What's a good hand held GPS to get????
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What's a good hand held GPS to get????
Hi guy's and Girls. Just wondering what would be a good portable GPS to get with around 500 bucks. Talking to a bloke the other day, he seem to think the Garmin 96??? is the way to go? Any other idea's would be great
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Bendix King just released the AV8OR. around US $685 - it is aviation + car, has wx support and looks pretty neat.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...PYkHZKLJ3Dzb3g
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...PYkHZKLJ3Dzb3g
The Garmin 96 is a very nice unit. Typical of Garmin it is easy to use, and I have never had any sat reception issues with the unit mounted on the yoke. However, you do not have to purchase an aviation GPS. I know of people who have purchased non-aviation receivers and have simply loaded all of the waypoints they need into the database, and for half the price have received the same functionality, just not the extras such as a database with airspace/navaids etc loaded.
Re non-aviation GPS units, "Choice" tested 13 in-car units and 10 hand held units earlier this year. With the in-car units, the outstanding performers were the TomTom Go 720 and Garmin Nuvi 250W. Both have 16:9 wide screens, and a battery life of 5 hours for portable use. With the hand held units, the Garmin eTrex Vista Cx and Garmin eTrex Legend Cx were the best two performing units overall. The Vista model has built-in altimeter/barometer info as well.
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The 96c would be a good choice. "Most" of the features of it's brother the 296 etc however much less in terms of $$.
Was playing with one on the weekend, seemed to do the job ok. For me the screen was a tad small though.
Was playing with one on the weekend, seemed to do the job ok. For me the screen was a tad small though.
Mic310
Buy the "most" Garmin aviation focused GPS that you can afford. Round up all your spare cash then drop the weights on your oldies, girlfriend/wife/partner, in-laws etc to contribute to your birthday and xmas presents for the next X years and work your way up the Garmin line of aviation portable GPS's to match your budget (96, 196, 296, 596).
YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!
Dr
PS: No, I don't work for Garmin - but I do have Garmin III Pilot, 296, 496, 430W...... and don't tell anyone, but I just bought a Garmin GPS 20X sensor.
Buy the "most" Garmin aviation focused GPS that you can afford. Round up all your spare cash then drop the weights on your oldies, girlfriend/wife/partner, in-laws etc to contribute to your birthday and xmas presents for the next X years and work your way up the Garmin line of aviation portable GPS's to match your budget (96, 196, 296, 596).
YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!
Dr
PS: No, I don't work for Garmin - but I do have Garmin III Pilot, 296, 496, 430W...... and don't tell anyone, but I just bought a Garmin GPS 20X sensor.
AvMap EKP-IV Color Moving Map GPS With TAWS
Folks,
Have a good look at the above, biggest screen, and the best screen to read in direct AU sunlight. I think these are a wonderful GPS to use, and I have used quite a few hand-held.
This will be the replacement for my now dated Garmin 196.
A bit more than $500 (quite a bit) but much cheaper than the equivalent (and none are quite equivalent) Garmin.
If you have any doubts about the manufacturer's history, ask the yachties, they are big in marine GPS, have been for years.
Tootle pip!!
Folks,
Have a good look at the above, biggest screen, and the best screen to read in direct AU sunlight. I think these are a wonderful GPS to use, and I have used quite a few hand-held.
This will be the replacement for my now dated Garmin 196.
A bit more than $500 (quite a bit) but much cheaper than the equivalent (and none are quite equivalent) Garmin.
If you have any doubts about the manufacturer's history, ask the yachties, they are big in marine GPS, have been for years.
Tootle pip!!
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Get an aviation unit, or maybe an eTrex. Most car and mobile phone GPS units (e.g. Nokia N82) will struggle to get a position fix when you're flying at around 200 Km/h.
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Just save money and get a non aviation handheld. Most of them already got all the informations you need and as somebody said you can upload easily all your waypoints. I've seen the Garmin 60 and looks good.
