Any opinions on the Garmin GNS 480 ! ! ! !

[RonLee]

I am thinking seriously about getting one and need opinions to (try
and) change my mind.

[Juan Jimenez]

"RonLee" > wrote in message
...
>I am thinking seriously about getting one and need opinions to (try
> and) change my mind.

The primary difference between the 530 and the 480 (other than cost) is that
the 480 allows you to fly precision GPS/WAAS approaches. The 430/530, as far
as I know, is only certified for IFR enroute navigation using GPS. If you
have a need for what the 480 can do then buy it, but if you don't, then the
430 or 530 would save you plenty of money (last I heard the 480's were
priced at something like $11,000 without installation...)

Juan

[Frank Stutzman]

Juan Jimenez > wrote:

> The primary difference between the 530 and the 480 (other than cost) is that
> the 480 allows you to fly precision GPS/WAAS approaches. The 430/530, as far
> as I know, is only certified for IFR enroute navigation using GPS. If you
> have a need for what the 480 can do then buy it, but if you don't, then the
> 430 or 530 would save you plenty of money (last I heard the 480's were
> priced at something like $11,000 without installation...)

Wuf. Maybe what you said isn't what you ment, Jaun.

The 430/530 are certainly certified for approaches. Now they are not WAAS
capable yet, but is supposed to get it sometime in the next calendar year
(don't bet on it though, Garmin is as bad as Microsoft when it comes to
vaporware).



--
Frank Stutzman
Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
Hood River, OR

[[email protected]]

why would i want to change your mind, that unit is awsome, i installed
several of them, the only problem with them is trying to figure out how
you want to configure it, there like a gazillion different posibilitis,

[Juan Jimenez]

Umm... I thought that's what I said. You can do approaches with the 530/430,
but you can't fly any of the new WAAS precision approaches, so unless you're
using an ILS, it's not nearly the same thing. That was the 480's biggest
selling point when UPS announced it.

"Frank Stutzman" > wrote in message
...
> Juan Jimenez > wrote:
>
>> The primary difference between the 530 and the 480 (other than cost) is
>> that
>> the 480 allows you to fly precision GPS/WAAS approaches. The 430/530, as
>> far
>> as I know, is only certified for IFR enroute navigation using GPS. If you
>> have a need for what the 480 can do then buy it, but if you don't, then
>> the
>> 430 or 530 would save you plenty of money (last I heard the 480's were
>> priced at something like $11,000 without installation...)
>
> Wuf. Maybe what you said isn't what you ment, Jaun.
>
> The 430/530 are certainly certified for approaches. Now they are not WAAS
> capable yet, but is supposed to get it sometime in the next calendar year
> (don't bet on it though, Garmin is as bad as Microsoft when it comes to
> vaporware).
>
>
>
> --
> Frank Stutzman
> Bonanza N494B "Hula Girl"
> Hood River, OR
>

[Juan Jimenez]

"Richard Riley" > wrote in message
...
>
> In what universe? More like $8k without installation, if you look
> hard. Aircraft Spruce has it for $8700. My favorite avionics guy
> will sell me a 530 for $9700. $11k WITH installation in a certified
> airplane, I could see.

The initial price for the CNS-480 from UPS was approx. $11,000 without
installation. If Garmin changed the price, more power to them.

> You don't need to be WAAS certified for approaches.

You're correct if all you need is non-precision GPS approach capability, but
not if you want to do precision gamma 3 approaches. If not, IMO there's no
reason to spend the extra money for a 480... You are correct in that I
should have said the 530/430 is approach certified. However, IMO the 480
raised the bar to the point where just saying you're approach certified is
not enough.