Favorite portable aviation GPS?

[ozone]

I am looking for opinions about portable GPS units...

I have looked at the following and I hope there are some folks with experience in any/all who would like to share their experiences...

1. AvMap Geopilot II (cant find many reviews, but the price seems ok)

2. Av8or (not a top choice since it doesnt have WAAS...why?; i dont know)

3. Lowrance 2000c airmap (currently my favorite b/c of the price at $600 and MY intended mission which is VFR only...no weather though; ach i am too cheap to buy weather now anyway)

4. Anywhere map ATC (many reviews, some good; some bad)

5. Garmin 296 (industry standard, but a lot of $$...even used)

6. Garmin 396 (industry standard, but a lot of $$...even used)

7. Garmin 496 (and beyond this point they are WAY too much $$$)

[Al Sayre]

Love the 496, but the part they don't tell you is that the weather subscriptions (for any XM product) will run you about $50.00/month...

[SilverEagle2]

I love my 496 but agree on the WX subs. However, when I start flying outside of Utah where Thunderheads exist, I am glad I have the option.

[isuhawkeye]

I have a Garmin 396.  I love it.  its great in the aircraft, and superb in the car.  I look forward to using it in the boat this summer as well. 

the XM weather is spendy.  I dont have that in the car, but it is in the planes that I fly, and I love it. 

[airdale]

WAAS

Why would you want WAAS?

Av8or, Lowrance, Anywhere Map ATC

Lots of discussion of these on the AOPA boards, worth checking out.  http://forums.aopa.org/forumdisplay.php?f=26  That is probably a better place to seek advice than here.

Garmin

IMHO this is a very bad time to buy any of the x96 units, new or used.  The reason is that the x96 platform has been around for a long time and is overdue for replacement.  The platform I think they will use is here: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=148&pID=14898  Note the spectacular display and that it includes an internal XM receiver.  My guess is there will be one under $1K without XM (to compete with the AV8OR), one at maybe $1500 with XM, and one more expensive yet that adds plates.   Once the x96 replacements hit the market, the values of existing x96 units will take a huge dive.

[ozone]

Why would you want WAAS?

I thought WAAS was  safer and more accurate since standard GPS for planes  provides accuracy (in all dimensions) to within 50-100 yards and WAAS provides accuracy within 7 feet.  That's based on my experience with the ASF's online presentation about GPS in aviation. 

Please correct me if I am wrong....certainly I could see no need for pinpoint accuracy except for IFR, but it's nice to know exactly where you are 

[isuhawkeye]

I know WAAS is a very valuable tool, but unless I am mistaken the hand held GPS market is not capable of WAAS.  Can someone confirm, or clarify

[Flying Pig]

I fly with the 496.  Nice tool.  The Dept was going to buy a 696 but its is not street compatible.   So it was useless for when I had to switch to surveillance ops.

[ozone]

I know WAAS is a very valuable tool, but unless I am mistaken the hand held GPS market is not capable of WAAS.  Can someone confirm, or clarify

Almost all the portable GPS units have WAAS (or at least Sportys.com lists them as "WAAS capable"). 

Heck, my crappy, old, and slow B&W garmin etrex vista (from 2001) has WAAS built right in...now why ANY aviation tool would not also have WAAS as a standard piece of software/circuitry is beyond me.

For more info: http://www.sportys.com/gps/

[isuhawkeye]

If they have WAAS, then why does my 396 always make me acknowledge that I will only use the GPS for VFR flight? 

I may have to dive into the owners manual.  Maybe I need an update?  can anyone clarify

[airdale]

why does my 396 always make me acknowledge that I will only use the GPS for VFR flight?

AFIK there are no portable GPSs approved for IFR flight.   Among the reasons I recall reading are the fact that the installations are uncontrolled as is the antenna configuration, lack of RAIM, etc.  I have found the tech support guys at Garmin to be among the best anywhere.  Call them and I'm sure they will explain the issue in detail.

Re WAAS, it is certainly more accurate.  That is why you need a WAAS box for an LPV approach, for example.  Most of the GPS approaches in the U.S., though, do not require WAAS.  It is just those with ILS-type glide slope precision.  Thus, for portable aviation GPSs I think it's more of a marketing gimmick than anything that would make a practical difference in the cockpit.  Maybe for the geocachers, surveyors, etc. more exact altitude would be important.  I have no idea.

I am [darn]ed sure never going to try to fly an LPV approach with a hand-held, WAAS or no WAAS.  In an emergency I might try a regular GPS or GPS Overlay approach, though.  But only if I can't get vectors.

[Trung Si Ma]

You can get used Garmin handhelds from www.factorygps.com that were traded in on newer models.