Mike, good report... Garmin's engineers should pay attention to your
want list...

I'm flying with the 196 and 296 on the yokes... I can afford a 396 but
haven't decided that I need inflight weather... Flew the same weather
pattern you did in our report... Didn't feel the lack of in-cockpit
updates for the 1.5 to 2 hour legs, what with doing weather checks on
the ground at each stop.. I have been all over three states for the
past 6 weeks and I don't remember an airport with an instrument
approach that does not have a terminal... Certainly, grass ports,
etc., likely don't have one...

This is not a knock on the 396, it is a great box... But I have reached
the stage of life where I do not feel obligated to pick my way between
CB heads whilst hoping like hell it doesn't hail.... If you want to
live long and prosper don't try to use the 396 as an excuse for
challenging Mother Nature... She will take you up on that wager in a
heart beat...

denny - old pilot, not bold pilot...