Question for GPS user's.
Pat Fitzsimmons
I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
Nav database? Thanks for your comments!
Pat Fitzsimmons
Stan March
Well Pat, if you'd like to own a panel mount GPS you're going to spend
between $4 and 7 THOUSAND bucks, for an IFR set. You can get a hand held
for much under a thousand, but it's certainly not IFR approved. As far
as VFR navigation goes, the FAR's don't really have any requirements for
electronic navigation, so anything goes. (What I mean by that is that you
are not required to have electronics to navigate VFR.... Don't want to
excite the Philadelphia lawyers out there).
Suggest you fly with VHF and NBA indicators like we all did years ago.
$600 bucks buys a lot of $100 hamburgers!
Stan
Jerry Bransford
Pat Fitzsimmons wrote:
>
> I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
> recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
> satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
> screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
> actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
> Nav database? Thanks for your comments!
Yep, the aviation database is definitely worth it!! Try figuring out
the latitudes and longitudes yourself for all your waypoints, looking up
the airport's lat/long and then having to key them all in when planning
a cross-country. Also, just having it show that you're at some latitude
and longitude is pretty useless when you're lost and trying to get to
your destination. At least you're proficient with VORs, etc!
--
Jerry Bransford
PP-ASEL, KC6TAY, C.A.P.
The Zen hotdog... make me one with everything!
Clayton L. Cranor
> Pat Fitzsimmons wrote:
> >
> > I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
> > recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
> > satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
> > screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
> > actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
> > Nav database? Thanks for your comments!
Besides the value of the aviation database, most of the units intended for
marine use update position much slower than the aviation ones do. This
results in a maximum speed of usually about 99 kt. Be sure to check this out
in the handbook before you buy it (unless you'll use it with your ultralight
with an average speed of 45mph!)
Clay
Trip Farmer
Pat,
It would depend on how many x-c's you do. If you stay within 50-100 nm
from home you could probably create your own waypoints, either from a
map by plugging lats & longs or by flying to an airport and saving the
exact waypoint.
If you need the capability to fly anywhere in the U.S., etc. then you
may want the database.
Trip
Gary T. Craze
Stan March wrote:
>
>
>
> Suggest you fly with VHF and NBA indicators like we all did years ago.
>
> $600 bucks buys a lot of $100 hamburgers!
>
> Stan
At what point in the future will we say "you oughta just use GPS like we
did back in the good old days!". I say, use the current technology.
I'm already getting worried about the accuracy and availability of VORs,
much less half of the NDBs that I try to tune in and get dead air.
As for GPS with database versus non-database, I'll be the first to admit
that I used a Trimble "marine" handheld with no database for a couple of
years, just plugging in my own waypoints. As I do more and more cross
countries from Houston to the San Antonio area to visit family, I'm
becoming more enamored with database-enabled, moving map handhelds to
help advise me of special use airspace (esp around San Antonio and down
to the Gulf!)
regards,
Gary
--
Gary T. Craze
Visit the HandHeld GPS and Moving Map InfoCenter at:
http://rampages.onramp.net/~gcraze/
Visit Compaq on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.compaq.com
Drop me an email at: gcr...@bangate.compaq.com
Compaq Computer Corp. Houston, TX
Technology Planning, Portable Division
|Comments are my own and do not reflect |
|those of Compaq Computer Corporation |
Dan Hinsley
You need to be careful about buying a non-aviation GPS. I've heard
that some of these will quit working if you are moving greater than
some fixed speed (such as 100mph), which would make it pretty useless
in an airplane (which I believe is the plan). Also, the moving map
display with airports, VOR's, etc. is pretty handy.
Dan
p...@p3.enzian.com (Pat Fitzsimmons) wrote:
>I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
>recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
>satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
>screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
>actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
>Nav database? Thanks for your comments!
>
>Pat Fitzsimmons
>
da...@frugal.com
"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is no relationship between theory and practice."
P A Williamson
In article <31A1D7...@bangate.compaq.com>, "Gary T. Craze"
<gcr...@bangate.compaq.com> wrote:
> Stan March wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Suggest you fly with VHF and NBA indicators like we all did years ago.
> >
> > $600 bucks buys a lot of $100 hamburgers!
