I was researching the same thing 4 months ago.
Excellent suggestions from members of this group led me to purchase the
Airmap 1000.
No regrets.
No need for the external antenna (in a 172 or 152).
The screen, when mounted on the yoke does not block any of my
instruments. It looks huge in the pictures, but is a good size for the
yoke, in my opinion. Of course, I originally found myself looking at
the unit when I should have been doing my scan of both the sky and
instruments. With practice, I no longer do this.
Whatever unit you get, I highly recommend sitting in the right seat
while a friend flies and messing around with the unit. Folks told me to
play with it at home, but it's nice to do it in a moving plane.
Use of a wrist strap with the Airmap 1000 would probably result in
carpal tunnel syndrome.
I'm in the SF Bay area and find the unit telling me the actual
boundaries of airspaces to be quite useful. With the secional, I know
I'm 'close' but never actually sure of my position.
The runway guidance feature is useful when approaching an unfamiliar
airport.
Then again, I'm a new pilot with 150 or so hours.
Jonathan
In Mike 'Flyin'8' wrote:
Ok, first off, Sorry to do this to everyone yet again.... I can not
find all the information I seek, so I ask all the experts here. I am
looking for information about the units I list below to help me make a
decision.
I am in the market for a protable GPS. I am not sure which way to go,
but I can say for cerrtain the about $600 is all I want to spend.
Pretty much will settle for Grey Scale....
This means I am in the range of Airmap 1000, Airmap 500, Garmin 96, or
if I push the $'s a bit a Garmin 196 may be within reach, but I think
the wife would not be happy if I spent that much on a "toy." Though,
I have tried to be convincing that it is a life saver in the event of
emergency. Did I leave any decent units out that I should also
consider?
So.... Here are my questions...
Airmap 1000 Questions:
-Is the Airmap 1000 a bit too big for a portable GPS device?
-Is the Wrist strap even worth messing with on a device this large?
-Will this GPS device receive signals reliable without use of the
external antenna?
Airmap 500 and Garmin 96 Questions:
-Sensitivity good without external antenna? (In a C172)
-Again, Is the wrist strap worth even trying? Does it get in the way?
Garmin 196
-It looks like this device has the ability to set on top of the dash
in the plane with the antenna exposed through the windscreen. So I
would imagine if left on top of the control panel an external antenna
is not necessary. So, would an external be needed?
-With the previous in mind, is this device usable if left on top of
the panel?
-Can you reach up and accurately press buttons as needed?
-Is the screen large enough to see if left sitting on top of the
Panel?
General Questions:
How do the GPS Yoke mounts work? I do not own a plane and rent, so is
the Yoke Mount easibly removable, or should I forget that idea all
together and just use a wrist strap? Does it work on a Cessna 172
without getting in the way? Is the wrist strap even worth messing
with?
Of the 4 GPS devices I have listed in or near my price range which is
the best all around device for the money? I think the most important
thing to me is the ability to acquire a signal without the use of an
external antenna. I do not want wires running through the airplane
getting in the way and interfering with the flight controls.
Additionally, I want it to be usable while flying without causing too
much distraction. By that I mean I do not want to be head down trying
to figure out what button to push to switch modes. Single button
presses to switch between functions would be ideal.
Since I do not fly long trips a lot, battery life is not of real
concern. I would be happy with about 4-5 hours battery life.
Mike Alexander
PP-ASEL
Temecula, CA
See my online aerial photo album at
http://flying.4alexanders.com