GPS for G.A. pilots
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: nz/oz
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I got a 196. As far as i am concerned it has everything in it i want. but i must admit i never seen the 296.
If it wasnt for GPS i would be still trying to find my way around in NT with the CB's around...lol
If it wasnt for GPS i would be still trying to find my way around in NT with the CB's around...lol
How often does your software need to be updated to ensure you have accurate airspace and instrument procedure information when you need it?
As for the "Instrument procedure information" - remember the portables are not TSO'd and should be used for VFR nav assistance only, and although it is nice to have the 296 on board as an emergency IFR navaid, its just that - emergency backup only.
I have a TSO'd Garmin 430 in the aeroplane which gets its datacard updated monthly.
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 6th Mar 2008 at 08:21.
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: australia
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AvMap
Hey all,
the AvMap EKP-IV is super cool!
with a gorgeous screen and a very aviation feel and look.
Lots of them being fitted to sport planes as part of a whole glass fitout.
Strapped to your knee with the knee pad suplied they are large enough to easly hold two hot cups of coffee and a small plate of TimTams.
Cheers,
Solocmv.
P.S.
Dont bother with monochrome, a colour display gives you all the stuff in an easly comprehendable format.
the AvMap EKP-IV is super cool!
with a gorgeous screen and a very aviation feel and look.
Lots of them being fitted to sport planes as part of a whole glass fitout.
Strapped to your knee with the knee pad suplied they are large enough to easly hold two hot cups of coffee and a small plate of TimTams.
Cheers,
Solocmv.
P.S.
Dont bother with monochrome, a colour display gives you all the stuff in an easly comprehendable format.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Age: 38
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I have a PDA with a bluetooth GPS receiver. Do any pilots here use something similar?
The great thing about it is that you can make use of all kinds of different software applications and maps to increase functionality. You can even photo scan an aviation chart and configure it to use with the software.
The software would be better than any standard garmin stuff if only garmin made their aviation charts available like they do with their bluewater and city nav maps.
It's kinda like having the Garmin Ique.
The only problem I find is that the battery life goes for about 2 hours on the standard battery which is the same for the garmin model
It's not as powerful as the dashboard mounted garmin units because their receivers are a lot more powerful and accurate but these portable little units do their job pretty well.
A bluetooth gps receiver is good if you've already got a PDA or notebook computer. They usually only cost under $100 and combined with decent software you've got a pretty powerful sat-nav at your disposal.
I reckon any gps receiver that uses the Sirfstar III chipset would be good to use because Garmin uses this in a lot of their portable products.
http://www8.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/083005.html
--EDIT--
Some good software:
Oziexplorer PC - http://www.oziexplorer3.com/eng/preview.html
Oziexplorer Pocket PC - http://www.oziexplorer3.com/ozice/oz...reenshots.html
GPS Tuner Pocket PC - http://www.gpstuner.com/overview.htm
Can use google maps. Can broadcast position over the internet. Logs GPS data and can let you upload the data to your PC and display your route travelled on software like Google Earth.
Garmin Que (for Pocket PC - needs garmin maps)
http://www8.garmin.com/support/downl...ils.jsp?id=837
These are mostly just for PDA. With a notebook computer you can do a lot more especially if you can hook it up to a mobile internet connection.
The great thing about it is that you can make use of all kinds of different software applications and maps to increase functionality. You can even photo scan an aviation chart and configure it to use with the software.
The software would be better than any standard garmin stuff if only garmin made their aviation charts available like they do with their bluewater and city nav maps.
It's kinda like having the Garmin Ique.
The only problem I find is that the battery life goes for about 2 hours on the standard battery which is the same for the garmin model
It's not as powerful as the dashboard mounted garmin units because their receivers are a lot more powerful and accurate but these portable little units do their job pretty well.
A bluetooth gps receiver is good if you've already got a PDA or notebook computer. They usually only cost under $100 and combined with decent software you've got a pretty powerful sat-nav at your disposal.
I reckon any gps receiver that uses the Sirfstar III chipset would be good to use because Garmin uses this in a lot of their portable products.
http://www8.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/083005.html
--EDIT--
Some good software:
Oziexplorer PC - http://www.oziexplorer3.com/eng/preview.html
Oziexplorer Pocket PC - http://www.oziexplorer3.com/ozice/oz...reenshots.html
GPS Tuner Pocket PC - http://www.gpstuner.com/overview.htm
Can use google maps. Can broadcast position over the internet. Logs GPS data and can let you upload the data to your PC and display your route travelled on software like Google Earth.
