Garmin GTR 205x and 205xR Now Available (7/16/2024)

[g3xpert]

Good Morning!

Garmin is pleased to announce two new slimline radios for the experimental aviation market, building upon the recently introduced GTR™ 205 COMM radio series for certified aircraft. The panel-mount GTR 205x and remote mount GTR 205xR COMM radios have the same feature set as the GTR 205 radio plus new intercom and audio features. The 1.35-inch GTR 205x matches the bezel height of previous-generation radios, similar to the SL30/40, enabling easier upgrades and diverse installation opportunities in space-constrained instrument panels. Of note, in contrast to the GTR 200/20 series, the 205x and xR include the ability to configure 8.33 kHz COM spacing.

These models serve to transition from the GTR 200(B) and 20 to a new generation of hardware. If you are planning an instrument panel build, we strongly suggest planning these models into your equipment list in place of the previous generation of radios.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[eavila1]

Good Morning!

Garmin is pleased to announce two new slimline radios for the experimental aviation market, building upon the recently introduced GTR™ 205 COMM radio series for certified aircraft. The panel-mount GTR 205x and remote mount GTR 205xR COMM radios have the same feature set as the GTR 205 radio plus new intercom and audio features. The 1.35-inch GTR 205x matches the bezel height of previous-generation radios, similar to the SL30/40, enabling easier upgrades and diverse installation opportunities in space-constrained instrument panels. Of note, in contrast to the GTR 200/20 series, the 205x and xR include the ability to configure 8.33 kHz COM spacing.

These models serve to transition from the GTR 200(B) and 20 to a new generation of hardware. If you are planning an instrument panel build, we strongly suggest planning these models into your equipment list in place of the previous generation of radios.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Justin

ok I have the GTR200B. What are the differences between the two in layman's terms and what would push one to go from said to the new model

 

[erich weaver]

I had the same question as eavila1 above. The only feature that is additional to those in the GTR 200B that I see is additional aux inputs. Am I missing something?

 

[g3xpert]

ok I have the GTR200B. What are the differences between the two in layman's terms and what would push one to go from said to the new model

The 200B radios were recently discontinued as a result of parts obsolescence. There is no reason to switch from the GTR 200B if you already have one.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[eavila1]

The 200B radios were recently discontinued as a result of parts obsolescence. There is no reason to switch from the GTR 200B if you already have one.

Thanks,

Justin

Ok thx Justin. Good info

 

[Brantel]

Justin,

Do you know if Van's is planning to switch to the GTR 205X vs the GTR 200B for the RV-12IS avionics kits? Is it pin for pin compatible?

 

[Ben Ellis]

Good Morning!

Garmin is pleased to announce two new slimline radios for the experimental aviation market, building upon the recently introduced GTR™ 205 COMM radio series for certified aircraft. The panel-mount GTR 205x and remote mount GTR 205xR COMM radios have the same feature set as the GTR 205 radio plus new intercom and audio features. The 1.35-inch GTR 205x matches the bezel height of previous-generation radios, similar to the SL30/40, enabling easier upgrades and diverse installation opportunities in space-constrained instrument panels. Of note, in contrast to the GTR 200/20 series, the 205x and xR include the ability to configure 8.33 kHz COM spacing.

These models serve to transition from the GTR 200(B) and 20 to a new generation of hardware. If you are planning an instrument panel build, we strongly suggest planning these models into your equipment list in place of the previous generation of radios.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Justin

The 8.33kHz COM spacing is a nice addition so I'll definitely put this radio on the list. Do you have any plans to do a remote mount NAV/COM version?

 

[Carl Froehlich]

I’d be most interested in:
- The GTR 200B front end selectivity spec.
- The GTR 205X front end selectivity spec.

Carl

 

[coloflyer]

Justin-

Random G3x question for you. Does Garmin have a component library for Fusion? I just started designing my power and avionics wiring diagrams and it occurred to me that you might just have it available which would save me the risk of mislabeling a pin.

Thanks!

 

[svengru]

Is it pin for pin compatible?

Looking at both installation manuals it appears that it is not.
Here is the Install manual.

