GPS for PPL use.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Yorkshire
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Anyone got this system, looks to tick all the relevant boxes, any opinions?
States for VFR use. What makes this so suited to VFR whilst other units do not specify, could this also be a disadvantage?
GPS | AirBox | Airbox Foresight Visual Flight Information System
States for VFR use. What makes this so suited to VFR whilst other units do not specify, could this also be a disadvantage?
GPS | AirBox | Airbox Foresight Visual Flight Information System
Last edited by liam548; 6th Aug 2009 at 16:50.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: EuroGA.org
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I am looking to buy a GPS just as a backup. As I plan on doing quite a lot of flying across Europe.
If you want a GPS as a backup, don't bother. Using one as a backup is a bit like driving a Vauxhall Viva, towing a brand new BMW just in case the Viva breaks down.
If you want to use a GPS properly, you need to get onw with the biggest moving map you can afford. Situational awareness comes from the moving map.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK
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I've had a navigo. quite a few pocket PC's (mio's, ipaq's XDA's etc) running pocket FMS & memorymap, Lowrance's, Asus PC's, garmins (96C, 196, 295, 296)...... blah blah blah.
For functionality, reliability, ease of use in the air, and shear volume of information, if you can afford it I'd go for a 296 (and install cubs VRP database) or a 96C (40h on 2 AA's, superb screen in daylight, built in 128mb and waterproof)
For functionality, reliability, ease of use in the air, and shear volume of information, if you can afford it I'd go for a 296 (and install cubs VRP database) or a 96C (40h on 2 AA's, superb screen in daylight, built in 128mb and waterproof)
Join Date: Dec 2005
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If it's really just for backup purposes, one more option is to get a Windows Mobile communicator with GPS. Not very convenient to use but versatile and infinitely tinkerable. In a 180 g device, you can have not only a GPS navigator, but also a cellphone, a camera, an organiser, a web browser, etc.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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I've just had an AV80R delivered from Harry's and having a play so far on the ground (as the wx won't let me use it in anger), it seems to be the business for a no-nonsense GPS.
The touchscreen is great - you can drag the map around, tap on airspace, obstacles, airfields etc and get more info, MATZ & VRPs all seem to be there (for my local area anyway), and the topo map/profile view looks pretty handy. The update on the website adds extended runway centerlines, and a few other goodies.
Works great as a Car satnav too. Also plays movies/sound/ebooks (although what use that'll be I dunno, except for occupying the nipper on a long car drive).
Standard USB connection, and SD card for storage. Charges off the USB port too, which is nice.
Battery life with the standard battery is about 1.5 hours which is a bit low, but standard nokia battery so easy and cheap to get a bigger one.
Comes with suction mount, yoke mount, usb cable, headphones, AC adapter (UK & Euro pins).
Registered on the Bendix site a few hours back and got my maps update confirmation through - aside from that £35 for an update (or you can get a sub).
Went for the AV80R in preference to the Clarity - CAA charts aren't vector so they pixelate when zooming, no usb/standard port, no car nav (not a biggy but nice to have), no on-map topo.
So far so good. Hoping to head to the St Omer fly in around the 12, so will be comparing it with a 296 and 250XL which are coming too.
The touchscreen is great - you can drag the map around, tap on airspace, obstacles, airfields etc and get more info, MATZ & VRPs all seem to be there (for my local area anyway), and the topo map/profile view looks pretty handy. The update on the website adds extended runway centerlines, and a few other goodies.
Works great as a Car satnav too. Also plays movies/sound/ebooks (although what use that'll be I dunno, except for occupying the nipper on a long car drive).
Standard USB connection, and SD card for storage. Charges off the USB port too, which is nice.
Battery life with the standard battery is about 1.5 hours which is a bit low, but standard nokia battery so easy and cheap to get a bigger one.
Comes with suction mount, yoke mount, usb cable, headphones, AC adapter (UK & Euro pins).
Registered on the Bendix site a few hours back and got my maps update confirmation through - aside from that £35 for an update (or you can get a sub).
Went for the AV80R in preference to the Clarity - CAA charts aren't vector so they pixelate when zooming, no usb/standard port, no car nav (not a biggy but nice to have), no on-map topo.
So far so good. Hoping to head to the St Omer fly in around the 12, so will be comparing it with a 296 and 250XL which are coming too.
Upto The Buffers
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Leeds/Bradford
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Personally I'd go for the Bendix stuff over the cheaper Garmins any day of the week. The 196 is pretty awful, and I don't particularly rate the 296 either. The SkyMap 3 and AV8OR are both superior units for clarity of reference and features IMHO. The 496 and newer are pretty tidy, but very expensive.
I don't understand what is meant by the CAA charts pixelating. How far do you really need to zoom?! Now if only someone had figured out how to get the CAA VFR charts up and running on the iPhone....
I don't understand what is meant by the CAA charts pixelating. How far do you really need to zoom?! Now if only someone had figured out how to get the CAA VFR charts up and running on the iPhone....
