Handheld GPS adaptible to aviation

Hi, I'm a PP-ASEL student. Although the rental planes at my club have
pretty good nav equipment, I'm hoping to supplement them with a
handheld GPS that isn't expensive.

Mostly, I'm of the "your chart isn't going to lie to you" school of
pilotage and frugality. But your chart also doesn't tell you where you
are or what direction you're headed. So, I'd like to use an
inexpensive GPS with very basic mapping capability as a supplement to
VOR navigation for VFR.

Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd ideally like is
rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map (cities, highways,
shoreline, other topographic features) that has available software to
create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids to supplement
the base map.

Anyone using something like that?

BTW, I am familiar with Brian Wade's excellent database for the
Magellan 315. But that's not a mapping unit. I'm trying to do
something similar but with a low-end mapping GPS.

Thanks

I think color is important, but I was just given a birthday
present, quite unexpected [the present, the b'day was
expected] of a Magellan Meridian Gold with a monochrome
display. It seems adequate and has a pretty good database
that includes airports. There is no terrain unless you buy
a detailed map database. It will work up to 951 mph and
17,500 meters.
Programming is not something I'd want to do in-flight unless
I had lots of time. I think my son bought it at Wal-Mart
for about $200. It runs 14 hours on 2 AA batteries if you
don't use the light.

I told him I wanted the Garmin 396, it's only $2500.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


wrote in message
oups.com...
| Hi, I'm a PP-ASEL student. Although the rental planes at
my club have
| pretty good nav equipment, I'm hoping to supplement them
with a
| handheld GPS that isn't expensive.
|
| Mostly, I'm of the "your chart isn't going to lie to you"
school of
| pilotage and frugality. But your chart also doesn't tell
you where you
| are or what direction you're headed. So, I'd like to use
an
| inexpensive GPS with very basic mapping capability as a
supplement to
| VOR navigation for VFR.
|
| Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd
ideally like is
| rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map (cities,
highways,
| shoreline, other topographic features) that has available
software to
| create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids to
supplement
| the base map.
|
| Anyone using something like that?
|
| BTW, I am familiar with Brian Wade's excellent database
for the
| Magellan 315. But that's not a mapping unit. I'm trying
to do
| something similar but with a low-end mapping GPS.
|
| Thanks
|

If you are looking for something loo cost, consider buying a PDA with a
CF slot and just running something like PocketFMS (its free). You could
also buy a $15 copy of MS streets for it for use in the car too.

-Robert

wrote:

Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd ideally like is
rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map (cities, highways,
shoreline, other topographic features) that has available software to
create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids to supplement
the base map.

The Garmin eTrex Legend is a small handheld that includes a reasonable
basemap (roughly the level of detail as state highway maps) and has a
PC interface cable for use with a wide variety of available software,
much of it free. It'll let you load in up to 1000 waypoints at a time.
Retails for around $140.

Just a follow-up, the Magellan Meridian Gold does have a
GOTO button and an airport list in the database. You can
select from airports nearest to your position with just a
few button pushes. I think most hand-helds will do this,
try them out to see what they'll do and how you like them.
They also have car power cigarette plugs available so you
can work as long as you need to and keep the batteries full.

But unless you buy an aviation unit, you won't have MOA, TFR
and other "bad" places, so you'll need to have that current
sectional and FSS brief data to stay out of the F-16
gunsights.

I think both Magellan and Garmin have downloadable SDK
programming instructions, you might be able to create the
NAVAID database, airports are included in the basic LAND map
on the units.


"peter" wrote in message
ups.com...
| wrote:
|
| Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd
ideally like is
| rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map
(cities, highways,
| shoreline, other topographic features) that has
available software to
| create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids
to supplement
| the base map.
|
| The Garmin eTrex Legend is a small handheld that includes
a reasonable
| basemap (roughly the level of detail as state highway
maps) and has a
| PC interface cable for use with a wide variety of
available software,
| much of it free. It'll let you load in up to 1000
waypoints at a time.
| Retails for around $140.
|

As a student you need to concentrate on your own navigation and flying
skills using the standard instruments. After you are out on your own
with a PPL, you can begin to use a GPS.


wrote:
Hi, I'm a PP-ASEL student. Although the rental planes at my club have
pretty good nav equipment, I'm hoping to supplement them with a
handheld GPS that isn't expensive.

