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GPS Buyer's GuidePortable GPS units pack more features than ever, and some are starting to look and act a lot like the flat-panel displays in many general aviation aircraft, but at a fraction of the cost. Unless you're looking at the used market (beware of very outdated databases and weak batteries, among other pitfalls), it is hard to find a truly low-cost unit. But on the flip side, extras like high-resolution terrain, digital navigation charts and satellite weather now cost less.A portable GPS is a smart purchase for any pilot who ventures out of the traffic pattern or the practice area. It will increase your situational awareness, warning you of high terrain, obstacles and complex airspace before you get there. Programming a flight plan gives you a clear line to follow as a backup to tracking VOR radials. And in an emergency, the units will tell you how to get to the closest airport with just one button push. Common Features All of PilotMall.com's units from Garmin and AvMap share the following features:
With any GPS unit, it's important to remember that the plethora of features, buttons and settings can easily distract you in the cockpit, potentially putting you at risk for unusual attitudes or a mid-air collision if you aren't scanning for traffic. It's best to spend several hours with any new unit on the ground before you go flying with it, so that you can figure out its settings and menu schemes. Maintaining 1,500 feet during a Class B transition is not the time to be figuring out how to modify the second half of the unit's active flight plan. Garmin Garmin's six units fall into two groupings: the newest and largest aera 796/795 models, and the four touchscreen models in the aera 500-series. All of the Garmin units can display a GPS-derived panel with altitude, groundspeed, vertical speed, bank and heading. That can be a vital backup in the event of a vacuum or pitot-static failure in flight. All of Garmin's units have similar touchscreen menus that take you directly to a dozen functions and options. The four aera models span a wide range of price points, but they have many features in common: 50 stored flight plans; terrain and obstacle alerts; GPS-derived horizontal situation indicator (HSI); preloaded airways and air traffic control frequencies; and automobile navigation with voice prompts. Aera 560 and 550 The aera 560 and aera 550 both provide high-resolution terrain data; AOPA's electronic airport directory; detailed airport taxi diagrams; and lane assist in automobile mode features that the aera 500 and 510 lack (The aera 500 and 510 are loaded with lower-resolution terrain data). The aera 560 displays XM satellite weather and can play satellite radio stations, while the aera 550 cannot. The subscription to XM weather, which costs an extra $35 to $100 per month, provides weather radar, satellite imagery, METARs, PIREPs, Airmets, lightning, winds aloft, temporary flight restrictions and other information depending on the level of service you sign up for. Aera 510 and 500 The aera 510 and aera 500 include basic airport information like runway headings and lengths, as well as communications frequencies. You'll miss out on extra information about airport services like FBO and restaurant listings that are part of the AOPA directory built into the aera 550 and 560. The only difference between the two models is that the aera 510 includes the XM satellite weather receiver, while the aera 500 does not. The aera 500 and 550 do not include an external antenna. The internal antenna should work just fine in most situations. Garmin sells two external antennas as options for $30 or $100. The 510 and 560 come with a single external antenna to receive both GPS and XM signals. Aera-series main differences
Garmin 796 and 795 Synthetic vision, which displays a simulated 3D view of terrain in addition to the attitude indicator on glass cockpit displays, comes to portable GPS units for the first time in the new aera 796 and aera 795. The 7-inch touchscreen lets you swipe to change the perspective of the view, so you can see landmarks, airports and obstructions ahead, below or to the side. Depending on settings, you can show groundspeed, altitude and heading tapes around the synthetic vision display. Of course, all of this data is GPS-derived (updated five times each second), unlike glass cockpits, which use sensors in the aircraft for continuous attitude and heading data. The only difference between the two units is that the 796 includes an XM weather and radio receiver, while the 795 does not. Both units can overlay your route on VFR sectional charts, IFR low and high enroute charts, or approach plates. Four buttons at the bottom (or right side, when you have the unit oriented in landscape mode) take you back one screen, to the menu page, Direct-to, or to a list of the nearest airports. You can use either unit as a Class 1 or Class 2 electronic flight bag, so you can leave your paper charts in the car. Note that if you're flying under Part 121 or Part 135, you'll need operational approval from your local FSDO to use the 795/796 as your EFB. If you're just flying under Part 91 (generally, not carrying passengers for hire) you don't have to worry about that step. AvMap Italian GPS maker AvMap has emerged in recent years as a strong competitor with offerings similar to Garmin's lineup for several hundred dollars less . Both the AvMap EKP V and the GeoPilot II Plus provide terrain data and digitized charts similar to the Garmin units, including the AOPA airport directory and, on the EKP V, approach plates and taxi diagrams. There is no simulated panel page as on Garmin's units, but both AvMap units do provide a GPS-derived horizontal situation indicator ( HSI) that displays your position relative to the course much like a mechanical HSI . Both units only store 15 flight plans, while Garmin's units store 50. But they can track up to 20 GPS satellites at once, compared to 12 at once in the Garmin units. EKP V The AvMap EKP V is similar to the Garmin 7 95/7 96 and features a 7-inch diagonal screen. Orient it in landscape or portrait mode based on your preferences, and display a moving map and navigation data or panel page simultaneously. It uses a combination of 10 buttons along two sides, a small joystick at one corner, and a touchscreen keyboard for entering waypoints and accessing various functions. If you're switching from Garmin's units, getting used to the different menus on the AvMap units will take a little bit of time. While most settings are accessed through the Menu button, many functions, including starting a new flight plan on the fly, begin by hitting Enter when the cursor is over an airport or navigation aid. The EKP V has developed a loyal following among homebuilders because of its ability to interface with some autopilot units. The EKP V uses a novel dock connection to communicate not just with your autopilot, but also to gather weather information from a WxWorks receiver and traffic data from the Zaon XRX. Note that the autopilot functionality is permitted on experimental aircraft only, not on certified aircraft. The EKP V connects to the autopilot over a serial cable connection, providing GPS steering commands to follow the flight plan loaded on the GPS. GeoPilot II Plus Pilots who want a more compact unit should look at the AvMap GeoPilot II Plus, which provides most of the features of the EKP V in a package with a 5-inch screen. Though it only works in landscape mode, you can still split the screen to show the moving map and electronic HSI simultaneously. It can also interface with the WxWorks weather receiver and the Zaon XRX, but without the dock, so expect a little more cable clutter in the cockpit. And the GeoPilot II Plus provides turn-by-turn driving directions with voice cues, an added feature compared to its larger sibling, the EKP IV. Dual Universal GPS Receiver With iPads becoming ever more common for cockpit navigation, you may find yourself wishing for a faster and more accurate GPS receiver than what's built into your iPad or smartphone. The Dual Universal GPS Receiver fills that niche without adding a single cable to your cockpit. Place the small square receiver atop your glareshield and it sends WAAS GPS data to your device via Bluetooth. Its built-in battery provides more than 8 hours of use between charges, more than enough for a full day of flying. The receiver works with any GPS apps on your device (none included with the receiver). The receiver is the perfect cost-effective solution if you want better GPS accuracy but don't want to add another gadget to the cockpit in the form of a standalone portable aviation GPS. |
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