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20-03-2005, 09:52 AM
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#1
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Garmin 196 or 296?
I have just sold my Garmin Pilot 3 and want to upgrade to another
Garmin, possible a 196 or a 296.
I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any first
hand experience with the new colour 296?
What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
Is it worth the extra cash?
You can only get so much info of a web site!
Thanks, Bob.
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20-03-2005, 03:20 PM
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#2
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Re: Garmin 196 or 296?
I have had a 295 ( the previous colour version of the 296) for about
four years.
I use it along with a chart on the seat beside me (or with the pax)
for almost all flights.
It is fabulous.
Keep an eye on the chart to see where you are on it in case the gps
dies, use the gps for the general nav and you will always know almost
exactly where you are.
It is amazing how often people without a gps get lost! - or at least
don't know exactly where they are. Listen to the boys on the radio out
western NSW/ Qld some time and you will hear them discussing their
locations .. :-)
Where exactly you are is important - entering mbzs, missing danger
areas, etc., - and for altitude steps in the Sydney basin and
thereabouts in particular.
I have never had a problem with the sun on it, but have a high wing
aircraft.
Don't forget , when you enter the waypoints for a route, to have a
look at it after you have entered everything just to make sure they
are all the correct ones and in the right order! This, according to a
casa lecture I went to last year is about the only problem you can
have - human factors.
Anyhow, the colours make you very aware of your situation which is an
excellent thing to prevent incursions into controlled areas etc. The
waas thing gives great precision.
My advice: get one!
By the way, in spite of what a lot of people say, having had a gps
since 1995 and in fact now having four of them, I have *never* had one
of them drop out. The only thing which was a bit weird was last week
when I started the car in the hanger and the gps was out by about 25
metres (it was obvious) for a bit. Other than that, I reckon I could
land on the keys with it (but haven't tried due to the fence and other
factors!).
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20-03-2005, 03:36 PM
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#3
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Re: Garmin 196 or 296?
Bob Jenneson wrote:
> I have just sold my Garmin Pilot 3 and want to upgrade to another
> Garmin, possible a 196 or a 296.
> I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any first
> hand experience with the new colour 296?
> What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
> Is it worth the extra cash?
> You can only get so much info of a web site!
>
> Thanks, Bob.
>
Bob,
I've recently bought a 196 with my Drifter, and I'm very happy with it
(actually, with both ;-)
I've wondered about the 296's colour display in bright sun. The 196
works amazingly well, even in direct sunlight. I can imagine a real
benefit in colour display for airspace boundaries, etc, but the contrast
issue is critical.
For you and anyone else with a 196 (or, potentially any other type of
device with a similar socket) I've found a very cute way to produce
power / data cables for the GPS. Instead of paying cubic $$$ for a
genuine cable, try the following...
1. Read the manual (yeah, I know... a unique experience!) to find the
pin configuration in the GPS connector socket.
2. Buy a packet of PCB Matrix socket connectors (Dick Smith H-5592,
about $2.50 for 25)
3. Solder a couple of the connectors to the ends of a suitable 2-core
lead (for power only). Use 4-core for data as well.
4. Use a wooden match stick to apply a film of petroleum jelly
(vaseline) to the inside of the socket on the GPS.
5. Push the connectors onto the correct pins inside the GPS socket.
6. Use a hot glue gun to carefully squeeze hotglue into the socket and
all around the connectors. As the hot glue sets (it takes 5 minutes or
so) gradually feed more hot glue up onto the cable to build a strong
fitting.
7. After the hot glue has set. Carefully remove your "custom" plug from
the socket on the GPS. The petroleum jelly will stop the glue sticking,
but will firmly embed the metal connectors in just the right places to
fit the GPS pins. Hot glue, when set, is a good insulator, quite strong
and a bit flexible. Perfect for the purpose.
I used to use Araldite to "pot" connectors like this, but since trying
hot glue, I wouldn't go back.
I now have a full set of power leads for my Garmin 196 - 12v to car
cigarette lighter plug, 12v to alligator clips, 14v to a 240v plug pack,
and a USB cable for the PC, all for the cost of about $10.
email me for any more details. Please remove yourknickers to reply to my
email address.
Gregg
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20-03-2005, 08:42 PM
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#4
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Re: Garmin 196 or 296?
Great idea Gregg, thanks for sharing!
Eddie
"Gregg" <gregg@yourknickersgreggf.com> wrote in message
news:423cee0e@mail.netspeed.com.au...
> Bob Jenneson wrote:
> > I have just sold my Garmin Pilot 3 and want to upgrade to another
> > Garmin, possible a 196 or a 296.
> > I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any
first
> > hand experience with the new colour 296?
> > What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
> > Is it worth the extra cash?
> > You can only get so much info of a web site!
> >
> > Thanks, Bob.
> >
> Bob,
> I've recently bought a 196 with my Drifter, and I'm very happy with it
> (actually, with both ;-)
> I've wondered about the 296's colour display in bright sun. The 196
> works amazingly well, even in direct sunlight. I can imagine a real
> benefit in colour display for airspace boundaries, etc, but the contrast
> issue is critical.
>
> For you and anyone else with a 196 (or, potentially any other type of
> device with a similar socket) I've found a very cute way to produce
> power / data cables for the GPS. Instead of paying cubic $$$ for a
> genuine cable, try the following...
> 1. Read the manual (yeah, I know... a unique experience!) to find the
> pin configuration in the GPS connector socket.
> 2. Buy a packet of PCB Matrix socket connectors (Dick Smith H-5592,
> about $2.50 for 25)
> 3. Solder a couple of the connectors to the ends of a suitable 2-core
> lead (for power only). Use 4-core for data as well.
> 4. Use a wooden match stick to apply a film of petroleum jelly
> (vaseline) to the inside of the socket on the GPS.
> 5. Push the connectors onto the correct pins inside the GPS socket.
> 6. Use a hot glue gun to carefully squeeze hotglue into the socket and
> all around the connectors. As the hot glue sets (it takes 5 minutes or
> so) gradually feed more hot glue up onto the cable to build a strong
> fitting.
> 7. After the hot glue has set. Carefully remove your "custom" plug from
> the socket on the GPS. The petroleum jelly will stop the glue sticking,
> but will firmly embed the metal connectors in just the right places to
> fit the GPS pins. Hot glue, when set, is a good insulator, quite strong
> and a bit flexible. Perfect for the purpose.
>
> I used to use Araldite to "pot" connectors like this, but since trying
> hot glue, I wouldn't go back.
>
> I now have a full set of power leads for my Garmin 196 - 12v to car
> cigarette lighter plug, 12v to alligator clips, 14v to a 240v plug pack,
> and a USB cable for the PC, all for the cost of about $10.
>
> email me for any more details. Please remove yourknickers to reply to my
> email address.
>
> Gregg
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22-03-2005, 08:19 AM
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#5
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Re: Garmin 196 or 296?
Have flown with both and while both are great boxes the 296 is absolutely
fantastic. Like Graham ( I think) I used it in a high wing, but yoke mounted
and still no problems with full sunlight.
Mind you I haven't had to buy one myself!
:-]
"Bob Jenneson" <bjay@senet.com.au> wrote in message
news:ka1%d.496$M17.13987@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au...
> I have just sold my Garmin Pilot 3 and want to upgrade to another
> Garmin, possible a 196 or a 296.
> I have a mate with a 196 and it does a great job. Has anybody had any
> first
> hand experience with the new colour 296?
> What is the colour screen like to read especially in a sunny cockpit?
> Is it worth the extra cash?
> You can only get so much info of a web site!
>
> Thanks, Bob.
>
>
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