> >
> > Stan
>
> At what point in the future will we say "you oughta just use GPS like we
> did back in the good old days!". I say, use the current technology.
> I'm already getting worried about the accuracy and availability of VORs,
> much less half of the NDBs that I try to tune in and get dead air.
Right on Gary!!!
Some of these guys crack me up with this "Just use blah blah blah, like we
did in the good ol' days". I wonder what got said when VOR's first came
out. Um, "Just use a magnetic compass like we all did years ago". What
about radios...don't need them. What about transponders...don't need them.
What about RADAR....what about anything NEW. I guess we don't need it.
Hell, why we're at it, what the heck do we need a powerplant for...back in
the "good ol' days" we just climbed up a hill and glided to where we
wanted to (try to) go.
I say "Screw the good ol days". This is 1996.....GPS IS THE FUTURE FOR
NAVIGATION. Get over it folks...This ain't the "good ol days" anymore. If
it was, I want that 25 cent per gallon gas I use to buy. I want that $5
per hour C-150 Aerobat I could rent back in 73 at our flying club too!
I say ANYTHING that makes navigation easier (read safer cause you spend
more time with the eyeballs outside) is worth looking at. Heck, if there
was such thing as a speaking sectional...I'd give it a try! :-)
Off soapbox :-)
F. Woodbridge
I recently bought the Skyblazer LT for $500 with tax. I really like the
features and think if it were possible for you, to buy it. The
Skyblazer XL is even better with graphics out of this world. The marine
GPS? Well, I would advise against it. The database *is* important. As
Scotty always said, "the rrright tools for the rrright job," or
something to that effect :)
F.
Stefan Hahn
Pat Fitzsimmons wrote:
>
> I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
> recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
> satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
> screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
> actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
> Nav database? Thanks for your comments!
>
> Pat Fitzsimmons
Be aware that the marine GPS are limited to display data only up to a
certain speed. I think it is something like 60 knots.
That means, if you don´t fly a J3C at stall speed it will (and is
intended to) be useless.
***sth***
Stan March
ph...@xplor.com (P A Williamson) wrote:
>
>In article <31A1D7...@bangate.compaq.com>, "Gary T. Craze"
><gcr...@bangate.compaq.com> wrote:
>
>> Stan March wrote:
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Suggest you fly with VHF and NBA indicators like we all did years
ago.
>> >
>> > $600 bucks buys a lot of $100 hamburgers!
>> >
>> > Stan
>>
>> At what point in the future will we say "you oughta just use GPS like
we
>> did back in the good old days!". I say, use the current technology.
>> I'm already getting worried about the accuracy and availability of
VORs,
>> much less half of the NDBs that I try to tune in and get dead air.
>
> Right on Gary!!!
Yeah, fly away with a MARINE GPS?
New technology? Guess you all didn't get the abbreviation "NBA" had
nothing to do with NDB'S? How about Needle Ball Airspeed? Like what
you're going to do when your vacuum pump takes a dive and there you are
with your illegal for any kind of navigation marine GPS in the clouds.
Perhaps you fly VFR only, so then you don't worry about this.
>
>Some of these guys crack me up with this "Just use blah blah blah, like
we
>did in the good ol' days". I wonder what got said when VOR's first
came
>out. Um, "Just use a magnetic compass like we all did years ago". What
>about radios...don't need them. What about transponders...don't need
them.
>What about RADAR....what about anything NEW. I guess we don't need it.
>Hell, why we're at it, what the heck do we need a powerplant for...back
in
>the "good ol' days" we just climbed up a hill and glided to where we
>wanted to (try to) go.
Well, I guess you haven't seen my panel in my 1978 Turbo Arrow III. It's
got NEW King 155's, both with glideslopes, Northstar GPS600 being
upgraded as we speak to a M3, WX900 stormscope to keep me out of trouble
when flying in IMC conditions (which I do a lot of). My only problem is
that Piper built a SMALL panel to put stuff into, and I have no room left
to put other New fangled gear into.
>
>I say "Screw the good ol days". This is 1996.....GPS IS THE FUTURE FOR
>NAVIGATION. Get over it folks...This ain't the "good ol days" anymore.
If
>it was, I want that 25 cent per gallon gas I use to buy. I want that $5
>per hour C-150 Aerobat I could rent back in 73 at our flying club too!
