Garmin’s GMX 200 Offers Advanced Situational
Awareness
Garmin International
Inc., has unveiled their new GMX 200, a multi-function display
(MFD) for pilot’s demanding the ultimate in situational
awareness. The GMX 200 raises the bar and includes a high
resolution (640 x 480 pixels) display with a viewing area that is
almost 20% larger than other panel mounted MFD units. An advanced
backlighting scheme dramatically improves the color and contrast,
resulting in chart depictions and images that are brighter and more
vivid in all lighting conditions.
Building on the success of Garmin’s MX20™, the next
generation GMX 200 has multiple functions and useful features. At a
glance you see your aircraft’s position relative to terrain,
obstructions, weather, airways, navaids, restricted airspace and
more. With a simple press of a soft key the pilot can select
between several charting options and easily add or remove details.
A new rotary knob has been added to allow for quicker map scale
changes and entry of data. In addition, a new front loading SD
card-slot allows for expanded memory and makes loading updated
charts uncomplicated. The GMX 200 fits in the same panel space as
the MX20 and has more serial ports for added sensor capacity.
“The GMX200 concentrates information from different
sources on one remarkable display” said Gary Kelley (pictured
below), Garmin’s vice president of marketing.
“The unit is easy-to-use and provides operators with an
extra margin of safety in the cockpit.”
The GMX 200 includes high resolution terrain and hydrography
data for the entire world which is preloaded for an unmatched
presentation even at the lower zoom scales. The Garmin Base Map
with cities, roads, rivers, and lakes has been added to further
improve situational awareness. An aviation database featuring
Jeppesen® NavData™ is used to draw airports, airways,
navaids, airspace, and more. Map scales range from one-fourth of a
mile to a whopping 2500 miles.
A unique split screen function allows the pilot to
simultaneously view two charting options along with the vertical
profile for the elevation of the terrain along the route of flight.
For the most advanced weather depictions you can combine the GMX
200 with the Garmin GDL 69™ for instant nationwide weather
information via XM Satellite Radio. Graphical weather depictions of
NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, TFRs, winds aloft, echo tops, precipitation
type at the surface, lightning strikes, storm-cell data, AIRMETs,
and SIGMETs can be received and displayed regardless of altitude.
Combine animated NEXRAD images with the maximum zoom range of
2500nm and a nationwide view of the weather is presented on one
screen. The GMX 200 also provides a user interface for the more
than 150 channels of XM audio with the GDL 69A.
Similar to the MX20, the GMX 200 is supplied in three versions
including the Standard, the Traffic, and the Radar/Traffic models.
The GMX 200 Traffic version supports interfaces to Garmin’s
TIS capable transponders and ADS-B transceivers, and can be
connected to select TCAS I and TAS systems. The GMX 200
Radar/Traffic model supports the traffic interfaces and can also be
interfaced with the GWX 68™, a new color digital weather
radar with 6.5KW of transmit power. The GMX 200 Radar/Traffic
version displays real-time weather ahead of the aircraft supporting
both horizontal and vertical perspectives. It also provides control
for range, tilt, bearing, gain and hold for the GWX 68 and a select
list of other weather radar devices.
The GMX 200 is compatible with the Garmin 400/500 series, GNS
480™, GDL 69/69A, GTX 330/33™, GDL 90™, GWX 68,
as well as many other manufactures’ GPS navigation equipment.
The unit is expected to receive its supplemental type certification
(STC) in the summer of 2006. The GMX 200 has an expected price
starting at $8,995.