Handheld GPS--key features?

[RansS9]

As a slight change to the model v model; I would appreciate any strong views (it's Pprune so hopefully I've come to the right place) on the features you have found, through experience, to be the most important …....and those you could do without. For example;

Is a 7'' screen so much better than a 4.2'' or a 3.8'' ?
At what size does a handheld start to become too bulky?
Ability to fix safely in cockpit?
How important are the different screen resolutions and refresh rates?
What do you view as crucial connections?
What do you view as crucial battery life?
Types of GPS receivers?
If you can't connect to the internal electrics do you need supplementary batteries and what are the best sort?
Are all touch screens the same?
Advantages / disadvantages CAA map loaded compared vector map?


I ask just to aid in the decision making process. With the plethora of new designs in this sector peoples experience of what really matters would be helpful. For sure peoples requirements differ ;mine..shortish transits in a Pitts (UK only) is likely to be different to yours.


TIM

[IO540]

Assuming what I call "random VFR bimbling" (meant in nicest possible way):

Is a 7'' screen so much better than a 4.2'' or a 3.8'' ?
For the "printed" VFR charts, very much so.

At what size does a handheld start to become too bulky?
Depends on your cockpit; I think a 12" screen tablet format is too big. 7" is ideal.

Ability to fix safely in cockpit?
Depends on whether you do aeros I rest it on my knees when VFR.

How important are the different screen resolutions and refresh rates?
Not very; a hi res screen means the chart is readable in a smaller zoom but if you are 45+ you will need reading glasses to see it. (IFR approach plates are a different thing)

What do you view as crucial connections?
Route upload from a flight planning program e.g. Navbox or Flitestar VFR

What do you view as crucial battery life?
Longer than your longest possible flight there and back; otherwise you need to plug it in.

Types of GPS receivers?
Not really important.

If you can't connect to the internal electrics do you need supplementary batteries and what are the best sort?
Are all touch screens the same?
Advantages / disadvantages CAA map loaded compared vector map?
The CAA map is vastly better.

[debiassi]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2DN5hmfDoE

Its a 10 min clip but worth watching to see the different views in good resolution on a 4.5" screen even when it has the chart overlay for the approach. I swear by this piece of kit and use it even when i have the luxury of a fully loaded G1000.

[RansS9]

Thanks for the advice IO540.
Deblassi..What is the piece of kit in your video I don't recognise it?

Thanks TIM

[Slopey]

From a VFR bimbling AV80R owner:

Is a 7'' screen so much better than a 4.2'' or a 3.8'' ?
- not too big a deal, but in general, the more the merrier.

At what size does a handheld start to become too bulky?
- anything over an AV80R/Aera/Clarity I would class as bulky, both of those fit in a pocket. The 296/496 are much bigger profile wise.

Ability to fix safely in cockpit?
- All of them do - the AV80R has a natty little sucker attachment for car/plane - depends if you want it on the yoke or not.

How important are the different screen resolutions and refresh rates?
- Depends on the CAA map/vector issue I guess. There are comments elsewhere that the Aera refresh isn't great while dragging. No problems with the AV80R - perfectly adequate resolution/refresh on that.

What do you view as crucial connections?
- USB, or non-proprietary, is important to me, as is charging off the USB connection as I always have a laptop/netbook/Vaio P with me and if I don't need to take another type of charger so much the better. I also like an SD card for storage where possible - makes copying over GPS tracks etc so much easier. The AV80R also has an e-book reader, video and audio player which works off the SD card (not in-flight though!), but what use that is I don't know (my iPhone does all that so pretty redundant feature).

What do you view as crucial battery life?
- I'm a VFR bimbler, so anything over 1.5hrs would be ok for me but depends on your missions. I have a 12v socket on the 172 and use that routinely. I also carry a few spare batteries (tiny nokia phone ones) for use in a fix.

Types of GPS receivers?
- for my application, it's not really an issue, provided they work!

If you can't connect to the internal electrics do you need supplementary batteries and what are the best sort?
- For the AV80R, it's the Nokia phone ones (Nokia BL-5C) - they give about 90mins from standard capacity, and longer life ones are available). I believe the Aera has much better battery life, but don't know about the battery pack options (or if it's even replaceable in flight).

Are all touch screens the same?
- For the purposes of these devices - pretty much. Response seems to be tied to the spec of the unit rather than the screen itself, at least from what I can tell after playing with a few of them.

