Handheld GPS Recommendation

Zero1Niner

Zero1Niner

Well-Known Member
Looking for recommendations for a handheld GPS. Cost is certainly a factor, but I am looking for best value for the $$.
 
I like my ATC by anywheremap. Their customer service has been really responsive and they even helped make a custom armature for one of the planes I rent.... For free! The graphic interface is pretty intuitive. As has been stated before, their manual is little sparse, so it's good that the interface is so easy.

There's my 2 cents FWIW
 
I have the Garmin 96C. It is extremely simple, and works good for VFR. It is just kind of a backup for pilotage and dead reckoning, but it works great for me. Not a bunch of bells and whistles, but for the price, it does all that I need it to......
 
Point A to B - all of the above are fine.
To have WX included- I recommend the Garmin 396 highly.
My 396 has devalued greatly-now I even discontinued the Syrius service to get Doppler
 
ozone said:
I like my ATC by anywheremap. Their customer service has been really responsive and they even helped make a custom armature for one of the planes I rent.... For free! The graphic interface is pretty intuitive. As has been stated before, their manual is little sparse, so it's good that the interface is so easy.

There's my 2 cents FWIW
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I like my ATC as well. Only complaint is the battery life sucks. So Ijust bought one of those rechargeable battery charger things, from fry's I think it was, and it works perfect. They also now have one for sale on the ATC site as well but it uses 6 AA batteries.
As far as the manual goes if you go to http://anywheremap.com/pdfs/ATCManual.pdf it is the full 64 page manual.
 
I have the Garmin GPSMap 96C, love it.

Haven't used if for flying for over a year though come to think of it, everything I fly these days has Garmin 430, 530, G1000
 
bdhill1979 said:
I have the Garmin GPSMap 96C, love it.

Haven't used if for flying for over a year though come to think of it, everything I fly these days has Garmin 430, 530, G1000
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I've got the same one I think, but without color, saved 100? bucks or so. Nice gps nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. I rarely use mine though.
 
I have a 496. Its really nice with WX and airport taxi diagrams. It is kind of expensive but if you want all the bells and whistles thats the way to go. I rarely use mine anymore because we had a 430 put in the cherokee.
 
Zero1Niner said:
Looking for recommendations for a handheld GPS. Cost is certainly a factor, but I am looking for best value for the $$.
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Garmin eMap - $20 from ebay. Spend 2 hours with skyvector.com and program the lat/long of every navaid and airport you are likely to encounter in your area.

I don't think you will find a better value than this. This is what I use as a backup.
 
The best value would probably be a lowrance airmap 1000c, its the black & white version. The 2000c uses batteries like candy so only get that one if you fly an airplane with a cigarette/DC outlet. You can score these lowrances on ebay for like 200-300$, free database updates online.
 
Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the Garmin 296 against the AV8OR? Prefer one over the other for any particular reason?
 
I like the AV8OR better than the 296, touch screen so you dont have to do that knob twisting nonsense. Easier to type in fixes, etc. Can add weather to the AV8OR with the expensive wxwork add-on, but can't add weather to 296. AV8OR can play media files like videos / mp3s.
 
What are you using it for? Unless you're planning on engaging in long VFR cross countries on a regular basis, I'd recommend that you spend your money on something more useful. Like a high quality boat anchor or the raw materials for the largest rubber band ball in your postal district.
 
Boris Badenov said:
What are you using it for? Unless you're planning on engaging in long VFR cross countries on a regular basis, I'd recommend that you spend your money on something more useful. Like a high quality boat anchor or the raw materials for the largest rubber band ball in your postal district.
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:yeahthat:

Since you can't use it IFR, I wouldn't spend much money (the $20 unit I suggested does everything you would ever need).

If you are VFR, you shouldn't NEED the GPS for anything. If you feel otherwise, your money is better spent on additional flight training.

You SHOULD probably carry a cheapo one for emergencies (complete glass cockpit failure IMC). I've tried to fly a VOR approach with my cheapo $20 one, it got me down to MDA dead on the centerline. $20 is cheap insurance in my book.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
:yeahthat:

Since you can't use it IFR, I wouldn't spend much money (the $20 unit I suggested does everything you would ever need).

If you are VFR, you shouldn't NEED the GPS for anything. If you feel otherwise, your money is better spent on additional flight training.

You SHOULD probably carry a cheapo one for emergencies (complete glass cockpit failure IMC). I've tried to fly a VOR approach with my cheapo $20 one, it got me down to MDA dead on the centerline. $20 is cheap insurance in my book.
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Well you could still use it for IFR just not legally for navigation. Right? :confused:
 
I use mine for "situational awareness" in IFR, I have my nav radios tuned into the appropriate nav aids to provide "navigation."
 
Zero1Niner said:
Looking for recommendations for a handheld GPS. Cost is certainly a factor, but I am looking for best value for the $$.
Click to expand...

I use an eTrex Legend flying around to back up my nav, especially when we were using NDBs to get into one airport regularly. Put in the lat/longs of all the navaids / airports on our routes like beagle said.

It cost $100 when I bought it 12 years ago.
 
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