Garmin Aera 796?

WannFly

WannFly

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 28, 2016
Messages
6,553
Location
KLZU
Display Name
Display name:
Priyo
hey guys,

Can anyone share first hand experience with Aera 796? I am a low time student and doing my research at this stage, it will be couple of months at least before I invest in anything. I was looking at a Samsung android device with Garmin pilot (already have 1 yr subscription from king school), but Aera came across my research and looks like its built solely for this purpose. any feedback?

edited to add the purpose: navigation, situational awareness, digital sectional charts/AFD/Plates etc. basically to a add a little handheld glass to a future 6 pack 172 with may be a 430W

not ruling out iPad and ForeFlight, but I personally do not like the adamant attitude of proprietary connectors from the fruit company.
 
Last edited:
WannFly said:
hey guys,

Can anyone share first hand experience with Aera 796? I am a low time student and doing my research at this stage, it will be couple of months at least before I invest in anything. I was looking at a Samsung android device with Garmin pilot (already have 1 yr subscription from king school), but Aera came across my research and looks like its built solely for this purpose. any feedback?.....
Click to expand...

for WHAT purpose? what are you looking to do?
 
navigation, situational awareness, backup for paper charts/AFD etc. I am renting a 172 with G1000 right now, but plan to purchase a 172 down the road with 6 pack and not sure what avionics would come with it, may be a 430W
 
I have one if interested in purchasing. Was getting ready to post on eBay. PM me if interested.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
runner4065 said:
I have one if interested in purchasing. Was getting ready to post on eBay. PM me if interested.
Click to expand...
I am not ready to buy yet, just exploring my options to understand if its the right tool for the job. since you have used it and now selling it, would you mind sharing the pro's and con's and why you are selling it?
 
Great unit and would recommend it. Purchased a new plane with a GTN-650 and so don't need it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
WannFly said:
not ruling out iPad and ForeFlight, but I personally do not like the adamant attitude of proprietary connectors from the fruit company.
Click to expand...

Boy, if that's your complaint about Apple, that they do proprietary cable stuff... you really don't know Garmin avionics very well yet. Or Garmin in general. LOL.

Last I checked, the serial cable to connect a Garmin G1000 to a new style ELT, is a $500 item. It's a serial cable running at speeds a few multiples less than the last modem you used to dial into AOL in the early 90s. Your installer even has to solder the connectors onto it. It doesn't come assembled for that price.

Welcome to avionics. Prepare to be raped harder than any prison shower soap joke might insinuate.
 
denverpilot said:
Boy, if that's your complaint about Apple, that they do proprietary cable stuff... you really don't know Garmin avionics very well yet. Or Garmin in general. LOL.

Last I checked, the serial cable to connect a Garmin G1000 to a new style ELT, is a $500 item. It's a serial cable running at speeds a few multiples less than the last modem you used to dial into AOL in the early 90s. Your installer even has to solder the connectors onto it. It doesn't come assembled for that price.

Welcome to avionics. Prepare to be raped harder than any prison shower soap joke might insinuate.
Click to expand...
Ha. Yes I have no exposure to avionics and from what I understand a foreflight or Garmin pilot will do about the same as the aera. Tablets do have their place especially if I get one from a cell carrier, I can have Internet anywhere. Just trying to figure out the pro vs cons of aera. Since it's built for the purpose of aviation and not just an app to be run on a tablet with a zillion other things interfering, I thought the Garmin might be more stable and less prone to app freezes. But I could be completely wrong

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
You will like the 696 way better than the 796. The touch screen is really hard to deal with in bumpy air. I always take my iPad mini for backup. My planes have the Garmin 196, 496 and 696. Those buttons are way easier to deal with than the touch screen.
 
pigpenracing said:
You will like the 696 way better than the 796. The touch screen is really hard to deal with in bumpy air. I always take my iPad mini for backup. My planes have the Garmin 196, 496 and 696. Those buttons are way easier to deal with than the touch screen.
Click to expand...
Thanks. That's a good idea. Not a big fan of touchscreen anyway.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
I don't think there is any other platform that supports anywhere near as many aviation applications as the iPad. It is the standard for flight planning for both corporate and commercial airline pilots. My brother flies the B787 and uses one issued to him constantly, at least when I see him on the ground. :cool:

You might want to consider setting aside your cable connector concerns...
 
I have a 696. Love it. A 796 will play much better with ADSB in.

As to iThingies, none of 'em will drive an autopilot, and they are more heat sensitive than the dedicated units. Beyond that, the dedicated units have brighter screens.
 
