I just got off the phone with a support rep at Garmin. There will be a new
and additional obstacle database available for download on the Garmin site
either by the end of this week or next week. You will need to download this
database in addition to the aviation database from Jeppesen. The obstacle
database will cost $35 and that is in addition to the $35 it costs to
download the aviation database. While that's expensive, it's at least good
to know that my investment in the GPSmap196 has not gone to waste and that
Garmin is still working on updates for it. Also, I asked the support rep
about any new documentation available that covers the new features and
configuration options with release 4.0. He said they are working on an
update to the documentation but wasn't sure if it would be available for
download or if it would have to be purchased. He recommended that I keep an
eye on the web site for future announcements.

Art Varrassi
PP-ASEL
Commercial Training


wrote in message
oups.com...

I just got an email from Garmin saying that their version 4.00 software
for the GPS196 is out. I was perusing the list of feature deltas
between the 3.80 and this one, and one bullet item stuck out as
interesting: support for obstacle database.

This is not a feature of the 196, or at least wasn't when I bought it.
Could they have actually added it since? Perhaps to compete with the
Lowrance products? Will towers show up in my unit *for free* the next
time I update the database?

I did the update to the firmware to 4, and obstacles not appear, which
is why I'm thinking I'd need a db update. Or maybe this just isn't what
I think it is.

-- dave j
-- jacobowitz73 -at- yahoo --dot-- com