KLN94 still supported?

T

Todd82

Line Up and Wait
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Are KLN94 still supported as far as database upgrades, etc. or is it just basically VFR ballast by now?
 
Todd82 said:
Are KLN94 still supported as far as database upgrades, etc. or is it just basically VFR ballast by now?
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I know the club archer was being updated as recently as November. I don't know where they got the updates from, but I assume it's BK. I was told it takes a special programming cable that hooks up to a serial port; you can't just take the card out and update it.
 
Jim K said:
I know the club archer was being updated as recently as November. I don't know where they got the updates from, but I assume it's BK. I was told it takes a special programming cable that hooks up to a serial port; you can't just take the card out and update it.
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You can, but you have to have the card reader that hooks up to a computer to do it. I did it for years.

The computer itself tends to be the problem these days. You need an old Windows XP computer to make it work. About the time I sold my KLN-94, in 2016 while it was still worth a few bucks, my old Windows laptop died which gave me further motivation to get rid of it. Maybe someone has figured out a way to do it with a virtual computer that will configure serial ports, but of course, the serial port itself has since flown the coop from modern computers.
 
Ryan F. said:
You can, but you have to have the card reader that hooks up to a computer to do it. I did it for years.

The computer itself tends to be the problem these days. You need an old Windows XP computer to make it work. About the time I sold my KLN-94, in 2016 while it was still worth a few bucks, my old Windows laptop died which gave me further motivation to get rid of it. Maybe someone has figured out a way to do it with a virtual computer that will configure serial ports, but of course, the serial port itself has since flown the coop from modern computers.
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The guy in charge of it for us is using a modern computer; if he's running a virtual machine on it or not, I don't know. He's using a usb>serial adapter, but he said it took two or three to find one that would work. I offered to give him a cf card reader I had, but he said that it would only work through the cable. Might have been an issue specific to that card though. Or he didn't know what he was talking about... also possible.

I got my instrument rating using it. It's better than nothing, but not having WAAS or FDE is pretty limiting. Alternate planning gets to be difficult.
 
This looks useful. He appears to be using a Windows 10 computer.

 
midlifeflyer said:
I'll raise you one. I have a friend with an 89B we can still update! (At least as of 2019)
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I was always impressed that BK still supported them. Does garmin still provide data for the old Apollo units? Is there a requirement to provide data in the tso, or is it simply still profitable?
 
Thanks everyone. I was looking at a plane that that one installed and of course the seller is proud of it like it's a G1000 but I wanted to know if it was even of any value in these days knowing that it's a little long in the tooth.
 
Todd82 said:
Thanks everyone. I was looking at a plane that that one installed and of course the seller is proud of it like it's a G1000 but I wanted to know if it was even of any value in these days knowing that it's a little long in the tooth.
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I flew with one from the San Francisco area to Phoenix a few months ago. They're not WAAS capable, so you can fly LNAV approaches but not LPV.

Does the plane you were looking at have a KAP140 autopilot, by any chance? That's what the plane I was flying had. It was OK for en route, but I couldn't get the autopilot to stay on course when I tried a coupled approach. I understand that later model planes than what I was flying are supposed to have better integration with the GPS.
 
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You can update the 94/89b using an rs232 cable to a laptop via jack in your panel. That is by far the best way to do it.
 
Palmpilot said:
I flew with one from the San Francisco area to Phoenix a few months ago. They're not WAAS capable, so you can fly LNAV approaches but not LPV.

Does the plane you were looking at have a KAP140 autopilot, by any chance? That's what the plane I was flying had. It was OK for en route, but I couldn't get the autopilot to stay on course when I tried a coupled approach. I understand that later model planes than what I was flying are supposed have better integration with the GPS.
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A flying club I'm with has two DA40 G1000 airplanes. One is the older model with the KAP 140. It works OK but does have a tendency to wander a bit. Then again, so do I! :D
 
I have a 2001 DA40 with the KLN94 and KAP140. Both still work well, and I can still update the GPS database.
 
You can get updates from Bendix King Wingman services, last time I did it was about $40 a pop. That you can do from any PC. If you have the cards and their reader you can program them from a old XP PC or a new one with an emulator. I think you can do it with a cable as well right into the unit, I like the cards more better. Does GPS approaches all day, no WAAS, not ever.
 
I keep my -89B in my Comanche updated. Running an older Lenovo laptop with Windows 7 and Chrome for the browser. I’ve got the data jack in my panel but needed a very specific 9 pin-to-USB cable that Honeywell/Bendix King suggested. It’s called a Keyspan USA 19HS. I tried getting away with a cheaper converter cable and it didn’t work. Something about the speed for transferring the data. This document from them is super helpful on how to do it and uses the same software for the actual updating. You just click on your type of unit once the time comes.
 

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  • gps update download instructions.pdf
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FightingJioux, are you still using a KLN 89B? I know it's outdated, but the one in my plane is working but I am having the hardest time updating it. Looking for help.
 
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