Also consider getting a GX55 moving map gps with a altitude serializer if
indeed you have a Flybuddy 800 only and can not use a data card.


I have the 800 Plus with the card, and last year wanted to get a GX55
when they were so cheap, but the FSDO down here would not approve
installation by any A&P/IA on a 337 follow-on appoval, not even this
dirt-simple slide-in box swap / antenna swap for VFR-only operation
unless it was done by one of the certificated repair stations in the
area, all of whom refused to install any unit not sold by them. Of
course they all wanted about a thousand dollars mark-up over what you
could buy one for online. Now the purchase price is back up to around
$2700, and this unit is simply not worth that much. It's only
certifiable for IFR enroute ops, no approach and for that price range
you can get a rebuilt Garmin or King unit that is approach
certifiable. Probably the thing to do these days if you have a small,
simple plane is just to rip out the old Loran once it truly becomes
dead weight, and subtract it from your W&B and spend a grand on a
brand new GPS-196 instead. With the takeover of UPSAT by Garmin, I
would still be leary of buying any of the Apollo products anymore
(except the new CNX80), since the possibility that they will be
prematurely forced end-of-life still exists.