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Aera 760 and Trutrak issue


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Hi Guys,

I have just fitted a Bendix King xCruze100 (TruTrak Vizion) to my 2006 CTSW and have purchased a Garmin Aera760 to 'drive' it.  The AP immediatley finds the GPS signal delivered by the Garmin and works perfectly at keeping a track and an altitude.  My problem is that I can't seem to get the Aera760 to drive the AP in flight plan mode.

I put a route into the 760's route planner then I select the route and activate it.  I take off and hand-fly the route until I'm at my desired altitude and then switch on the AP with my aircraft nicely established on the magenta line.  It flies along beautifully and I get excited at seeing the next waypoint arrive to see what's going to happen and the answer is................nothing.  The 'plane just keeps on the track and altitude that its been on.  I left it for a minute to see if it would eventually realise I wanted a different course and steer the 'plane to that course but it didn't happen. 

I have connected the blue TX wire from the Garmin to the AP head unit pin 17.  The baud rates of the two devices are set to 9600 and the Garmin is set to NMEA out.  Just out of interest: when I select a flight plan from the list and then select "ACTIVATE" from the drop-down list and then from the Active Flight Plan page select "MENU", it comes up with some options to "SELECT DEPARTURE" & "SELECT ARRIVAL".  do I have to do this step or is that automatically done when I select "ACTIVATE"?

Can anyone advise me on what I might be doing wrong, please?

Paul

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1 hour ago, gorilla said:

"SELECT DEPARTURE" & "SELECT ARRIVAL".

These are for selecting STARs and DPs, which are primarily for instrument pilots. VFR pilots can use them, but there's no reason to other than if you're practicing for an instrument rating.

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If it’s a new system to you, Darrell may be right. When activated, the autopilot is following the current track, not any specific waypoint. If it’s like mine, there is a mode button on the autopilot which switches it from following a track to following whatever is in the gps ( flight plan or direct to a waypoint). 
Anytime my AP is turned on, it always starts in track mode and the mode button must be pushed to follow gps 

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Gentlemen,

Thank you for your prompt and helpful answers!

Darrell & Towner, I think you both may be right and what you say makes absolute sense in that it's the AP head unit and not the 760 that I need to alter. 

I'm not 100% sure that I saw the option in the AP set-up menu - not forgetting that I have the BK xCruze100 which has a slightly different set-up menu than the TT Vizion.  Having said that and being totally honest, I haven't thoroughly read the AP's User Manual yet as I was just excited about getting a GPS signal to my AP and seeing it work - which my old AVMAP EKP V didn't seem to want to do. 

Would this be the MODE button by any chance?  So far, I've only pressed the ALT button (to set the current altitude or to adjust the target altitude and rate of climb/descent) and twiddled the knob to adjust the track value.  Without RTFM, what does the MODE button do?

Paul 

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17 minutes ago, gorilla said:

Would this be the MODE button by any chance? 

Bingo!  There are several versions of TruTrak and associated manuals, but high level this is it.  If you engage AP and SEL and heading number is shown, you're on Track.  Push MODE and this changes to GPS and NAV, won't give you a SEL (select heading number) on the display.  

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Yes, the MODE button switches it from following a compass track to following the gps. The screen on mine shows “gps” in small letters when the mode button is pushed. Remember, when you turn it on, it will always be in track mode and you must push the mode button to activate gps.

yours is a newer model, but on mine, that’s all the mode button will do is switch back and forth between track and gps. I’m guessing yours is the same.

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It’s pretty basic, but I agree you should read the manual. It’s does have some indications you should know, like a row of lines indicate your trim is set outside the limits of the AP at it’s current settings. 
 

It is pretty nice to let it fly the entire flight plan though. For an older unit, mine works pretty well except for extreme up and down drafts

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Hi Guys,

You’re all absolutely correct.  First I read the manual from start to finish and then I went flying and bingo! The AP followed the track on the 760 brilliantly. I’m amazed at how good it is about keeping on course and altitude in turbulence. Very impressed. 

Just for interest, I was on an active course using the AP when I interrupted it to put a DIRECT TO 180 degrees from my current track and then pressed ACTIVATE. I was quite amazed that my plane first turned 30 or so degrees to the left and then did a 180 to the right. Is this some form of automatic checking of airspace before initiating a turn?! 
 

Paul

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Paul,

I haven’t tried a course change of 180 degrees before, so I have no idea. On smaller changes it does fine, but I’m usually in track mode on the AP, set direct to on the gps, then switch the AP to nav mode. I don’t know that I’ve ever already been on nav with the AP and hit direct to

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5 hours ago, gorilla said:

Hi Guys,

You’re all absolutely correct.  First I read the manual from start to finish and then I went flying and bingo! The AP followed the track on the 760 brilliantly. I’m amazed at how good it is about keeping on course and altitude in turbulence. Very impressed. 

Just for interest, I was on an active course using the AP when I interrupted it to put a DIRECT TO 180 degrees from my current track and then pressed ACTIVATE. I was quite amazed that my plane first turned 30 or so degrees to the left and then did a 180 to the right. Is this some form of automatic checking of airspace before initiating a turn?! 
 

Paul

 

Sounds like it did a procedure turn.

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