Aera 500 users still happy?

[rans6andrew]

If you have been using an Aera 500 in a GA aircraft and/or on the roads in the UK, perhaps you might tell me how happy you are with the unit. I am particularly interested in the reliability and customer service if you had issues.

The main reason I am asking is that I have been struggling with the Bendix King AV80R for nearly 2 years, my unit has been replaced twice and is back with the supplier again. When I bought it I had enjoyed 13 years trouble free use of a SkyMap II and thought that the AV80R was going to be the next generation product from the same folk. Wrong! The software is clearly the next generation, it is capable and is easy to use. Unfortunately the hardware is not up to the job.

So, after the 3rd unit has been back for repair/replacement for 4 weeks BK have agreed to refund my money. The supplier is keen to sort me out with something which will do the job and has suggested I buy an Aera 500. I have looked at the user guide and it would seem to offer everything one would want in both flying and driving GPS units.

Would this be a good option?

What do you like/dislike in the Aera 500?

Is the database good for UK use? Does it have all of the parachuting, gliding, microlighting, private strips marked? The SkyMap was particularly complete in this respect, being a UK product. It had many places not in the 196/296 databases.

Rans6.......

[audioaviator]

Hi,
I've had an Aera 500 for over a year, and am more than happy with it. Never had an issue with it, and it's seen at least 80 hours of use in the air.
I found it a little tricky to get to grips with, But after a couple of hours of use, well at home with it. There's nothing I can think of on the dislike side with it really. Nifty little unit. Good battery performance, Excellent European database, Icludes most farm strips, and parachuting/gliding/microlight strips, On the routes I've used it with, there's been nothing missed that are enroute that are on the UK 500mil charts.
Love the touch for info on any feature, including freq's etc, and alos particulary usefull I found is setting up custom time/distance to infringing CAS.
Having set mine up for a PA28-161, the only irritating issue I've found is the thing telling me to change tanks every 30 mins... which I guess in the big scheme of things isn't a bad thing...
Nifty little unit for the cost :ok:

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've had one about 6 months and remain happy with it.

The mapping is good, the database is pretty complete, the flight path recording I find very helpful. I have managed to export routes from Navbox to it with a bit of mucking about, but gave up on that because I found that it didn't really have the capability to easily adjust routes in flight.

In the aeroplanes where I have no power supply, I've learned to turn the screen off when not referring to it directly. The one-button to do that is really helpful.

The yoke mount works very well, the dash-top mount nearly as well, but lacks the power cable which would be nice.

The occasional audio notices are generally pretty helpful. The terrain database is good, the obstruction database a little less so - it for example records masts as very narrow point and you can be pointed a few hundred yards off and get no warning.

My biggest whinge about it is the sheer number of button presses to find an airfield, and then create a "Direct To" route to it, which is prohibitively complex whilst in the air.

I'm still trying to learn better how to use it, say, to simulate an ADF to overlay an NDB approach, which I think is due to the paucity of the training material which I don't think is as pilot centred as it could be.


On net, a damned good product, which probably only needs slightly better instructions and a few less key presses for the more obvious functions. I'm happy with it.

G

[OpenCirrus619]

Had one for 18 months - totally happy.

OC619

[Cows getting bigger]

Genghis:

Find the airfield you want on the moving map, dragging picture and or zooming as necessary.
Select the airfield with your finger.
Press and hold the Menu button.
Select activate.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Genghis:

Find the airfield you want on the moving map, dragging picture and or zooming as necessary.
Select the airfield with your finger.
Press and hold the Menu button.
Select activate.

Thanks for that, works a treat.

G

[BEagle]

A couple of things the Area 500 lacks:

1. The ability to display present position from a defined waypoint (e.g. home aerodrome) rather than from some system selected 'nearest' waypoint. That can be very useful when flying GH and needing to keep a quick 'brg/dist from home' awareness - if the unit changes the reference waypoint without being asked to, it can be quite misleading. Or am I wrong?

2. An automotive GPS for all that money which doesn't have TMC traffic information? Madness.

[rans6andrew]

if you want to display bearing and distance from base airfield why not just do a "direct to" base airfield? Even my 12xl (walker's handheld!) can cope with that, even when flying.

Rans6....

