Garmin Aera 660

Like many of us now I fly with OzRunways on my IPad. My wife often has a secondary backup device with us when we fly together, (ususally just google maps or something on her phone), and I usually have some paper charts stuffed in my flightback somewhere too.

But Im looking really hard of upgrading from an old 296 GPS to a Garmin Aera 660 mounted in my cockpit. What do people think? Anybody got one, and what are the advantages of of a small single purpose device in an era of IPAD EFBs? Id really like to get one, but think I need a little more feedback from guys  who  own and use it, rather than just the advertising pitch.

Cheers

Alan

Garmin are fantastic. Just read all the ads. They have become what every pilot aspires to.

I am not so enamoured as I have used Garmin for over twenty years and in my opinion they have got more complex and capable of doing a multitude of things, but are also getting less user friendly.

My 196 works OK but has always chewed batteries. Less than an hour and new batteries are flat, so it only gets ships power and works well.

My latest is a bushwalking GPS and it is an absolute bastard to use. Nothing is logical and it only wants to do what I don't need. I reckon if you don't need a garmin, don't waste your money on one. The defining word is "need"

Put ozrunways on your wifes phone. It will cost you nothing to put it on an extra device.

Who knows, she may enjoy looking at the airports and destinations.

As a back up to my OzRunways, I use a Garmin Aera 500.

although it is a backup I run it all the time.

It is a great tool & provides peace of mind for me. It has all of the functions of many of the larger GPS and has not let me down.

I have had Garmin devices for many years in boating and as a navigator in the car before the fancy smart phones hit the market.

It is a cheap investment in peace of mind if you have the spare cash, if not loading OzRunways on your wife’s phone and also yours is plenty of backup also.

Cheers 

Put ozrunways on your wifes phone. It will cost you nothing to put it on an extra device.

 

Who knows, she may enjoy looking at the airports and destinations.

 

Hi Downunder

my wifey read your comment and laughed. She agreed that having ozrunways on her phone may make her enjoy looking at the airports and destinations. As a qualified pilot herself that will come in useful when she is flying.

?

My 296 screen faded out and I was unable to source a replacement screen or repair service.  So I replaced it with a Aera 660.  Visually it is brilliant, has all the whistles and knobs you could wish for as a package and it was easy to mod the 296 mount to take the 660.

However, because I used Ozrunways a lot during the fade out, it has become my secondary device and sits most of the time just showing the synthetic 3D vision window.  

So far I have not found out how to upload plans from a PC to the 660, nor can I download recorded tracks like I used to with the 296.  So still a lot to learn.  (Any hints here would be gratefully accepted to save me ploughing through the manual again.)

Ironically, just after I had committed to the 660 (not cheap), I found a replacement screen for the 296.  It was an easy repair and now functions perfectly with a bright screen.  I am tempted to put it back into service as I know its functions so well.

Next to be fixed is my Dynon 10A.  The display screen is bright enough but the clear window (antiglare plastic) has developed a rough surface.  It does not effect functionality but looks poor.

Alan

My 296 screen faded out and I was unable to source a replacement screen or repair service.  So I replaced it with a Aera 660.  Visually it is brilliant, has all the whistles and knobs you could wish for as a package and it was easy to mod the 296 mount to take the 660.

 

However, because I used Ozrunways a lot during the fade out, it has become my secondary device and sits most of the time just showing the synthetic 3D vision window.  

 

So far I have not found out how to upload plans from a PC to the 660, nor can I download recorded tracks like I used to with the 296.  So still a lot to learn.  (Any hints here would be gratefully accepted to save me ploughing through the manual again.)

 

Ironically, just after I had committed to the 660 (not cheap), I found a replacement screen for the 296.  It was an easy repair and now functions perfectly with a bright screen.  I am tempted to put it back into service as I know its functions so well.

 

Next to be fixed is my Dynon 10A.  The display screen is bright enough but the clear window (antiglare plastic) has developed a rough surface.  It does not effect functionality but looks poor.

 

Alan

 

Hi Alan 

thanks for this feedback. It’s exactly what I wanted to hear, somebody else transitioning from 296 to 660. Like somebody else responded,  I never really used Garmin once I had OzRunways, but liked having it in the panel as a secondary device.

Also, while the pilot has Ozrunways on the pad, the passenger (usually my wife, who is also a pilot) has the Garmin on her side of the cockpit which means both crew can track the flight. My wife is actually much better at programming the Garmin than I, and if she is not flying , it gives her (or me, if she is flying) something to ‘do’.

For me living out bush, the best feature of the Garmin is the ‘go to emergency landing site function’.  You’re never more than a click from a direct line to the closest landing site.

cheers

Alan 

I inherited a Garmin 96C with the purchase of my aircraft - in common with many others it is now my, always on, "backup" to OzRunways.

It must be pretty long in the tooth but still functions as new. Before I sorted out my IPad cooling issues, it occasionally became my primary navigation tool (after VFR of course).

I use every few of its function but find the VSI page, with ground speed, ETA & distance, very useful  - yep know I can get that with OZR but I prefer the 96 skreen for these functions. Like NT5224 its "Go to nearest" function is a terrific tool.

Quite fiddly to put in a new rout (lots of bad language)