Handhelds work better if you have a mount for them. That way you dont have to hold them on your lap. That ties up your hand. I have a 396 and it has a dash mount. Works great but blocks some front view. All the Garmin units work great, so does Foreflight. If you have a Garmin 430, your handheld will just be a backup. Nothing beats having a panel mount unit though. Always there, no cords, no setting it up etc.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Handhelds work better if you have a mount for them. That way you dont have to hold them on your lap. That ties up your hand. I have a 396 and it has a dash mount. Works great but blocks some front view. All the Garmin units work great, so does Foreflight. If you have a Garmin 430, your handheld will just be a backup. Nothing beats having a panel mount unit though. Always there, no cords, no setting it up etc.
Click to expand...
I can panel mount the 796 rt?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
coloradobluesky said:
In some planes its possible to panel mount VFR GPS's.
Click to expand...

My 696 is flush mounted in the panel. It has four locations on the back for screws, so you can whip up your own >recessed< panel mount without all of the wasted space that comes from panel docks. The 796 does not have those screw holes, so you have to use a dock of some sort. Not sure about the 660.

And to the other poster's point, yes, it is great to get all of those wires and the clutter out of the way. I hate that stuff.
 
I haven't found any value proposition for a dedicated aviation GPS like the Aera over an iPad. Concerns about glare and heat are real for some -- I've never had any such problem and I think they'd be easy to mitigate. The iPad seems more capable and costs less. That's why you see so many of them in the cockpit these days.
 
Ryan F. said:
I haven't found any value proposition for a dedicated aviation GPS like the Aera over an iPad. Concerns about glare and heat are real for some -- I've never had any such problem and I think they'd be easy to mitigate. The iPad seems more capable and costs less. That's why you see so many of them in the cockpit these days.
Click to expand...
I will have a tablet of some sort, for backup, but my experience with IT industry tells, a dedicated unit for getting the specific job done, works much better. May not be the case, but that's what I have generally found to be true. I also like the idea of pairing with gdl and getting attitude information. The thing is I am trying to come up with a poor man's g1000. Hate the g1000 in my trainer. It's awesome+I can't afford one = hate that thing

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
WannFly said:
I will have a tablet of some sort, for backup, but my experience with IT industry tells, a dedicated unit for getting the specific job done, works much better.
Click to expand...

The 796 is a big improvement, but have you ever actually handled a Garmin 696? Bulky, heavy, much too large, irritating interface, lots of 'frame' and depth that isn't screen real estate. The iPad is far more elegant, slender, easy to sling around in a GA cockpit, etc.

The 796 is a different story, but there's not much about it's "dedicated" hardware that beats an iPad running Foreflight or Garmin Pilot. Even the flight plan transfer via Flightstream is one-way only with the Aera while it's two way with the iPad, and it can only bluetooth to one device at a time which is problematic for people whose configuration depends on two or more connections (think ADS-B, GPS, etc.) I think the only real arguments for the Aera would be durability -- it's probably a little tougher than an iPad, unless you have the iPad in a nice case -- glare, and overheating tendency which, as stated above, I've never had a problem with. Of course I also don't leave it on the pax seat in the direct sunlight during the summer.

I'd go with an iPad Mini 4 in a heartbeat over an Aera product.
 
Ryan F. said:
The 796 is a big improvement, but have you ever actually handled a Garmin 696? Bulky, heavy, much too large, irritating interface, lots of 'frame' and depth that isn't screen real estate. The iPad is far more elegant, slender, easy to sling around in a GA cockpit, etc.

The 796 is a different story, but there's not much about it's "dedicated" hardware that beats an iPad running Foreflight or Garmin Pilot. Even the flight plan transfer via Flightstream is one-way only with the Aera while it's two way with the iPad, and it can only bluetooth to one device at a time which is problematic for people whose configuration depends on two or more connections (think ADS-B, GPS, etc.) I think the only real arguments for the Aera would be durability -- it's probably a little tougher than an iPad, unless you have the iPad in a nice case -- glare, and overheating tendency which, as stated above, I've never had a problem with. Of course I also don't leave it on the pax seat in the direct sunlight during the summer.

I'd go with an iPad Mini 4 in a heartbeat over an Aera product.
Click to expand...
thanks. No I have absolutely zero experience with 696 or 796. I was thinking it would add some glass panel with attitude / somewhat of AHRS info if I panel mount it, pair it with a GDL. but there may be other alternatives that I can look for.
 
To go back to your original question: The Aera. It's a car GPS from the early 2000s with an aviation waypoint database loaded in it.

