Why would you need a handheld GPS in a full glass NG aircraft? Why would you need it in a -400?
In some of the other aircraft I might understand it.
I use a Lowrance Airmap 500 in the 74 Classic. I use the hard wired external antenna with the suction cup mount that came with it. I place it about midpoint in the rear window (L3) towards the bottom of the pane.
It works most of the time but on occasion will lose a signal.
One thing that I notice with these little handhelds is that when your flying along at 450 Knots when you lose a signal and try to re-acquire it the unit's are a bit dumb and will not easily re-find themselves under the satellite constellation. I usually end up having to do a "Auto Search" to re-acquire reception/position. Might have something to do with moving relatively quickly for a unit that was not specfically built for that purpose.
The Lowrance is a good little unit and I got it for $350.00 USD.
It serves it's purpose, which is backing up "For Reference Only" the ancient and at times cantankerous Mighty Ol' Delco/Litton Carousel IV-A. (There is one on display in the Technical Museum in Munich - I wonder if it's still serviceable?) Using the GPS I can closely monitor the performance of the Carousel while it is dual DME updating.
Try flying with 9 manually entered lat/long waypoints, winging your way across Europe, in today's congested and complex airspace structure, continually punching DME updates in the whole time. If your lucky you won't transit France where the controller will give you direct to a waypoint that is not on your flight release or filed route. As you fumble through the spaghetti on the High Charts searching in vain for a point at least close to your routing, in the middle of the night as your plying your way in the Flight Levels (FL300 & greater), the controller screaming at you why your not direct after receiving your clearance 30 seconds ago, I mean after all he had to repeat it to you 3 times and those were all done using the phonetic alphabet! You then come to find out that the waypoint they gave you is a point published only on the Low Charts. Go figure!
Those are some of the reasons I have the handheld.
Having a handheld GPS in an all glass aircraft is just a flat out a waste of money and a distraction. Sorry guys.
Good Luck To Us All!
Last edited by FearlessFreep; 13th Sep 2005 at 00:08.