Recently, Allen posted:

"Steve Foley" wrote in message
news:68Ijj.10440$ac7.7748@trndny03...
"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
. ..
Do you usually retire them because someone has marketed a better
mousetrap, because the unit is unsupported, or because the unit no
longer works properly?

I vote for no longer works properly.

I bought a Garmin Pilot III back around 2001 from someone who had
upgraded to a 295. The screen started losing lines and now is
unreadable (It's even worse since I opened it and tried to fix it).

I'll probably look around for a lightly used 295. There's a
manufacturing defect in the Pilot III's that made all of the screens
shrink. They were perfectly usable ten years ago, now they're all
too small


If I were you I would look for a 296. The 295 does not have a
built-in ability to charge the batteries. If you lose the ship's
electrical power you have only the remaining battery life. The 296
will charge the batteries while in use; if you lose the ship's power
you should still have fully charged batteries.

I have a 295 and that is the only drawback between the two. I use
ni-cads and have to remember to charge them between use.

I also have a 295, and use Li-ions with it. I haven't been inconvenienced
by the lack of charging, but as I fly club planes I don't leave the unit
in it anyway. I get about 3-4 hours on a charge, and the Li-ions retain
their charge during non-use better than Ni-Cads. For long XC, I carry an
extra set but still run the unit on the ship's power.

Hope this helps some...

Neil