Honeywell GNS-X
 

Hi all,
Does somebody have anything about GNS-X navigation system? It is really difficult to find something about this jurasic peace of equipment. POH, QRH anything... Thanks!
low flare in lowfare

LF, you may have better luck posting this in the Private Flying forum as this unit is very common on corporate aircraft.

Meanwhile, perhaps this would help:
PilotGuides

Cheers.

Thanks,

It is fitted in my BAe146 so I was thinking that "big machines" forum is more appropriate. I will try, for sure

Hello LF,

You know, someone had told me that the 146 uses these units. Apologies for having thought they were only in the 'smaller machines' :)

Perhaps a trip to Honeywelltechpubs would do it then. They have free online access to FMS manuals - just provide ownership details of the aircraft in question and access should be granted.

Lowflare, is it a GNS, a GNSX, or a GNSX-LS? BAe used them on BAe 146 and Jetstream 41 aircraft.

What do you want to know about it, and some 146 crews may be able to advise.

Hi rhythm method,

Nothing specific, I was wondering does anybody have any online manual for it, or qrh. That's all.


PS

It is a GNS-X

lowflare,

I've got an operator's manual (about 100 pages of A4) for the GNS-X as fitted to the Avro RJ100.

CityFlyer's first RJ100s were fitted with the GNS-X whilst the later models were fitted with the Collins GNLU 910. Unfortunately for you, most of us prefered the GNLU to the GNSX.

If you PM me with your name and address, I'll send it to you in the post.

HI FC an everybody!

Absolutely true. The device sucks! Loses position as soon as you wonder in a small valley. Sensor missmatch msgs... freezes every now and then. GNS-XLS is much better solution and above all GNS-X cann't comply with P-RNAV requirement...

The manual is useless, unless you have the machine in front of you to play with as you go through it.
There isn't much difficulty in learning to use it as you go along, after all it's not exactly loaded with features.
A couple of days supernumary flights before line training commences should have you well able to load up the flight plan/SID/STAR/fuel numbers. Not much else to do pre-flight, it takes about 2 minutes to prep.
In flight then, you won't need much more than the Direct To key. It sure ain't rocket science and is far removed from the complexity and capability of, for example, the A320 FMS.

Well, the manual is what I am missing...Machine is in front of me every now an then :ugh:

lowflare, amendment to my last post, even with the box in front of you, the manual is useless.
As you appear to be already flying the 146, you must already have the basics worked out. As the basics are pretty much all it does, you needn't worry. Anything further is best learnt from further button pushing in cruise etc.
As far as I could see, the manual seemed to be there only as it was a probably a legal obligation to provide one, it certainly didn't seem to be there to provide any actual teaching value. And it didn't.
By the way, I wouldn't be so sure GNS-XLS is that much better - it also fairly regularly lapses into DR mode, freezes, has sensor miscompares etc etc.

simcom have a simulator for this unit on the web somewhere

we have them in our c650 a very simple unit

Well, tryed most of the stuff by now. Obviously that's about it. Thanks for the feedback guys. Real wonder that something in excess of 40 t with 4 engs is equiped with such a jurasic equipment.

Sounds like operator error or a poor installation to me. Ours have/are performing flawlessy, including during GPS RNAV approaches to places you where don't look outside because the hills are too big. :ok:

Ain't that the truth.
The loss of GPS signal is exacerbated by the fact that not all the aircraft are fitted with 3 DME's, so it's unable to DR, thus dumps LNAV and defaults, with no warning, into Roll mode.

That's odd. I had only a couple of satellite-induced DR events in the 5 years I flew this box, and then only for a few seconds. Very reliable GPS side of things. And believe me, we ain't exactly right under SV 1!

Yeah, the loss of signal only lasts a couple of seconds, but unfortunately only a split second loss is enough to disengage LNAV if DME3 is not fitted.

Does anyone know if these units have backlighting on them?

GNS as used in HS125 and BAe146 Avro RJ had a ‘Plasdec’ (spl?) panel facing, which was lit internally for the engraving, as were the buttons. The older displays used a small monochrome CRT.

I spent many years using these systems, and notwithstanding to previous comments, the navigation (RNAV) was very accurate in the DME/DME mode. Longer range accuracy depended on operator choice of sensor and installation.
There were variants for inshore coastal surveillance and Nav Aid checking tasks.

The small version had some of the best aspects of human interface - no bells and whistles. The later, market driven versions attempted to mimic larger FMS, but not very successfully. However, providing only one operating method was used (button or line select) it retain its commendable qualities for its time and price.

Thank you.