Mostly, I'm of the "your chart isn't going to lie to you" school of
pilotage and frugality. But your chart also doesn't tell you where you
are or what direction you're headed. So, I'd like to use an
inexpensive GPS with very basic mapping capability as a supplement to
VOR navigation for VFR.

Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd ideally like is
rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map (cities, highways,
shoreline, other topographic features) that has available software to
create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids to supplement
the base map.

Anyone using something like that?

BTW, I am familiar with Brian Wade's excellent database for the
Magellan 315. But that's not a mapping unit. I'm trying to do
something similar but with a low-end mapping GPS.

Thanks

I agree to that. In dense airspace with lots of traffic,
military and civilian, Class B and C and TFRs, use all you
can that is helpful, but a cobbled together land unit will
just be a distraction and a toy.
A good sectional and pre-flight planning an proper pilotage
will keep you out of trouble. Besides, sigh seeing is the
reason for flying, isn't it?


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Stubby" wrote in
message ...
| As a student you need to concentrate on your own
navigation and flying
| skills using the standard instruments. After you are out
on your own
| with a PPL, you can begin to use a GPS.
|
|
| wrote:
| Hi, I'm a PP-ASEL student. Although the rental planes
at my club have
| pretty good nav equipment, I'm hoping to supplement them
with a
| handheld GPS that isn't expensive.
|
| Mostly, I'm of the "your chart isn't going to lie to
you" school of
| pilotage and frugality. But your chart also doesn't
tell you where you
| are or what direction you're headed. So, I'd like to
use an
| inexpensive GPS with very basic mapping capability as a
supplement to
| VOR navigation for VFR.
|
| Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd
ideally like is
| rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map
(cities, highways,
| shoreline, other topographic features) that has
available software to
| create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids
to supplement
| the base map.
|
| Anyone using something like that?
|
| BTW, I am familiar with Brian Wade's excellent database
for the
| Magellan 315. But that's not a mapping unit. I'm
trying to do
| something similar but with a low-end mapping GPS.
|
| Thanks
|

I second the recommendation for PocketPC and PocketFMS. Inexpensive,
lots of options and in color. However, there is no guarantee for
currency of charts and reliability, so it is meant as a backup unit
only.

Everything except the windows and a chart is just an aid to
navigation.



--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


wrote in message
oups.com...
| As a student you need to concentrate on your own
navigation and flying
| skills using the standard instruments. After you are out
on your own
| with a PPL, you can begin to use a GPS
|
| Right on, Stubby. Reminds me of a PPL student I had years
ago when I
| was actively instructing - he'd gotten a Garmin handheld
from his wife
| as a gift when he started taking lessons. The very first
time we got
| into the plane I saw him pull it out and start to set it
up, and when I
| asked what he was doing his answer was "I figured we'd
need this to
| navigate". To which I responded that he'd need to learn to
fly the
| plane first before navigating became an issue. After that
the GPS
| stayed in his flight bag. Gotta get the basics down first,
(pilotage
| being one of them) as I doubt DEs would even allow a GPS
to be used on
| a PPL checkride. And, like Jim said, it's just another
distraction if
| you're fidgeting with it too much.
|

In a previous article, said:
Aviation GPS's need periodic map updates. So what I'd ideally like is
rather low-end land/marine unit with a basic map (cities, highways,
shoreline, other topographic features) that has available software to
create my own waypoint database of airports and navaids to supplement
the base map.

Anyone using something like that?

Take a look at EasyGPS.com - it will tell you what GPSes will accept a
load of data from a GPX format file. Then you can generate GPX format
files from my web site, http://navaid.com/GPX/ - I update the data on that
site every 28 days from DAFIF data and every 56 days from FAA data.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"If something's expensive to develop, and somebody's not going to get paid, it
won't get developed. So you decide: Do you want software to be written, or
not?" - Bill Gates doesn't foresee the FSF or Linux, 1980.