KLN90B GPS

Just wondering if anyone out there has used or is using the Bendix King
KLN 90 GPS?
In particular what are owners impressions overall of the unit. How easy
is it to use? Screen any glare issues etc

Thanks in advance

I have used one extensively. It worked pretty well. It has a very
good, but small, screen. It is not easy to learn, but once you learn
it, it can do anything the others can do (does not do the new GPS
approaches with vertical guidance, of course). Make sure you learn how
to use the OBS feature and keep it in track up mode. Garmin has taken
over, but the King stuff was pretty good.

I have about 500 hours with one in a Bonanza and like it a lot. Many of
those hours are at night, in IMC or in busy airspace, such as NY or
Washington.

I find the display to be excellent and it's rare that sunlight can wash
it out. The brightest setting is pretty strong. And best of all, it
has a simple dimming knob to set the level quickly and precisely as the
ambient lighting changes. Compare that to a Garmin 430 which is a pain
to set and change via a menu or via the 430's autobrightness which is
never right.

You'll need to use the manual to get started, but I think its operation
is more intuitive than the 430. I think its designers included real
pilots with lots of experience with ATC. With one or two clicks of a
knob you can find your position relative to the nearest VOR, which is
quite useful when calling ATC out of the blue. I get the impression on
the 430 that most of the designers' aviation must have been with MS
Flight Simulator.

The graphics in the 90B are rather modest, so the 430 is better for
keeping the VFR pilot out of airspace trouble.

Except for the approaches, there's not much difference between the 90A
and 90B. The 90B shows some distances to the nearest hundreth, I think,
but that's about it.

Neither the 430 or the 90B are very smart about when to give message
alerts, so both provide them with annoying regularity. Neither allows
the flight plan to be entered via the assigned airways. I won't buy a
new panel GPS until that problem is solved.

Anyway, that's my 2c and your mileage may vary.

-John


xerxes wrote:
Just wondering if anyone out there has used or is using the Bendix King
KLN 90 GPS?
In particular what are owners impressions overall of the unit. How easy
is it to use? Screen any glare issues etc

Thanks in advance

xerxes wrote:
Just wondering if anyone out there has used or is using the Bendix King
KLN 90 GPS?
In particular what are owners impressions overall of the unit. How easy
is it to use? Screen any glare issues etc

Thanks in advance
I have had a KLN 90B for 12 years. It was the best thing going in 1995.
Still going strong. The lack of airspace display is a drawback by todays
standards. Problem solved with the Sandel. I found the basic functions
easy to use but the advanced took plenty of time with a take home unit.

Michelle