 

[Brantel]

Looking at both installation manuals it appears that it is not.
Here is the Install manual.

Yeah, I found the manual a while back and saw the same. I forgot to come back here and post my findings. Thanks!

 

[mfleming]

The 200B radios were recently discontinued as a result of parts obsolescence. There is no reason to switch from the GTR 200B if you already have one.

Thanks,

Justin

Does this mean the GTR 200B is not being supported for repairs now? I have one in a box ready for install but don't want to install an unsupported radio.

 

[mfleming]

The 200B radios were recently discontinued as a result of parts obsolescence. There is no reason to switch from the GTR 200B if you already have one.

Thanks,

Justin

Will the new GTR 205s slide into the GTR 200Bs panel mount without the need for rewiring?

 

[Brantel]

Will the new GTR 205s slide into the GTR 200Bs panel mount without the need for rewiring?

Nope, the connectors are different. Confirmed by pulling both install manuals.

 

[Scott Hersha]

If the -200B is obsolete, that seems like a pretty short lifespan. I have one in my two year old RV6. Works great!

 

[jclark]

Nope, the connectors are different. Confirmed by pulling both install manuals.

Arrrggghhh.

I have TWO (new in box) that I have NOT installed. Would have liked to have had the option to upgrade via "plug-n-play". Of course I would have expected there would have been a few $$ exchanged.

Maybe I can sell my units (at a slight loss) with wiring harness and start anew.

 

[Snowflake]

If the -200B is obsolete, that seems like a pretty short lifespan. I have one in my two year old RV6. Works great!

It's possible the bluetooth chip has been EOL'd and there's no pin-compatible replacement. Not that there's anything wrong with the one that's in there, just that it's been superseded by newer versions with more features and higher BT versions.

 

[Scott Hersha]

It's possible the bluetooth chip has been EOL'd and there's no pin-compatible replacement. Not that there's anything wrong with the one that's in there, just that it's been superseded by newer versions with more features and higher BT versions.

I don’t know what ‘EOL’d’ means, but my iPhone still Bluetooth’s music to my headset through my -200B. I wonder what part of my radio is now obsolete.

 

[TASEsq]

Good Morning!

Garmin is pleased to announce two new slimline radios for the experimental aviation market, building upon the recently introduced GTR™ 205 COMM radio series for certified aircraft. The panel-mount GTR 205x and remote mount GTR 205xR COMM radios have the same feature set as the GTR 205 radio plus new intercom and audio features. The 1.35-inch GTR 205x matches the bezel height of previous-generation radios, similar to the SL30/40, enabling easier upgrades and diverse installation opportunities in space-constrained instrument panels. Of note, in contrast to the GTR 200/20 series, the 205x and xR include the ability to configure 8.33 kHz COM spacing.

These models serve to transition from the GTR 200(B) and 20 to a new generation of hardware. If you are planning an instrument panel build, we strongly suggest planning these models into your equipment list in place of the previous generation of radios.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Justin

Hi Justin,

Do you think there’s any future plans for the GTR 215r (aka the 215 but a remote mount version)?

Or is the only way to get VHF NAV via the 650/750 or the panel mount GTR 215?

 

[Snowflake]

I don’t know what ‘EOL’d’ means, but my iPhone still Bluetooth’s music to my headset through my -200B. I wonder what part of my radio is now obsolete.

EOL means End Of Life. I regularly get emails from Digikey telling me that a part in one of our systems has gone EOL and asking if we'd like to make a one-time last purchase to tide us over until we can find a replacement.

 

[Ben Ellis]

Hi Justin,

Do you think there’s any future plans for the GTR 215r (aka the 215 but a remote mount version)?

Or is the only way to get VHF NAV via the 650/750 or the panel mount GTR 215?

I asked this question to Garmin at Oshkosh and the person I spoke to said they couldn’t do a remote mounted nav radio due to certification requirements which he said applied to experimental as well. I don’t recall the exact reason he said it applied to experimental. Maybe all IFR nav equipment has to be certified?

 

[Carl Froehlich]

I asked this question to Garmin at Oshkosh and the person I spoke to said they couldn’t do a remote mounted nav radio due to certification requirements which he said applied to experimental as well.