Yeah, and when YOU have a vacuum failure in IMC (you do fly IMC?), and
have your alternator give you the same belly up, I hope your GPS has a
long lasting Duracell! (and you are also current on partial panel). A
hand held GPS will not save your ass because it's new technology. Good
flying will, and that means NBA in my book. And that my friend, is OLD
technology.
I sincerely think you missed the entire message I was trying to convey to
someone who was going to use a hand held marine GPS to navigate in the
same sky I fly in. It's going to be (legally) useless, and perhaps
flying VFR to nice airport restaurants would be more rewarding.
>
>I say ANYTHING that makes navigation easier (read safer cause you spend
>more time with the eyeballs outside) is worth looking at. Heck, if
there
>was such thing as a speaking sectional...I'd give it a try! :-)
>
>Off soapbox :-)
Have any good restaurants to recommend?
Stan
P A Williamson
In article <4nu2da$13...@usenetp1.news.prodigy.com>, BGS...@prodigy.com
(Stan March) wrote:
> I sincerely think you missed the entire message I was trying to convey to
> someone who was going to use a hand held marine GPS to navigate in the
> same sky I fly in. It's going to be (legally) useless, and perhaps
> flying VFR to nice airport restaurants would be more rewarding.
Aren't the marine handheld a bit cheaper than 600 bucks? I've seen some
Garmins down around 275.00. I'd think the cheap Garmin (it does have a
data port) could be hooked up to a laptop with moving map software. This
*would* give you an aviation database...'course, there went the "cheap"
idea. :-)
>
> Have any good restaurants to recommend?
>
> Stan
47.00N 123.25W
Elma airport, Elma, Washington..about 21 nm west of Olympia Wa. :-)
Roger J.Hamlett
In article: <4nqagi$f...@news.ao.net> p...@p3.enzian.com (Pat
>
> I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
> recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
> satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
> screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
> actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
> Nav database? Thanks for your comments!
(unfortunately) won't work. The manufacturers, have built in a
'speed-limit', of 90knots, (we had great fun on a disused run-way,
trying to find out what happened at this speed). One of my friends, has
told me that on one of the GPS newsgroups, a person has worked out a
single byte 'fix' for the code, but his fix still 'falls over', if you
are travelling at exactly 90knots. I wouldn't want to trust this for
aviation.
Best Wishes
--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
| EMail ro...@ttelmah.demon.co.uk |
| A beard! A beard! cried Fly Nicholas. 'By God, that's a good one!'|
| (Chaucer) |
patterson,george r
In article <4nsedq$h...@maze.dpo.uab.edu>,
Trip Farmer <tdfa...@uab-admin.vpad.uab.edu> wrote:
>It would depend on how many x-c's you do. If you stay within 50-100 nm
>from home you could probably create your own waypoints, either from a
>map by plugging lats & longs or by flying to an airport and saving the
>exact waypoint.
Trip,
If the unit doesn't have a database, can you save waypoints? I would
think they'd be erased as soon as you shut the unit off. If not, where
does it store the information?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
| When I hear TVA get sanctimonious about the loss
| of farmland, it makes me see red. It's like having
George Patterson - | a tubbo get on your case about gaining weight
| while he's munching a jelly doughnut.
| Sam Venable
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
patterson,george r
In article <philw-21059...@philw.users.spiritone.com>,
P A Williamson <ph...@xplor.com> wrote:
>....... I want that 25 cent per gallon gas I use to buy. I want that $5
>per hour C-150 Aerobat I could rent back in 73 at our flying club too!
Will you also take the $1.25 an hour you made back then too? In terms of
hours spent for a working person, gas was cheaper in the last year than
it ever was before, and new airplanes cost about the same as they did in
the mid-60s.
In 1973 I paid taxes on about $8,600. The good old days are *now*.
PatrickFlo
The question that I haven't seen addressed in this thread is why the
difference in price between the marine and the aviation handheld GPS
units? It's not just the database. I'll bet Jepp's not getting anywhere
near $400 for their code.
IMHO, the manufacturers know that pilots will pay rediculous prices for
this stuff. I know that they have limited production volume on some of
their lines, but when they manufacture two nearly identical units with
only slight software differences, I just do not understand why the 200%
price penalty.
