GPS readability
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Join Date: Jan 1998
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GPS readability
I have flown aircraft owned by three separate operators in Africa and have been a right seat passenger in aircraft owned by three other operators. All these aircraft have a panel mounted Garmin GPS 100. This non-moving map GPS was one of the first units on the market. Its advent must have been very welcome in an area of widely separated VORs and NDBs, which sometimes do not operate anyway! The early to market popularity of the Garmin GPS 100 would explain why there are so many of these units still in use. This GPS still does an excellent job except for one problem. The display is often unreadable, particularly if one is wearing sunglasses.
Many of my flights are eastbound in the early morning and westbound in the late afternoon, straight into the sun. Good sunglasses are needed and it is almost impossible to read the GPS. It is made worse by the units all being mounted in the centre stack so that the white shirt of the right seat occupant reflects off the glass front of the GPS display. Perhaps Garmin only tested the GPS 100 in the perpetual gloom of the Pacific Northwest!
There is no problem with reading all the other instruments with their clearly visible white numbers and needles. I am surprised that the GPS 100 was released with this weak display but it presumably sold well because of the obvious benefits of a GPS as against no GPS.
My only experience of a recent GPS unit was with a friend who uses a GPS 111 Pilot on top of the glareshield in addition to his panel mounted GPS 100. The Pilot did not seem to be any more readable. Do all modern portable GPS units still have this poor readability problem? If there are any which can be read as easily as the analogue gauges please let me know. I would like to obtain a portable GPS for aviation back-up and for land and marine use. I do not see the readability being a problem on land or in a boat but as it will have plenty of use in the air I do want to get one that can be easily read in a plane while wearing sunglasses.
Because of my experience with GPS poor readability I would be interested in knowing if so-called glass cockpit displays have the same readability problem, particularly if one is wearing sunglasses.
Many of my flights are eastbound in the early morning and westbound in the late afternoon, straight into the sun. Good sunglasses are needed and it is almost impossible to read the GPS. It is made worse by the units all being mounted in the centre stack so that the white shirt of the right seat occupant reflects off the glass front of the GPS display. Perhaps Garmin only tested the GPS 100 in the perpetual gloom of the Pacific Northwest!
There is no problem with reading all the other instruments with their clearly visible white numbers and needles. I am surprised that the GPS 100 was released with this weak display but it presumably sold well because of the obvious benefits of a GPS as against no GPS.
My only experience of a recent GPS unit was with a friend who uses a GPS 111 Pilot on top of the glareshield in addition to his panel mounted GPS 100. The Pilot did not seem to be any more readable. Do all modern portable GPS units still have this poor readability problem? If there are any which can be read as easily as the analogue gauges please let me know. I would like to obtain a portable GPS for aviation back-up and for land and marine use. I do not see the readability being a problem on land or in a boat but as it will have plenty of use in the air I do want to get one that can be easily read in a plane while wearing sunglasses.
Because of my experience with GPS poor readability I would be interested in knowing if so-called glass cockpit displays have the same readability problem, particularly if one is wearing sunglasses.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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In my limited experience with GPS units, I've found that portable ones tend to have lower contrast displays simply because they have a weaker power supply.
Built in ones tend to be brighter and easier to read, but I would presume use more power than two or four or six AA dry cells can provide.
But, to help you find a good one, I prefer colour displays - seem to be easier to read / interpret in difficult conditions.
regards,
O8
PS Your sunglasses will have a bearing on this problem - the more expensive, the better generally! Cheap ones tend to block out lots of light, but better ones block glare and UV without blocking too much "reading light". O8
Built in ones tend to be brighter and easier to read, but I would presume use more power than two or four or six AA dry cells can provide.
But, to help you find a good one, I prefer colour displays - seem to be easier to read / interpret in difficult conditions.
regards,
O8
PS Your sunglasses will have a bearing on this problem - the more expensive, the better generally! Cheap ones tend to block out lots of light, but better ones block glare and UV without blocking too much "reading light". O8
G'day,
I've flown quite a few aircraft fitted with Garmin 100s and haven't really had a problem yet with glare. A lot of this time was in outback Australia, so not exactly gloomy conditions there - much like Africa I'd imagine!
Sometimes when flying with the sun behind you it got a little difficult - just a quick hand over the display to block out the sun usually worked fine! After all, its not like you're fixated on the GPS all the time anyway (at least I hope not
)
Perhaps try changing the brightness, by pushing the ON switch a few times once the unit is on. Not sure how this goes during the day but probably won't make a huge difference.
Cheers,
TL
I've flown quite a few aircraft fitted with Garmin 100s and haven't really had a problem yet with glare. A lot of this time was in outback Australia, so not exactly gloomy conditions there - much like Africa I'd imagine!
Sometimes when flying with the sun behind you it got a little difficult - just a quick hand over the display to block out the sun usually worked fine! After all, its not like you're fixated on the GPS all the time anyway (at least I hope not
)Perhaps try changing the brightness, by pushing the ON switch a few times once the unit is on. Not sure how this goes during the day but probably won't make a huge difference.
Cheers,
TL
Join Date: Mar 2000
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Throw the portable unit away and get a proper panel-mount kit.
The Bendix-King KLN94 is one of the best there is, full color moving map plus all the bells and whistles.
The B-King KLN89B aint bad either. Gas discharge red display is very readable in sunlight.
Have both of these units in my personal aircraft, and with over a hundred GPS approaches, no problem with RAIM...and they have been right on the mark, everytime.
For transport aircraft, the Trimble 9000 is hard to beat, superb equipment.
GPS for approaches is certainly the wave of the future...European sour grapes aside.
The Bendix-King KLN94 is one of the best there is, full color moving map plus all the bells and whistles.
The B-King KLN89B aint bad either. Gas discharge red display is very readable in sunlight.
Have both of these units in my personal aircraft, and with over a hundred GPS approaches, no problem with RAIM...and they have been right on the mark, everytime.
For transport aircraft, the Trimble 9000 is hard to beat, superb equipment.
GPS for approaches is certainly the wave of the future...European sour grapes aside.
