Sporty's reduces Garmin pricing

TangoWhiskey

TangoWhiskey

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
Messages
14,210
Location
Midlothian, TX
Display Name
3Green
Home Airfield
KJWY - Mid-Way Regional
Prices down $300-$400 on the 296 (now $1195), 396 (now $1795), and 496 (now $2395).

I notice this is just before AirVenture 2007. You think Garmin has a 596 in the wings?? Anybody heard rumors of any Garmin announcements for Oshkosh?

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/

I've heard rumors of a 596... with victor airways (supposedly also available to the 496 with a pay-for-software upgrade). Also rumors that the 596 will have a built in COM radio making it suitable for sport aviation as an 'all in one' package. I guess we'll have to wait and see...
 
Last edited:
Troy Whistman said:
I've heard rumors of a 596... with victor airways (supposedly also available to the 496 with a pay-for-software upgrade). Also rumors that the 596 will have a built in COM radio making it suitable for sport aviation as an 'all in one' package. I guess we'll have to wait and see...
Click to expand...

That would be quite awesome. We'll just have to wait and see like you said.
 
From AvionicsWest's website:

As I look into my Avionics Crystal Ball, what else do I see for the up coming 2007? Hum, how about an announcement at OSH in 2007 from Honeywell that they are coming out with a new line of products and they state they are ready to get back into the GA aviation market. Lowrance Avionics introduces a portable color GPS with weather; could that be true? I see more! Is that a 3.0 software revision for the GNS 480 I see in the crystal ball? Remember, you didn’t hear that from me! But wait! Is that high-resolution photo-mapping detail "Satellite Imagery" on the GPSMAP 596 I see along with a touch screen? Someone throw some water on me, 2007 is going to be HOT!
Click to expand...

Honeywell does have a strangely cryptic and non-informative full page ad in the latest AOPA Pilot, about something coming at OSH.
 
Those of us sitting under the Omega block at Gaston's for 3 days vowed that whatever the 595 is, we'll be buying it.

What frosts me more than the $3000-whatever price it could have is paying $50 a month for a service you only need a few times a year.
 
mikea said:
Those of us sitting under the Omega block at Gaston's for 3 days vowed that whatever the 595 is, we'll be buying it.

What frosts me more than the $3000-whatever price it could have is paying $50 a month for a service you only need a few times a year.
Click to expand...

I have not bought one yet but I am going to. I have a friend who has the 396 and has been so useful on each trip. There have been twice with out it I would probably not went on the trip. But with the 396 and a storm scope you can get a good picture of whats a head.

Plus many people pay $50 dollars a month Sat/Cabel TV and that will never be usefull.

Jon
 
dogman said:
Plus many people pay $50 dollars a month Sat/Cabel TV and that will never be usefull.

Jon
Click to expand...

Not true...the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the Science Channel...just a few things that are very useful to becoming more educated about the world! ;)
 
Troy Whistman said:
Prices down $300-$400 on the 296 (now $1195), 396 (now $1795), and 496 (now $2395).
Click to expand...

*looks at calendar* Yup, about a month 'til OSH.

I notice this is just before AirVenture 2007. You think Garmin has a 596 in the wings??
Click to expand...

Ya think? I was standing at Garmin's booth last year when some dude who'd just bought a 396 was bitching about them coming out with a new one so fast. The rep's reply: "We bring out a new one at Oshkosh EVERY YEAR."

My dream for the 596: Touchscreen and remote a la the Street Pilot series. Nav/Com radio and sensors for traffic would make it a must-buy. Of course, all the idiots would be buying 'em up and playing with 'em as soon as they lift off from OSH, not thinking through the fact that TRAFFIC SYSTEMS DON'T WORK WHEN EVERYONE'S TRANSPONDER IS OFF!!! :hairraise:
 
mikea said:
Those of us sitting under the Omega block at Gaston's for 3 days vowed that whatever the 595 is, we'll be buying it.

What frosts me more than the $3000-whatever price it could have is paying $50 a month for a service you only need a few times a year.
Click to expand...

XM doesn't advertise this feature, but AFaIK you can activate and deactivate during the year and save the monthly fee when you don't use it. The only catch is that the minimum activated time is one month. I haven't tried this with weather, but I have done it with the radio. You might need to keep one radio (not weather) account active to maintain your status though.
 
mikea said:
What frosts me more than the $3000-whatever price it could have is paying $50 a month for a service you only need a few times a year.
Click to expand...
Don't think of it that way. Think of it as $600 a year to avoid flying into thunderstorms on 10 flights. What a baaaaaaaaargain!!
 
mikea said:
Those of us sitting under the Omega block at Gaston's for 3 days vowed that whatever the 595 is, we'll be buying it.

What frosts me more than the $3000-whatever price it could have is paying $50 a month for a service you only need a few times a year.
Click to expand...

