I hear of people stealing boxes like this.
 
I would say 3-6 hours to swap trays.
 
Thank you very much... I truly appreciate it. That's not bad. Now I have to find an affordable 530/340 combo deal.
 
rt4388 said:
Somewhat unrelated but aren't these units serialized? I'm always amazed when I hear of people stealing boxes like this.
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Yep, there are unique serial numbers on each unit. Some installers don’t write the serial numbers down when putting them in though, so it can be hard to track. Quite certain any decent installer nowadays will put the numbers in the logs.
 
frfly172 said:
Why not just replace the 430? Rumor has it that Garmin is not totally supporting the 530.
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Rumor like that should be good for a PoA recommendation to turf the whole center stack and rebuild it around a GTN 750. There's no problem in avionics that can't be fixed with a few dozen AMUs. ;)
 
rt4388 said:
Somewhat unrelated but aren't these units serialized? I'm always amazed when I hear of people stealing boxes like this.
Click to expand...
Sophisticated thieves steal a box from one airplane and find another airplane with the same box. They then swap out the second airplane's unit with the stolen unit. The first airplane's owner reports his radio stolen which is now in the second airplane whose owner is none the wiser. The thief now has a stolen radio that's never been reported stolen. The second airplane's owner will be in for a surprise only if the radio he has is ever serviced or sold when it will be found on the stolen list.
 
Witmo said:
Sophisticated thieves steal a box from one airplane and find another airplane with the same box. They then swap out the second airplane's unit with the stolen unit. The first airplane's owner reports his radio stolen which is now in the second airplane whose owner is none the wiser. The thief now has a stolen radio that's never been reported stolen. The second airplane's owner will be in for a surprise only if the radio he has is ever serviced or sold when it will be found on the stolen list.
Click to expand...

VERY sophisticated thieves? Because, wouldn’t they have to match the 430 configuration on the installed box to make sure the next time the user powers up it doesn’t complain?
 
The 480 allows you to put your name and tail number in the boot up screen. I don't remember if the 430/530/650/750 does that as well. Too bad they didn't protect it with a password, though.
 
Get an Avidyne 540- same connectors, vastly better / newer system. Tons more capability.
 
GRG55 said:
Rumor like that should be good for a PoA recommendation to turf the whole center stack and rebuild it around a GTN 750. There's no problem in avionics that can't be fixed with a few dozen AMUs. ;)
Click to expand...

That's why I'd never take avionics advice from POA. The amount of avionics snobbery on here is staggering.

Snark aside, there's a pretty fair amount of installers on here and corporate knowledge of the various electronic doo dads, if one is into that type of thing. I'd def recommend coming here for tech support and general avionics nerdery.
 
Witmo said:
Sophisticated thieves steal a box from one airplane and find another airplane with the same box. They then swap out the second airplane's unit with the stolen unit. The first airplane's owner reports his radio stolen which is now in the second airplane whose owner is none the wiser. The thief now has a stolen radio that's never been reported stolen. The second airplane's owner will be in for a surprise only if the radio he has is ever serviced or sold when it will be found on the stolen list.
Click to expand...

Wow... never thought of that!!!
 
mrcshbs said:
How come? Aren't they pretty much the same? with the 530 having a larger screen?
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I’m guessing he’s thinking, if you’re going to go through all the expense of pulling the 430 and reworking the panel to fit the 530, why not get a newer box.
 
Why replace a two decade old technology with another piece of two decade old technology? That's using insurance money to bake in near term obsolescence. The easiest option would be to pop in a plug-and-play Avidyne unit. No muss, no fuss, with a better display screen and possibly longer support cycle. Second choice, if wedded to Garmin, would be a GTN-650, which would require no rearrangement of the panel, albeit with a new mounting rack and wiring. If you are dead set on a larger screen, I'd still purchase newer technology to extend the useful life of your replacement, otherwise, when your replacement unit is no longer supported, you get to do it again on your own nickel.
 
Heftiger said:
I’m guessing he’s thinking, if you’re going to go through all the expense of pulling the 430 and reworking the panel to fit the 530, why not get a newer box.
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Since the 430 was stolen, a new one will be required. I think the 3-5 hours like the pilots here mentioned for the install plus what 2k difference in price. I think the "upgrade" cost would be 2.5k roughly.

430: 4K price and 0 install (4k Total)
530: 6k price plus 500(ish) install (6.5k total)
 
So what’s the price of a 2 decades newer IFD440, with install? Keeps your same tray and wiring.
 
If the unit is non WAAS you need a new antenna for a WAAS unit.
 
Give me a call at 352-427-0285 and we can talk through the options.
 
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