If you're the sort of person still using a dedicated portable GPS in the car, and not your phone, you'll love the nearly two decades old user interface and technology level. :)
 
denverpilot said:
To go back to your original question: The Aera. It's a car GPS from the early 2000s with an aviation waypoint database loaded in it.

If you're the sort of person still using a dedicated portable GPS in the car, and not your phone, you'll love the nearly two decades old user interface and technology level. :)
Click to expand...

ouch!! that hurts. :eek:
 
WannFly said:
ouch!! that hurts. :eek:
Click to expand...

LOL. It's Garmin who's still selling old tech. Not meant as too big a dig on folks using one they already have, but tossing new money toward a device that's essentially long dead, may not be wise. You'd really need a very specific reason to do so.

Saying that as someone who owned one of the original Aviation handhelds (what was that thing called, an Aviation III or something? I forget...) from Garmin and who still owns two nearly worthless in-dash Kenwood/Garmin stereos... and Waze does a much much better job and has no subscription fees.

Garmin wants $70 per vehicle and the update is serialized onto an SD card to update the automotive units. Guess what only gets used to track fuel mileage now, and otherwise is utterly useless?

IFR Certified: Panel mount and probably a touch screen model unless sticking to a budget and buying a decade old technology. If you need a price somewhat below the newest Garmins and no touch screen, Avidyne beats the old Garmins at this point for "new money".

VFR: Tablet. You're supposed to be looking outside at landmarks anyway. (Technically you *need* no GPS, until you learn how to navigate without one.)

Handheld unit: Unless you have a very specific battery or portability need -- that's dead tech walking. And even the battery thing is dead considering a huge lithium ion add on USB pack to keep a tablet alive and/or charge it up quick at the next fuel stop is a $40 item now.

The real competition is in the tablet space nowadays. It once was in handhelds when tablets didn't exist, but that was a long time ago (in tech years). Garmin even makes Garmin Pilot if you're into the brand name just for the brand name's sake.
 
thanks @denverpilot . your thoughts are much appreciated. in fact I was waiting when you would chime in :). I have 1 yr subscription from garmin pilot via King school that I will use anyway, but the more people chime in on this, I see that shelling out nearly 2k for Aera might not be worth it.
 
WannFly said:
thanks @denverpilot . your thoughts are much appreciated. in fact I was waiting when you would chime in :). I have 1 yr subscription from garmin pilot via King school that I will use anyway, but the more people chime in on this, I see that shelling out nearly 2k for Aera might not be worth it.
Click to expand...

Well I'll be honest, I'm a tech geek so I like new tech. A *used* aviation specific handheld could be a total steal if someone has been trying to sell it "forever" and just wants to see it used. But I really can't see buying a new one at the prices they go for.

Similar automotive units are $100 with lifetime database updates for roads, and that's a lot of data. Only people I know using those are truckers, if even them. Everyone else just gets a mount of whatever sort for their phone so it can be seen and manipulated without fumbling around for it.
 
Ryan F. said:
The 796 is a big improvement, but have you ever actually handled a Garmin 696? Bulky, heavy, much too large, irritating interface, lots of 'frame' and depth that isn't screen real estate.
Click to expand...

The 696 and 796 are virtually the same size. The 696 is .6" wider, the 796 is .3" taller. Screen sizes are virtually identical. The weight difference is about 10 ounces. Interfaces (touch vs button) is a user preference. No doubt the 796 has faster, more modern internals that play better with external devices (through Bluetooth, which the 696 lacks).
 
kyleb said:
The 696 and 796 are virtually the same size. The 696 is .6" wider, the 796 is .3" taller. Screen sizes are virtually identical. The weight difference is about 10 ounces. Interfaces (touch vs button) is a user preference. No doubt the 796 has faster, more modern internals that play better with external devices (through Bluetooth, which the 696 lacks).
Click to expand...

I would definitely consider the difference in dimensions between these two units to be far beyond "virtually identical."

796: 5.1"W x 8.0"H x 1.5"D (13.0 x 20.3 x 3.8 cm) / weight: 26.4 ounces
696: 5.7"W x 7.7"H x 2.0"D (14.5 x 19.5 x 5.1 cm) / weight: 35.7 ounces

That's .6" wider, a half an inch deeper (which is probably the most substantial dimensional difference) and almost 10 ounces in weight, which is a massive weight difference as measured in modern portable electronic devices.

And of course, the 796 is touchscreen so all of that real estate in the front is dedicated to the screen itself instead of knobs and buttons, which add to the unwieldiness of the damn thing.