If it saves your Bacon once it's worth it to me.
 
mikea said:
Those of us sitting under the Omega block at Gaston's for 3 days vowed that whatever the 595 is, we'll be buying it.

What frosts me more than the $3000-whatever price it could have is paying $50 a month for a service you only need a few times a year.
Click to expand...

The 396 I had was most helpful in a Monday morning departure. Sunday night would have been possible as well but I've read one too many inadvertent encounter into IMC at night and get killed reports.
 
Based on the link below I would gather that the few areas that state "no" for both the 396 and 496 will be filled in on the 596.
Click to expand...
If I gather your meaning correctly, that those fields wouldn't be there unless some upcoming product supported them, then I'm not sure it works, because Garmin has other products in their current line-up that do support those features, so it's reasonable for them to appear in the "compare" function.
-harry
 
mantakos said:
If I gather your meaning correctly, that those fields wouldn't be there unless some upcoming product supported them, then I'm not sure it works, because Garmin has other products in their current line-up that do support those features, so it's reasonable for them to appear in the "compare" function.
-harry
Click to expand...

If you mean that say a Garmin 430 has VHF com..a 430 also has VOR NAV ILS/GS, etc. features that aren't on that chart.

I think the chart is a very strong indication that the 595 will have a com radio in it.


...and a phone. :D
 
Last edited:
mikea said:
If you mean that say a Garmin 430 has VHF com..a 430 also has VOR NAV ILS/GS, etc. features that aren't on that chart.

I think the chart is a very strong indication that the 595 will have a com radio in it.


...and a phone. :D
Click to expand...


ahhhh an iGarmin
 
Last edited:
astanley said:
On a component basis sure, but when you look at their R&D spend... my oh my.

EDIT: Here is a post I authored on GRMN a few months ago...

http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/showpost.php?p=174348&postcount=29

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...
I am sure they have recovered their engineering costs. I am just slightly familiar with how engineering costs affect high tech consumer goods, ;).

They also can roll that cost forward into the newer models. The 296 is two interactions behind the current model, why they are still even selling it is very strange. When you consider that the Lowrance 600 is selling for $500 that is where they should be positioning their 396 and just dropping the 296 all together. Then the 496 costs can be justified.
 
smigaldi said:
I am sure they have recovered their engineering costs. I am just slightly familiar with how engineering costs affect high tech consumer goods, ;).
Click to expand...

All in jest, of course ;)

They also can roll that cost forward into the newer models. The 296 is two interactions behind the current model, why they are still even selling it is very strange. When you consider that the Lowrance 600 is selling for $500 that is where they should be positioning their 396 and just dropping the 296 all together. Then the 496 costs can be justified.
Click to expand...

My guess is that this is the "failure" of their supply chain. They had $217M in units, spread across what unit allocations I do not know, still sitting in the pipeline as of their annual report. This overhead has to be cleared out, and they justify the high prices for the new models by saying "Look! A 296 for a 1/4th as much!", when in fact it is far more expensive than the competition.

Don't forget you are paying for the brand. Garmin is quite unique in the navigation world as having near household brand recognition. Even the stock pickers love GRMN (cue Mad Money). In fact, I would take it one step further, and argue that the high prices for bottom-end models may in fact finance the initial production costs of the 496/596, because the tooling, R&D, and profit-to-ship targets have been met. It's reinvested cream, really.

I do agree with your point, however, that they may be over-diversifying their product offerings. Why offer 4 (assuming a 596 really is due out?) at the same time? I think you lose some of sales by drowning the consumer with choice.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
astanley said:
...I do agree with your point, however, that they may be over-diversifying their product offerings. Why offer 4 (assuming a 596 really is due out?) at the same time? I think you lose some of sales by drowning the consumer with choice.
Click to expand...

Yep. They have so many variations on the Nuvi land GPS line the users group made up a chart to show which has what.

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=82414

14 models! :hairraise:
 
You sell things for what people will pay for them, there is no other 'justification'.

Until Lowrance adds weather to their line of handhelds there isn't really any competition to Garmin in the dedicated aviation gps handheld space.

I am glad to hear the pricing news. I was going to buy an Airmap with weather at Oshkosh, so maybe I'll ether go with a 396 or maybe Airmap will drop prices also.

I have a boat, and the Garmin is waterproof and can use a marine database. That's worth something to me, but not ~$500.
 
Most of the pilots here have more discretionary than me so it's not like I have money to throw away. But I do recall VFR flying before GPS was available to the averge GA pilot. I still have my first handheld (gps, that is), the Garmin PilotIII and while it's basic it makes flying a WHOLE lot more enjoyable than it was in the pre-GPS days. It's the best money you'll ever spend.

