Difference Between DG Heading And GPS Track

DG Heading will be displaying the DG heading corrected by the pilot or by the AV-Mag. This heading is the gyro heading or the magnetic heading.

GPS Track comes directly from the GPS that is connected to the AV-30. This can come from a handheld or an in-panel GPS. 

No DATA - means that the AV-30 is not receiving GPS information. There is no communication from the GPS. This can be caused by a few factors:

1. No GPS is connected.
2. The GPS has not been set up to output the correct information.
3. The AV-30 Serial port has not been set up properly. 

NOGPS - Means that the AV-30 and the GPS are communicating but the GPS has not acquired GPS yet. This can be caused by a couple of factors:

1. The GPS has not acquired.
2. The aircraft is inside a hangar.
3. The baud rate on the AV-30 has been set incorrectly. 

Tech Tip Tuesday: Difference Between DG, HDG, and GPS TRK (YouTube Video Transcript)

In this video, we provide instructions so that the user may be able to identify the difference between the DG heading and the GPS track on the AV-30, as well as key differences. In this video demonstration you will see a top unit and a bottom unit. The top unit displays “NO DATA.” The reason for that is not because it doesn't have DG heading, but because the GPS has been selected and it's either not turned on, or it is perhaps not installed.

With that, we are going to press the left button on the unit (top unit in the video). This will then bring up the menu, and it will read: “EDIT FIELDS SEL FIELD” on the bottom of the screen. Press the center button (PUSH-SET) in order to select that option.

Following, you will turn the center knob until you see “DG HDG” and then press the center knob 1X to make selection. This will then take you back to the sub-menu of “EDIT FIELDS” and just press the left button 1X to select “DONE.” In the video you will note that there is now a DG HDG.

In this demonstration video, we have AV-30 device connected to the AV-Mag and it's displaying the magnetometer heading. If you don't have a magnetometer connected, then it would display whatever's there. In order to correct it, you should press the center (PUSH-SET) button until it brings up a sub-menu. You will continue to press the center button, until you see “DG ADJ” and you can turn the center knob to adjust the number, because the AV mag connected, you would be able to change the heading. After adjusting the DG Heading, press the center knob 1X to complete.  Please note that this will eventually reset after the power cycle.

Moreover, in the second half of this video, you will see a demonstration of the bottom unit. The heading is actually the DG heading, GPS track, no data. And that's because we don't have our GPS turned on. You'll also see waypoint is dashed out.

In order to change that, you are going to press the left button 1X, and then press the center button (PUSH-SET) 1X, and begin turning the knob to the right to select “HDG ROSE.” And with HDG ROSE, you're going to now have the correct heading being displayed there.

You'll know that you're looking at GPS track if all it will do is display north. The unit defaults to north if looking at GPS and it doesn't have a GPS input. And that's how you see the difference between the two units.

In this demonstration video, we show you how to change the heading bug. You press the center (PUSH-SET) button until you see “DG ADJ,” and you use the center knob to select (change number). If you're unable to adjust the unit, that means you're most likely displaying the GPS ROSE. You will only see the heading change on the left-hand side, not at the top of the screen. And that's how you see the difference between DG heading and GPS track.