"John R. Copeland" wrote in news:_aYfd.57417
:

Subject: GPS 430 or 480?


John-
I've had a CNX-80 since July, and just got it back with the V 2.0
software, which turns it into a GNS-480 with VNAV. There is no comparison
with the other Garmins:
1. Yes, VNAV is huge... I can do LNAV/VNAV approaches to tons of places,
and LPV down to near ILS minimums to a few, with more added every month.
2. GNS-480 updates 5X/second vs once/sec for other GPS's. Once a second
doesn't hack it on VNAV approaches -- an aircraft can move 20' vertically
in a second before you get any indication... at 5fps you move only 4'.
Also, 5X/sec is fast enough that you can keep the plane upright if you lose
all your gyros - 1/sec is NOT.
3. Airways... they are NOT gone in the NE. From New Haven, Teteboro,
KSLK, etc., many times ATC has thrown FRC's with airways at me shortly
after take-off. With the GNS-480, it is a snap to handle this:
- Direct To the first waypoint
- All the airways from that waypoint are LISTED by the GNS-480 - you
just push a soft-key for the one you want.
- Then you choose from a list of waypoints ON THAT AIRWAY where you
want to get off. It is EASY!
Yes, you must invest some time learning the 480, but that's true with any
GPS. I found it mostly intuitive, with only a few things that made me
think twice - like why it SUSPENDS at the MAP. I guess that puzzeled
Garmin too, because in V 2.0 it no longer does that.

One more really neat featu it sizes holding patterns based on your
ground speed so you'll do 1 minute legs if you just follow the line!
--Sandy, Worthington OH