New Garmin 396

So... just got an email from Sportys about the new Garmin GPSMAP 396.

It looks pretty cool! A handheld with weather and terrain!

Also interesting are the interface features to get TIS from a GTX330
and to be able to change channels on an SL30. This could make the 396
an interesting cheapie option with almost all the functionality minus
IFR cert. for people with their own A/C and don't want to plonk down
the cash for a 430/530 installation. Hmm.

I wonder, though, will it really be able to download from the
satellites with the little antenna? I currently own a 196 and with the
built-in antenna it often has a hard time getting a lock on the GPS. I
might guess that the requirements to download the weather data (which
is a lot more data than GPS) would be higher.

$2,500 for a handheld GPS is a lot, though. Their are PDA solutions
that already do most of this stuff, albeit with a lot more wires around
the cockpit. As a renter, I think the compactness of this solution is
attractive. Heck, if they added an AI feature with an electronic gyro
that was built into the cigarette lighter plug (and thereby strapped
down apon being plugged in) (or something simple like that) I think I'd
buy it for $1k more.

Ah, but alas, products like this make me yearn for IFR approaches in a
handheld. If only....

-- dave j