[rans6andrew]

thanks to those that have taken the time to respond. Looks like I will be calling Pooleys in the morning to get me an Aera 500 put in the post as soon as they get some in stock, hopefully on Wednesday.

What a pity I made a pucka bracket for the AV80R on my instrument panel and only got to fly with it once. The Aera 500 will need a different bracket, no doubt ...... guess I will be busy in the workshop at the weekend.

[goodmand1]

OK - finally time to come out of the closet and post my 2p worth.

Had my Aera 500 for about a year now and some 50+ flying hours - having sequentially upgraded from a 295 then a 296.

Generally, very pleased with the Aera over the previous two as the touch screen is far more intuitive and much easier to use "in anger" in flight. The database is great although I've yet to use it out of the UK. As a Satnav for the car? - don't bother!

As a primary navigation device ( apart from a map of course) it's first class, but it doesn't give the best situational awareness for position or airspace - like the Aware, for example.

I tend to do all my route planning at home on the PC using Memory Map, then export the gpx file into the Aera and fly the route, which works just fine. I still like to use Memory Map on my GPS enabled HTC smartphone, as a secondary back-up - to give that comforting "moving map" feel.

Looking around at the moment at the plethora of new tablets coming out. If I can find one with a screen readable in daylight, GPS dongle nailed to to top of the coaming, running MM or perhaps the excellent Skydemon - then I'm sorted!:)

[rans6andrew]

goodmand1, in what way is the Aera 500 car satnav mode deficient?

The AV80R was, at the time, the only driving GPS I had used and we found it very good, once we had sorted out whether to use shortest, quickest or easiest routes for the journey. When traveling by bus in an unknown area it was good for deciding where to alight closest to our intended destination etc. My new car has a built in SatNav and we are still trying to get to grips with it's excessive features (does anyone need a "guidance voice volume reduction when traveling in reverse" option??).

Aera 500 ordered!

Rans6.....

[BEagle]

If you want to display bearing and distance from base airfield why not just do a "direct to" base airfield?

You misunderstand my meaning. If I was flying in a general area rather than on a specific route, I would like to have a continual brg/dist display from where I choose, just as I could with the GNC250 or GPS150, without having to press DCT on the screen each time. The GNC250 / GPS150 by default shows brg/dist from 'nearest', but you can programme it to display brg/dist from a selected user waypoint - whereas the Aera seems to use only 'nearest' categories or, by default, 'nearest' hierarchies.

I couldn't agree more about some in-car SatNavs! I've used the nüvi 660 for 4 1/2 years now and it is an excellent basic device, particularly with the LifeTime maps option. Much easier to use than some of the junk in 'upmarket' cars I've hired or borrowed! Only snag is the stupid power cord/FM TMC receiver and lack of a decent 'hardwired' option kit from Garmin. I hate window suckers and have always used the 'automotive' dashtop mount which is excellent. I also turn the voice OFF!

Buying a used car with a SatNav can be a negative factor if it's more than a couple of years old - unless the dealer agrees to a free 'current map' upgrade. Even then, you might find that you cannot use the CD player and SatNav together, unless you've got a multi-disc player. More modern ICE with MP3 functionality is a different matter, of course.

[rans6andrew]

you're right, I don't understand your meaning.

With AV80R, as you warm engine for local flight, press "direct to", then "nearest", then select the airfield where you are at. Then go fly about. Ignore guidance. At all times until you land the unit will display distance and direction to where you took off from. Simples. No need to "keep pressing direct to".

Rans6.

[BEagle]

With the GPS150 / GNC250, you just selected the chosen user waypoint and it displayed brg/dist from that waypoint continuously - leaving you free to use the DCT feature for other purposes. Or you could let the automated 'nearest' function give you brg/dist from the nearest category of feature. You didn't need to tie the DCT function up with brg/dist from homeplate. Simples indeed.

But, as far as I can ascertain, that feature is missing from the Aera series. Present position only shows brg/dist from the nearest category of feature you've told it (e.g. from the nearest aerodrome) or, by default, from Garmin's idea of the nearest significant feature whether it's a town, aerodrome or whatever.

A simple 'nearest' / 'user' software upgrade would solve the issue. I really hate having to fight stupid automation!

[Genghis the Engineer]

I don't quite follow you BEagle.

