Looking for a GPS

bluesky74656

bluesky74656

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Dec 31, 2005
Messages
752
Location
Brecksville, OH
Display Name
Todd Kooser
Home Airfield
KBKL
I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a portable GPS that does double duty as both an aviation GPS and a car navigation system. The 496 and 396 are both well out of my acceptable price range. I was looking at a 196, but I wanted to see if anyone knew of alternatives that might be better or more cost effective. Thanks!
 
The Lowrance Airmap 2000c can be loaded with surface maps, as I understand it ...

Mine is on the fed-ex truck for delivery as we speak ... :D
 
Any of the Lowrance models can be loaded with Map Quest. I have the 500 model and love it. You can buy these for about $275.00-$300.00 now that the 600c has come out.
 
bluesky74656 said:
I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a portable GPS that does double duty as both an aviation GPS and a car navigation system. The 496 and 396 are both well out of my acceptable price range. I was looking at a 196, but I wanted to see if anyone knew of alternatives that might be better or more cost effective. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I love my Garmin iQue 3600a. Retails for $1,100.
 
I have the Lowrance 500, different from the 600 in that it is four shades of grey instead of color. I've navigated all over the US east of the Rockies with it, even found my way back home with it.

No I don't work for Lowrance.

I believe one can change it to surface operations by just changing the chip. That is a pop out, pop in operation. I can't swear to it, but that is the way one updates the data base.

WOW!!! Ok I just looked in my owners manual, looks like all you have to do is enter a few key strokes, and it will ask if you are sure you want to leave either the aviation or the land mode.

Best call Lowrance to be sure.

Dave
 
mdreger said:
How would one go about doing such a thing?
Click to expand...
I just got my 2000c - it comes with Mapcreate software and high def maps for the US - you just load them onto the MMC (multi-media card) or the SD card (whichever you have and want to use), then pop the card into the unit. You can actually make custom maps to load onto the card. It looks pretty cool, but I'm still reading the manual - haven't done anything with it yet!
 
bluesky74656 said:
I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a portable GPS that does double duty as both an aviation GPS and a car navigation system. The 496 and 396 are both well out of my acceptable price range. I was looking at a 196, but I wanted to see if anyone knew of alternatives that might be better or more cost effective. Thanks!
Click to expand...


I don't know if the 296 is in your range or not. I have the auto kit with mine, and use it extensively in the car. Works great in both places.

Depending on where you are flying, the terrain is a definite plus. You might be able to find a used 296 as pilots upgrade to the 496 looking for weather. I see them on ebay frequently, and some of the shops have them as trade-in.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
I don't know if the 296 is in your range or not. I have the auto kit with mine, and use it extensively in the car. Works great in both places.

Depending on where you are flying, the terrain is a definite plus. You might be able to find a used 296 as pilots upgrade to the 496 looking for weather. I see them on ebay frequently, and some of the shops have them as trade-in.
Click to expand...
The 2000c's all come with terrain, and mine came with an auto kit as well - maps and windshield/dash mount. Just so's ya know! :)

reading the manual, having fun ...
 
Garmin 96/96C

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap96c/

Whether on land, sea, or air, the GPSMAP 96C is the smart, versatile way to get there:
  • Extensive Jeppesen database includes airports, identifiers and services
  • Comprehensive U.S. database of obstacles and towers helps alert pilots of potential hazards
  • Graphic HSI steering cues with GPS-derived VNAV provide added orientation
  • Built-in autoroute basemap and optional MapSource marine, topo and city street mapping downloads let you move seamlessly from plane to car to boat to hiking boots.
Retail ~$375 for 96
Retail ~$600 for 96C
 
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The Lowrance products come with the streets software, however you will not get turn by turn directions. You will be shown a straight line, and have to find your way from there.
 
Todd i love my 196, plus it does Avaition,Car,and Boat . i use it in all three.
Dave G
 
Todd,

What is your budget? What features are you looking for on the aviation side (large map, terrain avoidance, color, etc) and the car side (turn-by-turn directions, voice prompts, etc)?
 
etsisk said:
I just got my 2000c - it comes with Mapcreate software and high def maps for the US - you just load them onto the MMC (multi-media card) or the SD card (whichever you have and want to use), then pop the card into the unit. You can actually make custom maps to load onto the card. It looks pretty cool, but I'm still reading the manual - haven't done anything with it yet!
Click to expand...

Yes, I know how to do this, Dean had said that "Mapquest" maps could be loaded. I was wondering how to get the Mapquest maps on the Lowrance.
 
My budget is around the 400, maybe up to 500 dollar range if it's worth it. I've used an Airmap 1000 before and was almost convinced to go with that, until Michael said that you don't get turn by turn directions in land mode. I'm a fan of it's larger screen, and it was at least a couple hundred dollars less than the 196. I don't need color. Terrain avoidance is nice, but if it's got obstacles I'm happy. On the car side turn-by-turn directions are a must, but not necessarily voice prompts. It also needs to be able to calculate routes on the fly, not require that they be preprogrammed and uploaded.
 
