another Garmin 296 question

[Bluebeard777]

If I buy a secondhand GPS296 in the USA and bring it to Europe will the geographic data be missing?
I can upload an Atlantic (European) database but that's just the aviation data afaik. So will the underlying geographic info still be missing?
That would not be satisfactory.

Maybe someone has tried this .....

I have done the reverse, flying in the US with a Garmin Pilot III bought in Europe. While the American aviation database was easily loaded on it, the geographic details were largely missing.

[tangovictor]

apparently, you can only have either the US date or European
and its not viable to change
I got a great deal on a new 296, with people wanting the 496
which offers very little more to Europeans than the earlier version
for a whole lot less

[Southern Cross]

I am shortly going to be replacing my old Pilot III with a 296 - where did you get your best price on the 296 and how much was it? I've seen the current offered price on Harry's website but have not yet called to see whether they will discount from there. Thanks.

[tangovictor]

I have found AFE Oxford to offer an amazing service
I went in to buy a data transfer cable for my 296, as they didn't have it in stock, it was ordered, from another branch, and amazingly it arrived the very next day, with no postal charge, well done AFE, shame other companies don't care as much for there customers

[Tone]

Good luck with the discount Southern Cross, please let us know if you have any luck. It does seem that there is some price fixing going on with Garmin product and I don't like it much. Does it happen in the rest of the world or is it just rip-off Britain?

[sternone]

which offers very little more to Europeans than the earlier version

I was planning getting a 496, but since reading your post and thinking about it, for us euroguys what is the differences in getting a 496 to a 296 besides the price

[tangovictor]

sternone, I believe the differences are, in the US theres taxi safe
not available in Europe yet
the image regenerates a milli sec quicker
weather etc can be uploaded not available in Europe
I personally could justify paying the extra, especially when you can get so many free waypoint etc downloads for the 296, from >

http://www.pipercub.org.uk/

[sternone]

the image regenerates a milli sec quicker

I personally could justify paying the extra, especially when you can get so many free waypoint etc downloads for the 296, from >

Is the 296 slow ? Is there a nice (viewable) speed difference in generating maps between 496 and 296 ?

You mean you have the free waypoints you upload on the 296 included in the 496 by default ?

Is battery life better on the 496 ? Is the road navigator also included in the 296 ?

thanks

[tangovictor]

the 296 isn't slow, the 496 as i said is a milli sec faster
496 comes with road nav
296 its extra
battery life ? id imagine its the same, but 99.9% would hard wire it
so the battery would only come into its own, should the wiring fail

[sternone]

And the waypoints you add on your 296 ? Do you need to add them also on the 496 or are they included ?

Thanks

[tangovictor]

sterneone, sorry I don't own a 496 to know, if the waypoints etc are included
http://www.pipercub.org.uk/
is the link, with all the free downloads

[flybymike]

The 496 does come with VRPs and obstacles and also many, (but not necessarily all,) of Cub's downloadable waypoints. The screen redraw rate is apparently five times faster than any other GPS on the market and
allegedly almost makes the 'panel' page suitable for real time instrument flying ( no pitch info though, and therefore not necessarily something to be recommended except in extremis)

[tangovictor]

not sure about 5 times faster, i'd give garmin a call, and ask

[flybymike]

I have my doubts about the "5 times faster" claim myself, I took this information directly from the Garmin website on trust. I suspect that even if it were true at the time the claim was made, it is no longer true in view of the recent plethora of new units on the market,