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Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 1st 06, 03:39 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Jay Honeck
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Posts: 3,573
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

Okay, so it's not quite aviation related, but we DID use the 496's
capability today to navigate by road to Blakesburg -- the annual AAA
(Antique Aircraft Association) fly-in. (Which was fantastic, by the
way. It runs through the weekend, so I urge you to check it out!)

This morning we were considering flying into Blakesburg, but the
thought of flying our spam can into that exclusive (members only)
fly-in was a bit too daunting for either of us. And, since Blakesburg
is less than 2 hours away from Iowa City, it seemed like a great reason
to drop the rag top on the Mustang and do a little road trip!

First, let me tell you that Blakesburg is absolutely the most rural
area in Iowa, which itself is one of the most rural areas in America.
We're talking lots of gravel roads, farms -- and not much else. This
would be a difficult test for ANY GPS, let alone one that purports to
do triple duty (aviation, marine, and driving).

So, sitting in my driveway, I first found Blakesburg's Antique Airfield
in the aviation side of the 496's database. Being a private strip, this
would not have been found in the 396's database -- so chalk one up to
the new 496.

Once I found the airport, I switched over to the driving mode, and told
the unit that I wanted the "Shortest Route" (as opposed to the fastest)
to Antique Airfield. Within 15 seconds, it had the course loaded, and
off we went.

The unit is amazing. Garmin put the speaker (for audible commands) in
the cigar lighter cord, which, at first, seemed counter-intuitive.
However, we soon discovered that this location enabled them to make the
speaker big enough to be LOUD, and also enabled them to keep the 496's
dimensions small. We were driving with the top down, at highway
speeds, and the voice commands were plenty loud enough to be easily
heard over the wind noise. Chalk up number 2 for the 496.

Other than routing us into some road construction (which we could have
hit anyway), the route the 496 selected was awesome! It was completely
different than what we would have chosen using a standard road map, but
it was very scenic, interesting, and quick. One amazing thing we found
about the 496 was that if you don't like a road that it has selected
(because, for example, it's gravel) -- just drive right past it.
Within seconds the unit has recalculated your route to your
destination, using your new current location, and audibly TELLS YOU
where to go! Chalk up number 3 for the 496.

We were quite pleased (and surprised) with the ease and accuracy of
navigating to such an out-of-the-way location. On our way home this
evening, we decided to test the database further, and let the unit
select a place for us to eat in Sigourney, IA -- a little town of maybe
1000 people.

Within seconds of selecting "nearest food", we had directions to the
three restaurants in town. We selected one, and drove right to it, no
muss, no fuss. The food was awesome, the prices reasonable -- and
after dinner, we simply turned the unit back on and it remembered where
we were going, where we were, and recalculated a new route back to our
original course. Chalk up number 4 for the 496.

The unit comes with a remote mount that has a "sand bag" on the bottom
(like the old "bean bag" ash trays of yore) that conforms to anything
is sets on. This enables the unit to simply sit up on the dash board,
and not move even when I did some fairly spirited twisties in the
Mustang. Again, we were most pleased with the way the unit performed,
and will be using it on all future driving trips, for sure.

Actually, to be honest, I am far more impressed with the 496 in driving
mode than in aviation mode. In aviation mode, our Lowance and AvMap
GPS's were equal or superior to the 496 -- in the driving mode, nothing
comes close. (And, of course, with regards to weather capability, the
496 is *it* -- there is no competition.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

  #2  
Old September 1st 06, 05:06 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Peter R.
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Posts: 1,045
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

Jay Honeck wrote:

Okay, so it's not quite aviation related, but we DID use the 496's
capability today to navigate by road to Blakesburg -- the annual AAA
(Antique Aircraft Association) fly-in.

snip

Jay, is there a service that provides periodic updates to the 496's road
and food service database? If so, how is this done and what does this
cost?

--
Peter
  #3  
Old September 1st 06, 08:10 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Jay Honeck
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,573
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

Okay, so it's not quite aviation related, but we DID use the 496's
capability today to navigate by road to Blakesburg -- the annual AAA
(Antique Aircraft Association) fly-in.

snip

Jay, is there a service that provides periodic updates to the 496's road
and food service database? If so, how is this done and what does this
cost?


I'm not sure, but I presume that is updated at the same time that you
purchase the Jeppesen updates?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

  #4  
Old September 1st 06, 08:23 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Aluckyguess[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 35
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

I just put my order in for one. Anyone need a 296?



  #5  
Old September 1st 06, 08:44 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Jim Macklin
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Posts: 2,070
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap496/

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
| Okay, so it's not quite aviation related, but we DID
use the 496's
| capability today to navigate by road to Blakesburg --
the annual AAA
| (Antique Aircraft Association) fly-in.
| snip
|
| Jay, is there a service that provides periodic updates
to the 496's road
| and food service database? If so, how is this done and
what does this
| cost?
|
| I'm not sure, but I presume that is updated at the same
time that you
| purchase the Jeppesen updates?
| --
| Jay Honeck
| Iowa City, IA
| Pathfinder N56993
| www.AlexisParkInn.com
| "Your Aviation Destination"
|


  #6  
Old September 2nd 06, 12:57 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
peter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 28
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

Jay Honeck wrote:
Okay, so it's not quite aviation related, but we DID use the 496's
capability today to navigate by road to Blakesburg -- the annual AAA
(Antique Aircraft Association) fly-in.

snip

Jay, is there a service that provides periodic updates to the 496's road
and food service database? If so, how is this done and what does this
cost?


I'm not sure, but I presume that is updated at the same time that you
purchase the Jeppesen updates?


The street maps and businesses/etc. (called POIs) are part of Garmin's
CityNavigator software. Updates come out annualy each summer and
currently cost $75. Garmin gets the street data from NavTeq which also
supplies most of the other automotive navigation makers.

  #7  
Old September 2nd 06, 01:42 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Dan Luke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 678
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving


"Jay Honeck" wrote:

Again, we were most pleased with the way the unit performed,
and will be using it on all future driving trips, for sure.


It is definitely superior to the 396. I use mine in the car any time I'm
going somewhere I've never been.

Have you got a replacement antenna from Garmin yet?

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


  #8  
Old September 2nd 06, 02:22 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Jay Honeck
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,573
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

Have you got a replacement antenna from Garmin yet?

If that question was for me, my antenna was (and is) fine.

If not, "never mind..."

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

  #9  
Old September 2nd 06, 02:57 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Bob Noel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,374
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

In article ,
"Aluckyguess" wrote:

I just put my order in for one. Anyone need a 296?


hmmmm, maybe now is the time to consider a GPS...

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

  #10  
Old September 2nd 06, 02:59 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Jonathan Goodish
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 190
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

In article ,
"Dan Luke" wrote:
Again, we were most pleased with the way the unit performed,
and will be using it on all future driving trips, for sure.


It is definitely superior to the 396. I use mine in the car any time I'm
going somewhere I've never been.


As far as I know, the automotive features are identical between the 396
and 496, so I'm not sure what is "superior" about the 496 in this
regard, except that the 496 has the map data preloaded.

I have noticed that while private airports may not appear in the 396
aviation data, they sometimes appear on the auto side (Navteq data),
along with airports that have long ago disappeared.


JKG
 




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