Garmin has just announced four new portable GPS products (the aera 500, 510, 550 and 560) and Max Trescott has already posted a helpful review and a very useful comparison chart of all four products on his blog.
To give you a little background about the new product line, the four devices essentially refresh all but their higher end portable aviation GPS products and will eventually replace the 296, 396, 495 and 496 units. All of the units have touch screen capability and users can easily switch between aviation and automotive functions by pushing a single button. In addition, the line also significantly lowers the cost of getting an XM Satellite weather capable GPS.
Max concludes that if you don’t yet own an aviation GPS or are planning to upgrade what you already own, the Garmin aera is worth considering – especially the aera 510 and 560. However and if you are seeking a lower cost unit, Max suggests the aera 500 which comes with a US$799 price tag.
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For something that you are meant to use in the air while both hands and eyes are meant to do things like flying and avoiding things hard coming the other way, the Garmin stuff has always had really un-user friendly interfaces and illogical menu systems.
Plus my 296 always had a habit of dropping signal completely, when about 5-10nm out from the hard to find grass strip, or when you know you are edging up the Gatwick zone.
I hope one of these new ones are better!
Hmmmm. Maybe there is a problem with your 296.
I use my 296 on all of my flying and never did I experience any signal loss and……. I’m from the Philippines! the 296 is serving me well but I’m really tempted to buy the aera 500.
I never had a problem with my old GPS III Pilot but now I’m in a Cirrus which has more avionics than the space shuttle so I don’t carry it any more. Mungo – knowing you, you’re probably losing the signal because you’re flying upside down or something silly and aerobatic.