Yoke mount GPS
I am also looking to possibly invest in a yoke mounted GPS mostly for the use of XM weather. I have a panel mount Garmin 430 that is great for navigation but would like the added situational awareness XM weather could add. Any suggestions?
Comments
If not, a used 496 offers allot for the money.
I'd stay with Garmin as their handhelds function very much like your 430 so you don't have to learn a whole new way to program your handheld.
There are people on here who love the tablet PC/PDA based "systems" but I really would not recommend them. I want my back-up system to be intuitive to use and bulletproof in construction (not dependant on a bunch of cables/Bluetooth/finicky operating systems).
Try this test:
From being stored inside your flight bag, how long before your GPS is up and running and giving you navigation information?
PilotKris
JimC
> From being stored inside your flight bag, how long before your GPS is up and running and giving you
> navigation information?
From a guy with no experience using a portable GPS, I'm surprised by this question. I always envisioned having my EFB/backup GPS configured and ready to go before starting the engine. If it took the box 10 minutes to boot up and get a fix, that'd be no problem; I could push the "ON" button and go do my preflight, and it would still be ready before I was. (I'm also assuming I'd have it plugged into the cigarette lighter once the engine was on.)
So startup time doesn't seem like a significant metric to me. What am I missing?
I made another mount for a buddy. If you want I'll take a pic of it for you. Mounted down there it is out of the glare, has no wires draped all over, and can be seen well by both pilot and co pilot. Not to mention its glow does not interfere with your night vision of other things...
It can still click out in a matter of 30 seconds if you wanted to remove it.
PilotKris
How many components and cables are involved with that setup?
There are three cords running up the left side of the pilot's seat at floor level. One is a power cord to the PDA that terminates at the yoke after looping around a location on the lower panel (to keep it mostly out of the way). Two cords continue up the left side near the panel to the glareshield and attach to the GPS and the XM weather antenna on the on left and right sides of the glareshield respectively (secured with velcro). The XM weather antenna cord is not power, it connects to the XM processor. A third power cord goes to the XM processor, and that's only inches from the battery. The battery has one "cigar lighter" type outlet, so I got a "three to one" adapter to plug it all in.
Only time it's a hassle is when it's time to do the annual or some other maintenance that requires access to the back side of the panel. I take it all of this stuff out before the mechanic gets in.
I was flying my plane home from Detroit to California and was all excited to finally play with the 696 in the air. After several hours I finally realized the friction was caused by the HEAVY 696. Took it off and the yoke was super smooth.
It was also too heavy to use the suction cup mount on the pilot side window.
PK's comment on the similar user interfaces between the Garmin handhelds & panel boxes highlights a subtle but important feature from my point of view.
A buddy just yoke-mounted a 696 in his Arrow. We're going to go fly it mainly to get a look at the Aspen EFD & STEC-30 he put in. I'll post back on control forces/friction.
>
> How many different types of tablet/PDA based
> systems have you flown with or tested to make that
> statement? Based on all your prior posts about
> "other" GPS systems it seems you just dislike
> anything but Garmin but have no real experience
> with anything else.
>
How quickly you are to judge and form an opinion even with no basis what so ever for it.
I've been using handheld GPS and GPS linked to other devices since the early (very early) 90's. My first experience was with the Trimble Flightmate Pro interfaced with a HP palmtop running Flightsoft software.
In the nearly 2 decades since, I've owned, used, played with, experimented, borrowed, asked questions of people who own them, dozens of different GPS, GPS/PDA, GPS/phone, GPS/tablets, GPS/laptop running various software interfaced with RS232, USB and Bluetooth with operating systems from DOS to Windows Vista including Windows Mobile.
However, my experience is irrelevant since I can claim whatever I want. Thats why when I state an opinion, I give my reasons for it. In my opinion, the PC/Tablet/PDA based systems lack the robust reliability to be effective tools. There are multiple failure points and modes that dont exist in a purpose built all in one device.
The iFly is a neat little GPS but it lacks the one feature the original poster wanted, XM weather.
PilotKris
Now you can't seriously be comparing "daily" updates of data/charts (that only changes every 56 days) from your home computer with in-flight weather (NEXRAD, METARS, SIGMETS, AIRMETS, Satellite images, winds aloft) and TFRs as they happen as well as Rush, Martha, Oprah and Howard.
2 more things prothct, XM will cost the same on iFly as Garmin and ADS-B will never happen on a portable.
You my find it "noble" to support the underdog, try not giving bad advice in the process. The ONE feature the OP wanted was XM weather, IFly doesn't have it.
PilotKris
An interesting metric on which handheld GPS or "system" to buy is resale value as purchase price minus resale (or trade in) value is the true "cost".
I noticed that JimC has been trying to sell his friends Anywhere Map system for a while now with no luck.
Garmin has a pretty established used market and many dealers will take your old Garmin in trade. What is the resale value of that Brand X unit? Will they take it as a trade-in if you want to upgrade?
PilotKris
> Yes, ADS-B WILL happen on portables,
Nope. You're going to have to have a certified (meaning panel mount) GPS to use the ADS-B network.
> So startup time doesn't seem like a significant
> metric to me. What am I missing?
Sorry, I missed your question till now.
Startup time can be critical if you're using the GPS as a backup. If you've lost aircraft power (when you are most likely to need a backup), switching batteries on the GPS (actually ALL the components on the PDA/tablet/PC based systems) may be necessary. You do have an alkaline battery pack for backup don't you?
As Murphy was no-doubt a pilot, it's likely that the one time you left your GPS in the flightbag, will be the time you need it so figure on needing a complete reboot of the system in an emergency.
Some GPS (like the iFly) have no internal battery at all so you're really TSOL if you loose aircraft power. In fact, even a momentary disruption of power will cause a loss of signal and a reboot.
The most reliable GPS will have an internal battery that charges whenever it has external power (and won't cause a re-boot if external power is lost) and also has the ability to swap it out for an alkaline back.
I would also look at how the plug(s) are built. Most are just cell phone type plugs and tend to be pretty flimsy. I like to see a strong plug especially if the plug is exposed, subject to movement (like on a yoke or knee board) or likely to be plugged/unplugged often (as would be the case with a tablet/PDA).
Answer your question?
PilotKris
If there were a "perfect" solution for all pilots, I guess we wouldn't have these sorts of discussions. All depends on which scenarios you're trying to protect for, and how much you're willing to spend to do it.
"I would also look at how the plug(s) are built. Most are just cell phone type plugs and tend to be pretty flimsy. I like to see a strong plug especially if the plug is exposed,"
Just wondering what other options are out there for the electrical connections for a portable other than the factory standard cell style plug? I haven't seen anything different, but really haven't looked.
> a device with robust, redundant external and internal power
> sources that's religiously set up prior to launch
> would address all your points, and startup time
> would not be a factor.)
And pilots who "religiously" use checklists would never have gear-up landings...
However, in the real world, shit happens.
> Just wondering what other options are out there
> for the electrical connections for a portable
> other than the factory standard cell style plug? I
> haven't seen anything different, but really
> haven't looked.
The Garmin power/data cable on the *96 units is pretty beefy..
I also don't know if the Aera has a RS232 connection in the power cable like the 396/496 so that your 430 flight plan can be overlaid on your moving map/XM weather.
PilotKris