Free Flight 2101
 

Just a warning to anyone with the Free Flight 2101 GPS.
We had a faulty antennae on one of our A109E's causing poor satellite reception. This GPS has a Dead Reckoning back-up which I think could kill. When the system loses its GPS fix it uses dead reckoning. The only way the pilot knows this is happening is if he sees the symbol DR on the EFIS, which is easily missed.

Meanwhile the moving map carries on moving, and you think all is well. However errors start to magnify with any turns and soon you are not where you think you are…

I have had the same thing happen with a Free Flight 2101 (in an EC135) which had an antenna failure. I didnt notice a DR symbol but did notice the track and position looked completely wrong after a while. Luckily I was VMC at the time but I can see how it could be dangerous for the unwary... :eek:

BC

The DR Mode of the 2101 can be turned off (certainly on the newer software versions) by hunting for it in the setup menus, I turned it off on your 109 Philip after the last GPS upgrade in May.

The DR mode whilst IMC could be a real killer, especially if as discussed on the other thread pilots are following GPSs down to low level whilst IMC.

DVD Guides for the TNL2101
 

Does anyone recommend where we can get hold of some good training devices for this? Looks scary that the DR is not reliable. We have the TNL 2101 Eurocopter standard fit on our N3 and am looking for a better unit...Eurocopter should have have put a good FMS as a standard fit.All helps in safety implementation especially in IFR.

Have Trimble 2101 i/0 on year 2000 109 E. Any Plug'n'Play replacement?

Card reader
 

Hi

We have Freeflight approch plus 2101 on ours two EC135. The GPS is good but we have problem with database update from Jeppesen. We need card reader for this specific card and its cant be found anywhere. If somebody have card reader to sell or know where to buy reader for this card in Freeflight I will be grateful.

I could be wrong as it was a long time ago, but pretty sure the cards we had in our 2101s weren't PCMCIA. They had a single row of edge contacts.

You need the Jeppesen Skybound Card Reader to write updates onto the EDGE cards. try to get it via [email protected]

If/when you find one of these for sale, make sure that it is the 3 in 1 skybound adaptor as this is the model you need for the Edge cards. I think that the exact model No is NDSKYUSB.
https://ww1.jeppesen.com/documents/a...pt-install.pdf
There are newer Skybound units but these are not suitable for the Edge cards.

Is ebay item 142226073706 the one?

Gievum, That looks like the adapter for things like the Garmin 430/530 data cards not the Trimble.

Gary

Personally, I think the Freeflight is an awful piece of kit - it takes user-unfriendliness to a new level and trying to create WPs from L/L or grid is just painful, let alone linking them into a FPLAN. Ous doesn't have the DR option (possibly disabled) but gives alerts on the ND if the GPS signal is lost.

I guess Trimble never thought to include a pilot in their design team for this one!

It's probably worth remembering that the 2101 has been around since the late 1990s. In its time it was considered 'state of the art'. I certainly was impressed with the capabilities it offered. Yes, the thing took a bit of learning but no more than any other product of its era. We are a little spoilt these days with touchscreens etc etc, not that I want to go back to the old days!!

Says someone who never had to use the Litton 211 Omega/VLF ;)

No, but I did have the joys of Decca:ok: Hyperbolic nav in 3 colours anyone?:)

Colour? Eeeh lad, thah were lucky, we'd have killed for colour.....

And there were the joys of the Decca DANAC moving map that worked perfectly until you actually needed it. One sight of a cloud and the position seemed to move to somewhere adjacent to Stavanger when flying through deepest darkest Norfolk! Changing the long plasticised sheets one handed whilst flying as you moved from one area to another was a true test of ability to work as a 'one armed paper hanger'