Join Date: May 2005
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The charts used in the Clarity are of a fixed resolution. At that specific resolution, they're nice and sharp, but you don't get much on the screen. If you want to zoom out (or in for detail etc), they become blurry as they're rescaled/resized as opposed to vector maps which scale correctly with no loss of resolution.
Think of it as zooming in on a cell phone photo. Looks ok on the phone, but zoomed in on a PC monitor it goes horribly blocky.
Think of it as zooming in on a cell phone photo. Looks ok on the phone, but zoomed in on a PC monitor it goes horribly blocky.
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Once you have used a 296 you would never want a 196.
Join Date: Apr 2009
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you're right Slopey, except that the Airbox software uses four of these "fixed resolution" tiles set at different scales for each section of map.
The user can zoom in and out from these giving 9 levels of zoom in total with minimal break up of image.
The user can zoom in and out from these giving 9 levels of zoom in total with minimal break up of image.
Join Date: May 2006
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Have to disagree about the wonderfulness of the Skymap - there was one of these in an RV6 I part-owned for a couple of years.
3 things - incredibly slow screen updates (up to 5 secs to zoom in/out, which is a long time at 150 knots)
the planned route is a thick purple line, and controlled airspace is... a thick purple line
too many button presses to do almost anything, in particular re-establish flight plan after turning the unit off (eg to re-fuel)
What I DID like though was the GPS generated position reference - so with no effort I could tell ATC "5 miles south of ..."
I agree, if Bendix had updated it, it would be much better, and somewhat worth the inflated price.
3 things - incredibly slow screen updates (up to 5 secs to zoom in/out, which is a long time at 150 knots)
the planned route is a thick purple line, and controlled airspace is... a thick purple line
too many button presses to do almost anything, in particular re-establish flight plan after turning the unit off (eg to re-fuel)
What I DID like though was the GPS generated position reference - so with no effort I could tell ATC "5 miles south of ..."
I agree, if Bendix had updated it, it would be much better, and somewhat worth the inflated price.
Join Date: Jan 2005
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"What I DID like though was the GPS generated position reference - so with no effort I could tell ATC 5 miles south of ..."
You can do that with the 296.
Also, I fly a Jab with a clear roof and my friend flies a Shadow. We both have a 296 and can read the screen ok. The 196's LCD is probably clearer in sunlight, (if you can make out the different grey scalling for airspace with direct sunlight on it).
Having colour to define airspace makes up 10 fold for any clarity issues on the LCD compared to the 196.
The best GPS in strong direct sunlight (colour or B/W) is the Garmin 96C, Go check one out. Really is superb.
You can do that with the 296.
Also, I fly a Jab with a clear roof and my friend flies a Shadow. We both have a 296 and can read the screen ok. The 196's LCD is probably clearer in sunlight, (if you can make out the different grey scalling for airspace with direct sunlight on it).
Having colour to define airspace makes up 10 fold for any clarity issues on the LCD compared to the 196.
The best GPS in strong direct sunlight (colour or B/W) is the Garmin 96C, Go check one out. Really is superb.
I bought the GARMIN 495. I think it is worth the extra money over the 296, because the processor is so much faster than 296. Everything just works better on this unit.
Join Date: Feb 2008
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Good point about the iPhone Shunter, although the Airbox app at £9.99 is well worth a look. Basic, but has all the UK airfields, can navigate to the nearest airfield and gives you basic heading, altitude distance and time to destination info. A very worthwhile backup.
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I bought Airbox Clarity a couple of days ago. I'm a new PPL and have only tried it in air once. Really liked the CAA chart with visual airspace warnings and relative positions to towns/airfields etc.
I was told that GPS is good as a "backup" to your dead reckoning, probably because I just took the step from student to pilot, but after 5 minutes usage the map and plog went to to the back seat and the gps became my main device for navgation and plog/chart took the role of backup
The clarity is relatively cheap for what you get, but I can see that chart upgrades (other countries than uk) will add to the cost. The battery life is fairly short but can be boosted by an external battery booster (not necessarely an expensive airbox one).
Typing in letters for user defined waypoints etc. is a bit crappy. It's touch screen but it doesn't overlay a keybord. You have to step through the whole alphabet to get to the characters you want. hopefully this fiddly process will change in a later software version.
I was told that GPS is good as a "backup" to your dead reckoning, probably because I just took the step from student to pilot, but after 5 minutes usage the map and plog went to to the back seat and the gps became my main device for navgation and plog/chart took the role of backup
The clarity is relatively cheap for what you get, but I can see that chart upgrades (other countries than uk) will add to the cost. The battery life is fairly short but can be boosted by an external battery booster (not necessarely an expensive airbox one).
Typing in letters for user defined waypoints etc. is a bit crappy. It's touch screen but it doesn't overlay a keybord. You have to step through the whole alphabet to get to the characters you want. hopefully this fiddly process will change in a later software version.
Garmin 55AVD. Had it for years, scared to try anything else!