Hi,
I got the airmap 500 a few months ago. I bought it off ebay from JAAir in
the low $400 range.

What I like about the Airmap 500 is the size and the map software included.
I am able to use it
as a rudimentary street mapping GPS on the ground. It doesn't have any
driving directions capability,
but it does have a nice database of things nearby you. (restaurants,
campgrounds, etc.). It is small
enough for taking with hiking in a shirt pocket.

Enough about that; now the aviation aspect.
I previosly owned a Garmin GPS 90. I have a friend that has a Garmin 196 and
I have used that, and
I would say they don't compare well. The Garmin is much better. (at a cost
of course)

I find that the 500 will "lock in" quite well sitting on my lap without
using the (included) external antenna.
I've tried using the yoke mount, but find it much more convenient to have in
on my lap. The screen size
is adequate, but of course larger would be better. My biggest grip is that I
find it cumbersome to change
the map settings. For instance, if I'm in a mode that is showing a lot of
street detail, I must go through a
menu selection process that takes a few too many button pushes. A declutter
feature would be very
useful.

A note on database upgrades: they have been promising for some time the
ability to download a
database update. So far they haven't come through. I keep emailing them, and
they say it's coming
soon. I would like to be able to get the aviation database on a larger SD
card, so it can co-exist with
my other maps. Changing the card is a little cumbersome.

I would conclude that I am happy with the unit at that price point.

Have you downloaded the demo program from Lowrance? It will give you a good
idea of their
menuing scheme.

I'd be glad to answer any more questions about my experiences.
Jeff Barber



Anybody has any other suggestion ? Any personal review about the airmap
500
?


Thanks in advance for your help .