A "good" Aviation GPS ?

[vetteracer]

Back in 99 I bought a used GARMIN Model 89. It worked well and seemed to always collect satellites, even without the antenna cord. After about a year, I was flying in some really heavy rain and there was St. Elmos fire arcing on the window and arcing over to the GPS antenna. (I set the unit up on the dash, if they are fixed on a yoke mount the FAA views this as a hard installation and must be in the AFM).

Anyway it burned the receiver out and I sent it in to Garmin and they sent me a new Model 90 for free. Same thing happened about a year latter and they replaced it again. Great customer service.

The Garmin 89-90 have all the NDB, VOR, APT and the ability to make a phantom waypoint. If you use it IFR they lack IFR approach data. But, you should not shoot GPS approaches with a hand held anyway. (But they work great).

Mark

 

[mattpilot]

@PhilsoDid the MapCreate software come with the International database or just the Americas?

From reading the reviews, you can use MapCreate to put together any kind of map you want, and load it into the GPS. Any insight?

Thanks.

 

[JeffSKDTW]

Jeff, do you have the airmap 500?

I actually have a PDA/AnywhereMap combo. It's good, but the Airmap 500 is definitely the sweet spot in value.

 

[pilotman2105]

You could try the Garmin Etrex series. Not aviation specific, but you can set it for knots/nautical miles, etc. Plus, you can set waypoints, etc.

If you're looking for something a bit more aviation specific, with NAVAIDs and intersections programed in, you'll be looking at a bit more dinero.

 

[Philso]

@PhilsoDid the MapCreate software come with the International database or just the Americas?

Just the Americas I believe.