You should probably just stay with your 195 or upgrade to the 396. There
really isn't any advantage to adding the 300 at this point. Unless you
are willing to dump many thousands into upgrading your panel you already
have a way to navigate and it isn't costing you anything.

You mentioned about eventually going IFR. If that is true it would be
more cost effective to sell the current plane and buy one that already
had the IFR panel in it. My wild-ass-guess would be that it would cost
you upwards of fifty grand to add all the necessary equipment to your
current bird to make it IFR capable. Maybe not that much but it would be
an expensive venture for sure.

Reguardless on what you end up doing, good luck to you.

Jon Kraus
'79 Mooney 201
4443H @ TYQ

wrote:
Thanks for the perspective on the 430. I know that the full IFR
installation on the 300 is a lot more complex, however I'm just looking
at VFR capability right now. The plane (a 50s vintage warbird) has zero
navigation equipment installed other than a Garmin 195 handheld (no
VORs, no ADF, and old electric gyros with no vacuum system)

I'm a long ways from an IFR capable panel, but I'd rather get a GPS
that could eventually be used IFR vs one that would definitely have to
be replaced at that point.

It looks like there is about a $3K difference in fully installed prices
(for VFR capability) between the 2 boxes, but I'm trying to confirm
that.

Thanks,
Eric