Peter M

[Guest Peter M]

Hi everyone. I am a new pilot just having passed my PPL and stilla bit nervous about venturing too far. Can anyone suggest a good GPS as a back up for a vfr pilot. I will be flying out of Jandakot and into the sky around Western Australia. I do quite like the comments re the Garmin 296

 

 

[Ewen McPhee]

Cant go wrong with a Garmin

 

Congrats on PPL

 

 

[richo]

Hi Peter,

 

I just got my PPL too and am doing exactly the same thing - buying a decent GPS. My cherokee has a dodgy old Garmin 100 which I'll remove. The 296 i believe is now obsolete and replaced with the Garmin 495. Its pretty much the same I believe just faster. Theres some good threads on GPS here if you search. The 495 you can get for about $1600 set up and ready to go. I think thats what I'll do.

 

Cheers

 

richo.

 

 

[Ewen McPhee]

We have a 495, its a great little unit. Bought a Hand held transceiver (iCOM) as a spare too.

 

 

[Tomo]

G'day Peter, and welcome to the forums. :thumb_up:

 

Congratulations on your PPL

 

I've used both the G296 and G495, they both work great for what I want. Which isn't much at this stage. :big_grin:

 

I'd encourage you to get confident Navigating without using the GPS, It is your choice I guess, but I find great reward in being able to get from one end of the country to the other just by a map and compass.

 

Whatever you do, have fun!

 

Jandakot is a busy little place, visited there a yr or so ago, was impressed.

 

 

[Guest Peter M]

PeterM

 

Hi Richo

 

Thanks for the information on the Garmin 495 recommendation. I will look into this if its a bit faster than the 296.

 

Cheers Peter M

 

 

[Guest Peter M]

Thanks Ewan. I will look into the 495 Garmin Peter M

 

 

[Guest Peter M]

Hi Tomo

 

Thanks for your reply. I agree, I don't want to start relying on the GPS as the primary means of navigation but I will look into the 496 Garmin. Jandakot is a busy place. Happy flying to you too!!

 

Cheers

 

Peter M

 

 

[blueshed]

Hi Peter

 

Well Done on your PPL, and Welcome Here!

 

as already suggested tis handy to have a GPS, however don't get stuck in the Cockpit, VFR is outside the window, as Tomo say's Love The Challenge!!

 

Sydney, the short way, Keep Australia on your left, the long way, Keep it on your right! Hope I got that correct! lol

 

 

[Tomo]

Got to be good advice, I'm sure. You must be able to navigate with map and compass first. Even if only because that's what the examiners require. But also because maps and compasses don't require batteries and satellites and are oblivious to sun spots and solar wind. And you need maps to do your flight planning.But, I wonder how many Airbus Pilots use maps and compasses? And if the GPS and Radio Nav systems went down you'd probably have to ground aviation world wide.

 

I'm beginning to suspect that GPS is less error-prone than map and compass. Knowing where you are from your GPS and marking it off on a map (in case GPS goes down) is a more reliable form of navigation than mucking around with maps and low precision compass and not looking out the window.

 

Never leave home without two, independent GPS setups?

I guess that it has come to the electrical age now, and it isn't going to go back in a hurry. A few yrs ago it was pretty unreliable, but now - there are still some hiccups - but it is pretty good. I'd almost go as far as saying as reliable as something mechanical.

 

Pretty much every vehicle on the road now is controlled by a computer and electronics. Basically the only mechanical bit in an engine these days is the piston and crankshaft!! (bit of an exaggeration, but!)

 

We are prone to be a bit timid with electronic operated devices, but I think we can start to trust them a little now... a scary thought though, the whole world would go down the drain if all electronics died.

 

Bit Ironic I guess, but right now I'm working on a truck that stopped, computer says it's number 5 injector - go there and a wire has broken off!!!! Go figure

 

 

[dazza 38]

Welcome Peter, i hope you enjoy this site mate

 

 

[Guest davidh10]

Hi everyone. I am a new pilot just having passed my PPL and stilla bit nervous about venturing too far. Can anyone suggest a good GPS as a back up for a vfr pilot. I will be flying out of Jandakot and into the sky around Western Australia. I do quite like the comments re the Garmin 296

Peter;

 

There was another couple of threads that covered a comparison between the Aera 5x0 and the 495. See the thread and also this thread the discussion hopped back and forth a bit between these two threads.

 

Hope this gives you some additional food for thought.

 

I really like my Aera 550. Works on automotive or aviation modes and switches really easily. Comes with 12 months of updates to aviation data (29 day data expiry) and one automotive map update included. No issue with battery going flat. It will last 4 hours after the aircraft power fails, into which it is wired. Also does VNAV and has all IFR Waypoints for RNAV. Needless to say, it is for VFR use only and not as a primary means of navigation :-) {VNAV automatically switches off at 500' AGL to prevent anyone trying to use it to do an instrument landing}.