GPS Pilot 111 or 95

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I need a small GPS for Chippy and Yak (not much room). A 95 would sit on my knee, but would a Pilot 111 be so much better that it's worth trying to find a location for it (not easy)?

Who has used both?

SSD

[Wide-Body]

Hi Just completed a 1000 mile trip in the Chippy. Used a GPS 111 on the supplied mount. It was attatched to the one o'clock posn on the combing using velcro(industrial strength). Worked very well. Any Qs and I will get back to you

Wide :)

[ 29 September 2001: Message edited by: Wide-Body ]

[M14P]

Have GPS III 'pilot' fitted to our '52. Sits very nicely between the compass and g-meter atop the annunciator. Very good unit. Cannot be beaten for the price, takes normal batteries if you have no external power.

Stops me getting lost - must be good.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

W-B

Interested in your Chippy mount. Since the coaming is curved, how do you velcro the 'flat' GPS111 bracket to it? Do you have a shaped wooden spacer twixt bracket and coaming? And where do you get nice strong velcro from?

M14P - Yes, that's where I'd put it in the Yak. Does it stay 'velcroed' OK despite lots of negative 'G', or is it bolted down?

Neither aircraft has an available power supply - how long do the batteries last in the GPS111?

SSD

[ 01 October 2001: Message edited by: Shaggy Sheep Driver ]

[ 01 October 2001: Message edited by: Shaggy Sheep Driver ]

[Southern Cross]

SSD

GPS Pilot III all the way for Yaks. Very user friendly, excellent moving map plus all other features from their larger model 195. Fits very well on top of the coaming of the 52. Do not rely on the velcro. You will regret it first when it comes off and sails out your partially open canopy (!), or worse, disappears below your seat where it could foul controls...

Instead, simply screw the Pilot III bracket onto the annuciator light panel. Fits perfectly, very secure, and not in line of sight too much.

For the Yak 50, we built a bespoke bracket, which fixes onto the top of the coaming, but bends down to position the unit out of the line of sight along the top of the engine. This is just a reflection that the top of the coaming in the 50 has no annunciator light panel, so cluttering it with a GPS unit just reduces forward visibility. You could of course make a similar bracket for the 52. Also, you can feed the external aerial around the side of the cockpit and set it up behind the passenger seat. Although I will say that I have never had a reception problem with the GPS III just using the standard aerial - lots of clear glass above it in the Yak cockpit !

A word of caution on the GPS III: rarely, they have a software glitch which turns it off repeatedly in mid-flight (!), despite having fresh batteries. Transair replaced mine no questions asked. Likewise for a friend of mine who suffered a similar problem. No reoccurrence in either replacement unit for the last 2 years.

Finally, you can in fact connect a GPS to a Yak 52 or 50 electrical system. But I don't know exactly how to do it ! Meanwhile, you will use 4 AAA batteries every 6-8 hours or so.

[Wide-Body]

Hi SSD

Using wide velcro (about 2.5 cm) the contact area is enough to secure the GPS 111. I use the standard Garmin mount. I get the velcro from the USA but if you drop me your e-mail address I will send you a piece of the required size. (cost 1 beer)

Rgds

Wide

[Mark 1]

I used to use the GPS III in my Jodel on my kneepad. It took about 5 minutes to knock up a bracket. It worked perfectly.

I've now gone to a 295, and can offer a cautionary tail.

This has to sit on the coaming as theres no room elsewhere. I checked it for compass deviation and got 2-3 degrees with it right next to the compass. No problem I thought.

Then on one trip I swapped batteries to return home and started noting odd compass readings. It turns out that the spare batteries (Varta 1500 mAh NiMH) are much more magnetic and gave me about 30 degrees of deviation. Be warned, or take a compass with you when buying batteries.

[M14P]

The esteemed Southern Cross (hello MR) has said it all in respect to Yaks. Power supply no problem, have a mount made lest you do yourself serious injury with a free-floating gizmo.

M14P

[jabberwok]

PIII Pilot has another useful feature in that it can work off a DC source which is not critical - it'll take anything from 8V to 40V DC input.

[Southern Cross]

M14P - you have me at a disadvantage sir! Or perhaps my memory does not serve me at all...? :cool:

[M14P]

I'll say hello at NW when I next spy you. :)

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Since no-one had anything to say about the 95, and you all think a Pilot 111 in Chippy and Yak is no probs, a Pilot 111 it will be (and a bag of batteries)!

SSD

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Hi Guys

Just an update - I bought a GPS Pilot 111 and made a wooden former to fit atop the Chippy instrument panel with velcro, the Garmin mount screwed to the wood. Works a treat.

First GPS had the 'self switch off' problem, but it was changed and replacement seems great (and has a more up to date database). It even stays in place and continues to work during quite serious aeros! (Not much negative 'G', mind!)

SSD

[ 27 October 2001: Message edited by: Shaggy Sheep Driver ]

[LowNSlow]

Shaggy, the bag of batteries doesn't have to be that big. I get 8ish hours out of each set.

Bet the first time they go flat you've left the spares at home :D

I've never done that of course...... :o :o

[virgin]

I'm all for making life as easy as possible in light aircraft - and heavy ones as well for that matter!
If you can afford the extra bucks, go for the SkyMap which is a superb piece of kit.
It also has the great advantage of a built in, constant readout, plain language 'Locator'.

You can always tell when someone's using a SkyMap - instant answers to ATC requests for position reports: "3.7 miles SSE of wherever"!