Patrick
P A Williamson
In article <4nv8ir$r...@dasher.cc.bellcore.com>, pat...@cc.bellcore.com
(patterson,george r) wrote:
> In article <philw-21059...@philw.users.spiritone.com>,
> P A Williamson <ph...@xplor.com> wrote:
>
> >....... I want that 25 cent per gallon gas I use to buy. I want that $5
> >per hour C-150 Aerobat I could rent back in 73 at our flying club too!
>
> Will you also take the $1.25 an hour you made back then too? In terms of
^^^^^^^
Ya, right! :-) Try $8.25...and this was working in the woods for Crown
Zellerbach. Three years later, we were getting $14.25 running heavy
eguipment. I was only 23 years old then. Wages haven't changed (hardly) at
all in the last 20+ years. Now, as an electrician, I get $19.45 and get to
pay over half that in taxes (I get the "privlige" of paying more for being
single with no kids..heaven forbid that people breeding pay more!). Gas
has gone up nearly 300% but my wages have only little more than doubled. A
1973 240 Z cost $3019.00 but now ya can't touch (most) cars for less than
$25,000.00! CEO's make millions (some,billions) but the poor schmuck
making that money for him/her gets kicked in the groin....yup, these are
the good ol' days.:-)
> hours spent for a working person, gas was cheaper in the last year than
> it ever was before, and new airplanes cost about the same as they did in
> the mid-60s.
Where is that new 1996 C-152 for the $13,000 (apx.) that we paid for the
1973 C-150 Aerobat? :-) I'd guess a 152 would sell for well over
$50,000.00 today. Look at what the new 172's are going for. I'm not sure,
but I'd say prices for goods has far outpaced any wage increases in the
last 20 years.
>
> In 1973 I paid taxes on about $8,600. The good old days are *now*.
Yup, these certainly are the good ol' days. :-)
Sorry George, had to vent my spleen. Not at you, just in general :-)
Trip Farmer
>only slight software differences, I just do not understand why the 200%
>price penalty.
>
>Patrick
Patrick,
Probably the cost of liability insurance for the aviation models (plus
some extra profit)!
Trip
Paul Tomblin
In a previous article, patri...@aol.com (PatrickFlo) said:
>IMHO, the manufacturers know that pilots will pay rediculous prices for
>this stuff. I know that they have limited production volume on some of
It's called "charging what the market will bear", and it's damn good business
practice. People with long experience in computers will remember
"crippleware" - hardware that comes in several speeds/memory
capacities/whatever where the lower cost unit is exactly the same as the
higher price unit with something deliberately crippled. For instance, I was
once present while a technician "upgraded" our 3270 cluster controller to make
it faster and capable of handling more terminals. That upgrade consisted of
REMOVING one board, and loading in new firmware.
There is nothing unethical or "wrong" about doing this. If you feel you got
good value for money with your $699 Garmin 90, then who cares if it only costs
$1.25 more to manufacture than a $299 Garmin 55? If you don't feel that a
Garmin 90 is a good deal at $699, then you are perfectly free to not buy it -
it's a free country.
--
Paul Tomblin (ptom...@xcski.com)
<a href="http://www.servtech.com/public/ptomblin/">My home page</a>
"The superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid situations in which
he needs to demonstrate his superior skill" (Esp. with a 7 year old on board)
patterson,george r
In article <philw-22059...@philw.users.spiritone.com>,
P A Williamson <ph...@xplor.com> wrote:
>
>> hours spent for a working person, gas was cheaper in the last year than
>> it ever was before, and new airplanes cost about the same as they did in
>> the mid-60s.
>
> Where is that new 1996 C-152 for the $13,000 (apx.) that we paid for the
>1973 C-150 Aerobat? :-) I'd guess a 152 would sell for well over
>$50,000.00 today. Look at what the new 172's are going for. I'm not sure,
>but I'd say prices for goods has far outpaced any wage increases in the
>last 20 years.
Let's put that first sentence back in there - In terms of hours spent
for a working person, ... new airplanes cost about the same as they did
in the mid-60s. Going on the wage increases for a Union carpenter in
local 225 since 1973, that C-152 *should* cost more than $50k today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
George Patterson - | I tried being my own boss for a while, but you
| wouldn't *believe* the absenteeism!
