Handheld GPS products
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Handheld GPS products
Can anyone recommend a good handheld GPS unit? I am purchasing one in the near future (having never owned one before) and would like some balanced advice on the pros and cons of various types!
Cheers!
Cheers!
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try
www.bennettavionix.com
or
www.avionix.com
these are U.S based companies but they give a good run down on the systems etc.
Oh yeah, handhelds are ok to buy from the U.S but if you are looking at the IFR GPS etc you will need to find the Aussie datacard etc over here ( just aquick note for others ).
Go Aussie dollar Go
www.bennettavionix.com
or
www.avionix.com
these are U.S based companies but they give a good run down on the systems etc.
Oh yeah, handhelds are ok to buy from the U.S but if you are looking at the IFR GPS etc you will need to find the Aussie datacard etc over here ( just aquick note for others ).
Go Aussie dollar Go
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Garmin GPS
Azimuth,
I have a handheld GARMIN 295 GPS and i can only rave about how good it is. Aviation handhelds GPS's are extremely expensive and i guess you pay for what you get. I was lucky to purchase mine off ebay for half the RRP and im not sure if it was in my budget to buy the unit full price. Anyway a few tips for you.
Aviation GPS are quiet different from normal GPS.
A few tips
* Dont be tricked into buying a normal handheld GPS and try and use it flying cause they will not be able to handle the speeds in excess of 100 KTS.
* You will need to buy a GPS that is compatible with Jeppesen aviation databases.
* Be careful buying the GPS from the US make sure that it has the Jepperson for Pacific loaded on it. Otherwise if you need to purchase the Aviation database separatly it will cost heaps.
* GPS databases are a absolute rip-off $35 USD per update and 13 updates a year. (i only do mine once a year, this is cause i use the GPS as a suppliment to normal VFR flying)
* Get a big screen otherwise it is impossible to see where you are going on the Map.
I strongly recommend the GARMIN GPS's i think they are the best :P
Good Points:
* It is Colour, also it inverts the background at night to make it earier to see.
* comes with a yoke clip that is really handy.
* Auto 20 sec power off when the A/C engine is stoped.
* You can download flight plans via serial from most computer flight plan programs. ( keying in flight plans manually takes hours otherwise )
* Audio alarms when you enter CTA and Danger Areas
Bad Points:
* Cost ... this baby RRPs at $3000
* the screen size is ok , When u put (Heading, Track, IAS, TAS, DES, ETA) all on the screen it gets harder to see the map, the Garmin 195 has a better size screen
* this thing EATS batteries by the truckload, cause it uses 6 X AA's in about 2 hours. It would have been nice to have a Lithium Battery instead.
try
www.garmin.com
for more info
cheers
mat
I have a handheld GARMIN 295 GPS and i can only rave about how good it is. Aviation handhelds GPS's are extremely expensive and i guess you pay for what you get. I was lucky to purchase mine off ebay for half the RRP and im not sure if it was in my budget to buy the unit full price. Anyway a few tips for you.
Aviation GPS are quiet different from normal GPS.
A few tips
* Dont be tricked into buying a normal handheld GPS and try and use it flying cause they will not be able to handle the speeds in excess of 100 KTS.
* You will need to buy a GPS that is compatible with Jeppesen aviation databases.
* Be careful buying the GPS from the US make sure that it has the Jepperson for Pacific loaded on it. Otherwise if you need to purchase the Aviation database separatly it will cost heaps.
* GPS databases are a absolute rip-off $35 USD per update and 13 updates a year. (i only do mine once a year, this is cause i use the GPS as a suppliment to normal VFR flying)
* Get a big screen otherwise it is impossible to see where you are going on the Map.
I strongly recommend the GARMIN GPS's i think they are the best :P
Good Points:
* It is Colour, also it inverts the background at night to make it earier to see.
* comes with a yoke clip that is really handy.
* Auto 20 sec power off when the A/C engine is stoped.
* You can download flight plans via serial from most computer flight plan programs. ( keying in flight plans manually takes hours otherwise )
* Audio alarms when you enter CTA and Danger Areas
Bad Points:
* Cost ... this baby RRPs at $3000
* the screen size is ok , When u put (Heading, Track, IAS, TAS, DES, ETA) all on the screen it gets harder to see the map, the Garmin 195 has a better size screen
* this thing EATS batteries by the truckload, cause it uses 6 X AA's in about 2 hours. It would have been nice to have a Lithium Battery instead.
try
www.garmin.com
for more info
cheers
mat
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Azimuth
Without a doubt the best GPS you can get your hands on, is an iPaq Pocket PC. Full colour EFIS moving map GPS!