Advantages / disadvantages CAA map loaded compared vector map?
- Horses for courses - I find the CAA map cluttered on such a device, and zooming can cause issues. Also, some of the info on the map is presented in a way such that you'd read it - i.e. airspace detail labels could be off the screen. I prefer the vector maps as you can zoom in/out with no loss of detail, and also declutter them - you can choose which items you have on the maps at any given zoom level so it doesn't get too crowded. For the AV80R, tapping on the airspace boundary gives you all the relevant levels etc, but I imagine it's the same on all the devices.

Updates for the vector devices are also cheaper by and large than the CAA map options, and if you fly abroad a fair bit, the CAA coverage may be moot.

Your best bet is to get to a physical shop, and play with them and see which one you like best. It's quite subjective. The Aera does look very nice however. I bought my AV80R 3 months before the Aera came out, otherwise I would have likely gone Garmin, but I have no regrets.

Hope that helps!

[RansS9]

It certainly does !

Thanks for the time and effort,
TIM

[172driver]

Something I've been wondering about - how easy are touchscreens to operate in turbulence? I've never used one of those thingys in flight (I am a Garminosauros.....) but imagine you could easily hit the wrong 'button' in a shaky cockpit. Any of the users of Aera or other touchscreen units care to comment?

[mikehallam]

BTW this might attract as a basic 'RTF' item. I'm still waiting to read any feed-back on a couple of forums before committing.

The "Nats" Aware GPS with map screen device has CAA moving maps for £149 & Free updates for ever of restricted areas plus a projected course line to show where you will be shortly. Plus a warning noise and pic if you are going to bust restricted airspace. Apparently it 'knows' your height so as not to over alarm you ! It can't update 'today's' NOTAMs.

You still need the compulsory paper chart, but the uncluttered screen North to top is a good size.

I'm greatly tempted to buy the basic model and plan/plot as usual on paper.
Has anyone out there seen/tried this product yet ?

mikehallam

[IO540]

The basic issue with VFR GPS usage is that the only really clear representation is the "printed" chart, and this is not released by the CAA other than a non-rotatable single layer image, licensed to Memory Map and maybe some others.

All the more common GPS maps are vector-based and come from Jeppesen, and are IMHO pretty crap. They are OK if you are always referring to the real printed chart, but this gives you a lower level of situational awareness than running the real chart as a moving map.

I've been banging on about this issue for several years. Memory Map was the only game in town for a long time, but you needed a windoze tablet computer to run it in flight, which is OK but not good for techno-challenged pilots.

Only recently have a few GPSs appeared which do basically that but in a self contained "aviation" product. They look very good, but one needs a 7" or bigger screen, for reasons stated.

However AFAIK none of these units offer anything for outside the UK. Out there, the only VFR charts which are available in electronic form are the Jepp "VFR/GPS" ones and the licensing terms on those are really steep.

[neilgeddes]

Memory Map have the French IGN OACI 1:500,000 digital charts also. I'm a fan of their product but for pre-flight planning and post-flight debriefing only, not for in cockpit use. For that I have my trusty Garmin 96C

[IO540]

The IGN charts go only up to about 5000ft, so nearly useless for longer distance flying in France, in the Class E routes whose bases are ~ FL065 to FL105.

MM should do a deal with SIA and do the 1:1M charts; unfortunately these don't show the restricted/prohibited airspace vertical extents... can't win!

There are solutions, but the Jepp licensing terms kill them off.

[maybe one day!]

Garmin

Can i jump on this thread? im currently looking at purchasing either the Garmin Aerea 550 or the larger 7" 695. I fly a 172 and think the 695 maybe a little too large for portability? Any ideas where it could be placed? Are the update costs the same ? Ive heard the cost for the bigger 695 is more expensive. I dont want to spead alot money on the 550 then regret not spending a few hundred more for such a larger easier to read screen? Any help would be appreciated.

[dublinpilot]

Is a 7'' screen so much better than a 4.2'' or a 3.8'' ?
At what size does a handheld start to become too bulky?
Generally bigger is better, but as you suggest, there is a limit to how big you want to go. I use a 4.8" device that sticks to the windscreen for for me that is about perfect size. I think if you want to go for anything much bigger, then you need a different mounting solution. Beyond 7" and you definately need to put it on your lap, for me would not be the ideal solution, and it's in your line of sight, nor in a convenient place to look.

