Garmin 96C

[multi_engined]

Hi,

I just bought a 96C for day VFR flying up north, however after using it a few times I have a couple of questions:

i) The database seems very limited, It doesn't seem to even know Kununurra?.. I received one free update from Jepps, will this add much detail?.. There doesn't seem to be a lot of it... just the odd road and airport.

ii) The altimeter on the GPS overeads anywhere from 200 to 2000 feet higher than the aircraft altimeter. Even trying a few different QNHs I couldn't get them to read the same figure?..

[300Series]

At the end of the day it is a basic handheld GPS and it is to be used secondary to DR navigation. I.e a backup. My handheld altimeter overreads also. Besides whats wrong with the Altimeter on the aircraft, last time i checked it is that altimeter which feeds info to the transponder for ATC not the GPS.

Does seem odd though that Kunnas is not there? Most strange. You do have the correct database i assume? Pacific database i think, i can't remember now.

300

[alphacentauri]

I have a hand held GPS for backup nav as well. It is not an aviation GPS but a simple hiking hand held one

(i) Does the gps allow you input your own waypoints? If so, then just put in all the places you want to go, including navaids and go from there. All lats and longs are in ERSA

(ii) The height readout on the GPS is your height above GPS datum. If the datum is WGS84 then it is the height above the WGS 84 spheroid, which in this country ranges from +/- about 200m depending on where you are. Once you factor in varying QNH's then the GPS alt will rarely read the same. Survey ops have the same problem in that the survey alt is normally above or below spheroid and then you have to convert it back to an alt relevant to local QNH.

[splinter11]

i have the garmin 96C, and it has kununurra on it. Make sure you have the Jepessen Pacific Database. The GPS should come with the database, unless you have done some dodgy deal over ebay and bought it from some mexican then the database might not be on it already.

[multi_engined]

I understand it's just a backup to DR and maps etc... However I will be flying at night also in a single in the middle of nowhere so I think it will be good to have something to ensure that I am on-track considering there in only two navaids within about three hundred miles.

I bought it from Airflite down at JT a few weeks ago, It says to have the pacific database in it? So not sure why these airports are not showing up. Am also aware that destinations can be entered by their lat and long... but to save time in the air if i need to divert would be nice if those things were there. I also noticed some of the CTAF freq are wrong in the airport directories so I guess I might as well use ERSA for everything but the moving map display.

[splinter11]

you should talk to the people you purchased it from. i never had to manually enter such waypoints as ypku or even ykal for that matter, so your database is not right.

[flog]

I just looked up Kunna on my own 96c and there she is. Something is amiss with your DB.

[multi_engined]

Thanks for you're help, managed to find Kunners and the other airports... I was using the wrong ICAO... *waits to get shot down LoL

[Yusef Danet]

"Pilot gets shot down for admitting his/her own mistake"

Not likely multi, au contraire, it's refreshing to hear a frank admission.

If we weren't prone to such little errors there would be little point in putting a second pair of eyes and a second brain on the flight deck.