N50909 said:
I love my Garmin iQue 3600a. Retails for $1,100.
Click to expand...

The Garmin 2730, which is mostly the land versin of the 496, with XM radio, traffic and weather is $499 on the street and currently at Costco.com. I was tempted so I drove myself crazy and ended up getting a Garmin Nuvi 660 because the mission I had in mind for it was 1) larger, hires screen for my old eyes, 2) Bluetooth cell interface, and 3) pocketable, because I'm a city kid who will not leave things around for teefs.

It was $700. *sigh* I am nuts.

Other considerations against the 2840 is I would never have time to listen to the XM radio.
 
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mikea said:
The Garmin 2840,

Other considerations against the 2840 is I would never have time to listen to the XM radio.
Click to expand...

Mike... 2820, or 2730? By your description, it's the 2730, which is a damn nice automotive GPS.

Todd, I bet a 196 is just about exactly what you're looking for.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Mike... 2820, or 2730? By your description, it's the 2730, which is a damn nice automotive GPS.

Todd, I bet a 196 is just about exactly what you're looking for.
Click to expand...

Do the turn-by-turn navigation features of the 196 work out of the box or do you have to pay more $$$ to turn them on? I thought that was one of the differences between the 396 and 496.
 
JustinPinnix said:
Do the turn-by-turn navigation features of the 196 work out of the box or do you have to pay more $$$ to turn them on? I thought that was one of the differences between the 396 and 496.
Click to expand...

Justin, it works"out of the box" no more $ needed. for turn by turn,
 
mdreger said:
Yes, I know how to do this, Dean had said that "Mapquest" maps could be loaded. I was wondering how to get the Mapquest maps on the Lowrance.
Click to expand...

Mine was loaded on the SD card and installed in the GPS, but I must say I never use the GPS in the car, only the airplane. I bought my 500 from GPS world in Chicago for $299.00
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Does the 196 come with the car kit? I didn't think it did.
Click to expand...

No, it does not, and the car kit isn't cheap, something like $250 IIRC.

We just bit the bullet and went for the 496, nice color moving map, battery backup, XM weather, pre-loaded US road maps, turn by turn voice guidance. Expensive, but the right choice.
 
Bill Jennings said:
We just bit the bullet and went for the 496, nice color moving map, battery backup, XM weather, pre-loaded US road maps, turn by turn voice guidance. Expensive, but the right choice.
Click to expand...

Yeah... But it's still missing... Something. My automotive GPS has some features that I don't think the 496 does.

Back when there was the Street Pilot III, it was basically the same as the 295 only without the aviation side. Then, the street pilot series went in one direction (touch screen, remote, hard drive with full US/Can street level maps on my 2620; XM, MP3, traffic, weather, Bluetooth in later models) while the aviation series went in another (terrain, weather, etc.)

I want something from the aviation side that can do what the 2820 can do as well. Mainly, the remote control (my car has a loooooong dash that's not easy to reach) and the Bluetooth. I'm also not sure if the 496 can do detours, unlimited via points, etc. that even my 2620 can.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I'm also not sure if the 496 can do detours, unlimited via points, etc. that even my 2620 can.
Click to expand...

yes, the 496 is not the be all and end all for car use, but it does a good enough job to throw in the rental car when you land at your destination.

Brent has a Garmin Nuvi that I borrow for serious road trips, and I really like that GPS. Touch screen is great, and the 3d view is nice.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Yeah... But it's still missing... Something. My automotive GPS has some features that I don't think the 496 does.

Back when there was the Street Pilot III, it was basically the same as the 295 only without the aviation side. Then, the street pilot series went in one direction (touch screen, remote, hard drive with full US/Can street level maps on my 2620; XM, MP3, traffic, weather, Bluetooth in later models) while the aviation series went in another (terrain, weather, etc.)

I want something from the aviation side that can do what the 2820 can do as well. Mainly, the remote control (my car has a loooooong dash that's not easy to reach) and the Bluetooth. I'm also not sure if the 496 can do detours, unlimited via points, etc. that even my 2620 can.
Click to expand...

Via points? It my research I was amazed that it looked like no automotive GPS lets you create and store routes. You have to let it calculate the route.

I have the Garmin i5, which is going back because the screen is way too small. I can't even set my real home as the home waypoint because you can only store locations it finds in its database and my address isn't there. There's no "save this location."
 
mikea said:
Via points? It my research I was amazed that it looked like no automotive GPS lets you create and store routes. You have to let it calculate the route.
Click to expand...

Nope - Street Pilot 2xxx series lets you store routes. You can also have seemingly unlimited via points - As in, I want to go here, then here, then here, then here... In fact, you can tell it "I want to go here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Tell me the best order to get to all of them the fastest."
 
If you have a laptop or tablet PC you can get a Delorme GPS and Chartcase. use the Chartcase software in the air and the Delorme software on the ground. With Chartcase you get all the sect and plates.

Dan
 
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