GPS Longevity

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:37:56 -0600, "Dan Luke"
wrote:


"Steve Foley" wrote:


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 bought a Garmin Pilot III ten years ago and sold it a couple of years
later.

The guy that bought it is still using it.

I'm still using my garmin 2 plus.
Stealth Pilot

Kyle Boatright wrote:


Which brings to mind the question of how long of a service life do most of
you experience on your handheld GPS's? 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?


My first GPS was also a Trimble Flightmate. I'd probably still be using
it today, but it got stolen back in the '90s. I replaced it with a Garmin
195 in 1999. I'm still using the 195 and Garmin still supports it. I'll
probably keep using it until it dies, or until I can no longer get database
updates for it. It really does everything I want, so I don't see any need to
go out and buy the latest and greatest thing on the market. I'd rather save
that cash for avgas and airplane parts.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)

--
Message posted via http://www.aviationkb.com

We're on our fifth GPS. We've flown with a:

- Magellan Nautical GPS (sold to a relative for fifty bucks)
- Lowrance Airmap 300 (Traded in for color.)
- AvMap EKP-IIIc (Sold on Ebay -- still the best GPS I've owned)
- Lowrance 2000C (On the pilot's yoke)
- Garmin 496 (Panel-docked in an AirGizmo)

I got rid of the Airmap 300 when Lowrance stopped supporting it. All were
working when we sold them.

As far as durability goes, when you add up how seldom an aviation GPS is
actually used (compared to, say, an automotive unit), they should never
fail.

By the way, does anyone have information about Lowrance putting out an XM
product? At SnF last year, someone who was in a position to know
indicated that Lowrance would probably have an XM aviation GPS available
this year.

Lowrance (and AvMap) have been saying this since the very first day Garmin
announced XM weather, in an effort to bolster their sales.

Their promises have been hollow thus far.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:Fodkj.41720$Ux2.23390@attbi_s22:

We're on our fifth GPS. We've flown with a:

Not on my first yet.


Bertie

On Jan 16, 8:13*pm, "Kyle Boatright" wrote:
Which brings to mind the question of how long of a service life do most of
you experience on your handheldGPS's? *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?

Our Lowrance Airmap 1000 stopped working today after about 3 years
of frequent usage (~ 250 hrs/year). It had been working fine.
During a flight today, the screen just went blank. We thought
something was wrong with the power plug which drained the internal
batteries.
Coming home, we recharged the batteries and still could not power
it up. I put in a fresh set of batteries but the unit still as dead as
a door knob. Will call Lowrance Service center tomorrow.
The hand-held GPS has become an indispensable cross-country piece
of equipment for us. For navigation, we use all available sources of
information, charts, VORs, pilotage, dead reckoning etc. but the GPS
gives the most precise information.
I had planned to get a second GPS unit for a while and was hoping
to get either the AvMap or Lowrance with XM-weather. The AvMap rep
at the last AOPA expo claimed that their unit would be ready by Xmas
but it appeared they would introduce it at SnF. I saw an online ad
from one of the avionic store stating that XM weather would be
available soon. Last October, the Lowrance rep told me that they were
a bit behind AvMap but was planning for SnF.
Of course, it is much easier just to get the Garmin 396 or 496 but
I much prefer a larger screen. So if Lowrance does not come up with an
XM weather capable GPS next month, I will most likely get the AvMap.
I still plan to get the Lowrance Airmap 1000 fixed. If the repair
cost is more than the cost of a new unit, I may ask Lowrance for trade-
in credits.

Hai Longworth

Of course, it is much easier just to get the Garmin 396 or 496 but
I much prefer a larger screen. So if Lowrance does not come up with an
XM weather capable GPS next month, I will most likely get the AvMap.

Good plan. Although having XM weather on board has been fantastic, and (in
the two years we've flown with it on-board) weather has made our flying MUCH
safer, I often regret buying the 496.

The 496 has an undersized screen, with poor readability (compared to the
competition), a slow processor that drives us nuts, and it cost as much as
my Toyota pickup truck. It's actually a much better "entertainment center"
(with XM radio) than it is a good GPS, which is why we rely on our Lowrance
2000c as our primary navigator in flight.