It happens I have an iPaq 3850 with accessories for sale. You need to purchase the plug-in data base yourself. Selling for $350. Check out www.controlvision.com for further details on what this baby can do.
Send private message for further details.
cheers,Kaos
Without a doubt the best GPS you can get your hands on, is an iPaq Pocket PC. Full colour EFIS moving map GPS!
It happens I have an iPaq 3850 with accessories for sale. You need to purchase the plug-in data base yourself. Selling for $350. Check out www.controlvision.com for further details on what this baby can do.
Send private message for further details.
cheers,Kaos
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Hi mate, - me thinks the Garmin GPS 3 Pilot is a great device. Probably under a grand now, moving map display and all those great things.
Check it out at http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsIIIPilot/
Check it out at http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsIIIPilot/
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MathewB,
" Dont be tricked into buying a normal handheld GPS and try and use it flying cause they will not be able to handle the speeds in excess of 100 KTS. "
Not true at all. I work with a little Garmin GPS12 handheld and it registers my speed perfectly. I have tallied it with the Garmin in the plane and both are identical.
" Dont be tricked into buying a normal handheld GPS and try and use it flying cause they will not be able to handle the speeds in excess of 100 KTS. "
Not true at all. I work with a little Garmin GPS12 handheld and it registers my speed perfectly. I have tallied it with the Garmin in the plane and both are identical.
Garmin 12
Back in 99 I bought a 12 channel Garmin 12 to use in the bush when I was trying to locate on the ground some remote and unentered caves in the NT.
Having preiviously tried an 8 channel (Garmin 39?) in a PA44, I came to the conclusion that they did not work (in aircraft)
Anyway the Garmin 12 worked in the C210 like a charm, never missing a beat, its lived in the bottom of the nav bag ever since, and just the other night I pulled it out to see how it coped with speed and it registered 389 kts groundspeed correctly (well the same as the a/c GPS)
It did have trouble initialising when I had it in the remote Arctic, and wasted a set of batteries doing so (it was minus 15) but once it was up and running she was fine.
CS
EDIT: BTW the garmin 12 has no external antenna either - much simpler than ******ising around with leads everywhere. Also bought a set of AA rechargables (Grandcell I think) from Woollies and they lasted a good 6 months of flying.
Having preiviously tried an 8 channel (Garmin 39?) in a PA44, I came to the conclusion that they did not work (in aircraft)
Anyway the Garmin 12 worked in the C210 like a charm, never missing a beat, its lived in the bottom of the nav bag ever since, and just the other night I pulled it out to see how it coped with speed and it registered 389 kts groundspeed correctly (well the same as the a/c GPS)
It did have trouble initialising when I had it in the remote Arctic, and wasted a set of batteries doing so (it was minus 15) but once it was up and running she was fine.
CS
EDIT: BTW the garmin 12 has no external antenna either - much simpler than ******ising around with leads everywhere. Also bought a set of AA rechargables (Grandcell I think) from Woollies and they lasted a good 6 months of flying.
Last edited by compressor stall; 10th Jun 2003 at 09:42.
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Pretzal,
Check out www.controlvision.com for pricing. I bought mine for $350 Aus dollars two years ago from the US.
Kaos
Check out www.controlvision.com for pricing. I bought mine for $350 Aus dollars two years ago from the US.
Kaos
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Grandcells and Garmin
I, regretfully, got 2 sets of grandcells for my 295, 'cos like the man said, they eat AA's. Within 4 chargings ALL had started to leak contaminating the battery compartment of the GPS and requiring considerable time and effort to clean and neutralise the corrosive action.
I still use rechargables, but now they are the new Energiser NiMH, exxie I know BUT still going well despite the abuse and they seem to have a better discharge characteristic than straight alkaline cells.
All that aside, everyone who has used the 295 loves it, even if you have to update the database sometimes, once a year's enough unless your really serious.
I still use rechargables, but now they are the new Energiser NiMH, exxie I know BUT still going well despite the abuse and they seem to have a better discharge characteristic than straight alkaline cells.
