Jeppesen to stop supporting Trimble GPS units

[Mitch Vernon]

Jeppesen NavDate will not be available for Trimle GPS units after 15th December 2008.

Models affected are:

TNL 2000/2100/3000/3100
TNL 2000T/2100T/3000T/3100T
TNL 1000 DC
TNL Approach 2000, 2100, 2101 I/O

Reason is that the NavData no lnoger will fit on the 1mb Edge Card that is installed in these units.

More info on

http://www.jeppesen.com/download/navdata/Discontinued-FreeFlight-NavData-Services_020108.pdf

Cheers,:bored:

[Shawn Coyle]

Good news - I realize that there are those who love Trimble machines, but they are dreadful from a human factors point of view.

[Gomer Pylot]

Trimble has as poor a user interface as I've ever seen on any device, aviation or non-aviation. It was obsolete when it was introduced. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[Capt Hollywood]

I just wish Jeppesen would hurry up and support Windows Vista so I can update my cards without having to fire up my 'old' laptop.

[Ox Power]

I believe there's hardware / firmware mods available shortly (at least for the 2101 series) to modify the unit to accept a 4Mb data card.

Certainly agree user interface is terrible.

Also amazing that tso C146 compliance (2101 I/O) is taking so long.

[rivnut]

Companies like CHC Australia will want to hope that the 4MB edge card eventuates soon as I believe they use the TNL2101 as their fleet GPS model....that means a hell of alot of TNL2101's that could become obsolete in a short time. Imagine the cost of replacing some 40 odd units plus the ones in store plus engineering work to fit.

Personally I like the Trimble (freeflight) unit if fitted with some sort of moving map display in the dash but do admit it has fallen way behind technologically.

Ah the GPS monopoly is very alive now with only King (Honeywell) and Garmin the players left.

[mad_jock]

I like the trimble, once you get used to it is very flexible and does everything you want.

some people will never get thier heads around which knob to turn left or right but I do.

Most never use it to its full potential But alot use it to be more of a help than a hinderance.. It works day in day out for me with not a single unit gone tits up in 4 years.

[Mitch Vernon]

We have a brand new A109E on the water with a Trimble 2101. We are trying to make a warranty claim for the replacement of the unit. The warranty is for 2 years.

We await Agusta's response.

[rivnut]

Mitch, not only Agusta but Eurocopter sells new AS365N3's with the TNL2101 as the factory fit...to fit a G430/530 requires considerable centre console re-engineering at great expense if done by the enduser.

[Shawn Coyle]

Trimble may have fixed the problem, but when I evaluated it, the logic was OK until you went to change the transition points on a GPS approach. If memory serves me right - upper line controlled by outer knob, lower line by inner knob - until you got to the point of having selected the runway (upper line) and trying to select a different transition than the one displayed - the inner knob merely stepped you through the waypoints on the approach. If you wanted to change the transition, you had to press a button (ENT?) first - completely counter-intuitive and flummoxed a whole lot of people.
Transport Canada said it wasn't suitable for IFR until this got changed, among other things.
Loads of other things as well, probably fixed at the time, but the KLN-89 and 90 were way ahead with their very small moving map displays.

[Brilliant Stuff]

This is what I find so dangerous about GPSs they waste so much time in trying to set up anything you might want to do in flight. Fine if you are two crew lethal if you are single.

[Bravo73]

BS,

If you've already got the waypoints set up, the KLN-90 is pretty quick and straight forward to set up a flight plan then couple it to the A/P. About a minute of extra 'eyes in' time.

It can, of course, be set up on the ground prior to launch.

[rotorbrent]

I can remember when everyone was going to hang on to thier LORANS when the expensive GPS's came out and I see how many of those exist today installed in Helicopters. I have gone from Loran to GPS to GPS w moving map display in the same aircraft. The Trimble will be relegated to aviation trivia just like the Narco "Super Homer", ONI loran, and the fading Chadwich strobe. All excellent equipment when properly used just something better came out. We will learn, adapt, chat fondly about the old stuff remember the good and bad, But you will find yourself in the Air going Wow glad I do not have the old "blank" anymore this is a huge improvment.