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Just bought an eTrex Venture HC (got this one because its the cheapest that has an HSI) and it works well. Cost $310, manually entered my waypoints which took a couple of hours, but since I fly out of a remote community I'd have to have done that with any GPS. My only problem is that I need something to mount it with so will be buying a suction cup mount this arvo.
The pilot III was awesome, the GPS96 just isn't the same, but both do their jobs well.
The pilot III was awesome, the GPS96 just isn't the same, but both do their jobs well.
Old Etrex - $100, has two spare AA batteries taped to the back of it.
Garmin Forerunner 201 - sits on dash or yoke - $200.
Then.........
1. Use Snagit and take screenshots of the ERSA VFR waypoint pages.
2. Use an OCR program to convert them to text.
3. Edit to remove page headings and numbers.
4. Import the text to an Excel spreadsheet (excel is smart enough to parse the stuff for you).
5. Convert lats and longs into whatever format is required for Ozi explorer.
6. Export as a comma separated flat file into Ozi Exporer.
7. Upload waypoints to both Garmins. (you have a 500 waypoint limit, so do it by states).
Voila! Your own Australia Wide personal database. Total time, about two hours.
CAUTION: CHECK THE WAYPOINTS AND ROUTE ON OZI EXPLORER AND A PAPER CHART BEFORE USING THEM!!!!!
Garmin Forerunner 201 - sits on dash or yoke - $200.
Then.........
1. Use Snagit and take screenshots of the ERSA VFR waypoint pages.
2. Use an OCR program to convert them to text.
3. Edit to remove page headings and numbers.
4. Import the text to an Excel spreadsheet (excel is smart enough to parse the stuff for you).
5. Convert lats and longs into whatever format is required for Ozi explorer.
6. Export as a comma separated flat file into Ozi Exporer.
7. Upload waypoints to both Garmins. (you have a 500 waypoint limit, so do it by states).
Voila! Your own Australia Wide personal database. Total time, about two hours.
CAUTION: CHECK THE WAYPOINTS AND ROUTE ON OZI EXPLORER AND A PAPER CHART BEFORE USING THEM!!!!!
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Well the Dr's FTDK now has a nice new one, and I know coz the old one karked it on me leaving YBMC for YCAB.
And what was worse is the daylight was running out fast
...... and my F/O Chimbu Chuckles wisely elected YRED as there was a potential source of replacement there. So shedding power and dropping gear while we could without resorting to manual methods we parked it there.
Only to be met in the dark by the Dr in his bro's Mooney....... Gee what are you blokes doing here says Doc!
J
And what was worse is the daylight was running out fast
...... and my F/O Chimbu Chuckles wisely elected YRED as there was a potential source of replacement there. So shedding power and dropping gear while we could without resorting to manual methods we parked it there.Only to be met in the dark by the Dr in his bro's Mooney....... Gee what are you blokes doing here says Doc!
J
Ha ha ha ha! You guys are really funny!
I said I had those GPS's!
Did I say I have them all operating in the Bo at the same time? NOOOOO!
For the record the FTDK has:
1) a 430W in the radio stack
2) a 496 which has replaced a 296 on the column. It has a battery that runs for about 14 hrs and seems to use very little current staying charged
3) a Motion Computing LS800 tablet computer also on the column running Jepp Flight Deck. Likewise this has a battery that runs it for about 4 hours and seems to require very little current to keep charged. I used to use the 296/496 to provide GPS input to the LS800 but the 496 seems to interrupt the GPS data output more than is ideal. So I have just bought a Garmin 20X USB GPS sensor only to provide dedicated GPS input to the LS800. This works a treat! Great little device about the size of a 50c piece on the end of a long USB cable. Cost about US$150 - new release from Garmin.
The alternator in the Bo has no touble running the above kit and all of the many radios and lights fitted.
