Questions:
In order to select GPS units or make other adjustments in the technical operation of the Argus, you must enter SETUP mode. This can be done in one of several ways, depending upon the Argus software version. (You can determine your software version and other important information by turning the unit ON and waiting for the first data screen.) To prevent accidentally selecting the SETUP mode, two steps are required: you must first ENABLE the mode, then you can ENTER the mode.
Software version 1 and 2: Insert the "shorting plug" and
apply power. If you don't have the "shorting plug," see below.
Software version 3, 4, and 5: Turn power OFF.
While holding the ENR and AUX buttons, turn power ON. Continue holding
these two buttons until the screen test is underway. Then release
them.
Software version 1, 2, and 3: Press and HOLD the AUX button
for 10 seconds. After 5 seconds, the Argus will go into the AMEND
mode. CONTINUE HOLDING the button for another 5 seconds and the unit
will go into SETUP. (If you release the button during the 10-second
period, you will have to start over.)
Software version 4 and 5: Quickly press the AUX button
3 times. A menu will appear. Press the softkey corresponding
to SETUP.
For the changed settings to "take," you must EXIT the SETUP mode.
Regardless of software version, you can do so by pressing and holding AUX
for at least one second. If you change settings and then shut off
power to the Argus without exiting, the new settings will be lost.
The "Clock Failed Error Code 5" message means that the internal lithium battery in the Argus has died. This battery has a normal lifetime of 3-4 years. If you have an Argus unit with software version 1, 2, or 3, this is a "fatal error" in the sense that the Argus cannot operate until the battery is replaced. If you have software version 4 or 5, the Argus will operate without the battery, although clock functions will be lost. (Note this message doesn't apply to the Argus 3000 models, which have no internal clock. Color Argus units (software version 5 or greater) use different timekeeping hardware whose normal life should exceed 10 years.)
If you have an Argus 5000 or 7000 with software version 3 or below,
you MUST replace the battery.
For the Argus 5000/7000 monochrome models
The battery is NOT a standard coin cell and must be wired into the Argus. Battery replacement is authorized by the Argus maintenance manual, which means it can be done by your avionics shop or, of course, by Eventide. Depending upon your location and time schedule, either procedure might be appropriate for you. The factory price of the battery is $60. We normally charge one-hour labor (which includes a final QC run) plus return shipping. It is unusual but not impossible that other problems or out-of-tolerance conditions may be found that will require additional time at the factory. We are REQUIRED to do this final QC step and checkout by FAA regulations. We can also do software upgrades and database updates while the unit is in the shop if you so desire.
If you would prefer to have your shop exchange the battery, have them order the battery from us. Labor charges in this case are between you and your avionics shop. Your shop can also obtain an updated database for you.
For the Argus 5000CE/7000CE color models
The "battery" is a special module that also incorporates memory circuitry. The factory price of the battery is $60. We normally charge one-hour labor (which includes a final QC run) plus return shipping. It is unusual but not impossible that other problems or out-of-tolerance conditions may be found that will require additional time at the factory. We are REQUIRED to do this final QC step and checkout by FAA regulations. We can also do software upgrades and database updates while the unit is in the shop if you so desire.
This battery module is specified to have a ten-year minimum lifetime. Only factory replacement is authorized at this time, although we are working on an approvable procedure to permit field replacement.
A shorting plug, necessary to access the SETUP mode in older Argus software versions, was shipped with each Argus that required one. They are small and tend to go missing. While you can order one from us, this is a common part and is not used in the Argus during flight. Therefore, a local replacement can be obtained and used legally. The plug is a common stereo "miniplug" such as those used on "Walkman" earphones and other consumer products. You must electrically connect the "tip" and the "ring" together without shorting either to the "sleeve." (If you look at the plug, this terminology will make perfect sense.)
Note: Using a mono plug or one where the tip and ring are not
properly connected will normally give a Status Code 11 Error message.
You might also get this message if the plug or socket contacts are dirty.
Usually removing and reinserting the plug a few times will remedy the problem.