No, not correct. He simply blew you off instead of finding out the right answer.

Carl

 

[Ben Ellis]

I guess they have some other motive then

 

[Walt]

No, not correct. He simply blew you off instead of finding out the right answer.

Carl

So please enlighten us why no one makes a stand alone remote nav receiver?

 

[Carl Froehlich]

So please enlighten us why no one makes a stand alone remote nav receiver?

Not my point. The OP reported that the Garmin rep stated this was due to certification requirements.

Carl

 

[Walt]

Not my point. The OP reported that the Garmin rep stated this was due to certification requirements.

Carl

So if he was wrong, then perhaps you can share the right answer?
Or is the right answer as simple as no one wants to make one is all?

 

[GeoffH]

So if he was wrong, then perhaps you can share the right answer?
Or is the right answer as simple as no one wants to make one is all?

N16 VHF NAV Radio - Michigan Avionics

Remote Mount NAV Radio

www.michiganavionics.com

NAV 2KR

Description: The innovative NAV 2KR from VAL Avionics is the first NAV receiver to offer complete user interface through the electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) display. This provides...

www.valavionics.com

 

[Walt]

I was thinking more along the lines of certified/TSO’d units.
From a marketing standpoint I can’t imagine they’d sell very many.

 

[m42]

Arrrggghhh.

I have TWO (new in box) that I have NOT installed. Would have liked to have had the option to upgrade via "plug-n-play". Of course I would have expected there would have been a few $$ exchanged.

Maybe I can sell my units (at a slight loss) with wiring harness and start anew.

 

[TASEsq]

N16 VHF NAV Radio - Michigan Avionics

Remote Mount NAV Radio

www.michiganavionics.com

NAV 2KR

Description: The innovative NAV 2KR from VAL Avionics is the first NAV receiver to offer complete user interface through the electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) display. This provides...

www.valavionics.com

Thanks, I had run across that one, but it doesn’t integrate with the g3x very well at all. Would need a mgl radio head, which kinda defeats the purpose.

Re the marketing side - I would have thought that almost all the OEM jet manufacturers would want a remote nav. All the big jets I fly have remote nav’s.

I suppose Garmin wants me to buy the 650/750?

I don’t know about the faa world, but for experimental here, so long as a piece of equipment fulfils the same function as its tso’d cousin, it can be used in experimental. The exception is the GPS needs to be tso’d. The GNX375 gives a cost effective solution for this - but then you need to buy a nav and a com. Hence my query. I’ll probably end up with a 650 tbh, as a certified com/nav unit ends up combining with the 375 to be close to the same price as the 650.

 

[Walt]

Thanks, I had run across that one, but it doesn’t integrate with the g3x very well at all. Would need a mgl radio head, which kinda defeats the purpose.

Re the marketing side - I would have thought that almost all the OEM jet manufacturers would want a remote nav. All the big jets I fly have remote nav’s.

Last time I checked the EE/Avionics bay to mount all those big heavy remote boxes is missing from our little baby airplanes.

 

[g3xpert]

Does this mean the GTR 200B is not being supported for repairs now? I have one in a box ready for install but don't want to install an unsupported radio.

Hi Michael,

No, we have no plans to discontinue support for these radios.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[Freemasm]

Last time I checked the EE/Avionics bay to mount all those big heavy remote boxes is missing from our little baby airplanes.

Slight drift but possibly relevant/helpful. I'm installing a G3X based suite. Utilizing remote xponder, comm, and audio panels because of my very limited panel space. The relative size of the remote vs panel mount boxes isn't significantly different. That said, the flexibility of mounting orientation for the remote units is very helpful from a "packaging" and structural support standpoint. I've mounted the aforementioned and two engine ECUs on their sides for packaging, ease of access, etc. reasons. I'm hoping another benefit is component cooling and related life since no component will be exposed to another's rejected heat since nothing is stacked.

Great f'ing theory and no easy way to quantify any results. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[jliltd]

These models serve to transition from the GTR 200(B) and 20 to a new generation of hardware. If you are planning an instrument panel build, we strongly suggest planning these models into your equipment list in place of the previous generation of radios.

