Garmin 196 or 296?

[Bob Jenneson]

I have just sold my Garmin Pilot 3 and want to upgrade to another
Garmin, possible a 196 or a 296.
I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any first
hand experience with the new colour 296?
What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
Is it worth the extra cash?
You can only get so much info of a web site!

Thanks, Bob.

[Don Hammer]

>I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any first
>hand experience with the new colour 296?
>What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?

I have a 296 and think it's great. The screen is reflective and looks
good in bright sun.



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"Bob Jenneson" > wrote:

> Has anybody had any first
> hand experience with the new colour 296?
> What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
> Is it worth the extra cash?

I just bought the 296. I've figured out some of it, but have had zero
prior experience with any GPS and am looking for a tutorial (you don't
find many Schweizer 2-33s or C152s with GPS!). The color screen is great
and easy to read.

I have two pilot friends with extensive experience with GPSs that both
recently bought the 296--both LOVE it, highly recommended it, and said
"it does everything but fly".

[Cockpit Colin]

296 Hands down - if for no other reason than the terrain database


"Bob Jenneson" > wrote in message
...
> I have just sold my Garmin Pilot 3 and want to upgrade to another
> Garmin, possible a 196 or a 296.
> I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any
> first
> hand experience with the new colour 296?
> What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
> Is it worth the extra cash?
> You can only get so much info of a web site!
>
> Thanks, Bob.
>
>
>

[Denny]

I'm following this with great interest as I have the pair, 195 / 196,
Garmins that reside on the yokes in Fat Albert...
Both databases need their annual refresh... It will cost $70 for the
196 to get the terrain and latest flight data, and $35 for the 195, for
$135 total...

Both the 195/196 screens do poorly in certain lighting situations -
which is annoying but not the end of the world...
The 296 looks good and is offered for $1495..

I can get <probably> $200 by selling the 195... So, $1495 - $200 + $70
(upgrade 196) = $1365

Or, I can get <what?> $500 for the 196, so $1495 - $500 + $35 (195
upgrade) = $1030


denny

[Shirley D.]

Tried my 296 yesterday on a 3-leg, 1.5-hr flight around the area. We
were at 3500 feet MSL. It would draw the route, but shortly thereafter,
it would lose satellite reception. Did this 5 times. Finally gave up.
The airplane GPS worked fine the whole way.

Anyone else experience that with their 296? Antenna was up, simulation
mode was off, etc. I'm just learning how to use it and have no prior GPS
experience. Is this common?

??

[kage]

You have to use the suction cup antenna and mount it high on the front
window.

K

"Shirley D." > wrote in message
...
> Tried my 296 yesterday on a 3-leg, 1.5-hr flight around the area. We
> were at 3500 feet MSL. It would draw the route, but shortly thereafter,
> it would lose satellite reception. Did this 5 times. Finally gave up.
> The airplane GPS worked fine the whole way.
>
> Anyone else experience that with their 296? Antenna was up, simulation
> mode was off, etc. I'm just learning how to use it and have no prior GPS
> experience. Is this common?
>
> ??

[Cockpit Colin]

I always use the suction cup antenna, but I don't bother sticking it on - I
just slide it all the way down the dash until it hits the screen. I usually
have around 9 sats in view - and my understanding is that NZ isn't quite as
well covered as some areas.

I've never had a reception issue with either the 295 or 296 this way





"kage" > wrote in message
...
> You have to use the suction cup antenna and mount it high on the front
> window.
>
> K
>
> "Shirley D." > wrote in message
> ...
> > Tried my 296 yesterday on a 3-leg, 1.5-hr flight around the area. We
> > were at 3500 feet MSL. It would draw the route, but shortly thereafter,
> > it would lose satellite reception. Did this 5 times. Finally gave up.
> > The airplane GPS worked fine the whole way.
> >
> > Anyone else experience that with their 296? Antenna was up, simulation
> > mode was off, etc. I'm just learning how to use it and have no prior GPS
> > experience. Is this common?
> >
> > ??
>
>

[Ekim]

Ok, speaking of suction cup antennas for the 296...

Am I the only one who can't figure out how to "unsuck" the suction cups
from the windshield?? Everytime I try to take the thing down, I end up
yanking the two small suction cups right off the bracket and scraping
my thumb nail cuticle trying to pop the larger suction cup!! I'm better
off with duct tape!



kage wrote:
> You have to use the suction cup antenna and mount it high on the
front
> window.

[aluckyguess]

Funny you bring this up, until a couple of weeks I never had to use my
external antenna. I have started to lose satelite reception traveling on a
northerly heading. I was thinking they were working on some of the
sateliltes.

"Ekim" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Ok, speaking of suction cup antennas for the 296...
>
> Am I the only one who can't figure out how to "unsuck" the suction cups
> from the windshield?? Everytime I try to take the thing down, I end up
> yanking the two small suction cups right off the bracket and scraping
> my thumb nail cuticle trying to pop the larger suction cup!! I'm better
> off with duct tape!
>
>
>
> kage wrote:
>> You have to use the suction cup antenna and mount it high on the
> front
>> window.
>

[Dave Butler]

Denny wrote:
> I'm following this with great interest as I have the pair, 195 / 196,
> Garmins that reside on the yokes in Fat Albert...
> Both databases need their annual refresh... It will cost $70 for the
> 196 to get the terrain and latest flight data, and $35 for the 195, for
> $135 total...

Unless you do a lot of low-and-slow, skip the obstacle database and buy another
$35 worth of avgas. My advice, worth what you paid.

Dave

[Cub Driver]

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005 16:25:37 -0600, Don Hammer > wrote:

>I have a 296 and think it's great. The screen is reflective and looks
>good in bright sun.

I find it's rather washed out, compared to my old Garmin III Plus
grayscale. To be sure, I fly a Cub glazed as an L-4, or more light
than most cockpits.

I have not been happy with the 296. It picks up radio interference,
which the III Plus did not, and it's a lot heavier, with the result
that I have yet to find a solid mount for it.

On the plus side (as it were), the 296 is easier to use despite having
many more features. The terrain screen is awesome for a low flyer like
myself, and the virtual panel is a reassuring backup, since I have no
IFR instruments in the Cub.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

[Cub Driver]

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 06:46:19 -0700, "Shirley D."
> wrote:

> Is this common?

No, you should almost never lose signal. It happened a lot on my first
GPS, which I inherited from my daughter, but never on its successor
Garmin III Plus and never on the 296.



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net