When Eventide releases new software, it has a SETUP entry for most popular GPS receivers. Obviously, however, there will be no specific setting for GPS receivers released after the software, and there may be no listing for uncommon receivers, e.g., variants with special suffix letters, or others of which we're not aware. In some cases, it may be possible to work around this problem without getting a software upgrade from Eventide; in other cases it won't be. Here are some things you can try:
For the Argus to work correctly, all the SETUP entries have to be correct.
Argus 5000 and 7000 units with software versions 1, 2, and 3 critically
depend upon the internal battery for storage of these entries. If
the battery was replaced or power was interrupted for whatever reason during
the repair process, these settings will have been lost. Although
it requires only a couple of minutes to restore the settings, unless we
have a record of them, we don't know to what they should be restored.
Your avionics shop will usually have this information at hand, or can recreate
it with little trouble. If you happen to be reading this while everything
is working correctly, it couldn't hurt to make a record of these settings
and keep it with your aircraft records. (We recommend this in our
later instruction manuals as well.)
My Argus just came back from repair and now it always shows ADF when I turn it on.
This is desired (and required by the FAA)
behavior when the Argus is the only ADF display. If it is a secondary
display (you have another ADF display in view of the pilot) then this feature
can be disabled so that the Argus will retain the ADF setting it had when turned
off. Go into SETUP mode, scroll to the ADAPTER SELECT page, and select the
second item (ADF USAGE) to SECONDARY.
The Argus installation manual lists the ADF units and heading sources that we know are compatible with the Argus, and also lists some we know to be incompatible. If your unit is not on the list, it MAY be that it is compatible but that we know nothing about it. The Argus can accept inputs from ADF units with the following technical characteristics: AC Sin/Cos, DC Sin/Cos, DC+Sin/-Cos, AC Synchro. The Argus can accept inputs from heading sources using ARINC 407 synchro. This usually means that the heading indicator will have a "bootstrap" synchro attached to it. For heading and AC-type ADF units, an "excitation" signal of 24Volts at 400 Hz is also required.
These are common requirements and are commonly available, but it is
usually
a matter for your shop to determine what is available in your aircraft.
Sometimes information can be determined from the equipment listing in the
POH. Most common, modern systems are or can be made compatible with
the Argus. The King KCS-55 system and KR-87 ADF, as well as the Collins
650 and 650A, to name some of the most popular, are in this category.
There are two reasons why you might be showing TRACK instead of HEADING. One is that TRACK has been deliberately (or accidentally) selected under ORIENTATION in the AMEND mode. Go to the second AMEND page and select HEADING. The other possibility is that the heading received by the Argus is "flagged," i.e., indicated as invalid. There is an input pin that receives this signal, and the sense (high or low) is selected by software. If this signal is incorrect, regardless of the technical reason, the Argus will revert to showing TRACK. (If no TRACK information is available, the "NO HDG OR TRACK" message will be displayed.)
One simple way to determine if the heading is flagged is to go into
the SETUP mode and change the sense of the signal. If HDG is then
displayed, this is most likely the problem. NOTE: This answer
says nothing as to whether the heading information is correct or not.
That is a more complicated question and may be the subject of a future
troubleshooting guide.
If the Argus heading doesn't rotate with the mechanical heading indicator,
but suddenly flips 180 degrees as the compass is rotated, it usually indicates
that one synchro phase isn't connected. If there is a constant offset
between the compass heading and the Argus reading, it could mean that the
bootstrap synchro is mechanically offset on its shaft. An oscilloscope
connected directly to the Argus pins is usually the best way to troubleshoot
heading problems.
If the excitation (reference) signal is not derived from the same source
(frequency and phase) as that which drives the bootstrap, the needle can
rotate slowly or appear to jump back and forth between 180 degree extremes.
Again, an oscilloscope is useful in troubleshooting this problem..
First, "LRN" stands for Long Range Navigation, not "Loran." It can refer to any navigation receiver, including Loran, GPS, etc. You are probably seeing one or more of these messages:
Unlike the horizontal position of the display, which is a pilot adjustment, the vertical height is an internal adjustment that must be performed by a shop. Any shop with a maintenance manual is authorized to perform this adjustment. Normally it will be done before the aircraft is delivered. This is not normally an issue if our mounting location recommendations are followed, but sometimes it is impossible to do so due to panel layout.
