My first trial of a GPS was the Wilmington Convention with a used Garmin 195 that Tropic Aero offered at half-price with a 30 day money-back guarantee. I didn't like it's layout...mainly the fact that, being right-handed, the use of the keyboard (which was above the display) blocked the view of the screen while one was attempting to view it, change scale, etc, etc.
I got back from Wilmington and returned it to them, trading it in on a new Garmin 196 (which corrected Garmin's previous errors, in my opinion. The video display of the 195 did leave something to be desired, but I've been entirely happy with the multi-grey-scale readability of the 196.)
Which Aviation GPS is the best for the money???
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Dave
I've never been to Iowa so I don't have any idea the terrain or airspace you fly in.
I live and fly in the north east based just north of Philadelphia. At work or for pleasure it is not unusual for the flight to pass through more that one class B and a class C airspace not to mention some class Ds or fun. All my 7000 hours are low level VFR in the area from south of the Washington class B to north of the New York class B. There is not many airports or places that I don't recognize and I don't need a map or a GPS to get there.
In my airspace knowing EXACTLY where you are can be critical to avoid interception and worse. While I'm more than capable of doing it with a map it's much more relaxing to have a GPS.
Sounds like you don't need a GPS for the area and type of flying you do and thats great. I wish I could say the same.
Expensive toy I think not. Obviously a 496 is overkill but a cheaper basic unit like a Garmin Pilot III can be had for $250 or less. In you case I'd look for a Garmin model 92. I've seen these go for about $150. It has a 12 channel receiver and runs about 14 hours on a set of batteries.
It can quickly get you to the closest airport cause your engine just lost a cylinder or your passenger needs to GET ON THE GROUND NOW. You may also be able get out you exact LAT and LON on a MAY DAY call if that is required.
Don't think of a GPS as a crutch, think of it as a survival tool.
BTW Lots of people enjoy using their computer in conjunction with their GPS. Using extremely inexpensive software on your computer it is possible to pick a spot from a satellite photo, plan a route, down load it to the GPS then fly that route to find the spot. Reversing that it is great fun to download the exact path I just flew on to a map on the computer to see the things I flew over that I missed.
Flying a GPS route accurately can be just as much a challenge as using a map and your finger.
I've never been to Iowa so I don't have any idea the terrain or airspace you fly in.
I live and fly in the north east based just north of Philadelphia. At work or for pleasure it is not unusual for the flight to pass through more that one class B and a class C airspace not to mention some class Ds or fun. All my 7000 hours are low level VFR in the area from south of the Washington class B to north of the New York class B. There is not many airports or places that I don't recognize and I don't need a map or a GPS to get there.
In my airspace knowing EXACTLY where you are can be critical to avoid interception and worse. While I'm more than capable of doing it with a map it's much more relaxing to have a GPS.
Sounds like you don't need a GPS for the area and type of flying you do and thats great. I wish I could say the same.
Expensive toy I think not. Obviously a 496 is overkill but a cheaper basic unit like a Garmin Pilot III can be had for $250 or less. In you case I'd look for a Garmin model 92. I've seen these go for about $150. It has a 12 channel receiver and runs about 14 hours on a set of batteries.
It can quickly get you to the closest airport cause your engine just lost a cylinder or your passenger needs to GET ON THE GROUND NOW. You may also be able get out you exact LAT and LON on a MAY DAY call if that is required.
Don't think of a GPS as a crutch, think of it as a survival tool.
BTW Lots of people enjoy using their computer in conjunction with their GPS. Using extremely inexpensive software on your computer it is possible to pick a spot from a satellite photo, plan a route, down load it to the GPS then fly that route to find the spot. Reversing that it is great fun to download the exact path I just flew on to a map on the computer to see the things I flew over that I missed.
Flying a GPS route accurately can be just as much a challenge as using a map and your finger.
CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com