POrtable GPS units questions

ozone

Well-Known Member
So, now I have gotten my checkride with the local airplane rental place and now I realize that I need a yoke-mounted or similar GPS.
I have looked at:
Bendix/King AV8OR GPS (Americas)
Anywhere Map Travel Companion (ATC) GPS
Lowrance AirMap 2000c GPS
Garmin 296/396/495 GPS (Americas)

What i cannot find (even on the respective websites for these products) is the recurring costs for these devices. I assume that one needs to update the GPS maps just as you would with paper maps. Even if you are going VFR...I would think you would want to update at least 2x/year.

Anyone know what the update subscriptions/updates cost? The only one i could find reference to was the lowrance, which looked liek it was $300/year or $35 per single update.

If folks have experience with any of these GPS units, I would love to hear more!
 
So, now I have gotten my checkride with the local airplane rental place and now I realize that I need a yoke-mounted or similar GPS.
I have looked at:
Bendix/King AV8OR GPS (Americas)
Anywhere Map Travel Companion (ATC) GPS
Lowrance AirMap 2000c GPS
Garmin 296/396/495 GPS (Americas)

What i cannot find (even on the respective websites for these products) is the recurring costs for these devices. I assume that one needs to update the GPS maps just as you would with paper maps. Even if you are going VFR...I would think you would want to update at least 2x/year.

Anyone know what the update subscriptions/updates cost? The only one i could find reference to was the lowrance, which looked liek it was $300/year or $35 per single update.

If folks have experience with any of these GPS units, I would love to hear more!

Jeesh man, for what you are using it for you don't need to update (I don't think). Legally you wouldn't have to or anything. You will need the charts because, unless something has changed, you aren't legal to use a handheld GPS for navigation (sole nav I should specify, u want to use as backup rock on).

Also be careful about mounting anything to your aircraft. FAA used to go ballistic at that stuff. use a length antenna and keep the thing on the seat next to you or in a cup holder. Don't go using yoke mounts.

The Garmin 396 and up are a little expensive for doing what you are doing, find a used garmin somewhere. The Anywhere maps are great, my buddy uses his constantly and I know the original makers were ex Garmin guys who set off on their own. I'm not a Lowrance or Bendix fan
 
I would maybe update it 1x per year. There isn't much need to do anything else with it. The later model Garmins have XM weather, which can get pricey.
 
It costs $50 a pop to update my 195. A yearly subscription is $295, which is a substantial discount. It uses the same chart data as all of the newer units.

Most people I have talked to update the charts 1-2 times a year and the obstacle database (if applicable) once a year if you plan on doing alot of flying. If you fly airplanes with a panel mount, you could probably take it down to a single chart update a year.

Before dropping alot of money on one, ask yourself how often you will use it. If you see yourself renting an airplane with a panel mount GPS quite often, you may want to consider buying a more basic, used unit. Since I've bought my 195 in October of last year, I've used it twice. Fortunately, I only paid $100 for it. I have yet to update its database because all I use it for is simple direct-to airport or VOR stuff. It has intersections, NDBs and final approach course info available but I can't see using any of that except in an emergency.

As for the yoke mount, the FAA has no opinion on something that does not require an alteration to the aircraft.
 
It costs $50 a pop to update my 195. A yearly subscription is $295, which is a substantial discount. It uses the same chart data as all of the newer units.

Most people I have talked to update the charts 1-2 times a year and the obstacle database (if applicable) once a year. If you fly airplanes with a panel mount that includes obstacle information, you could probably take it down to a single chart update a year.

Before dropping alot of money on one, ask yourself how often you will use it. If you see yourself renting an airplane with a panel mount GPS quite often, you may want to consider buying a more basic, used unit. Since I've bought my 195 in October of last year, I've used it twice. Fortunately, I only paid $100 for it.
Man I remember when we just had one GPS, it looked like a LORAN, and no one would ever put two in. You GA guys must have a ton of money.
 
Jeesh man, for what you are using it for you don't need to update (I don't think). Legally you wouldn't have to or anything. You will need the charts because, unless something has changed, you aren't legal to use a handheld GPS for navigation (sole nav I should specify, u want to use as backup rock on).

Also be careful about mounting anything to your aircraft. FAA used to go ballistic at that stuff. use a length antenna and keep the thing on the seat next to you or in a cup holder. Don't go using yoke mounts.

The Garmin 396 and up are a little expensive for doing what you are doing, find a used garmin somewhere. The Anywhere maps are great, my buddy uses his constantly and I know the original makers were ex Garmin guys who set off on their own. I'm not a Lowrance or Bendix fan

Don't use a yoke mount because the FAA will go basaltic? That makes about as much sense as my ASOS argument down in one of the other forums.

I used a suction cup mount and put the thing on the window next to me. It placed my Airmap 500 just to the left of the airspeed indicator and right in my scan. The FAA can pound sand if they don't like where I put the thing. What else are they going to ding me on? The way I setup my kneeboard in a GA plane?
 
Don't use a yoke mount because the FAA will go basaltic? That makes about as much sense as my ASOS argument down in one of the other forums.

I used a suction cup mount and put the thing on the window next to me. It placed my Airmap 500 just to the left of the airspeed indicator and right in my scan. The FAA can pound sand if they don't like where I put the thing. What else are they going to ding me on? The way I setup my kneeboard in a GA plane?
... Asos?

Ok anyway, I'll explain. 2002ish Florida guy takes off in his 172, yoke mount slides down the yoke bar because it wasn't tight enough, rubber catches just enough so the pilot can't push the control wheel back down. Shortly after takeoff he had stalled out, plowed into the ground and died.