I'm currently in North America, I just selected Lydd on my Aera (in the Direct To page) as an experiment, and then brought up the HSI panel. The screen shows distance and direction to Lydd which is far from local!

You are using the DCT function for this, I agree - but I've certainly used this in flight for cross referencing then just returned to my original route. Not particularly onerous in a trimmed aeroplane en-route.

Using "Nearest" you do get a list, not just the single nearest.

G

[BEagle]

The point is that it is not necessary to use 'direct to' with other Garmins which have more flexibly configurable 'present position' options. This is how it is described in the manual for the GNC250:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/250.jpg

This feature is not included in the Aera series and I for one would miss it. Here's how the 'present position' options are described for the Aera series:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/aera.jpg

When teaching students in the earlier stages of their PPL course, we always ensured that they could read their present position as a brg/dist from home aerodrome long before they started navigation training. So, if they were to become uncertain of position, they could call the home aerodrome and simply state their brg/dist before requesting assistance. A very useful feature for training aeroplane use.

[rans6andrew]

when I was learning to fly, there was something in the aircraft of all students who had not grasped navigation, it was called an instructor.

Do they really allow GPS usage by student pilots?

Seems to be adding yet another distraction at a time when the student has his/her hands full just doing the basics of aviating.

Rans6....

[BEagle]

when I was learning to fly, there was something in the aircraft of all students who had not grasped navigation, it was called an instructor.

Rather a stupid comment. After completing circuit consolidation, students should then fly a number of solo GH trips before starting navigation training. Unfortunately many of the inferior PPL schools don't seem to include this important element in their courses.

With a GNC250 as the secondary VHF radio, it made sense to keep the GPS element selected to present position from the home aerodrome. Students didn't even have to know how to select anything; all they had to do was just to switch it on and let it inititialise. Before they flew their first solo GH trip, they were checked to ensure they could indeed carry out this simple action.

[fujii]

audioaviator

If the fuel reminder is a problem go to Tools/Setup/Alarms and turn it off or set a new time.

[fujii]

rans6andrew

The only problem I have with the AERA500 is the small touch area for individual letters and numbers on the keyboard, especially in turbulence.

[rans6andrew]

My shiny new Aera 500 arrived on Friday. I didn't have time to mess with the registration and update stuff but as we were away flying over the weekend I took it along.

Compared to other aviation GPS's I have used I am finding the control of display clutter "interesting". I have not found what basis the declutter control works on. In other units I have had (Skyforce) the display of stuff on the screen was by ON/OFF and by map zoom level. eg town names only appear when screen zoomed to less than 8 miles (user selectable number) and set to ON,

Also, there seems to be a total lack of small airfields on the map. We overflew Whittles, Bowerchalk, Bossington and nothing showed. These may be down to me not finding enough user options to make them appear.

I also tried to do a flight plan from Brimpton to Bagby. It doesn't have an entry for Bagby. My current CAA chart shows Bagby still exists.

Jonathon @ NATS produced a grass strip database add on for the 196/296 series units, is this compatible with Aera units? Can someone point me to where it lives and instruct me how to install it?

Going to try the road use later.

Rans6....

[rans6andrew]

Have I got a different Aera 500 to some of you responders?

The database I have (updated on Monday) is woefully short of gliding sites/microlight sites/farm strips etc which are marked on the CAA charts. The folk at Garmin, who I just talked to, admitted that the Jeppeson database has only got licenced airfield information in it. This means that even Brimpton is not in the database.

This is not how "audioaviator" described the unit, thanks a bunch.

With the increasing number of airfields going un-licenced the usefulness of the supplied data will reduce to the point where the unit becomes useless for the lighter end of GA in the UK. Garmin have no plans to do anything about it.

I have tried the AV80R and found the hardware was crap, 3 times in 20 months it failed and was replaced.

Any ideas?

[BEagle]

Unfortunately you'll need to enter places such as Bagby, Bossington, Bowerchalk, Brimpton, Whittles and Little Piddle-on-the-Gusset Intergalactic as user waypoints, then give them a suitable 'aerodrome' icon.

Perhaps someone like Pooleys could be persuaded to create a microSD card with their list of UK aerodromes / gliding sites as custom POIs?