Bought a Used G5 out of an Experimental and assumed it was experimental. PN 011-03809-00. I first got tipped off when I went in to Config >> Device Info >> Installation Type (drop down). There were three selection Standalone / Certified / G3X back up. Hummm. The SW was out of date when I got it. I don't recall what it was but 6.XX something. Both G5's Cert/Non-Cert start with 8.XX. I installed (Nov 2024) SW update 8.44 for experimental and it updated the IGRF. It loaded nicely per the manual, including the IGRF which is dated 2020. After I suspected I had a certified model I forced a update loading SW 8.27 for certified. I did this to help issues I have but it did not change anything. WHAT DO I HAVE AND WHAT IS THE CORRECT SW UPDATES TO USE? Cert or Experimental?
The used G5 I bought was configured (Can Bus) to include Magnetometer / GAD 29 (ARINC 429 to CAN BUS) / Autopilot Servo or servos. I got the Magnetometer (GMU 11) to GAD 29 in a used G5 package deal, but no Autopilot servos. I plan on using both both Magnetometer and GAD 29 but not the servos anyway.
The unit came with connectors a cut harness with some useful lengths of cable. I got one CAN termination (120ohm), likely the second one was on the servos, so I bought a second CAN termination, which one is on the G5 and the other on CAN bus for bench testing. I am just trying to get the G5 to operate with Magnetometer and play with calibration ON THE BENCH.
When I powered it up for the first time it works nicely. It has backup battery battery BTW. I got the Autopilot servo related warning and cleared that by deleting servos. I also deleted other settings for ARINC 429 and the Magnetometer, thinking I am going to start from scratch and re-ENABLE as require. The first update got rid of the IGRF out of date warning.
I modified the existing G5 harness for just the Magnetometer. I have gone over that harness and it checks out, CAN BUS H/L, Power +/-, shield ground, fabricated per manual with proper wire. Now the problem.
With harness attached the CONFIG PAGE is not fully populated, including ARINC 429, NAV, Magnetometer to name a few. Metometer was not connected and shown in Device INFO because I disabled it. It took me a little time to figure out I can see the CONFIG PAGE only on backup battery power and harness disconnected.
I tried going to CONFIG list and Magnetometer was not there. It should be regardless of it being connected or now. This is where you enable it. Here is the PROPBLEM....
When I saw I could enable the Magnetometer (not connected) on battery power I did that. And sure enough the GMU 11 is communicating. Here are two issues however:
1) I can only see the full Configuration list of items (including magnetometer) when harness is disconnected. I ENABLE the Magnetometer, reconnect the harness and get magnetometer working. I am getting MAG Hdg and it changes if I move the magnetometer. No warnings BUT.... Looking at Device Info I see SDF1 green check (for a few seconds). That changes to blank box for a few seconds and then RED X. Clearly not great. Part of the issue may be SW update and #2 message I am getting.
2) I am seeing a IGRF message (white level) out of date. It still shows 2020 from the first SW update I did. The second update for SE to 8.27 did not automatically ask for IGRF update like the first time. Likely because it is updated and there is not difference in IGRF data from 8.44 to 8.27. (Note it took me a little time to figure out how to update back, since the unit will not go into updating mode if the data card is not a Rev higher. Apparently this is not a big deal. I still don't know what SW version to load.)
I think being used, changing the settings from the last full configuration, unit is "locked up". May be I need to set G3X backup or Certified to make it work? I DO NOT have a G3X.
There is no MASTER Factory reset. You can only do what I did is delete or go to default setting for each category.
I MUST have the Config page with Magnetometer connected to calibrate it. I can only see the magnetometer config page when harness and magnetometer are disconnected?
If you read all that and can help, appreciate it. If not I do have all the manuals. Contacted Garmin yesterday. So hope to get some answers there.
If I solve this I will post solution. At this point I think the harness is the issue? However When I disconnect the harness from the GMU 11 and keep it connected to G5 it still has that hidden Config Page item issue. There is a LIGHTNING protector (factory Garmin) in the connector.
I wonder? Many Garmin GPS units have configuration module kits, that stores info. So if you take the unit out of the rack, and delete your settings or put a new unit in, it will CONFIG without you needing to go into the settings and start over. The G5 connector installation kit is called Lightning Protection Kit. It includes the connector, back shell (which has the protection circuit) and mount ring. May be it is also a configuration module as well and it detects some mismatch? A new one is $115. Being this is possibly certified it may be an issue. Since it is going in experimental it should not be an issue, as there is a selection for CERTIFIED which I did not select, I choose STANDALONE. May be I need to select G3X and see what happens?
