Hello,

I have a new XRX unit that I purchased (with the factory interface cable) for use with a Garmin 495. Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the two to communicate despite painstaking attention to the technical details and technical support to double-check my steps. The process stops at "waiting for data".

So far I have tried a different interface cable and sending the unit in for a (questionably) separate warranty issue that I discovered right out of the box. The XRX was repaired and returned. Still, no communication. At this point I am searching for someone with a Garmin 396/495/496 to test my XRX with. That seems like the only variable left in the troubleshooting, short of just returning the unit and requesting a new one.

Does anyone else have any suggestions at this point?


“Technological change is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.” (Albert Einstein, 1941),
Dr. Z.

got my xrx a couple of days ago and tried it now twice on a garming 495...waiting for data is the only result i get.

the xrx unit on a stand alone base works properly so does the garmin

it must be the cable or eventually the rs232 plug does not make contact with the socket because of the position of the socket with the case... so tomorrow i'll try to work on this - may be it helps

in any case it's an annoying experience for such an expensive tool.

Zaon got a bad batch of cables from their supplier
(DB9 pins 2 and 5 are swapped).

I spoke with them yesterday ... and they could not
commit to a date when they would have "good" cables.
The best answer I could extract was, "soon."

They have not (yet?) told their dealers about this
problem ... so getting a replacement cable from the
retailer is likely going to deliver another bad
cable.

Customer Service also admitted that they stopped
monitoring these forums ~1 month ago. They also
did not respond to my emails ...

I suggest calling them.

Yup, I spoke with someone in Zaon Technical Support yesterday and confirmed a bad batch of cables also. They have been working on the issue for a couple of weeks and still formulating their best plan for a fix between customers and retailers. Sounds like a nightmare to be in their shoes.

In the meantime, a "good" batch of cables have been tested and set aside for those who call. To complicate matters more, a few replacement cables were accidentally sent out that were NOT tested (happened to me). They have organized themselves appropriately now. Hopefully, third time is a charm and I will post back with my experiences.

As for the failure of Zaon Technical Support to monitor these forums and/or respond to e-mails, that is a bad sign. I prefer to only do business with companies that have a human pulse in ALL of their customer service. As long as someone still answers the old fashioned phone and tries their best to correct any problems, then I can't complain too much.


Knowledge is power, but an good attention span can never be replaced,
Dr. Z.

Hello,

As a representative of Zaon Flight Systems, I urge all those with faulty cables to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it so that I may issue you an RMA number to return the cable for an exchange. We do have some good cables in house, and have shipped back over 100 of the 150 faulty cables to the manufacturer to get them fixed. The turn-around time is 1-2 days to get those returned to us.

Our previous forum moderator is no longer with the company, so I will try to answer as many questions as I can on here. Again, you may still contact me directly with the email above if you need a quicker response.

Update:

I received the third interface cable today for use with my XRX and Garmin 495. Unfortunately, no change in the "waiting for data" issue (tested with two different 495 units). In talking with Zaon Technical Support, they are as frustrated as I, as this last cable was supposedly tested before shipment. Believe me, I have tried everything possible to assure an intact data connection. At this point, I am sending my XRX, Garmin 495, and three interface cables back to them for in-house testing. There are other benefits that have been extended to me in my particular case, but it is best to not mention them here. Yup, I will post back with what I hope is the FINAL satisfactory outcome.

The only reason that I haven't thrown up my hands and asked for a full refund is because I have personally seen how the XRX/Garmin combination works and am impressed with the product. I am also satisfied that the company is doing what they can in the face of the problems that they have had with their cable manufacturer. Every company makes mistakes. The difference between the good ones and the bad ones, is how those companies rebound from a mistake, then learn from it. As long as I am assured that a company is doing their best, has a human pulse at the helm, a Technical Support Department that is not confined to reading a script, and can at least speak clear English, I can hang in there with them for quite awhile.


“Technological change is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal.” (Albert Einstein, 1941),
Dr. Z.