I have the 510 -- that's the 500 plus the XM weather, and I love it. As an instrument instructor, it's great to be able to carry a high-end hand-held GPS and weather device into my clients' airplanes. The 5-instrument flight display provides enough capability that I can get the plane down in instrument weather even if I lose everything in the panel (radios, instruments, the works). As I did not have an automotive GPS when I got the 510, the ability to push one button and turn it into a Garmin Nuvi for road use is another plus. And its touchscreen functionality in both aviation and automotive modes is great.
Add that to an iPad with Foreflight, and you have a pretty powerful electronic flight bag and backup system with you.
As I fly professionally, it's tax deductible, so Uncles Sam and Martin are paying about a third of it for me. :wink2: OTOH, there's also the iPad/Foreflight/Stratus option, with the free ADS-B weather available in the most populated portions of the country once you pay $800 for the Stratus box. It's a very different approach to the problem with different strengths and weaknesses.Thanks for the input, Ron!
I was eyeing the 510, but anything with WX comes with a hefty price tag
Does anyone have experience using the Garmin 500? I'm new to aviation GPS's, and was curious if this would be a good one to start with.
I have the 510 -- that's the 500 plus the XM weather, and I love it.
The receiver is built into the antenna, which is a small hockey puck (smaller than the old one for the 396/496 -- about 3" diameter and 3/4-inch thick) you toss on the glare shield, and it comes included with the 510 -- no extra charge. The antenna has a 3-foot cord which plugs into the 510. Pretty convenient, actually, and way, way smaller than the WxWorx XM and Stratus ADS-B boxes.When they say the 510 has XM weather support, does that mean it has a built-in receiver and all you connect is the antenna or do you need a separate receiver?
Yes - have the Aera 500. It replaced an older Garmin Pilot III. Way better graphics than the Pilot and does have much more capacity than I am likely to need flying only VFR. Took a bit more learning to operate and not quite as intuitive as the Pilot. Although I wouldn't go back, the old Pilot did everything I ever needed, NEVER failed (except around Patuxent MD) and was very easy to use. Really is a cost/benefit decision, and for my use, it was a close decision.
Gary
The receiver is built into the antenna, which is a small hockey puck (smaller than the old one for the 396/496 -- about 3" diameter and 3/4-inch thick) you toss on the glare shield, and it comes included with the 510 -- no extra charge. The antenna has a 3-foot cord which plugs into the 510. Pretty convenient, actually, and way, way smaller than the WxWorx XM and Stratus ADS-B boxes.
Oh, yeah -- and with XM, for an extra $13/month, you get like 200 channels of Sirius/XM satellite radio -- news, sports, weather, music, talk; you name it, they got it, and it works in your car, too, if you have an AUX music jack or a cassette player (cassette adapter about $20 at Radio Shack). FAA sure ain't broadcasting that on ADS-B.
Hmm...I looked at buying a Pilot III. I figured for the price you can get them for on ebay, you can't go wrong.
I can do a used Aera for you. I sell lots of gps's and headsets. You can pm Anthony, he just bought a 510 Aera from me.