I very much enjoy the peace of mind of knowing where I should be w/ dead reckoning and pilotage and then confirming that information with the little black box. And the other useful tools like ground speed, runway headings, frequencies, etc. When you add weather info and handheld COM...how can you not thank the mfr. for making such a product available to you?

it's all good.
 
mantakos said:
If I gather your meaning correctly, that those fields wouldn't be there unless some upcoming product supported them, then I'm not sure it works, because Garmin has other products in their current line-up that do support those features, so it's reasonable for them to appear in the "compare" function.
-harry
Click to expand...

I haven't messed with their comparison feature enough to be sure, but... There were only 3 items in the list that had "no" for both: Built-in VHF Comm, External VHF Comm, and 3D view (a la Street Pilots 2720, 2730, and 2820 as well as most of the newer consumer models.)

I'd say it's quite reasonable to expect those to be added to the 596. I'm hoping that the 596 has everything the 496 does, plus the improvements in the Street Pilot 2820 (touchscreen, remote, bluetooth), and if so I'll be all over it like white on rice. If it has a comm radio, that's just a bonus.
 
smigaldi said:
Wow those are still higher than they need to be. That 296 should be in the $300-$400 rang and the 396 in the $400-$500 range if you ask me.
Click to expand...

Scott,

Even the crappy consumer-level automotive GPS's are starting in the $250-$300 and up range. Add the fact that you're getting a much better, more capable product that's for aviation, and well... $$$$$

Component-wise, you might be right, but I'm sure you can appreciate the fact that they have to pay their engineers. ;)
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Scott,

Even the crappy consumer-level automotive GPS's are starting in the $250-$300 and up range. Add the fact that you're getting a much better, more capable product that's for aviation, and well... $$$$$

Component-wise, you might be right, but I'm sure you can appreciate the fact that they have to pay their engineers. ;)
Click to expand...

flyingcheesehead said:
Scott,

Even the crappy consumer-level automotive GPS's are starting in the $250-$300 and up range. Add the fact that you're getting a much better, more capable product that's for aviation, and well... $$$$$

Component-wise, you might be right, but I'm sure you can appreciate the fact that they have to pay their engineers. ;)
Click to expand...

So, this is how Kent has been boosting his post count. :yes:
 
FlyNE said:
So, this is how Kent has been boosting his post count. :yes:
Click to expand...

i was thinking the exact same thing Jason...couple weeks ago i reminded him that i had abotu 400 posts on him and he has been posting nonstop since.
 
FlyNE said:
So, this is how Kent has been boosting his post count. :yes:
Click to expand...

LOL... Naah, I had a crappy connection and apparently it really DID post the first time (usually doesn't), I ended up with a blank page so I didn't know.

Deleted. Now that I beat Tony to 3,000 I don't care about my post count. :no: :rolleyes:
 
I'll be the first to put up a standing offer on one of those 3rd generation, antique 396's that all of you will be replacing with the 596. Third gen tech can't be worth more than $500, can it?

I've had a 396 on my list of things to buy for a while, but I haven't been able to pony up the cash. I'll be happy to watch prices drop yet again.
 
foka4 said:
I'll be the first to put up a standing offer on one of those 3rd generation, antique 396's that all of you will be replacing with the 596. Third gen tech can't be worth more than $500, can it?

I've had a 396 on my list of things to buy for a while, but I haven't been able to pony up the cash. I'll be happy to watch prices drop yet again.
Click to expand...

Yeah! And you guys who are trading up to the Cirrus Jet ... I'll make an offer on that old twin you don't want. :)
 
Well.................. I was almost mentally prepared (by that I mean I had nearly completed the rationalization) to purchase a new 396 when they were $2200. Now the dilemma is, for a mere $200 more than I couldn't afford to spend on the 396 I can get a 496. So, for anybody that has used both............ is the 496 that much better? Or, should I save the difference for fuel for my 2 day flight to MI?
 
I just decided I really need a GPS for the car (lots of out of the way places) and I just had an opportunity to fly in a plane equiped with a 396 and XM weather. So the dilema I have is a 396/496 or just an Auto GPS. This puts my budget around $500-800. So any GOOD used, well equiped garmins out there?
The 396 was panel mounted. Nice setup. If you didn't know it was portable, you'd have sworn it belonged there.
Too bad the portables aren't IFR/Approach certified. Hmmmm.... could THIS be what the 596 is all about?
 
silver-eagle said:
I just decided I really need a GPS for the car (lots of out of the way places) and I just had an opportunity to fly in a plane equiped with a 396 and XM weather. So the dilema I have is a 396/496 or just an Auto GPS. This puts my budget around $500-800. So any GOOD used, well equiped garmins out there?
The 396 was panel mounted. Nice setup. If you didn't know it was portable, you'd have sworn it belonged there.
Too bad the portables aren't IFR/Approach certified. Hmmmm.... could THIS be what the 596 is all about?
Click to expand...
the thing that makes any GPS IFR certified is that the the installation is certified. namely the antenna location is set to always get a good signal, and the wiring is high grade, I think. No way a handheld will ever get certified, IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top