George has a GPS!

rudymantel · Post by **rudymantel** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 1:32 am

I've had my color 295 for about 2.5 years and love it ! It's mounted horizontally on my yoke and I never noticed any control imbalance.

It's powered from the panel cigar lighter and I have an external fuselage top-mounted antenna which made all the difference. Previously, I would occasionally lose all signals due to interference with some VHF frequenncies, a bug which Garmin told me about. For example, whenever I tuned the Pompano ATIS I'd lose the GPS- yes, just receiving the frequency would interfere. All that diasappeared with the external antenna
and I have great satellite reception.
I recommend that external antenna to all GPS users.
That 196 does look like a nice unit !
Rudy

dkalwishky · Post by **dkalwishky** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 2:30 am

It was over on the Cessna Owners Org forums I beleive. I also looked at the 295 as well but realy wated the newer technology in the circutry rather than the color. I've really enjoyed mine in the tme I've had it and could imagine getting anything else.

Now, if they only had a color 196, hhhmmm......

Dave

Post by **GAHorn** » Sun Aug 31, 2003 8:17 pm

Hey! I've got an open mind. It's changeable!

(I hadn't previously realized I'd not like the vertical screen of other models.)

Kyle Wolfe · Post by **Kyle Wolfe** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 9:24 pm

So where are you guys putting your 196s?

I just ordered the bean bag and am going to try laying the 196 on my dash. I'm just not happy with the yoke mount.

Any other good mounting places or methods?

dkalwishky · Post by **dkalwishky** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 9:52 pm

Mine is mounted on the yoke. I wasn't excited about that at first, but after using it that way for a couple of hours I wouldn't put it anywhere else..

Dave

Post by **GAHorn** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 2:50 am

Kyle Wolfe wrote:So where are you guys putting your 196s?

I just ordered the bean bag and am going to try laying the 196 on my dash. I'm just not happy with the yoke mount.

Any other good mounting places or methods?

Kyle, ...Did your 196 not come with a dash mount? Mine did, a very sophisticated one with a release lever, ...and with adhesive to stick it to the dash, only I'm not going to use their adhesive,...I'm using industrial-strength Velcro. Works perfectly.

wa4jr · Post by **wa4jr** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 1:46 am

Tisk, tisk, tisk, George. SHAME on you for cluttering up the nice cockpit of your 170 with that outboard mounted GPS with all the power and antenna cabling hanging over your legs and just waiting to get clamped in the door or tangled in a seat rail

For a few dollars more than the price of those clunky 196s you could get a nice neat panel mounted KLN-89 or 90. Sitting these things on a bean bag on the top of the panel? What happens when the air gets a bit rough

I guess you can always ask the rear seaters to pass up the 196 and bean bag from the baggage section

Come on George....you converted me to a loyal KLN-88 follower. Don't run out on me now! Long live LORAN and the KLN-88

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 4:50 pm

Ha! Don't worry, My KLN-88 is in the panel where it belongs, and it'll stay there too! Unlike the 196, the KLN-88 is legal for navigation!

I have plans to install power leads thru the hand-hold well in the dash by drilling a small hole, inserting a grommet, and cutting the plug off the cigar lighter cable, and hooking the resulting leads to the nav C.B. circuit. Other than a 3/16" drain-hole in the bottom of the hand-hold, no modification to my panel will be necessary. The unit's basic antenna works fine, but if Rudy's advice is later followed, I'll simply add another drain-hole for an antenna lead.
But you're correct, the KLN-88 is still my primary navigator and Loran is still the most bang-for-the-buck.

Post by **Bruce Fenstermacher** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:02 pm

Be careful George. In the minds of most around here the mod you just described would be a perminent installation requiring approval of some sort. This is why my stuff is neatly plugged into the cigar lighter.

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 8:29 pm

I've already checked with the avionics inspector at my local FSDO (San Antonio) and he said it should merely be logged as a "minor" alteration, not requiring a 337. (All we're doing is providing an alternate type connector to a cigar lighter power source on an already protected circuit. The hole in the hand-hold is non structural.)
John, two additional reasons for the 196 is: It was a nice anniversary present (and I'll be damned if I'll discourage the lady from giving me airplane stuff!) and it'll be more useful in the woods after the forced landing if I can take it with me.

(Hey, any justification for a new toy, right?)

flyguy · Post by **flyguy** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 1:44 pm

I BIN KNOWIN YOUS INNA WOODS AREADY. AN HIT SA GONNA TAKE MOREN SUM FANCEE GEE PEE ESS TU GIT CHEW OUTA THERE.

wa4jr · Post by **wa4jr** » Sat Sep 13, 2003 1:05 am

What woods George? Oh yea, I remember those days in Texas. Down there what you refer to as trees, we call bushes! I think if you stand up, you can see right over them

I still get upset at the GPS systems in the planes at work. There are certain geographical areas, especially between Syracuse NY and Portland ME where the "check position" flags come up regularly. Also just west of Dulles airport. Why, with multiple GPS sats in low earth orbit, would this be happening?

Post by **GAHorn** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 8:52 pm

Have you ever read the FDC notams regarding GPS outage's? It's pretty surprising how much airspace navigation cannot be done on any given day via GPS. It's why my LORAN will remain in the airplane.

wa4jr · Post by **wa4jr** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 2:36 am

Thats kind of spooky, George. Now seems everybody is hyping the WAAS thing now but nothing is being said about all of the outages. You really have to dig in the NOTAMS to find them. Wonder how many folks arrive in the terminal area ready to do a GPS approach and find that it does not work? And look at the prices these new WAAS capable boxes are going for? Ha, having only spend $280 on my KLN-88 LORAN, I can still afford to put dinner on the table tonight! Of course the good thing is if everyone thinks they have to have a CNX80 WAAS GPS, then the KLN-89s and 90s are likely to drop in price like the KLN-88 did when everybody jumped on the first GPS bandwagon...everybody that is except for you and me

Long live LORAN

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 10:25 pm

I have a Garmin 150 Panel Mount GPS with a Mar 97 Jeppensen Data Card. I'm going to update the data and have to make a choice:
1. Buy a new data card and just plug it in $175.
2. Buy the download equip $130, plus the data $60, for a total $190.
With the download equip we can update in the future for $60.
How often does airport info need to be updated for the everyday VFR Joe?
Suggestions?
Thanks,