Dr
PS: Jaba you forgot to mention the fact that I was flying the Bro's Moonie by torch-light cause I couldn't see a f*cking thing with its instrument lights. Turned out that some techie had squashed an electical cable when fitting the panel back in the thing.
I said I had those GPS's!
Did I say I have them all operating in the Bo at the same time? NOOOOO!
For the record the FTDK has:
1) a 430W in the radio stack
2) a 496 which has replaced a 296 on the column. It has a battery that runs for about 14 hrs and seems to use very little current staying charged
3) a Motion Computing LS800 tablet computer also on the column running Jepp Flight Deck. Likewise this has a battery that runs it for about 4 hours and seems to require very little current to keep charged. I used to use the 296/496 to provide GPS input to the LS800 but the 496 seems to interrupt the GPS data output more than is ideal. So I have just bought a Garmin 20X USB GPS sensor only to provide dedicated GPS input to the LS800. This works a treat! Great little device about the size of a 50c piece on the end of a long USB cable. Cost about US$150 - new release from Garmin.
The alternator in the Bo has no touble running the above kit and all of the many radios and lights fitted.
Dr
PS: Jaba you forgot to mention the fact that I was flying the Bro's Moonie by torch-light cause I couldn't see a f*cking thing with its instrument lights. Turned out that some techie had squashed an electical cable when fitting the panel back in the thing.
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Sunfish et al,
A bit too convoluted.
Just go here:
ersa
and copy what you need, then paste into excel etc.
scanning and ocr waaaaayyyy too inaccurate.
Still do your sprocket checks though!
sc
A bit too convoluted.
Just go here:
ersa
and copy what you need, then paste into excel etc.
scanning and ocr waaaaayyyy too inaccurate.
Still do your sprocket checks though!
sc
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Garmin GPS Map 60
The Garmin GPS Map 60 is what I use as a backup its' a non aviation one but I program the waypoints into the GPS via my laptop. Easy as. It even has a CDI.
I picked mine up in Singapore a few years ago for under $300 but I think in Oz they are around the $400 mark.
I picked mine up in Singapore a few years ago for under $300 but I think in Oz they are around the $400 mark.
A generic PDA, running PocketFMS for around EU150 annual subscription, works for me.
It has Australian airspace, waypoints and Wx can be downloaded. (haven't tried that yet)
(I haven't tried it on any cheap, large-screen automotive-oriented-hardware yet, but that is an option)
I refuse to pay upto AUD 2000 for an 'aviation-style', non-TSOed chunk of GPS hardware. The *hardware*, repeat *hardware* is not, *that* expensive or substantially different from the automotive units.
The aviation-oriented software *is* different from the terrestrial version, and the aviation market is smaller, but for a long time I've believed that what the market leader charges for their aviation products is excessive.
It has Australian airspace, waypoints and Wx can be downloaded. (haven't tried that yet)
(I haven't tried it on any cheap, large-screen automotive-oriented-hardware yet, but that is an option)
I refuse to pay upto AUD 2000 for an 'aviation-style', non-TSOed chunk of GPS hardware. The *hardware*, repeat *hardware* is not, *that* expensive or substantially different from the automotive units.
The aviation-oriented software *is* different from the terrestrial version, and the aviation market is smaller, but for a long time I've believed that what the market leader charges for their aviation products is excessive.
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I'll bet my nonTSO'd G296 against your PDA, all day everyday for the next 10 years!
Ohhh and what operating system does your PDA use......Windoze?
Sure its great, but..........the MS factor, I won't rely on it! Most others won't either for good reason!
And another thing to ask your supplier..... Does your GPS have a FUEL TANK TIMER. This set up is the simplest way to avoid the most common of engine failure causes!
J
Ohhh and what operating system does your PDA use......Windoze?
Sure its great, but..........the MS factor, I won't rely on it! Most others won't either for good reason!
And another thing to ask your supplier..... Does your GPS have a FUEL TANK TIMER. This set up is the simplest way to avoid the most common of engine failure causes!
J