I’ve grown to love this tool. There are lots of GPS’s that can be bought nowadays, but here’s why I like to Garmin 496:
* It is very user friendly. All you need is a 30 minute flight to tinker with it, and you’ll have no trouble moving from page to page comfortably.
* It has a worldwide database. I fly all over the world and bring it with me every time I leave on an airplane. If the airplane I’m flying has a good panel mounted GPS, then the 496 will stay in the bag. But, if things are not “as advertised”, then a 496 can get you anywhere in the world with no problems. It has saved my bacon several times.
* It will display downlinkable radar. One of the best tools for the modern aviator, downlinkable radar has changed the way we fly IFR. In the US, I use it religiously and it works great on the 496.
* The battery lasts a long time. It will tell you about the battery life, and it is usually over 8 hours if I use only the simplest of energy-saving techniques (dim the panel, etc.).
* The short antenna works great. I never use the long corded antenna. It is just not necessary. I’ve always received great satellite reception with just the 2″ plug-in antenna.
* It can be panel-mounted. I have a 496 panel-mounted on my Malibu on a bracket that cants it toward me in flight. It can also be removed when I need it to be portable. This can save you thousands upon thousands as compared to a panel-mounted box MFD.
I hope this helps you! You just can’t go wrong with a 496, and today you can get one used for a hefty discount. A super product…