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Moore
>> I'm new to piloting and about to buy a GPS unit. The other day I
recieved a Marine catalog that lists a Garmin GPS-38 marine GPS with 8
satellite capability, DGPS ready, NMEA output, and a large display
screen, all for $200! I'm looking for opinions from pilots that
actually have used GPS to navigate, is it really worth $600 for the
Nav database? Thanks for your comments! <<
Don't buy a marine GPS! It only goes up to 100 knots ( I can't remember
the actuall number but it is much less than many planes fly at). You
will want the map to show you where the airport is -- thats the best
feature. You tell it to fly direct to KDCA and it figures it out. The
marine one will not know what KDCA is. BTW, Garmin is tough to beat.
--
Tim Moore tmo...@interserf.net
05/24/96 09:11
Broadcasting to you live from
Fredericksburg, Virginia
PatrickFlo
In article <Drv2L...@xcski.com>, ptom...@compass.xcski.com (Paul
Tomblin) writes:
>It's called "charging what the market will bear", and it's damn good
business
>practice. People with long experience in computers will remember
>"crippleware" - hardware that comes in several speeds/memory
>capacities/whatever where the lower cost unit is exactly the same as the
>higher price unit with something deliberately crippled. For instance, I
was
>once present while a technician "upgraded" our 3270 cluster controller to
>make
>it faster and capable of handling more terminals. That upgrade consisted
of
>REMOVING one board, and loading in new firmware.
>
>There is nothing unethical or "wrong" about doing this. If you feel you
got
>good value for money with your $699 Garmin 90, then who cares if it only
>costs
>$1.25 more to manufacture than a $299 Garmin 55? If you don't feel that
a
>Garmin 90 is a good deal at $699, then you are perfectly free to not buy
it -
>it's a free country.
Paul,
You misunderstand my comments (no that is not a new experience for me).
My frustration is not that the manufacturers charge what the market will
bear. My frustration is that pilots support prices higher than other
markets will bear.
No, I don't expect this to change because I'm bitchin' about it, but the
nice thing about the net is we're all free to bitch.
Patrick
(I'll pay their price and still bitch)
Bill Campbell
The Magellan 200 and 300 do not have the 90 knot limitation. I think you can
get the 200 for around $199. It will not give you all the nice features provided
by an aviation GPS w/ a database (airport information, etc.) but it does a decent job
of telling which way and how fast you are going. If you don't mind programming your
own waypoints it is a useful aid to navigation. Not meant to replace charts and eyeballs.
Bill Campbell
TriplePoint, Inc.
1600 NW Compton Drive #305
Beaverton, OR
503-531-2890
Jerry Bransford
I understand that the GPS manufacturers pay some pretty high license
fees to Jeppessen for the use of their database.
patterson,george r
>I understand that the GPS manufacturers pay some pretty high license
>fees to Jeppessen for the use of their database.
From what the vendors at S&F were saying, if I buy one of these units,
I'll have to pay about $60 for a refresh when I need one. Would the
license fee be that amount, or is there another big fee that they have
to pay?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
| A fisherman likes to believe he's outsmarting the
| fish.
George Patterson - | Except catfish.
| It's hard to believe that anything that ugly needs
| to be outsmarted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PatrickFlo
In article <4ofcce$o...@dasher.cc.bellcore.com>, pat...@cc.bellcore.com
(patterson,george r) writes:
>>I understand that the GPS manufacturers pay some pretty high license
>>fees to Jeppessen for the use of their database.
>
>From what the vendors at S&F were saying, if I buy one of these units,
>I'll have to pay about $60 for a refresh when I need one. Would the
>license fee be that amount, or is there another big fee that they have
>to pay?
Your cost is $60 for a quantity of one. If the manufacturer's cost is
more than $15 per unit, I would be amazed.
Patrick
Terra Corp.
patterson,george r (pat...@cc.bellcore.com) wrote:
: In article <31A950...@cts.com>, Jerry Bransford <jer...@cts.com> wrote:
: >I understand that the GPS manufacturers pay some pretty high license
: >fees to Jeppessen for the use of their database.
: From what the vendors at S&F were saying, if I buy one of these units,
: I'll have to pay about $60 for a refresh when I need one. Would the
: license fee be that amount, or is there another big fee that they have
: to pay?
