A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Piloting
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old September 2nd 06, 01:17 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Dan Luke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 678
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving


"Jonathan Goodish" wrote:

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.


Oops. You're right, of course, Jonathan. That is the difference: I never
loaded the map data in my 396.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


  #12  
Old September 2nd 06, 01:25 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Dan Luke
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 678
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message

Have you got a replacement antenna from Garmin yet?


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


The original remote antenna only causes trouble intermittently, when it gets
hit by interference (from cell phone towers?) at low altitude. It is very
disconcerting to have it quit on you when you're using it to help navigate
around a Class B, for example. It'll get you, eventually.

Call Garmin and they'll send you a replacement, free.

--
Dan
C172RG at BFM


  #13  
Old September 2nd 06, 06:48 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Radu Tenenbaum
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Age of METAR Data

Jay,

I just recently acquired a 396 and am in the process of learning all I can
about it. In the process, one of my Google Newsgroup searches pointed me to
the tread earlier this month where you posted a concern about age of METAR
data. There was a lot of interesting data in the responses you received,
including the critical fact that the METAR data itself is not a real time of
the underlying ASOS/AWOS data.

However, one interesting piece of information was not included in any of the
responses (or maybe I missed it). In the WX tab, in the Information sub-tab
is a list of all the Weather Products, each with the age(in minutes) of the
most recent download. That information would have verified the age of the
METAR download, but not the age of the underlying data.

This data would have helped pin-point the problem (396, XM Weather, or
underlying METAR data). Not sure this would have addressed your concern,
but it is one more data point.

Radu


  #14  
Old September 2nd 06, 11:21 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Gilbert Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 32
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

I can't find Blakesburg in the 496, does it have an ident code ? (or a
different name ?)

"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. (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.)

  #15  
Old September 2nd 06, 11:24 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Jay Honeck
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,573
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

I can't find Blakesburg in the 496, does it have an ident code ? (or a
different name ?)


IA27, Antique Airfield.

It's in there!

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

  #16  
Old September 4th 06, 11:57 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Gilbert Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 32
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I can't find Blakesburg in the 496, does it have an ident code ? (or a
different name ?)


IA27, Antique Airfield.

It's in there!

;-)


Thanks Jay, I see there are loads of them - 567 to be exact, matching
the format Ixdd where 'x' can be A, D, G, I, L, N, or S, and 'dd' are
digits.
  #17  
Old August 21st 16, 10:29 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default Garmin 496 PIREP -- Navigating while Driving

On Monday, September 4, 2006 at 5:57:13 PM UTC-5, Gilbert Smith wrote:
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I can't find Blakesburg in the 496, does it have an ident code ? (or a
different name ?)


IA27, Antique Airfield.

It's in there!

;-)


Thanks Jay, I see there are loads of them - 567 to be exact, matching
the format Ixdd where 'x' can be A, D, G, I, L, N, or S, and 'dd' are
digits.


ok i just got a 396 and looked for blakesburg and am pulling my hair out trying to find it! what is the secret? thanks
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
PIREP: Garmin GMA340 impedance-matching audio cable Peter R. Owning 5 June 15th 06 02:30 PM
Amateur Review of the Garmin GPSMAP 296 GPS Rhett Piloting 10 March 23rd 05 02:16 AM
Pirep: Garmin GPSMAP 296 versus 295. (very long) Jon Woellhaf Piloting 12 September 4th 04 11:55 PM
Amateur Review of the Garmin GPSMAP 296 GPS Rhett Products 10 April 29th 04 06:57 AM
PIREP - Garmin GTX-327 Jay Honeck Owning 17 January 22nd 04 05:56 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 04:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.