There is a second connector on the back of the CE units. This connector has extra pins for the following features:
The Argus is mounted in a "clamp tray:" and connects to the aircraft through one or two rear-panel connectors. There are four mounting screws, one at each corner of the clamp tray. The bottom two screws attach the tray to the panel and should remain tightened. The top two screws, in addition to holding the tray in, tighten a clamp that holds the Argus in the tray. To remove the Argus, loosen these screws by several turns, but do not remove them. After they are loose, pull the Argus out by inserting two flat-blade screwdrivers in the machined slots on the left and right of the Argus panel and pull.
If your Argus is a very tight fit, a special removal tool is available
from Eventide. If your Argus is installed flush with the panel and
you can't get at the machined slots, you will have to reach behind the
panel and push it out. If you can't reach behind the panel, you will
have to speak with your installer.
The Argus can be a "tight fit" in some panels. It can be reinserted
in such panels without all the connector contacts mating, in which case
any number of problems can occur, from total non-operation to intermittent
operation, to perhaps one function being intermittent. The Argus
should go back in its socket with a satisfying "thunk." If it's so
difficult to reinsert that it's hard to tell if a good connection has been
made, first check to make sure the top two screws aren't too tight.
If the Argus is binding on the panel instead of the mounting tray, the
opening should be enlarged. Incidentally, a removal tool is available
from Eventide.
What do I need to connect a Ryan TCAD and/or BFG WX-500 Stormscope to my Argus?
Argus CE models and the "Enhanced" monochrome units can accept data from these products and show traffic or weather on the Argus screen. In fact, the Argus CE can do both! In order to do so, the appropriate Argus software version must be installed. This software is available from Eventide, and due to FAA requirements must be installed at the factory.* Below are the software versions required. Contact us for details and costs for obtaining your upgrade.
| External Unit / Argus Version | Enhanced Monochrome | Argus CE |
| Ryan TCAD 9900B+ | 5.20 - 5.2x | 5.20 - 5.2x |
| Ryan TCAD 9900BX* | 5.23 - 5.2x | 5.23 - 5.2x |
| BFG WX 500 (or WX units w/adaptors) | 5.20 - 5.2x | 5.20 - 5.2x |
| TCAD AND WX 500 (or WX units w/adaptors) | Not yet available | 5.24 |
* Upgrade from 5.20 to 5.2x (only) can be accomplished in the field.
The map is displaying correctly but numerical distances are off by a factor of ten.
In all likelihood you are using a navigation receiver manufactured by Arnav. Arnav made many different models, and frequently had different software versions in the same model. Some software versions transmitted a decimal point in the distance measurement and some did not. It may require some experimentation in Arnav model selection in the Argus SETUP mode to get the correct reading. If you can't resolve the problem yourself, email us with the details on your Arnav model, software version, and whether the distance is reading 10x high or 1/10x of what it should be reading.
My Argus CE is showing a "THE CLOCK IS NOT RUNNING" message on power up.
The Argus CE units use a special battery/memory device with a specified minimum life of ten years. When this device is not functioning, a page will pop up during power-up that says:
THE CLOCK IS NOT RUNNING. ETA WILL BE REPLACED BY ESTIMATED TIME ENROUTE (ETE).
HAVE U24 (IN HOLDER) REPLACED TO RESTORE FULL OPERATION. PUSH ANY KEY TO
CONTINUE...
The Argus will operate after that. Stored flightplans will still be
available to the pilot. The SETUP values will also be preserved. The AMEND
settings are not preserved. Any flightplan or SETUP changes made while the
device is non-functional will be preserved. After the dead battery/memory
is replaced, the flightplans and SETUP are still preserved, but the time and
AMEND settings must be re-entered.
I cannot set the Argus date beyond 31 December 2009.
Argus units with software earlier than 5.x cannot be set to a time/date beyond the end of 2009. This is a known issue with these units. The time/date is not used in the Argus beyond the limited purpose of flagging database expiration dates. Since no new databases for these older Argus units are available, and all existing databases are long expired, this date setting is irrelevant to proper operation and no update for these software versions is planned. Updates are available to software version 5.x, which can be set through year 2020. While there are many benefits to an Argus upgrade, the year setting issue is of no consequence and no upgrade is recommended for this reason alone.