All that aside, everyone who has used the 295 loves it, even if you have to update the database sometimes, once a year's enough unless your really serious.
Bugsmasherdriverandjediknite
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I purchased a Magellan gps 310 from WAM (across the road from the scareoclub) several years ago, and have used it all over the world in everything from a C152 to a kingair. It has operated flawlessly in every respect. It is simple to use, cheap to own (AUD$320), cheap to operate (two AA batts get you on average about 30hrs use) and has the aviation set up in the menue.
Its a very basic unit but it will do all that you want it to. and its very accurate........ compared to the $10,000 unit in my C310 and the $3500 unit in the other plane.
pretty hard to go past this little ripper for a cheap and reliable unit.
Its a very basic unit but it will do all that you want it to. and its very accurate........ compared to the $10,000 unit in my C310 and the $3500 unit in the other plane.
pretty hard to go past this little ripper for a cheap and reliable unit.
I'll get me coat......
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Bought a Garmin Pilot III last week and used it over the weekend. So far an excellent little GPS, whilst playing around on the moving map display I zoomed in and found that the map had every little bend and kink in a river that I was flying over at the time. But I also found a main railway line that was out by about two miles and a disused railway, and I mean disused for about 30 years, was spot on! Batteries seem to last for ages too. Have seen the Pilot III's mounted in many aircraft in my travels. Bought mine for $875.00 ($Aus) which is pretty good too.
Hollywood
Hollywood
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Yep now thats not bad on the GarminPilot 3. I've had one now for a couple of years, and the batteries last something like 13hours. Plug it into a cigarette lighter socket if ur aircraft has one, and the batteries are there as standby in case of elec fail.
Not bad huh?
Not bad huh?
I'matightbastard
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I've seen the Pilot 3 and it might well be my unit of choice for it's size and smaller cost, but... I already have a 295 and can't say enough about it. I had a thread going in Questions I Think called "Calling all garmin 295 users"
I rarely use the map and pretty much fly by the BRNG/TRK/XTD fields. I use NiMh batteries and that has solved all the problems with battery usage, though I must admit, most of my flying has been at night so the screen has been turned ALL the way down.
I'd like to see one of those new 196 models though.
I rarely use the map and pretty much fly by the BRNG/TRK/XTD fields. I use NiMh batteries and that has solved all the problems with battery usage, though I must admit, most of my flying has been at night so the screen has been turned ALL the way down.
I'd like to see one of those new 196 models though.
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I have been using a Garmin Pilot 3 for 3 years in a variety of a/c. I also use Bendix/King and Trimble panel mounted GPS in others. I have a mate with a 295 which has a great pictue, but not so easy to mount.
The flexibility of the Pilot 3 with its size and battery life make it the optimum choice for me. The screen quickly converts to landscape or portrait presentation. It can be mounted with velcro or in the provided bracket. It sits happily on velcro on my kneepad in the Tiger, on velcro on the panel top in the Cardinal and in a bracket on the C180. Only drawback is the distance to look down to the kneepad, but using the RMI display it's easy to keep track in this case.
Most who've seen it and used it [on careful loan] have ended up buying their own.
One caveat!! If using batteries, it can't handle vibration!!
We've had to move it to the kneepad from a velcro mount in one a/c subject to the close vibration of a Gipsy. When used to replace the gunsight in a Mustang, the vibration of the Merlin has the same effect of reducing the battery life to one hour [likewise the Gipsy], but is OK in another Mustang when a/c powered.
With that one proviso; go for it! You'll love it!
G'day
The flexibility of the Pilot 3 with its size and battery life make it the optimum choice for me. The screen quickly converts to landscape or portrait presentation. It can be mounted with velcro or in the provided bracket. It sits happily on velcro on my kneepad in the Tiger, on velcro on the panel top in the Cardinal and in a bracket on the C180. Only drawback is the distance to look down to the kneepad, but using the RMI display it's easy to keep track in this case.
Most who've seen it and used it [on careful loan] have ended up buying their own.
One caveat!! If using batteries, it can't handle vibration!!
We've had to move it to the kneepad from a velcro mount in one a/c subject to the close vibration of a Gipsy. When used to replace the gunsight in a Mustang, the vibration of the Merlin has the same effect of reducing the battery life to one hour [likewise the Gipsy], but is OK in another Mustang when a/c powered.
With that one proviso; go for it! You'll love it!
G'day