Garmin Que (for Pocket PC - needs garmin maps)
http://www8.garmin.com/support/downl...ils.jsp?id=837
These are mostly just for PDA. With a notebook computer you can do a lot more especially if you can hook it up to a mobile internet connection.
Last edited by Aeroplane Jelly; 6th Mar 2008 at 09:31.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Sydney
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Things are coming in the mass market that will blow some heads:
Of course, not certified for aviation, but you will very soon be able to be use your nokia phone:
0.5 metre accuracy
real time map and terrain overlays, google earth style
built in gps diagnostics
database import of places-eg can be airfields, airspace (already in existence for US)
position reporting over internet
and much more...
sc
Of course, not certified for aviation, but you will very soon be able to be use your nokia phone:
0.5 metre accuracy
real time map and terrain overlays, google earth style
built in gps diagnostics
database import of places-eg can be airfields, airspace (already in existence for US)
position reporting over internet
and much more...
sc
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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I think that is relatively the same as the technology employed in a GPS + PDA setup.
You'll probably find the GPS chipsets in the cell phones would be somewhat less powerful in order to save power consumption because a cell phone has to be on 24 hours for a couple of days before being recharged not just 2 hours like the PDA GPS units.
Although I don't have much experience with them, I reckon there might not be much difference between the GPS tracking capabilities in the cell phones and the PDA units but the software flexibility offered in cell phone GPS versus that in PDA's and especially notebook computers makes them not much of a rival in the enthusiast GPS market because I dont think they'd offer anything in the way of advanced software to allow importing of virtually any map type and the fact that the screens are quite small.
However having a GPS signal interlinked with the internet connection of the cell phone that would allow a person to upload their position to the internet rather cheaply for hours or even days so that others may track them, is quite an impressive feature.
You'll probably find the GPS chipsets in the cell phones would be somewhat less powerful in order to save power consumption because a cell phone has to be on 24 hours for a couple of days before being recharged not just 2 hours like the PDA GPS units.
Although I don't have much experience with them, I reckon there might not be much difference between the GPS tracking capabilities in the cell phones and the PDA units but the software flexibility offered in cell phone GPS versus that in PDA's and especially notebook computers makes them not much of a rival in the enthusiast GPS market because I dont think they'd offer anything in the way of advanced software to allow importing of virtually any map type and the fact that the screens are quite small.
However having a GPS signal interlinked with the internet connection of the cell phone that would allow a person to upload their position to the internet rather cheaply for hours or even days so that others may track them, is quite an impressive feature.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: OZ
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Ah the lot of you have been spoilt. I believe that all initial pilot training ought to be GPS free. Only after you can gain a PPL with full nav capabilities less the GPS demonstrating that you can 'WAC' it to anywhere that one can be used for supplementry nav. I've heard that a lot of instructors are bringing along a GPS on navs just to make sure, bunch of girls !
Dr you would be amongst the few that remember when it was s skill to nav GPSless to a point way out west, not to the new breed. As`long as they have a good supply of batteries their home free !
The Garmin 100 was in it's day the best thing sice sliced bread !
F
Dr you would be amongst the few that remember when it was s skill to nav GPSless to a point way out west, not to the new breed. As`long as they have a good supply of batteries their home free !
The Garmin 100 was in it's day the best thing sice sliced bread !
F
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Melbourne
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I still have a garman GPS Pilot 3 that I rarely use, in fact I doubt I could use it fully now anyway after being spoilt with better units.
Great tool but they can have a neg effect by way of keeping the VFR pilots head inside the cockpit too much.
I've often communicated with VFR pilots who know exactly where they are (which is a good thing) whilst maneuvering within a circling area of a busy CTAF or close prox of same but when I ask can they see me they say NO & haven't got a clue as to where a prominent landmark is located because of less & less map to ground reading or vise versa, probably because their heads have been inside the cockpit advising their exact position with ref to the GPS & no other terrain features.
Not knocking the GPS's just that there used at times when airmanship ought to be the first line of defence.
Sorry for the slight thread drift but everything in moderation
CW
Great tool but they can have a neg effect by way of keeping the VFR pilots head inside the cockpit too much.
I've often communicated with VFR pilots who know exactly where they are (which is a good thing) whilst maneuvering within a circling area of a busy CTAF or close prox of same but when I ask can they see me they say NO & haven't got a clue as to where a prominent landmark is located because of less & less map to ground reading or vise versa, probably because their heads have been inside the cockpit advising their exact position with ref to the GPS & no other terrain features.
Not knocking the GPS's just that there used at times when airmanship ought to be the first line of defence.
