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  1. Username Protected
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       #1  

    Question GWX 75 upgrade for Phenom 300?

    I'm planning to do the NXI upgrade on my Phenom 300 shortly.
    One option on the STC is to also upgrade the radar to the GWX 75. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is in a meaningful difference?
    The 75 also offers the (additional) option of unlocking Turbulence detection and Ground Clutter suppression. Both of those sound very nice, but again, I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has used them in practice.

    FWIW, quotes I've gotten for the radar upgrade range from $20-$30k, and the TD+GC unlock is around $14k.
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    #2  
    (Username Protected),

    I have the GWX 75 in my P300. Being based in FL I deal with convective weather all summer. Key benefits is instant on, 4x more decibel gradients and a wider scan. It is a better radar for sure, but not 2x better.

    I also have Turbulence detection and Ground Clutter suppression (Garmin gave me all unlocks as my plane was used for the STC). I have not found them useful.
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       #3  
    Thanks. Too bad to hear the TD and GC aren't very useful... I was afraid they sounded cooler than the actual usefulness.

    I assume you did the audio panel upgrade as well since they did the full STC? Do you notice any significant difference? Seems like the only real features are BT and 3D audio. I don't really care about BT as I have it on the headset plus I have a BT-aux-in dongle that I use already for the airplane audio. I've had 3D audio on my last couple planes and I guess it's nice... not sure if I'd consider it essential by any stretch. Are the volume controls better? I've always found volume management on G1000 audio panels to be pretty horrible (compared to the simplicity of G3000).
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    #4  
    Quote Originally Posted by (Username Protected) View Post
    re the volume controls better? I've always found volume management on G1000 audio panels to be pretty horrible (compared to the simplicity of G3000).
    Yes volume management is considerable better. You don't have a "master" volume any more (except your headset's inline volume knob) - instead each source can be adjusted individually. Com 1, Com 2, Intercom, XM, BT etc. It is all interconnected too, if you change the COM1 volume on the audio panel it is automatically reflected in the volume percentage on the PFD.

    I have the Clarity Aloft headset without Bluetooth, so BT was a nice addition. 3D audio is neat but as you said not essential. In the end it is another ~$10k but I think it helps complete the "modernization" of the panel.

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