Not that the 496 doesn't have nice features. The AOPA data is quite useful,
and the airport diagrams are great. But the underlying design of the unit
itself is inferior to the competition, and the price is just stupidly high.
If I didn't have on-board weather yet, I'd either wait for Garmin to fix the
flaws in the 496, or I'd wait for Lowrance and AvMap to *finally* mount the
weather horse.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:kaLyj.59040$yE1.36721@attbi_s21:

Of course, it is much easier just to get the Garmin 396 or 496 but
I much prefer a larger screen. So if Lowrance does not come up with an
XM weather capable GPS next month, I will most likely get the AvMap.

Good plan. Although having XM weather on board has been fantastic,
and (in the two years we've flown with it on-board) weather has made
our flying MUCH safer, I often regret buying the 496.

The 496 has an undersized screen, with poor readability (compared to
the competition), a slow processor that drives us nuts, and it cost as
much as my Toyota pickup truck. It's actually a much better
"entertainment center" (with XM radio) than it is a good GPS, which is
why we rely on our Lowrance 2000c as our primary navigator in flight.

Not that the 496 doesn't have nice features. The AOPA data is quite
useful, and the airport diagrams are great. But the underlying design
of the unit itself is inferior to the competition, and the price is
just stupidly high. If I didn't have on-board weather yet, I'd either
wait for Garmin to fix the flaws in the 496, or I'd wait for Lowrance
and AvMap to *finally* mount the weather horse.

God grief, do you ever look out the window?


Bertie

On Mar 3, 5:47 am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote innews:kaLyj.59040$yE1.36721@attbi_s21:



Of course, it is much easier just to get the Garmin 396 or 496 but
I much prefer a larger screen. So if Lowrance does not come up with an
XM weather capable GPS next month, I will most likely get the AvMap.

Good plan. Although having XM weather on board has been fantastic,
and (in the two years we've flown with it on-board) weather has made
our flying MUCH safer, I often regret buying the 496.

The 496 has an undersized screen, with poor readability (compared to
the competition), a slow processor that drives us nuts, and it cost as
much as my Toyota pickup truck. It's actually a much better
"entertainment center" (with XM radio) than it is a good GPS, which is
why we rely on our Lowrance 2000c as our primary navigator in flight.

Not that the 496 doesn't have nice features. The AOPA data is quite
useful, and the airport diagrams are great. But the underlying design
of the unit itself is inferior to the competition, and the price is
just stupidly high. If I didn't have on-board weather yet, I'd either
wait for Garmin to fix the flaws in the 496, or I'd wait for Lowrance
and AvMap to *finally* mount the weather horse.

God grief, do you ever look out the window?

Bertie

What's there to see? He's flying over Iowa....

" wrote in
:

On Mar 3, 5:47 am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote
innews:kaLyj.59040$yE1.36721@attbi_s21:



Of course, it is much easier just to get the Garmin 396 or 496
but
I much prefer a larger screen. So if Lowrance does not come up with
an XM weather capable GPS next month, I will most likely get the
AvMap.

Good plan. Although having XM weather on board has been fantastic,
and (in the two years we've flown with it on-board) weather has
made our flying MUCH safer, I often regret buying the 496.

The 496 has an undersized screen, with poor readability (compared
to the competition), a slow processor that drives us nuts, and it
cost as much as my Toyota pickup truck. It's actually a much
better "entertainment center" (with XM radio) than it is a good
GPS, which is why we rely on our Lowrance 2000c as our primary
navigator in flight.

Not that the 496 doesn't have nice features. The AOPA data is
quite useful, and the airport diagrams are great. But the
underlying design of the unit itself is inferior to the
competition, and the price is just stupidly high. If I didn't have
on-board weather yet, I'd either wait for Garmin to fix the flaws
in the 496, or I'd wait for Lowrance and AvMap to *finally* mount
the weather horse.

God grief, do you ever look out the window?

Bertie

What's there to see? He's flying over Iowa....


Well, another airplane maybe!


Bertie

On 2008-03-03, wrote:
What's there to see? He's flying over Iowa....

"Mississippi River...Davenport...Corn corn corn corn corn..."
-- Heywood Banks, "Interstate 80 Iowa"

(At least at cruise altitude, the "what's that smell?" isn't as much of an
issue.)
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390