The iPad is just so much more elegant and functional in the light GA cockpit. Or bizjet cockpit. I don't know of any operators that use a dedicated GPS product like the aera, but almost all of them (including my company) use the iPad. I've said my piece and will leave it at at that!
 
WannFly said:
hey guys,

Can anyone share first hand experience with Aera 796? I am a low time student and doing my research at this stage, it will be couple of months at least before I invest in anything. I was looking at a Samsung android device with Garmin pilot (already have 1 yr subscription from king school), but Aera came across my research and looks like its built solely for this purpose. any feedback?

edited to add the purpose: navigation, situational awareness, digital sectional charts/AFD/Plates etc. basically to a add a little handheld glass to a future 6 pack 172 with may be a 430W

not ruling out iPad and ForeFlight, but I personally do not like the adamant attitude of proprietary connectors from the fruit company.
Click to expand...

I have a 796 on my panel, use a GDL 39 for ADSB , connected through blue tooth. The 696 does not have blue tooth. I would not go anywhere without it. However, you could use the GDL 39 connected to an Android tablet (Blue tooth), using the Garmin Pilot application and get essentially the same benefits. As a backup I have Garmin Pilot on my Samsung S 7 (phone) connected to my GDL 39 simultaneously to the 796 when I fly.

Cheers
 
I bought my Aera 796 fairly soon after they first came out, around 8 years ago (mid 2010). Purchased it shortly after I bought my first airplane, a 1980 Cessna 180 Skywagon. I am now in my third airplane (bought a ‘78 F33A bonanza in 2012, current F33A in 2017) and used the same Aera 796 in all three planes.

Before I owned a plane, a had a Lowrance 1000 Portable GPS. Was handy to have moving from rental plane to rental plane. Definitely great for situational awareness and navigation.

My current aircraft (‘82 F33A Bonanza) has a GTN 750 in the Panel with a GDL 88 for ADS-B in/out. In addition, I still use the Area 796 mounted on the Yoke arm, plus a GDL 39 Portable ADS-B mounted on the console between the front seats, attached to the former DME antenna by CoAx Cable. On my Yoke is mounted an Apple IPad mini using Garmin I-Pilot.

What I like about the Aera 796 versus the IPad Mini, is that it is Sunlight-Readable and better able to handle heat than the IPad. I operate in Southern California where the temperature at any time of year can exceed 90 degrees and much hotter in the summer months.

If you are in a cooler region, this is likely not an issue, but here, you need a cooler, blast vent air on the IPad or buy a cooling fan to keep it operating in 100 degree weather. Aera 796 can overheat too (though it is more robust), but is much more likely to continue to operate and is Sunlight-Readable, unlike the IPad.

I still use all three (IPad, 796 and GTN 750). An advantage to using the Aera 796 on the Yoke arm and IPad is that mounted closer, are easier to read than the (Better) GTN 750 mounted in the panel. When you reach your 50’s or older, eyesight gets trickier even with glasses.
 
denverpilot said:
Well I'll be honest, I'm a tech geek so I like new tech. A *used* aviation specific handheld could be a total steal if someone has been trying to sell it "forever" and just wants to see it used. But I really can't see buying a new one at the prices they go for.

Similar automotive units are $100 with lifetime database updates for roads, and that's a lot of data. Only people I know using those are truckers, if even them. Everyone else just gets a mount of whatever sort for their phone so it can be seen and manipulated without fumbling around for it.
Click to expand...

iPads are definitely much more powerful and capable ( as far as CPU /GPU and memory) than anything aviation related , including various certified or experimental panels. Where iPads lose is the screen brightness which is calibrated for indoor use only, robustness in terms of much narrower operational envelope ( temperature) and connectivity - I cannot drive an autopilot with an iPad.
 
My wife and I are both pilots. She has a yoke mounted ipad. I use a yoke mounted 796. The 796 is great. It gives you a lot of information very quickly. Satellite weather, satellite music, adsb traffic in. A great performer. The only knock I have on it is that it is not adequately cooled and occasionally in the bright direct sun it will overheat and lock up. I know about this tendency, so when I am about to do an approach I will have assessed its temperature and turned it off a few minutes if needed. Fortunately? most instrument approaches don't occur in direct sunlight. The approach plates are geo referenced and easy to read.

Conversely my wife uses the ipad and foreflight. It is an excellent system as well. Foreflight is leading edge with adsb weather and traffic. She also has geo referenced approach plates. Occasionally her ipad locks up and restarts. It is not a temperature phenomenon. It is random. If that would happen under instrument conditions on an approach it would be troublesome. It hasn't so far
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top