New Garmin GPSs

[Algirdas]

I'm about to buy myself a nice Chrissy present, a Garmin III Pilot.
BUT.... since it's been around some years, wonder if there is a newer, shiner, better, cheaper model just around the corner, about to be released to the market.....
Anyone heard anything?

[360BakTrak]

I dont think you can go far wrong with the III Pilot. I would have thought any new models will be expensive for some time. I took a III Pilot down to Alicante 2 years ago and its performance was excellent! Well worth the money IMO.:D

[IO540]

For the last 3 years I have thought "all the GPSs on the market are so crude compared to what could be done, have such poor screen resolution (a £100 PDA is better), work so slowly, have such poor battery life, and have been on the market for so many years, so there must be new stuff coming out".

But nothing much had changed, really

[S-Works]

there was a thread on this not so long ago. in the archives somewhere and I believe the outcome was that the 196 was the puppy to buy.

[VFR800]

The 196 is the kiddy, I've just got one and it's rather flash !! It's this years must-have accessory for the just-passed PPL! ;)

[Dave Gittins]

Have used a GPS III these last 12 months and it is a fine piece of kit. However I flew a few weeks ago with a guy sporting a 196 and that is just so much better screen wise ... both size and resolution.

I feel that it's so good that the temptation might be there to abandon the map and the Mk 1 eyeball as the primary navigation device.

At least with the Pilot III, the screen is so small that it doesn't have the temptation to look at it any more oftern than a bit of confirmation of track or position warrants.

The Pilot III does usefully stay on the coaming with a bit of velcro, the 196 is a fair bit bigger so I suspect the full yolk mount is an essential. That means that it be that much harder to put in the car, which is how I learned to use the GPS III before I let it be a distraction in the Warrior.

As a footnote .. that 4 way rocker/cursor on the pilot 3 is a real pain that I've never mastered .. it doesn't know it's left and right from up and down and is a major distraction if you try and put in a new waypoint in flight (it's bad enough in my front room). I trust the 196 is better.

[Algirdas]

I'm just looking for solid performance, not lots of bells & whistles.
I like the eyeball and map nav method, but just hate that 'temporarily dis-oriented' feeling, and a GPS just gives you the ability to avoid that (I hope). The 196 looks a good'un, but too big and heavy and awkward for my purposes in my wee plane.... a bit overkill for me.
The way technology goes, it just seems to me that there must be a III replacement just around the corner - lighter, neater, cheaper......... but maybe not ....?????
:confused:

[VFR800]

The 196 isn't too big, however I agree that the 'ole yoke mount is essential really (comes included along with remote GPS antenna), but the full screen map if just tops. I still use my map and PLOG and work out my headings etc and fly my track, the GPS is just brilliant though for cross-reference.

Also, I find it really brings the workload down when caught in marginal weather, you can concetrate and flying and weather avoidance withoug having to worry about where you are!! :)

[Rod1]

Very pleased with my 196. If it is your aircraft you can use the panel mount and have the best of all worlds. Using the PC link is so much better than the 150XL on my old aircraft, no more manual entry of turning points etc!

Rod1

[Onan the Clumsy]

I have a 295. I like it and use it a lot. I spoke with Garmin though and they said that although the 295 has a better screen (colour) the processor in the 196 is a lot better and technicaly, it's a better unit (and cheaper).

Question: Is the six pack accurate? I mean, if you lost your vacuum pump, could you rely on the horizon on the 196? Does it work from the GPS inputs, or does it have a pietzo gyro in it?

That would definately be a deciding factor for me.

[ChrisVJ]

Any one got a Lowrance Airmark 1000 yet?

Slim, big screen, don't know about functionality but in US at least about $200 less than 196.

[bar shaker]

Onan

The 196 works out the angle of bank from rate of turn.

If you set it to aviation mode and use it in the car, most turns give 90deg AoB although the unit is most definitely still horizontal.

[Fly Stimulator]

The trouble is that the 196 only knows about the rate of turn over the ground, not through the air.

On a calm day that won't matter much, but if you're flying in an air mass which is itself moving at, say, 30 knots then the 196's angle of bank calculation could be seriously misleading.

I love my 196, but its 'instument panel' page is the one I use least.

[Onan the Clumsy]

bar shaker and Fly Stimulator Thanks, that's good to know as I might be getting into some IMC stuff soon and was thinking of possibly upgrading.

[Rod1]

I would not relay on the 196-instrument page under normal conditions. However I managed to fly with it as sole reference for 10 min or so as a test (with safety pilot of course). It is reckoned you will lose control in about 40 sec with no blind flying instruments, so the 196 could get you out of a jam if all else has failed. Test included turns, climbs etc. and one unusual attitude recovery.

Rod1

[Cusco]

I graduated from a GPS 90 to a Garmin 295 a few years ago and I think its the Dog's sphericals.

The re are three minor niggles however.

1: Its really too heavy to mount happily on the yoke of our Arrer as it vibrates so much you need two hands to hold yoke to read the screen (Yes, we've had the prop dynamically balanced).
Goes on the coaming instead with Velcro.

2: It eats batteries: (2-3 hours). We have a power supply from the a/c so this is not a problem but might be for the jobbing hirer.

3: Colour screen is excellent for fine detail, but it struggles in strong sunlight.

Also has the facility for extra squids (shed loads of extra squids as it happens) to convert into a car usable GPS with full database for the whole of Europe.

Just my two pennorth, but I must say, having seen the 196 in action, that looks like an excellent (and cheaper) buy.

Safe flying

Cusco.