Day later orlando FSDO puts out a phone call to the large flight schools in Florida area. Goes something like this. "If you yoke mount anything to an airplane, if you mount anything at all, that was not originally certified with the airplane it needs a new W+B and letter to the FAA for an STC." They also said they'd be ramp checking (which they never did of course).

Idea is pretty simple. If you mount things onto the airplane it's bad. If you mount on thing to you you are good. Thats why a lot of guys started throwing velcro onto the dash and velcro on their gps because faa does not consider adhesive (used to be anyway) items as mounts.

I don't know what all they are going to ding you on. If you are concerned call the FSDO. Now some FSDO's may not care about the yoke clip, but the survey I had years back when I was CFI'ing from state to state (east coast mostly), Florida, Jersey, NY, and all of New England was no mounty. As far as the FAA pounding sand, you may find you are the sand. Train if you call up your FSDO they can tell you what they see it as, however if you don't get an offical "letter of interpretation" you can still get dinged even though "the FSDO told me so". The last letter of interpretation I saw still allowed adhesive type bonds to the inside structure (velcro for instance) but no physical clamp on or bolt/screw type bonds.

I also don't certify airplanes anymore either, and 2 years is a long time.
 
Man I remember when we just had one GPS, it looked like a LORAN, and no one would ever put two in. You GA guys must have a ton of money.

They're just pulling all the old boat anchor radios out and plopping in a 430/530 in their stead. I've talked to one of the owners of the school and he says it is actually pretty cost effective to put in a newer nav/com/GPS than to replace/maintain seperate nav/com, DME, ADF, etc., particularly if the airplane is due for new(er) avionics.
 
They're just pulling all the old boat anchor radios out and plopping in a 430/530 in their stead. I've talked to one of the owners of the school and he says it is actually pretty cost effective to put in a newer nav/com/GPS than to replace/maintain seperate nav/com, DME, ADF, etc., particularly if the airplane is due for new(er) avionics.
Well that's kinda cool. Makes me wonder how much weight they save. I've picked up a few G1000's, didn't feel real light to me :).
 
On updating GPS, there was a guy talking to NY approach for flight following. Anyway he calls up and says he wants Class B clearance. Approach replies by saying he's in Class B. He says (and I quote) "according to my GPS I'm not" in a matter-of-fact tone.

Approach says "Well your GPS is wrong".

That's where I left the conversation, but scary none-the-less.
 
On updating GPS, there was a guy talking to NY approach for flight following. Anyway he calls up and says he wants Class B clearance. Approach replies by saying he's in Class B. He says (and I quote) "according to my GPS I'm not" in a matter-of-fact tone.

Approach says "Well your GPS is wrong".

That's where I left the conversation, but scary none-the-less.
Hehe. You ever hear a guy tell ATC what his groundspeed is when they ask for indicated?
 
The AnywhereMap subscription, I think, is lifetime updates for about $300, and then if you have XM weather it's about 40-50 a month depending on which features you have.

I have the AnywhereMap. It's a good little unit - however, I've been thinking about selling it because I haven't been flying nearly as much as I thought I would. Plus, I think I've gotten a little dependent on it. Need to break that habit.
 
Hehe. You ever hear a guy tell ATC what his groundspeed is when they ask for indicated?

I had an FO do that last year. ATC said "say speed" and he said we are indicating 450 knots. It took me a minute to stop laughing to explain to him what they meant.
 
Well that's kinda cool. Makes me wonder how much weight they save. I've picked up a few G1000's, didn't feel real light to me :).

On one of the 172s, they eliminated a Cesnna 300 Nav/Com, DME, ADF (and its indicator!), LORAN, and all of their associated antennas, wiring and replaced them with a single GNS430. I have to imagine that shaved more than a few pounds off of that airplane.
 
On updating GPS, there was a guy talking to NY approach for flight following. Anyway he calls up and says he wants Class B clearance. Approach replies by saying he's in Class B. He says (and I quote) "according to my GPS I'm not" in a matter-of-fact tone.

Approach says "Well your GPS is wrong".

That's where I left the conversation, but scary none-the-less.

I imagine the next thing Approach said was, "I have a number for you to call, advise when ready to copy."

A good rule of thumb is to always give yourself at least a mile outside of any airspace boundary marked on a GPS. 9 times out of 10, the GPS map is right on the money, but there's always that 1 time...
 
The reason i am looking for a GPS is that (if i want to pay less than $140/hour), all of the planes I will fly have DME equipment as their highest-tech equipment available. I think one of the planes has the old style GPS as featured in the King school videos from 1998 (no color, no moving map...just way points and distances). Since I am new to the Boston region airspace, I think a color GPS with a moving map would be a good backup to say the least.

So, from what I see so far, people are generally happy with the anywhere map? Sportys has a GREAT deal on the lowrance right now....anyone like those?
 
I have never updated my GPS Map 96c or the GPS Map 496.

in an uncertified unit its just a waste of money at $30 a month if prices havent changed; per unit.
 
The reason i am looking for a GPS is that (if i want to pay less than $140/hour), all of the planes I will fly have DME equipment as their highest-tech equipment available. I think one of the planes has the old style GPS as featured in the King school videos from 1998 (no color, no moving map...just way points and distances). Since I am new to the Boston region airspace, I think a color GPS with a moving map would be a good backup to say the least.

So, from what I see so far, people are generally happy with the anywhere map? Sportys has a GREAT deal on the lowrance right now....anyone like those?
What part of Boston? I used to teach out PSF way.

BTW, that old style GPS you are talking about, has it got two inner and outer knobs each side with just a little screen? That's what I call the "Loran style".
 
I never did update my Garmin 296, when I was time building with it, but I must say I loved the Garmin. I actually previously had a Lowrance, and sold it because I didn't really care too much for it. The Garmin was awesome, and was a life saver too, literally! :D
 
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