Originally Posted by SKYYACHT
The Garmin updates are monthly, and coincide with the global AIRAC cycle. I seem to recall that they are about 25.00GBP per update. Check out the Garmin Website. If you only do it once per year, then airspace updates, such as the recent Bristol one, wont appear in your database!
I have a 196 also and I like it. A decent map with good size.
My reasoning for the updates is, that since the GPS is a supplement to the VFR chart for me, I keep it in sync with the chart. Our charts update roughly once per year, and thus when I get a new maps, I also get a database update. The revision service has updates ~monthly but not much happens in the VFR land - sometimes things do change, but then the maps change too.
This method has been working reasonably well. Lately we got a Garmin 430 on the plane I fly most (and two on the other one I got checked out most recently) so a handheld is not that necessary anymore. But it's a good device that can probably be purchased for a good price nowadays.