I guess they are a "transition" from the 20/200 series. But if so, why no CAN Bus? The G3X system is centered around the CAN Bus and these radios are ostensibly future replacements. I know the connectors and pin outs are not the same since the 2x5 series uses HD connector and the 20x series used SD connector. But a replacement will require taking the comm radio out of the CAN Bus chain with associated CAN daisy chain interruption. Reverting to pure serial data also places pressure on RS232 port availability.

 

[mburch]

why no CAN Bus?

 

[jliltd]

View attachment 67699

Because I have the GTR 205 which does not have the CAN Bus connector locations. The pins shown in your x manual for CAN are shown as "Reserved" in the 205 manual. The Section 5.2.10 of my manual covers ARINC 429 NAV outputs and then only for the GTR 215. So I guess the new 205x version you show is not the same as the straight 205 version. I guess the type certificated G3X Touch aircraft are regaled to serial interface only. The Garmin guy in the tent a Oshkosh was more off base than originally thought with his comments they were both physically and electronically identical, both TSO'd with the exception of the built-in ICS, which he said was coming later in the 205. It seems I get punked by a Garmin employee every year at AirVenture:

 

[g3xpert]

Because I have the GTR 205 which does not have the CAN Bus connector locations. The pins shown in your x manual for CAN are shown as "Reserved" in the 205 manual. The Section 5.2.10 of my manual covers ARINC 429 NAV outputs and then only for the GTR 215. So I guess the new 205x version you show is not the same as the straight 205 version. I guess the type certificated G3X Touch aircraft are regaled to serial interface only. The Garmin guy in the tent a Oshkosh was more off base than originally thought with his comments they were both physically and electronically identical, both TSO'd with the exception of the built-in ICS, which he said was coming later in the 205. It seems I get punked by a Garmin employee every year at AirVenture:

View attachment 67747

CAN Integration is required for the GTR 205xR, as it is a remote unit and relies on the G3X Touch display for its User Interface. In general, the CAN interface provides stronger integration between the radio and the EFIS, so we made that available for the GTR 205X (panel mounted version) as well. Only experimental aircraft can make use of the CAN integration at this point, as only the serial integration was certified under the original program, thus, the lack of guidance to make use of the CAN connection in the non-EAB installation manual.

Thanks,

Justin

 

[jliltd]

CAN Integration is required for the GTR 205xR, as it is a remote unit and relies on the G3X Touch display for its User Interface. In general, the CAN interface provides stronger integration between the radio and the EFIS, so we made that available for the GTR 205X (panel mounted version) as well. Only experimental aircraft can make use of the CAN integration at this point, as only the serial integration was certified under the original program, thus, the lack of guidance to make use of the CAN connection in the non-EAB installation manual.

Thanks,

Justin

Ahah. Thank you for that great explanation, Justin. I appreciate your professional reserved answer.

 

[Walt]

CAN Integration is required for the GTR 205xR, as it is a remote unit and relies on the G3X Touch display for its User Interface. In general, the CAN interface provides stronger integration between the radio and the EFIS, so we made that available for the GTR 205X (panel mounted version) as well. Only experimental aircraft can make use of the CAN integration at this point, as only the serial integration was certified under the original program, thus, the lack of guidance to make use of the CAN connection in the non-EAB installation manual.

Thanks,

Justin

The G3X Rev AW manual indicates that the 232 connection is the only thing supported, I just want to make sure the CAN is the only connection required for the GTR205xR with the G3X touch when installed in EAB aircraft?

 

[500AGL]

The G3X Rev AW manual indicates that the 232 connection is the only thing supported, I just want to make sure the CAN is the only connection required for the GTR205xR with the G3X touch when installed in EAB aircraft?

Walt, where are you seeing this?

232 isn’t needed, but also I don’t see any reference to using RS-232 in the system architecture or the interface drawings for the G3X Touch —> GTR20/205x

 

[Walt]

Walt, where are you seeing this?

232 isn’t needed, but also I don’t see any reference to using RS-232 in the system architecture or the interface drawings for the G3X Touch —> GTR20/205x

Oops, that info was in the rev AV manual... back to your regularly scheduled programming.