Sorry for the slight thread drift but everything in moderation
CW
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Melbourne,Vic,Australia
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Have a Garmin 296 and it's great especially for things like crossing the divide from forced landing area to forced landing area.
However the precautionary bit with electronics still applies. Last Easter I was going from Narromine to Birdsville when firstly the remote antenna packed up. No worries use the original one with the unit stuck on top of the dash with blutac. Next thing it shuts down (overheating presumably as it worked after a period out of the sun) - so plan B dead reckoning with the spare GPS as backup.
However the precautionary bit with electronics still applies. Last Easter I was going from Narromine to Birdsville when firstly the remote antenna packed up. No worries use the original one with the unit stuck on top of the dash with blutac. Next thing it shuts down (overheating presumably as it worked after a period out of the sun) - so plan B dead reckoning with the spare GPS as backup.
Join Date: Oct 2006
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"Things are coming in the mass market that will blow some heads:
Of course, not certified for aviation, but you will very soon be able to be use your nokia phone:"
Helo SprocketCheck!
Any more details? I have an E65 with Garmin Mobile XT, I'd love to have something similar but more aviation-specific.
Of course, not certified for aviation, but you will very soon be able to be use your nokia phone:"
Helo SprocketCheck!
Any more details? I have an E65 with Garmin Mobile XT, I'd love to have something similar but more aviation-specific.
A queston on the Garmin 296, when looking at GPSRNAV approaches why do they not have the initial approach waypoints in the database? That is the database approach only comences at the FAF. 
I don't want to be the best pilot in the world - Just the oldest
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Here and there
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Where am I? where am I going? how fast? how far? what direction? how long? What's my nearest get out of jail option?
My trusty old Magellan Skyblazer tells me all that. Personally I think colour moving maps etc are too much of a distraction.
My trusty old Magellan Skyblazer tells me all that. Personally I think colour moving maps etc are too much of a distraction.
personally i use a Garmin Etrex Legend. Honestly. The way i look at it, i did all my PPL training without one, in the darwin. I had to learn to nav using a WAC, so what changes. I use it to point me in the right direction if i ever get lost. But with darwin after you learn a few tricks its easy to find your place. I will eventually upgrade to a GPSMAP 296 once I get my CPL, but for now, me Etrek is perfect
Lasorhinous,
Nothing wrong with it in vmc, also thought it might be good backup plus as supplementary info in addition to primary TSO unit with distance to the MAPT dialled in as insurance against lockhart type fubar. The approaches are all there just no IAFs.
Nothing wrong with it in vmc, also thought it might be good backup plus as supplementary info in addition to primary TSO unit with distance to the MAPT dialled in as insurance against lockhart type fubar. The approaches are all there just no IAFs.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: YLIL on my days off
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Has anyone seen or got the new AvMap GeoPilot II+? I've seen them advertised on a few sites recently and can't find much more than the sales guff on the internet.
Looks like a 296 but cheaper...
Looks like a 296 but cheaper...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NSW
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296 or PocketFMS
I use a 296 with Jeppesen FliteStar to create flight plans. Excellent way to plan the best route anywhere in Australia, available in either IFR or VFR. The route can then be easily transferred into the 296.
http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/application/commercewf?origin=category.jsp&event=link(browse)&wlcs_catal og_sourceKey=wlcs_categories&wlcs_catalog_destinationKey=wlc s_siblings&wlcs_catalog_category_id=FP1A2
Another less expensive way to achieve the same is with a GPS equipped Windows Mobile Device & PocketFMS.
http://www.pocketfms.com/
http://www.jeppesen.com/wlcs/application/commercewf?origin=category.jsp&event=link(browse)&wlcs_catal og_sourceKey=wlcs_categories&wlcs_catalog_destinationKey=wlc s_siblings&wlcs_catalog_category_id=FP1A2
Another less expensive way to achieve the same is with a GPS equipped Windows Mobile Device & PocketFMS.
http://www.pocketfms.com/
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Brisbane
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Does anyone know of any more aviation specific software available for a Nokia 6110 navigator?
It has gps. It keeps up with the aircrafts speed and i can enter my own waypoints/airfields. It also shows Altitude quite accurately. I would prefer to have this with me if needed as its a compact unit and has a good calculator!
It has gps. It keeps up with the aircrafts speed and i can enter my own waypoints/airfields. It also shows Altitude quite accurately. I would prefer to have this with me if needed as its a compact unit and has a good calculator!
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Possibly this...I think you need to make your own vector maps in Google Earth or scan charts & transfer them to your phone...so there's no aviation database etc.
http://aerotools.hoshis.org/index.html
http://aerotools.hoshis.org/index.html