Would like comments on Garmin Area 500
 

Hi
I am in the market for a new handheld GPS, and was looking for folks that have used or own a Garmin Area 500.


Time to retire my old Garmin 10, would like the benefit of terrain moving map.


would like to hear pros and cons of Area 500


Thanks :)

I've used an Aera 500 for years, and quite like it. It is less capable than it's bigger, and much more expensive brothers, but very worthwhile none the less. The roads feature is good too, though not as good as a dedicated drive GPS.

When you get to be really good with it, the other Garmin products will come naturally. I figured out the GTN750 no problem, based upon Aera 500 knowledge.

I have read some reviews the touch screen is not user friendly, is that true??


Thanks for reply

I've also been using an Aera 500 for a few years.

It's a really great device but a bit of time reading up on how to use it pays dividends as whilst the touch screen is fairly good and easy to use, it's not 100% intuitive. The defalt settings also are not necessarily the best ones - as I learned once when I accidentally clipped a bit of class A airspace, which it turned out wasn't automatically on the list of things it warned me about. I got told off !

It's not supposed to be an IFR device, but it also does aid situational awareness IFR, as well as it's main use VFR. The terrain map is good and intuitive, and I find using it point to point within a PLOGed route makes for really nice navigation - either as primary or secondary, with the PLOG or some other radio nav system as backup / primary.

I'm sure that if it broke I'd have a good look around at alternative devices, but right now I'm in no hurry at-all to replace it.

G

Touchscreen
 

With the coming of 8.33 frequencys I would love a touchscreen on the Boeing.... Just like the GTN650/750 for radio selection it is a great improvement on twisting two knobs.

I think the GTN650 moving map is a bit on the small size but as a control head for the G500/600 display is just fine.

On the whole I personaly find Garmin equipment a little less intuitive than the King GPS equipment however as King have lost the plot when it comes to small aircraft there is only one game in town.

I would say that any bit of Garmin aviation equipment is a good place to start as you can move the logic on to there more complicated equipment with a minimum of fuss.

By means of moving map device, the 500 is rather "old" electronics. Sturdy, yes, and fit for purpose, but not top notch sexy. An iPad will almost do the same and be much more flexible ...

I have had one for a few years but only use it as a secondary display. I have it mounted directly in front of me, below eye level. It is good to use the magenta line for quick reference along with the compass rose. A drawback is that the Aera 500 does not display aviation charts but uses Garmin mapping. It does provide airspace alerts but these can be inaccurate. Updates are frequent, expensive and don't follow the AIRAC cycle. You may be paying for updates which don't apply to your area. I no longer keep it up to date.

My main electronic display is my iPad running Oz Runways? It is approved by CASA to display Australian charts for VFR operations. A year's subscription costs about the same as a single Garmin update. No doubt you would have similar products available.

The Aera 500 has a number of bells and whistles, which for my 100 kt bug smasher are rarely, if ever used. Navigation through the pages is fairly logical. Just spend an hour or two with it on the verandah where you have satellite coverage. The terrain alerting is useful but in hilly country can be annoying as it will alert with just about every heading change.

One good feature on the Aera 500 is the MP3 player. Load it up with your favourite tunes and it is great on long trips if you can run it through your intercom so it cuts out when the radio is transmitting/receiving.

I've had an Aera 500 for some time now.
Very capable and, up to now, reliable.
The updates are too expensive, and like others on here I don't bother with them, unless something big changes where I regularly fly.
I fly purely VFR so it's just used as a back up, but I find it reassuring to know it's there.
I use the Manchester LLR fairly often and the terrain alert is a pain. You tend to dismiss it out of course, which sort of defeats the whole point of having it.

To sum up - well worth having, expensive updates, Garmin quality.Highly reccommended.

As pointed out on here also just spend a couple of hours learning what everything does on it before taking it flying.

I have used one for a long time but now it sits as a complement to the GTN 650 on the panel. The 650 is not great for some VFR data which the AERA provides such as gliding sites, towns etc.

It also has taws which is a stupidly expensive option on the GTN so I get terrain warnings from the Aera which is wired into the intercom.

I also have Skydemon on iPad on my kneeboard which is excellent and increasingly is taking over from the AERA.

Thanks for the input. I know what you mean by expensive updates. Most of the information stays the same or does not change to often. Yah we only fly VFR out of Juneau, AK. Area is very mountainous looking for moving map just incase weather changes quickly.


Take Care

I can certainly vouch for the value and quality of the moving terrain map.

G

If it broke I'd have to buy another one. Good kit.

Update it once a year on it's purchase birthday (May)

I've had an Aera 500 for some years. It is good and I find Garmin stuff reassuringly reliable as a back up to my iPad.
Re the touch screen, it is ok but different to an tablet like an iPad. Tablet is sensitive to light touch, Aera is not. Aera needs a firm touch rather than a brush by touch. Once you realise this the Aera is good, and somewhat more user friendly in this regard in turbulence.
Tablets are superceding Aera, etc as Tablet display of charts is superb. Maybe an Aera and a Garmin Pilot app on a tablet would be best of both world, but I have not used the Garmin Pilot App myself.
So Aera is good (almost as good as the Garmin GPSMAP 495/496, which I still prefer.
Hope this helps.
John

I've had my Aera (not Area) 500 for several years and like it. I've used it to navigate around most of Europe. The automotive bit has also proved extremely useful in hire cars when on holiday.

I bought it just before SkyDemon was launched on the market. If I were choosing now, I think I would go for SkyDemon and an iPad mini (or even a super-cheap Nexus 7). The updates for the Aera are expensive if you choose to keep it fully updated. I gave up on that very quickly, and now update once or twice a year. The annual SkyDemon sub includes all the updates.

Annoying bit: the Aera keeps nagging me to update the "basemap" (at some exorbitant price). I've not heard of any mountains moving, so really don't see why it thinks I need to do that.

Don't know anything about SkyDemon. and don't have an I Pad. The wife has an I Pad. I will have to look into that. Do you simply keep the I Pad in your lap or do you have a yoke mount?


Yah my old Garmin 10 has never been updated in the 15 years I owned it and at least were I fly nothing has changed runway and communication frequencies have not changed. I double check with sectional and flight supplement. Don't know why the updates are so expensive, seems to me Garmin would want to keep there customer base and offer the updates at a reduced rate of free.


Thanks for the input http://www.pprune.org/images/infopop/icons/icon7.gif