CSOB Cockpit Wx 

&

Garmin GPSMAP Mounting On Cygnet Dual Yoke

(Because Flying Safely with Weather Avoidance Doesn't Have to be Expensive!)

Download the January 2008 ABS Article: Nexrad on a Budget

Back when I was living in Tampa, FL, the thunderstorm capital of North America (perhaps even the world), my goal was to get XM Nexrad Wx into my cockpit at the lowest possible cost. I started out with the concept of using one of the Garmin Auto/Marine GPSMAP units that were equipped with the GXM30 low profile XM radio receiver. I chose the GPSMAP 376C since it was readily available and already superseded by newer models, which made the purchase cost quite low for the 376C. The 376C can be purchased for about 1/3 the cost (via EBay in new or open box/display model condition) of an Aviation Garmin GPSMAP396! Add the "Auto Kit" for about $200 (with detailed street mapping CD, storage card and extra power plugs) for the Garmin units and you have a powerful land based airport database, hotels, restaurants, shopping and street by street directions to anywhere.

One of many Auto Kit Sources: Click Here or Click Here

Of course the 376C has none of the highly touted aviation navigation and database of airports, intersections, airspace, etc., however, for my purposes this was not an issue. I already had a panel mounted IFR certified GPS with aviation moving map display and a small battery powered aviation handheld GPS with an aviation database.

See a complete customer review of 376C Features: Click Here

I simply wanted to get the important Nexrad capability in my plane for strategic in-flight decision making. It does not hurt that the 376C is a WAAS capable GPS unit for an emergency navigation backup in the event of a complete electrical failure or panel mounted GPS equipment failure.

NEWS FLASH: Check out this Airport and VOR database upload discovery from a site called Navzilla that makes it easy to upload the US Airports and VORs to your 376C

You have to become a member of the site to download the latest Airport and VOR database files.

Once you sign up with Navzilla, this page will have lots of 376C info HERE

You download the little utility called G7toWin and use that utility to load the Airport or VOR database you got from Navzilla (after you sign up) thru the USB connection to the 376C. When you use the G7toWin "File Open" command, you must open the menu box for files of type "txt" because that is the file type of the Airports and VORs database.

Read about the G7toWin utility and the developer HERE

Caution: Your 376C has room for 3,000 Waypoints. There are ~4,900 airports and ~1,000 VORs, so you have some choices to make.

I decided to load all the VORs onto my 376C and the G7toWin utility with Navzilla's VOR data file and it works great. I now have every VOR in my CSOB 376C so in a pinch I could get navigate to any VOR and most public airports.

I found that XM's Sailor Weather package  at $29/month (side note, when you subscribe to a Weather product you get XM Radio for $8/month - a no brainer for me since I can run the audio out to the Garmin 340 audio panel in the plane and set my cars up) gave me the all important, High Resolution Nexrad and many other helpful weather products to work with:

Surface Analysis Weather Maps

Precipitation Type at Surface

Surface Wind Speed & Direction

Surface Analysis Forecast Chart for 12, 24, 36 and 48 Hours

Airport Observations (You look them up on the 376C as "Transportation" facilities and then click "Find" then "Weather Data") that include winds speed and direction, visibility, barometric pressure and sometimes ceiling when reported.

So, if you can't swing the price of the GPSMAP 396 or the GPSMAP 496, a system like this can give you an affordable way to have some in-flight situational Wx awareness.

See the details on the XM Sailor Weather package ($29/month) that I use HERE

Now look at the XM Aviator Lite product details HERE

CSOB1 reports, You decide!

Search EBay Right Now for a 376C - New in Box units can be found for around $500, from what I have seen.

Click the image below for a   EBay auction of $389! (Auction quote as of 4/21/2009 and I have no financial interest in the auction or the seller).

Mounting my GPSMAP 376C (as well as other Garmin GPSMAP clones):

We start with the base of the stock Garmin Marine Mount. This base is mounted to the center of the yoke by removing the 12 o'clock position screw in the center circular plate. I replaced the short screw from the Cygnet yoke with a #8-32 x1/2" stainless steel screw and screwed the base of the Garmin Marine Mount in it's 12 o'clock position to the yoke. Confirm that this screw does not interfere with the movement of your control arm and yoke.

Place the marine mount with your GPSMAP onto the base disc that you just attached to the yoke. You can see the clearance available under the stock Cygnet Flight Desk.

Here the unit is shown with the flight desk removed from it's mounting pedestal. In this position I received plenty of satellites and had WAAS position accuracy of 9 feet within about ten minutes.

Here you see the GPSMAP in a somewhat stowed position without the Flight Desk.

Here is the GPSMAP when stowed with the Flight Desk in place for use.

This is the "Plain Language" METAR interpretation that you get. Wind (speed and direction), visibility and ceiling. This works for me! By the way, this is exactly what is being broadcast at the time by ATIS/AWOS at the field.

These clips from True Value Hardware keep the wires in place, eliminating dangling wire "hell" in your cockpit.

With the Garmin GPSMAP screen cover.

Full panel with GPSMAP in stowed position and GXM30 antenna in place on glare shield. No compass issues since magnets were removed, via the procedure outlined by NUMA Aviation at: Magnet Removal Procedure HERE

If this write up has helped you in any way, pay it forward and take a young person flying with you on your next hamburger or pancake run!