Which handheld GPS?

[AirButt]

Hello - Student pilot here starting to shop around for the essentials.

Looking for advice on which GPS to strap to my kneeboard?

My instructor has a Lowrance 600C but looking at the reviews it seems a little old so I'm wondering what advice there may be from those with experience?

Garmin 510 has been suggested but with only 1 - 2 hrs battery life it will soon run out of juice plus no tether strap to secure it to the kneeboard?

 

Thanks in advance.

[OneCoqui]

Take a look at the Garmin 96C

[MileHi480B]

iPad

[Pohi]

I use a sectional and pilotage

[rick1128]

I have used several handheld units. I use the Garmin 396. I looked at the 496 and for the difference in price, there wasn't enough differences for me. If I were to do it again, I would take a good look at the 696. However it is a little large for most handheld applications. I would not look at strapping to your kneeboard. It is a little awkward to use that way. There are several companies that make mounts that will secure to the cyclic or panel.

[nikon858]

Get all your certificates then worry about a gps, you don't need it for training...learn the basics first.

 

However when you are ready I love my garmin 96c with a suction ram mount....battery seems to last forever, screen is plenty big, color moving map, all radio frequencies programmed in...dunno the point of it but it'll do a gps approach to.

Edited April 1, 2011 by nikon858

[ADRidge]

I use a sectional and pilotage

 

This. I assume you're working on your Private Pilot based on your post. When I did my PPL waaaay back in the day (four years ago, hehe) I didn't touch a GPS until more than halfway through. My navigation was all old-school VFR skills... stopwatch, visual checkpoints, sectional and navlog.

 

It's not as sexy and sleek as a second GPS and gadgets are cool, but it's an essential skill, and one that will absolutely make you a better pilot.

 

Personally I wouldn't bother with a second GPS unless you own an aircraft and you do lots of hard IFR flying to minimums. In VFR flight, your eyes need to be outside primarily, and in my mind a second GPS is just another distraction.

 

 

 

 

-OR-

 

Buy an iPad!

[r22butters]

Take a look at the Garmin 96C

 

I'll second that! I've had one for several years now, and its awesome! The screen's a bit small, but it is in color, plus its flat, so you can velcro it to your kneeboard(unlike those other 'brick' designs).

 

Of course its not as advanced as the new ones (which seem pretty sweet), but its also not as expensive, and why pay more for a lot of crap you'll probably never use, (at least not for a long time anyway)?

 

They don't make them anymore, which means you should be able to find one 'on-line', pretty cheap?

[Wally]

Garmin thinks they're still making the GPSMAP® 96C

 

GPS 96C

 

Ooops, hasty and mistaken- it is a discontinued product with Garmin, but Amazon has it in stock and other sources seem to also. I like the Garmins I've used although I don't own any, just don't see the need (except it makes the medics happy to see a WAG to the second decimal) and my work helo has dual Garmin 400s...

Edited April 2, 2011 by Wally

[nikon858]

btw, shop around first, I got my 96c in pristine condition for $200 on ebay with a bunch of accessories.

[AirButt]

Thanks to all for your opinions - the 96C seems to be the way to go to have one as backup - just in case.

[clay]

buy my garmin 510. I dont use it anymore

[Nolapilot89]

I bought a Lowrance 600c when I was going through commercial. That was back in 08. I have used it maybe 2x since then, and I only used it just to say that I had. Unless you own your own aircraft or work for an operator who does not supply one, its kind of pointless to have. And even though my work supplies 2, I rarely use them. Anyone can follow a magenta line, and as the saying goes "well what happens when your batteries die?" Don't get me wrong, I love the GPS. especially for the days when my boss spur of the moment says "hey fly to this place you've never heard of before" and what not. But for my normal everyday flying, I don't even bother with them usually.

 

Put the money towards something like a good headset or more flight time, or a beer tab to keep your instructor from wanting to beat you senseless after some bad autos .

 

^^^^^ just my opinion of what works well in my line of work. I can't speak for anyone else.

[rjl2001]

I agree with Nolapilot, I bought an old Lowrance AirMap 500 when I started flight training but have never really used it. That was at least 1.5 years ago and literally took it on one or two flights when I was flying backseat in the R44. For training it just hasn't been necessary. That being said Garmin is probably your best bet if you are looking to get one. Lowrance got out of aviation gps's so don't really support the Airmaps anymore. Then again most non-aviation handhelds will have airports on them anyway which would work for backup/emergency use. On the other hand you could use the iPad. A flight school down here I know uses the iPad on all their instrument training flights at least, with some pretty cool software and even ADS-B. Oh ya I noticed a while back that Bendix-King was advertising a helicopter specific version of their AV8OR handheld. Not sure what the differences were other than the helicopter symbol on the map display.