Which Aviation GPS is the best for the money???

pif_sonic · Post by **pif_sonic** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:01 am

I currently have a Garmin 196. I am thinking about buying a new GPS. Which one is the best for the money, for VFR flying? I am seriously thinking about a Garmin 396. Is there another brand that is better than Garmin? I am sure this is like the argument Ford, Chevy!!! 170, 170A 170B!!!!! But I am interested in any opinions you may have.

n3833v · Post by **n3833v** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:23 am

I love my Garmin 196. Thought about the new 496, maybe later.

John

Dave Clark · Post by **Dave Clark** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:45 pm

Lowrance 2000 is the best value without a doubt. Well, at least IMHO.

Paul-WI · Post by **Paul-WI** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:46 pm

I bought the Airmap 2000C last spring and love it. Large color display, terrain awareness, and less than $700.00. I think it's a great VFR GPS for the money - I haven't got lost yet despite my best intentions.

I do think that Garmin makes a great product, but the cost swayed me to the Airmap. Here is the cheapest that I found and bought from.

http://www.avionicswest.com/lowrance/2000c.htm

Paul
N3458D

EDIT: I should also have added that I also use a sectional and keep my head outside the cockpit. Being a fairly newly minted pilot it gives me piece of mind knowing I am where I think I am. My next investment is a Nav/Com with a VOR. Right now it's just compass, DG, and sectional with a GPS to assist.

CraigH · Post by **CraigH** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:55 pm

If you don't need the weather, Garmin 296 is hard to beat.

iowa · Post by **iowa** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:57 pm

it may surprise many of you,
but i have never purchased a gps!
i still like to use the sectionals.
it helps pass the time,
and i am aware at all times
exactly where i'm at.
i have considered a gps,
and my family have offered
to get me one as a xmas gift,
but in the end,
i just have never
really thot i needed one.
dave

WWhunter · Post by **WWhunter** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:00 pm

I also looked at the 396, 496, and the Lowrance when I was at Oshkosh. I will agree that that Lowrance seems to be the best bang for the buck. But if I had the money it would be the 496.
Keith

Ps. I sent you a PM

mit · Post by **mit** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:29 pm

I have a 196. If I had money burning a hole in my pocket I would spend it on other things than a different GPS.

Post by **Bruce Fenstermacher** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:08 pm

Tim's right. I've used the 196 and 496 at work. It would be tough to justify the 3/496 cost for normal VFR flying unless you do serious scud running.

I'm in the MedEvac business and flying when there is weather in the area is part of our business. The added wx available on the 3/496 makes our job easier and safer so I'm glad to have it when I need it.

But I haven't yet been able to justify buying a 3/496 for myself to replace my GPS Pilot III which has half the capability of 196.

As for other makes of GPS I've had three friends who bought various Lowrance models last year. Two of the three have replaced them with Garmin 3/496s. Perhaps they just have to much money burning a hole in their pocket.

mboone · Post by **mboone** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:13 pm

I have had the airmap 500 for several years and it is great for VFR. Much better price than with Garmin. Since I started flying IFR I long for the 396/496 but I can't see any advantage of these for VFR.
Bob

AR Dave · Post by **AR Dave** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:23 pm

Wow! I probably owe my life to GPS, several times over! I'm not publically going to tell you about those times however!
I'd give up a lot before giving up my GPS, and my wife would fight you over it then. In one of her diary entries, between Watson Lake and Fort Nelson, is written "Thank God for GPS".

Mine is an older Garmin 150 - but it comes on with the instrument air

It monitors engine run time (x 8 gal/hr), points a straight line to destination, shows the distance remaining, time remaining, warns of up coming SUV's, shows my altitude, faster than altimeter (never needs adjusting) show's my true ground speed, show's all the information of any airport. When traveling long distances we plot our course, on the sectional, so we know exactly where we are at all times. This is especially handy if you havn't seen the earth for a couple of hours.
Direct To - can be cliked to immediatelly show the nearest airport, distance, etc.. It will even alarm you as to when to descend and at what speed depending upon you're input. If my engine were to stop, I could quickly see my options and how far I was going to get. It can even monitor fuel consumption, etc... immediately mark the Long/Lat position of a trophy moose or downed airplane, including me.

Saturday I jumped in the plane and flew 90 miles to my daughters state volleyball championship (which we won). Never had been there but found the airport identifier. Along the way, I realized I didn't have a clue where I was and had no sectional. Later I started second guessing if I'd entered something wrong, nothing but woods below. But when the GPS read 4.7 miles out I notified area traffic and sure enough she led me right to it. I'll have a new sectional next time I fly for backup, it's more enjoyable to cross ref a map, and it's the law. Point is, I don't need anything but that GPS!

Last year I plugged in the cooridinates ya'll gave me for Reklaw and a few hrs later she was leading right down on the East Tex Ranch. BTW I'm at work, so ya'll have lots of fun without me!

Post by **GAHorn** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:40 pm

Paul-WI wrote:... I should also have added that I also use a sectional and keep my head outside the cockpit. ...

How do you keep the bugs off your teeth?

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 pm

AR Dave wrote:Mine is an older Garmin 150 - but it comes on with the instrument air It monitors engine run time (x 8 gal/hr), points a straight line to destination, shows the distance remaining, time remaining, warns of up coming SUV's...

Pretty cool to have one that shows road traffic, even the type. Could be handy on those foggy days on two-lane highways.

Yeah, yeah, Dave, I know you meant Special Use Airspace, but I couldn't help sticking it in and twisting it a bit.

AR Dave wrote:...shows my altitude, faster than altimeter (never needs adjusting)...

Just watch out for oncoming IFR traffic (doesn't have to be IMC to have IFR traffic, you know). Due to temperature and pressure effects, it's not uncommon for the true altitude (close to what the GPS reads) to be several hundreds of feet off from the indicated altitude (as shown on a correctly adjusted altimeter).

Miles

Paul-WI · Post by **Paul-WI** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:03 pm

Just watch out for oncoming IFR traffic (doesn't have to be IMC to have IFR traffic, you know). Due to temperature and pressure effects, it's not uncommon for the true altitude (close to what the GPS reads) to be several hundreds of feet off from the indicated altitude (as shown on a correctly adjusted altimeter).

I listened a couple of months ago to Minneapolis Center chew out a pilot flying IFR using his altimeter on his GPS for his flight altitude. They pretty much cancelled his clearance and told him in no uncertain terms that the altimeter readout on his GPS is NOT for navigating. Kind of comical and sad at the same time.

Paul
N3458D

mbram · Post by **mbram** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:10 am

I have a Garmin 250xl coupled to a jpi fuel scan. carry a basic etrex for
backup. (Just a note the etrex vista has a barometric altimeter built in.) I found this to be a good set up for vfr flying.

I have been looking at tablet pc with gps such as the chart case software
or mercury vista nav. the software replaces paper charts. and vista nav
includes gyros and barometric altimeter.
http://www.mc.com/vistanav/