Handheld GPS users...

[wingnutt]

ok guys, the Garmin 195 finally petered out on me. its time for a new GPS. unfortunately the new Caravan job has nothing in the way of panel mounted units. im just happy to be out of those ragged-out 402's

top of my list is the GPS III, but im interested in the PDA style GPS. i see the "bundle" packages from 300-700 clams, not including the PDA. does anyone use these things, and if so, whats required, how do you like it opposed to a straight GPS (such as the III)?

 

[PRO AV8R]

The Garmin 196 has some really nice features, even though I dont actually own one, if I was buying one it would be the 196.

 

[Kream926]

i have a pilot III and am very satisfied with it...i dont know what you need on a GPS but this deoa all i need it to do.....but if you have the money to drop on a 196 go for it

 

[VFR on Top]

Tough call, really. Control Vision's Anywhere Map looks impressive, but I think I'd want to try it out first, before dropping $1300 on a complete setup.

If you go for a dedicated GPS, the Garmin 196 looks to be a winner. I think you'll find that the III pilot's screen is just too small, especially coming from the 195. The 196 can display both a moving map and an HSI at the same time, albeit not superimposed on each other like the EFIS-type display that Anywhere Map does. Garmin would do well to produce a color version of the 196 to allow them to do this; it'd be too much for a grayscale display, IMHO.

The manual for the 196 is on Garmin's website, check it out.

 

[wingnutt]

well, the 196 is alot more than i need, but i agree, it is an impressive machine. and the 195 quite frakly, was too bulky for my liking, but i got a heck of a deal on it 2 years ago

the PDA im looking at is the Compaq iPaq, but i have little knowledge of their use. do you need a cell phone to run inline for the GPS, or is it a stand-alone unit?

Control Visions seytem is a bit out of my price range, but if i can justify the cost of the PDA + the GPS, and use it for more than just GPS than itd be worth it...

...anyone else???

 

[skychaser]

I have and use the anywhere map gps by controlvision and love it. The updates are easily made, online. If you get the IPAQ, the screen is viewable in bright sunlight and has a night mode so you aren't blinded. It logs flight time and can be customized in a million different ways. It's expensive, but I still haven't seen a gps with all of the functions the anywhere map has. In addition, you can add weather later on at an additional cost of course.

Other pilots who have seen the anywhere map are impressed as well.

 

[CitationLover]

i have the annywhere map system and it works real well. you can also spend more and get a satellite uplink weather program built into it.

 

[wingnutt]

ok, you guys with the anywheremap...

did you spend the afore mentioned 1300? i see ads in Trade-A-Plane for AnywhereMap Deluxe Bundles that include; the software, GPS35, power supply, yoke mount, and 6 months of upgrades for $629 w/o the PDA. is that all you need?

i can pick up refurbished iPaqs for about ~200 more, which would be equal to the retail of the 196 ($849)

 

[wingnutt]

...but alot more than a Ebay GPS III (~$300)

 

[Flyguy5432H]

Garmin now has the GPS V too. i currently use a III plus which i'm more than happy with. i got to play with the V recently and what they really did was to make it more user friendly by having more visual icons rather than having to figure out what you want to do. in reality though anyone that has experience with GPS systems will have no problem with either.

 

[Loafman]

Hard to beat the 295. Has everything the 195 did plus the ability to load detailed background cartography and POI databases. Nothing like hitting the ground and being able to transfer the GPS to the dash of the rental car and punch up "nearest ATM" and "nearest titty bar"

 

[skychaser]

ok, you guys with the anywheremap...

did you spend the afore mentioned 1300? i see ads in Trade-A-Plane for AnywhereMap Deluxe Bundles that include; the software, GPS35, power supply, yoke mount, and 6 months of upgrades for $629 w/o the PDA. is that all you need?

i can pick up refurbished iPaqs for about ~200 more, which would be equal to the retail of the 196 ($849)

All you need is the bundle, as long as you have the PDA hardware.