Aera: new Garmin portable GPS

[GeorgeMandes]

GARMIN'S NEW TOUCHSCREEN PORTABLE GPS ARRIVES

Click for more photos
Although Garmin debuted the premium priced GPSMap 696 only a year ago, it's rolling out yet another new portable navigator model line this week at AOPA Summit in Tampa, Florida. The new product line is called Aera, and although its features and capabilities are similar to the popular GPSMap 396/496 series, the Aera line will have something entirely new: a touchscreen interface. Gone are the page, enter, and rocker keys, replaced by what Garmin calls an intuitive touchscreen operating system. As with previous portables, the Aera products will have a full range of navigation capability, plus XM WX weather, XM audio, Garmin's SafeTaxi ground awareness feature, and the AOPA Airport Directory. The new navigators will be dual purpose as well, with ground navigation capability provided as a standard feature. More...

[JTobias]

Photo available here (http://jetbox.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/garmin-aera-touchscreen-gps/)

Joel :ok:

[Runway101]

I think it's time for me to put my 496 and all its accessories (usa+europe maps, memory card, XM, usb adapter etc) on eBay and either get the 696 or wait and buy something newer when I actually need it....

[GeorgeMandes]

We now have several flights with the Garmin 510 and have used it with and without flight gloves to test the touchscreen, in moderate turbulence and in bright sunshine and darkness. And, I have yet to open the manual.

The touchscreen interface completely revolutionizes how we interact with a portable GPS. Besides being easy and fast, it is actually fun to access and enter data. Barring some problem that crops up, the Aera is the new standard. I would run, not walk, to sell any 396/496 units you have before their value falls to almost nothing as folks realize how far superior the touchscreen interface is.

[g-mady]

This looks a good bit of kit. I see the 296 is now "discontinued"!
Love that it doubles as a decent road going GPS too.
I reckon this will be my next gadget! :ok:


MADY

[captyankee]

I have tried the AV Map, King AV8OR Ace and the 695. The Ace was touch screen and I hated it, not to say, otherwise, the unit was good. Not taking the touch screen into account, the unit was still not user friendly. I regretted selling my AvMap, till I got the 695. Don't think I'll jump into a touch screen again, while flying rotors.

[airotay]

I'm disappointed in Garmin I have both a 296 and 396 and they have dumped support for both.

[birrddog]

How practical are either the Aera range or 695 if you rent?

I am refering to mounting options in helicopters, and diversity of aircraft between say 300's, R44, B206x and B407..

[airotay]

I sit here wondering how soon my 696 becomes obsolete?

[toptobottom]

There's another thread on Proon here (http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/386639-airbox-nav-unit.html)comparing the Adventurer 7000 and the Airbox Foresight - around £600 and £1,400 respectively and both with 7" touchscreens (the Aera is only 4.3"). All these units make my FlyMap look very expensive at £4,000 (:eek:) just 18 months ago, albeit with full European mapping and sold by the same boys now pushing the AirBox.

[GeorgeMandes]

For temporary use, the Propellerhead suction mount is excellent. Here is a link to this mount:

Propellerhead G-Force<br>PDA/GPS Mount from Aircraft Spruce (http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/gforcemount.php)

This is a photo of the 510 being tested this morning in a Husky on the Propellerhead mount.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg251/GJMandes/sideviewof510.jpg

I am just back in from an hour flying the Garmin 510 in an MD 530F. The touchscreen interface is wonderful, and there is no comparison with the 396/496. While the 696 has a knob, like a Garmin 430/530, the 510 is easier yet.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg251/GJMandes/P1000005.jpg

[birrddog]

For temporary use, the Propellerhead suction mount is excellent. Here is a link to this mount:

Thanks George.

Any cautionary tales / advisories for using a suction mount?

I see you had it on the glass of the Husky.... Do you know if it is suitable for a more rounded helicopter bubble? Or perhaps suction on the top of the console?

[GeorgeMandes]

1) Clean the suction cup with soap and water or alcohol for the best possible adhesion. Doing this, I had the Prop Head mount stay on the windshield of a Husky with a 396 for about a year without falling off.

2) Place the mount so that if it does fall off, the GPS doesn't go through your bubble! My Bell sales buddy, constantly ferrying minimally equipped helicopters to completion, swears by the bean bag mount with (then) a 496 sitting on the instrument panel console.

[kevin_mayes]

Hmm, very nice - however isn't this just another Car Sat Nav with defferent software, so how come its so expensive then?
For a lower price you could buy a PDA and put the CAA maps on...
Still I will probably buy one ...
Shall I get my coat now.
Kevin.

[oldgooseberry]

Just wondering if anyone thinks it'll be worthwhile waiting until after christmas to buy one. Are garmin known to have a price drop in the new year?

Also, has anyone compared the 500 to the 550, is the enhanced detail or the faster 9 sec are worth the extra £500?

thanks Ken

[Never in Balance]

Hi,
Does anyone know if the new aera 500/510/550 fit into the old style (196, 296) mounts? Some of the machines i fly already have the mounts already installed.
Thanks
NiBs.

[ILblog]

Hi

I will trade in completelly new Garmin Area 500 (European version) for Garmin 496 (European version).

[muppetdog]

I am doing some research about the new Garmin Aera line because I was thinking about getting one. I need a GPS to use while doing contract work in a MD 500 in remote places. I was thinking about ether the 510, the 560 or the older 496. I need something that will hold up and can easily be used with gloves on. I know the 496 would probably work but I don't want to take a step backwards in technology if I have to.

If anyone has the 510,560 or the 496 I would love to hear about there experiences with them and how they stack up against each other.

I would like a unit with the XM stuff on it but am wondering if it is worth spending the extra bucks from the 510 to the 560?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

[paco]

I'm doing a review for a magazine and the Aera doesn't come out all that well.

Although nicely constructed and well packaged, the unit asks too many stupid questions that require your attention when your head is supposed to be out of the office. Battery power is next to useless, and the road side has not enough information on the screen in terms of ground detail and trip detail. In terms of your gloves, you would be better off using something with real buttons as the resistive touch screen often needs good pressure to get a result. Oh yes, if you have anything other than a straight windscreen you can't use the sucker mounts. Thr car mount slides all over the place.

The older x96 series are much more useable in flight and infinitely more configurable. I get the impression that they put the unit together in order to cash in on a trend. The AV8OR is much better in that class if you can navigate round Honeywell's web site for updates.

Phil

[david michael]

Ive been using a Bendixking skymap 111c and its been perfect. Infact ive just seen one on ebay going cheap, brand new as well! :D

[GeorgeMandes]

This is the mount you want for your Aera or other handheld:

G-Force Mount (http://www.gforcemount.com/)