I hope someone has been down this road and can tell me a simple solution. The only thing is the harness I salvaged. I can not check it more than I did. Pin 3 of the G5 is not grounded so it should see itself as a solo unit SFD1 not a pair of G5's, but shows SFD2? May be I have the backwards? HELP~! Ha ha.
The used G5 I bought was configured (Can Bus) to include Magnetometer / GAD 29 (ARINC 429 to CAN BUS) / Autopilot Servo or servos. I got the Magnetometer (GMU 11) to GAD 29 in a used G5 package deal, but no Autopilot servos. I plan on using both both Magnetometer and GAD 29 but not the servos anyway.
The unit came with connectors a cut harness with some useful lengths of cable. I got one CAN termination (120ohm), likely the second one was on the servos, so I bought a second CAN termination, which one is on the G5 and the other on CAN bus for bench testing. I am just trying to get the G5 to operate with Magnetometer and play with calibration ON THE BENCH.
When I powered it up for the first time it works nicely. It has backup battery battery BTW. I got the Autopilot servo related warning and cleared that by deleting servos. I also deleted other settings for ARINC 429 and the Magnetometer, thinking I am going to start from scratch and re-ENABLE as require. The first update got rid of the IGRF out of date warning.
I modified the existing G5 harness for just the Magnetometer. I have gone over that harness and it checks out, CAN BUS H/L, Power +/-, shield ground, fabricated per manual with proper wire. Now the problem.
With harness attached the CONFIG PAGE is not fully populated, including ARINC 429, NAV, Magnetometer to name a few. Metometer was not connected and shown in Device INFO because I disabled it. It took me a little time to figure out I can see the CONFIG PAGE only on backup battery power and harness disconnected.
I tried going to CONFIG list and Magnetometer was not there. It should be regardless of it being connected or now. This is where you enable it. Here is the PROPBLEM....
When I saw I could enable the Magnetometer (not connected) on battery power I did that. And sure enough the GMU 11 is communicating. Here are two issues however:
1) I can only see the full Configuration list of items (including magnetometer) when harness is disconnected. I ENABLE the Magnetometer, reconnect the harness and get magnetometer working. I am getting MAG Hdg and it changes if I move the magnetometer. No warnings BUT.... Looking at Device Info I see SDF1 green check (for a few seconds). That changes to blank box for a few seconds and then RED X. Clearly not great. Part of the issue may be SW update and #2 message I am getting.
2) I am seeing a IGRF message (white level) out of date. It still shows 2020 from the first SW update I did. The second update for SE to 8.27 did not automatically ask for IGRF update like the first time. Likely because it is updated and there is not difference in IGRF data from 8.44 to 8.27. (Note it took me a little time to figure out how to update back, since the unit will not go into updating mode if the data card is not a Rev higher. Apparently this is not a big deal. I still don't know what SW version to load.)
I think being used, changing the settings from the last full configuration, unit is "locked up". May be I need to set G3X backup or Certified to make it work? I DO NOT have a G3X.
There is no MASTER Factory reset. You can only do what I did is delete or go to default setting for each category.
I MUST have the Config page with Magnetometer connected to calibrate it. I can only see the magnetometer config page when harness and magnetometer are disconnected?
If you read all that and can help, appreciate it. If not I do have all the manuals. Contacted Garmin yesterday. So hope to get some answers there.
If I solve this I will post solution. At this point I think the harness is the issue? However When I disconnect the harness from the GMU 11 and keep it connected to G5 it still has that hidden Config Page item issue. There is a LIGHTNING protector (factory Garmin) in the connector.
I wonder? Many Garmin GPS units have configuration module kits, that stores info. So if you take the unit out of the rack, and delete your settings or put a new unit in, it will CONFIG without you needing to go into the settings and start over. The G5 connector installation kit is called Lightning Protection Kit. It includes the connector, back shell (which has the protection circuit) and mount ring. May be it is also a configuration module as well and it detects some mismatch? A new one is $115. Being this is possibly certified it may be an issue. Since it is going in experimental it should not be an issue, as there is a selection for CERTIFIED which I did not select, I choose STANDALONE. May be I need to select G3X and see what happens?
I hope someone has been down this road and can tell me a simple solution. The only thing is the harness I salvaged. I can not check it more than I did. Pin 3 of the G5 is not grounded so it should see itself as a solo unit SFD1 not a pair of G5's, but shows SFD2? May be I have the backwards? HELP~! Ha ha.