Basically, OEMs "subscribe" to Jeppesen in a very similar manner to end
users. The difference is that the OEM's copy is intended to copied and
redistributed. As a result, OEMs pay a *much* higher subscription fee.
OEMs must also cover their own reproduction, media and distribution
expenses. This is what you are paying for.
Some OEMs, like us, refer the user directly to Jepp (we provide only the
initial database with a new GPS,) since it isn't cost effective for us to
be in the database subscription business.
Gerry
--
Gerry Caron "Opinions are mine, not my employer's."
gca...@rt66.com PH: 800-328-1995 or 505-884-2321
Terra Corp. ABQ FAX: 505-884-2384
Ross Richardson
In article <4ohm69$a...@mack.rt66.com>, gca...@mack.rt66.com says...
to be able to call the manufacturer and download the updated data base
via computer/modem (as an alternative to new data cards) from their
computer. Could save a lot of administrative costs. Just a thought.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ross Richardson I'd rather be flying...
Texas Instruments Inc
903-868-5169 N7905U 180hp C-172F
r...@msg.ti.com
--------------------------------------------------------------
The expressed opinions are mine alone.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Rod Farlee
Adding anything (an IFR GPS) to an airplane that almost DOUBLES
it's maintenance costs strikes me as insane.
My annuals have averaged $750. An IFR Jepp update on a 56 day
cycle to keep IFR approach certified costs $600/year, forever
(this is for the King 88B GPS, which my shop tried to sell me).
That alone would add about 10% to my hourly costs.
When I can buy an IFR GPS that I can plug into the back of this
PC and double click on "FAA DB Download", I'll buy it the next
day. Meanwhile, I'll fly ILS and VOR approaches.
I suspect there are thousands of other aircraft owners who are
also waiting. The FAA's "GPS only" strategy will remain in the
future until the FAA decides to get with it and solve the problem
of absurd markups on the distribution of the FAA's free data.
Jepp's monopoly will be broken; when it is, GPS will have arrived.
- Rod Farlee
Roy Smith
Rod Farlee <r...@sadtler.com> writes:
> Jepp's monopoly will be broken; when it is, GPS will have arrived.
What really needs to happen is a standard format needs to be defined
for nav database cards (both physical and data layout). This is not that
hard a problem. I can buy PCMCIA cards (modems, ethernet adaptors, even GPS
engines) that are plug-compatable with hardware from different vendors.
Same with RAM modules, disk drives, etc, etc, etc. Why not nav data cards?
--
Roy Smith <r...@nyu.edu>
Hippocrates Project, Department of Microbiology, Coles 202
NYU School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016
"This never happened to Bart Simpson."
J.Masino/T.Larson
Rod Farlee (r...@sadtler.com) wrote:
: My annuals have averaged $750. An IFR Jepp update on a 56 day
: cycle to keep IFR approach certified costs $600/year, forever
: (this is for the King 88B GPS, which my shop tried to sell me).
: That alone would add about 10% to my hourly costs.
: When I can buy an IFR GPS that I can plug into the back of this
: PC and double click on "FAA DB Download", I'll buy it the next
: day. Meanwhile, I'll fly ILS and VOR approaches.
I second this!! No only are the database updates ridiculously expensive, but
the units are uneccessarily complicated to operate. A friend who owns and
avionics shop, and who has installed several of each manufacturer, tells me
that they're all complicated and they're all different from each other (in
terms of user interface). It's just crazy. That's why, when I need to add an
NAV receiver recently, I bought a used KNS-80 King RNAV unit. I now have all
the "normal" VOR/LOC/GS/DME, and I can use the RNAV to file "/R" wthout having
to update my GPS database. Of course, I've had a Trimble GPS on my yoke for
the last 3 1/2 years!
-- Jay
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Stan March
Jay, have you tried the Northstar? I've flow right seat (pax) in a Baron
a couple of times and the pilot was using the King GPS. Asked a couple
of questions and was astounded by the answers. This box was too
complicated for me.
I've been flying with the Northstar GPS600 and am waiting them to ship me
my updated M3. This is the MOST userfriendly box around! Learning curve
is very short, and the system is very intuitave. They are awaiting
approach certification (as of a week or so ago, hope they have it by now),
and I'm betting that their implementation will be better than the rest.
Stan