So I'd say no bigger than 5-6" for windscreen mount, no bigger than 7-8" for mountain on your portable panel somewhere (hard to find a bigger gap without covering something else important). After this you need to put it on your lap.


Ability to fix safely in cockpit?
As above. For the smaller ones, they usually come with a suction mount that attaches to the windscreen, and they work fine.



How important are the different screen resolutions and refresh rates?
Refresh rates refer to how often the screen is updated rather than the processing power of the machine. Basic GPS systems only update once per second. So if you're in a steep turn, the little airplane might not turn smoothly. Most modern GPS's run much faster than this, but really it's hardly all that important to it's basic function of navigation. Do you really care if your position/speed/heading is only updated once per second?

Resolutions are a different thing altogether. For example, if device A has a resolution of 320*240, and a screen size of 3", and device B has a resolution of 320*240 and a screen size of 7" then you see nothing extra on device B; everything is simply stretched to make it bigger. So whether you want a bigger resolution or not might depend on your eyesight.....if you by a device with a small screen size, and a high resolution, then you better have good eyesight as everything will be small If you buy a bigger device to make things bigger to see, but the resolution is also bigger then you end up zooming in to make stuff bigger so lose a lot of the benefit. It will still look crisper and sharper with a higher resolution screen, but personally I don't find it that much of an advantage.

Having said that, if you decide to use a gps system with a paper designed map onscreen, then the higher resolution will probably mean that the map is readable on more zoom levels.


What do you view as crucial connections?
Power and some for of data. Power is really necessary if you don't want to spend a fortune on batteries and run the risk of eventually running out of battery during a flight.

Data is necessary, because it's much quicker to plan your route on a PC with a large keyboard and mouse, than it is to program it on to a handled device. Pretty much every gps will allow a data connection to a pc, and come with some form of flight planning software. Garmin and Memory Map are at the most basic levels here, where others such as PocketFMS and SkyDemon see the PC and mobile device as been essential partners and are very closely connected and have powerful flight planning systems.

However for Garmin, this is generally got around by purchasing NavBox which will allow you to do detailed flight planning on your pc and upload to your GPS.



What do you view as crucial battery life?
I suppose that depends on if you have aircraft power available. My device (a car nav device) only last for approximately an hour on the battery. For me this is fine, as it's always powered from the aircraft. The battery is simply a backup. If I loose electrial power in the aircraft, I still have GPS available for 1 hour which should be plenty to sort myself out and find somewhere to land


Types of GPS receivers?
Not sure really what you mean by this question. Dedicated GPS systems will come with a built in receiver, so you don't have much choice.
GPS software that you load onto a mobile device (eg PocketFMS, SkyDemon, Memory Map) leave you more choice for a receiver:
A Car nav device which also has a receiver built in, or
A PDA where you can choose:
a wired GPS receiver-Plugs into your PDA but is connected to an antenna with a wire with allows you to place it where you like
A bluetooth GPS receiver, which connects wirelessly to your PDA so you can choose it whereever you like.

As you haven't mentioned PDA anywhere, I assume that you haven't got one. In that case, I wouldn't go down that route. Get either an aviation GPS (which will have a gps built in) or a Car SatNav (which will have a receiver built in) and load aviation software onto it. These are neater solutions, and the screens then to be brighter and more sunlight readable.


If you can't connect to the internal electrics do you need supplementary batteries and what are the best sort?
I suppose it all depends on how long the unit runs on batteries! Some run on AA batteries, some run on internal rechargable batteries, and some can be charged from a USB port. For example my car nav device can be charged from a USB port, so I simply bring a USB battery which can be plugged into the device to keep it charged, if no aircraft power is available.


Are all touch screens the same?
Yes and no. In terms of touching then yes...pretty much. There are two types one which just requires a light touch (like the iphone) and one that needs a somewhat firmer touch. Virtually all GPS systems use the second sort, so in this sense, they are all pretty much the same.

What IS different and varies a lot, is the brightness of the screens. Some are excellent and easy to read in the sunlight, and others are too dim, and full of reflections. They only way to be sure is to turn it on and bring it outside and have a look! You can't tell very easily when indoors, as they nearly all look good indoors!


