GPS for G.A. pilots
i really dont trust GPS enough over a map yet so i will never use one for primary navigation. i do have a garmin GPS60 handheld which gives a ground speed in knots and shows the track ive flown and thats all i use it for. good for IFR hold training.
maps have been written and used for thousands of years so i will be sticking to them for a while yet.
maps have been written and used for thousands of years so i will be sticking to them for a while yet.
i really dont trust GPS enough over a map ......
...... maps have been written and used for thousands of years so i will be sticking to them for a while yet
...... maps have been written and used for thousands of years so i will be sticking to them for a while yet
Don't trust them thar new fangle thingis!
Dr
Then get one of them fancy GPS units with a map that moves on the display! 
nah Dr it is more the case that a map is always on, never runs out of batteries and is not affected by cloud above you and most importantly, the yanks cannot turn it off or move it.
last point is where my main distrust of it comes in. unfortunately it was not set up as a civilian device, although they are making more moves to become a civilian service with the new sats, at the end of the day the US military still controls it.
im going to wait and see how the Galileo system turns out before getting anything fancy to rely on.
did i mention im not a fan of fancy do it all gadgets?
last point is where my main distrust of it comes in. unfortunately it was not set up as a civilian device, although they are making more moves to become a civilian service with the new sats, at the end of the day the US military still controls it.
im going to wait and see how the Galileo system turns out before getting anything fancy to rely on.
did i mention im not a fan of fancy do it all gadgets?
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Lowrance vs. Garmin
Has anybody had experience with both the Garmin 295/296 or 495/496 and the Lowrance airmap 2000c?
From what I'm able to find on the net, the Garmin seems to offer more flexibility, and more Australian specific charts.
On the other hand, the Lowrance seems like a potentially good unit (if you're in the US), at a good price.
I'd like to lean towards the Lowrance (my pockets aren't deep), but the Garmin seems like a better option for Oz.
Any ideas?
From what I'm able to find on the net, the Garmin seems to offer more flexibility, and more Australian specific charts.
On the other hand, the Lowrance seems like a potentially good unit (if you're in the US), at a good price.
I'd like to lean towards the Lowrance (my pockets aren't deep), but the Garmin seems like a better option for Oz.
Any ideas?
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Two Choices, Take Ya Pick.
1. Garmin 296
2. Garmin 495
Can be purchased for $1550 / $1895 from a local outlet. If you can not find them yourself PM me and I will send you a link.
Do not skimp or stuff around. Have used both brands just in case you were wondering.
J
1. Garmin 296
2. Garmin 495
Can be purchased for $1550 / $1895 from a local outlet. If you can not find them yourself PM me and I will send you a link.
Do not skimp or stuff around. Have used both brands just in case you were wondering.
J
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Cheers Jabawocky, I'm tending towards the Garmin at the moment.
There are a few places that offer them at a decent enough price, just have to scratch up all the lint in my pockets and see if they'll accept that as a downpayment.
There are a few places that offer them at a decent enough price, just have to scratch up all the lint in my pockets and see if they'll accept that as a downpayment.
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Why spend heaps of dollars telling you something DR already told you anyway?
Garmin Etrex H (go up a model or get the USB for adding all the waypoints).
Great battery life, gets GPS signal every where, $132, cant go wrong.
Garmin Etrex H (go up a model or get the USB for adding all the waypoints).
Great battery life, gets GPS signal every where, $132, cant go wrong.
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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 !
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 !
For someone learning to fly, when is a good time to invest in a GPS? After PPL and before CPL? After CPL when you land the first job?
I know from threads here that people are critical of "new age" pilots putting too much reliance on automation etc. Whilst its tempting to purchase one, especially if it could get you out of trouble one day, would you lose basic nav and map reading skills as a result?
If you can, cash in all your family birthday/Xmas presents for the next 1/3/5 yrs and have them buy you a Garmin 196/296/495 - you will NEVER regret it.
Learn how to use it properly!
When you are training and gaining initial experience, leave it turned off - or better still leave it in your flight bag.
Learn to navigate and gain confidence in your ability to navigate the "old" way - map reading, WAC charts, track lines, 10 nm/5 min marks, 1 in 60's etc
Discipline yourself to NOT dive for the GPS the first time you become unsure of your position - we have all been there!
But if you ever find yourself in a really sticky situation, with the adrenaline levels starting to run off the scale - having a GPS with you may just save your hide.
I can see no reason to die just to to prove that you can navigate like a 'real' pilot!
If the "Digest" was still being published and if we could access all of the back copies on-line, you could look up details of all of the GA aircraft that have crashed because the pilot became totally disoriented or otherwise 'lost'. Having a GPS on board would have turned many of those tragedies into mere aeroclub bar stories.
I recently had a visit from young Pyro and his mate on their post-PPL first big cross-country flight: Caboolture - Charleville - Birdsville - Longreach - Townsville - Mackay - Rockhampton - Caboolture. Good to see them practicing their basic nav/map reading skills - with the GPS turned off the whole way! There is some really lonely country out there when all you have is a C172 (or in their case C175) in one hand and a map in the other.
Good-one guys!
Dr
Learn how to use it properly!
When you are training and gaining initial experience, leave it turned off - or better still leave it in your flight bag.
Learn to navigate and gain confidence in your ability to navigate the "old" way - map reading, WAC charts, track lines, 10 nm/5 min marks, 1 in 60's etc
Discipline yourself to NOT dive for the GPS the first time you become unsure of your position - we have all been there!
But if you ever find yourself in a really sticky situation, with the adrenaline levels starting to run off the scale - having a GPS with you may just save your hide.
I can see no reason to die just to to prove that you can navigate like a 'real' pilot!
If the "Digest" was still being published and if we could access all of the back copies on-line, you could look up details of all of the GA aircraft that have crashed because the pilot became totally disoriented or otherwise 'lost'. Having a GPS on board would have turned many of those tragedies into mere aeroclub bar stories.
I recently had a visit from young Pyro and his mate on their post-PPL first big cross-country flight: Caboolture - Charleville - Birdsville - Longreach - Townsville - Mackay - Rockhampton - Caboolture. Good to see them practicing their basic nav/map reading skills - with the GPS turned off the whole way! There is some really lonely country out there when all you have is a C172 (or in their case C175) in one hand and a map in the other.
Good-one guys!
Dr
Last edited by ForkTailedDrKiller; 2nd Oct 2009 at 01:36.
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Thanks Dr, Good Advice.
Got that scenario coming up in about 3 weeks (the birthday thing) so between the better half, the family and the savings of not flying recently due no CFI, I reckon I might be able to look at a Garmin 296.
Thanks again.
Got that scenario coming up in about 3 weeks (the birthday thing) so between the better half, the family and the savings of not flying recently due no CFI, I reckon I might be able to look at a Garmin 296.
Thanks again.
Whilst its tempting to purchase one, especially if it could get you out of trouble one day, would you lose basic nav and map reading skills as a result?
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I'm looking at getting the Garmin 296. Do you think the best place to buy it is from one of the online stores? Since, most include shipping for free and are relatively cheap compared to the local pilot shops.
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Someone posted a very cheap link on here last week, hard to find on the iPhone. Either that or aeroshop . Com . Au in melb or gca.aero or skygeek. Gca have factory refurb models at the moment.