Advantages / disadvantages CAA map loaded compared vector map?
CAA map:
Advantages
1. The map is familiary, so there is no new learning
2. It is easy to relate to your paper chart.
3. It has a lot of detail for dead reckoning type navigation, but you're not likely to use the device in this way (unless you have a pretty large screen, and even then probably not lightly....you bought a GPS after all, and will probably have a paper chart with you which will be easier to work with than any screen )

Disadvantages
1. If you fly track up, then all text labels are the wrong way around (even upside down) if you're flying any direction other than north.
2. Only clear on a small number of zoom levels. Generally when you're zoomed in a long way. Try zooming out, and they are impossible to read. When you're zoomed in, you may not be able to see that much around you (depending on your device resolution and speed).
3. You can not declutter them. On many (all?) vector based systems you can declutter items so that they don't over lap. Some systems the system takes away detail of it's own choosing, and on some it's left to the user to decide what they want shown on what zoom level. Eg. You might device you want VRP's shown when zoomed in, but they aren't relevenat when you zoom out.
This is a MAJOR disadvantage in my opinion.
4. VRP's not shown on the paper maps.
5. If you fly to another country then you need more maps. Some companies have different maps available for other countries (at a price) which by necessity are a different format because the CAA only does maps for the UK, and some companies don't have maps outside the UK at all.....so when you really want to use your GPS the most...on a long unfamiliar trip, you can't!
6. CAA Chart maps are only updated once per year. If airspace changes, your GPS does not get updated charts until the CAA issue a new chart. With a Vector chart system, the charts are updated as soon as airspace changes.
7. Pretty much all (if not all) vector based systems will warn you if you are about to enter controlled airspace or restricted/danger/prohibited airspace etc.
Ones based on the CAA charts are different. Some don't know anything of the airspace, and simply show you a picture of the map and leave it up to you to avoid airspace busts, and others do have some knowledge of the airspace and can give warnings.
8. Airspace labels showing vertical limits may not be shown on the screen of the device with a CAA chart, and you have to drag it around to find the label. Vector charts don't show the airspace vertical boundaries, but generally have a way of displaying it such as clicking the boundary.



I hope you find this of some help...forgive the typos.....I'm going to sleep now, so not going to proof read it

dp

[IO540]

CAA map:
Advantages
1. The map is familiary, so there is no new learning
2. It is easy to relate to your paper chart.

It is the paper chart For as long as the GPS is running, and your pre-planned route is showing on it, the real paper chart doesn't need to be looked at very much.

BTW no UK law requires the carriage of paper charts. The ANO basically says you need to carry sufficient information for the flight etc.

I've been doing this (for UK VFR) long before these more dedicated units came out
here

[dublinpilot]

I never said any different!

But most pilots will choose to carry a paper chart. It's easier to read, easier to rotate, easier to look at a different place, easier to find stuff on, than a computer screen which is being bathed in sunlight.

I don't know of many pilots who fly VFR, but choose not to carry, and use, a paper chart in addition to their GPS. Even you choose to print off paper chart sections to carry with you, if I remember correctly

[Oldpilot55]

I've got a 9" Archos running Memory Map. A slightly pleasant side effect is that it keeps my nuts warm.

[flybymike]

Warm nuts are bad for reproductive purposes....

[IO540]

Even you choose to print off paper chart sections to carry with you, if I remember correctly

Indeed

I do carry the CAA chart anyway, but when abroad there are situations when one may choose to do a short local flight under VFR but not have the printed chart for it.

[Flyingmac]

I have a Lowrance which, when deprived of an external power source has run for almost 5hrs on two AAAs. Much better than the opposition.

[Slopey]

Originally Posted by 172Driver

Something I've been wondering about - how easy are touchscreens to operate in turbulence? I've never used one of those thingys in flight (I am a Garminosauros.....) but imagine you could easily hit the wrong 'button' in a shaky cockpit. Any of the users of Aera or other touchscreen units care to comment?

Not as bad as you'd think - provided they're mounted properly. With the AV80R stuck on the side of the cockpit with the sucker attachment, you can hit the buttons quite accurately in turbulence. If it's quite bouncy you just need to use the unit itself to hold on to and kind of grab it and use your index finger on the face - not as complicated as it sounds and doubt you'd have a problem with it.

As regards the size question,

Dunno quite where you'd put a 7" device in a 172 cockpit without it getting in the way a little (especially if you're two up). The Aera/Av/Clarity size seems perfect for just sticking to the side. The form factor of the 695 demands you have to use it vertically, but it'd get in the way stuck on the side, and might be to long/wide to mount nicely on the yoke. Same would be true of the AV80R ACE. And that would be a double pest if you wanted to plug it in and had trailing wires on an unsecured unit.