AirTalk.org Aviation discussions newsgroups   Archives   FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in  Garmin 396 vs 496          AirTalk.org Forum Index -> Owning Airplanes View previous topic :: View next topic   Author Message mbremer216 Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 4:47 am    Post subject: Garmin 396 vs 496 Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? Thanks Mike Back to top karl gruber Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:09 am    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Faster processor and better resolution on the terrain page. Karl "mbremer216" <mbremer216 (AT) comcast (DOT) net> wrote in message news:nK6dnXhViJDuzr3YnZ2dnUVZ_qOdnZ2d (AT) comcast (DOT) com... Quote: Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? Thanks Mike Back to top Mike Granby Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:11 am    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Geo-referenced taxi diagrams. Quite useful at larger airports. Back to top Jay Honeck Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:11 am    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Quote: Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? That, and the taxi diagrams. Quite frankly, if you're only looking for a GPS, get yourself a Lowrance 2000c or the AvMap IV. You'll save yourself a bundle, and end up with a vastly superior GPS unit. If, on the other hand, you are looking for XM datalinked weather, you're pretty well stuck with the Garmins. If that's your goal, you may as well spring for the 496 -- we did. On-board weather changes everything. -- Jay Honeck Iowa City, IA Pathfinder N56993 www.AlexisParkInn.com "Your Aviation Destination" Back to top tony roberts Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:11 am    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Quote: Quite frankly, if you're only looking for a GPS, get yourself a Lowrance 2000c or the AvMap IV. You'll save yourself a bundle, and end up with a vastly superior GPS unit. Lowrance 2000C just smokes - and mine was only $700.00 at Arlington. My 195 now sits on the right yoke - pretty cool to have 2 - including terrain avoidance - for less than the price of a 396. Tony -- Indiacharlieecho (AT) hotmail (DOT) com Tony Roberts PP-ASEL VFR OTT Night Cessna 172H C-GICE Back to top Jon Kraus Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 We just bought a 396 two months. My partner and I discussed the differences and I went back and read all the posts about the 396. We already have a Garmin 430 in the panekl so we only wanted the XM weather capability. In the end we decided that for the type of flying we do it was not worth the extra price for the 496. So far, it seems that we have not regretted our decision. I think we paid 2.2 AMU's for our 396 but I think I just saw them for 2.1 AMU's somewhere. I am unsure if the 496 took a similar dip. Jon Kraus '79 Mooney 201 4443H @ UMP mbremer216 wrote: Quote: Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? Thanks Mike Back to top Dave Butler Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:02 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 mbremer216 wrote: Quote: Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? Search groups.google.com for an earlier thread on this subject. Back to top dlevy Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 I upgraded my 396 software to version 3.50 via the Garmin website. The taxiways weren't labeled but the airport layout was on the screen. "Mike Granby" <mikeg (AT) mikeg (DOT) net> wrote in message news:1159752632.697151.174340 (AT) h48g2000cwc (DOT) googlegroups.com... Quote: Geo-referenced taxi diagrams. Quite useful at larger airports. Back to top Dave Butler Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:41 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 dlevy wrote: Quote: I upgraded my 396 software to version 3.50 via the Garmin website. The taxiways weren't labeled but the airport layout was on the screen. "Mike Granby" <mikeg (AT) mikeg (DOT) net> wrote in message news:1159752632.697151.174340 (AT) h48g2000cwc (DOT) googlegroups.com... Geo-referenced taxi diagrams. Quite useful at larger airports. No changes in that area are listed in Garmin's change log. What exact changes do you see? Did you update the database at the same time? I'm currently on 3.40 but may go to 3.60 to get the "duplicate waypoints" patch as mine is driven by Aviation In from a GNS480. Thanks. http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=921 Changes made from version 3.50 to 3.60: * Corrected display of communication frequency displayed on Airport and Nearest pages for airports that have multiple Unicom or Multicom frequencies. * Corrected issue that could cause the odometer field value to become inaccurate. * Corrected occasional unit shutdown during powerup. * Improved Aviation In communication format by preventing duplicate waypoints from being added to the route when the remote unit is navigating a procedure turn. * Improved address search when using postal codes. Changes made from version 3.40 to 3.50: * Corrected issue that could cause flights to be recorded while driving on land when the unit is in aviation mode. * Improved alerting for airspace with upper or lower bounds specified as AGL. Back to top Ross Richardson Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Jon Kraus wrote: Quote: We just bought a 396 two months. My partner and I discussed the differences and I went back and read all the posts about the 396. We already have a Garmin 430 in the panekl so we only wanted the XM weather capability. In the end we decided that for the type of flying we do it was not worth the extra price for the 496. So far, it seems that we have not regretted our decision. I think we paid 2.2 AMU's for our 396 but I think I just saw them for 2.1 AMU's somewhere. I am unsure if the 496 took a similar dip. Jon Kraus '79 Mooney 201 4443H @ UMP mbremer216 wrote: Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? Thanks Mike For those 396/496 owners, what is the annual cost to keep that thing updated, GPS, EM Weather, etc. -- Regards, Ross C-172F 180HP KSWI Back to top dlevy Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 I did update the database at the same time. I thought it odd that it wasn't mentioned in the update comments. "Dave Butler" <x (AT) x (DOT) x> wrote in message news:1159803716.503910@sj-nntpcache-1.cisco.com... Quote: dlevy wrote: I upgraded my 396 software to version 3.50 via the Garmin website. The taxiways weren't labeled but the airport layout was on the screen. "Mike Granby" <mikeg (AT) mikeg (DOT) net> wrote in message news:1159752632.697151.174340 (AT) h48g2000cwc (DOT) googlegroups.com... Geo-referenced taxi diagrams. Quite useful at larger airports. No changes in that area are listed in Garmin's change log. What exact changes do you see? Did you update the database at the same time? I'm currently on 3.40 but may go to 3.60 to get the "duplicate waypoints" patch as mine is driven by Aviation In from a GNS480. Thanks. http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=921 Changes made from version 3.50 to 3.60: * Corrected display of communication frequency displayed on Airport and Nearest pages for airports that have multiple Unicom or Multicom frequencies. * Corrected issue that could cause the odometer field value to become inaccurate. * Corrected occasional unit shutdown during powerup. * Improved Aviation In communication format by preventing duplicate waypoints from being added to the route when the remote unit is navigating a procedure turn. * Improved address search when using postal codes. Changes made from version 3.40 to 3.50: * Corrected issue that could cause flights to be recorded while driving on land when the unit is in aviation mode. * Improved alerting for airspace with upper or lower bounds specified as AGL. Back to top Dave Butler Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Ross Richardson wrote: Quote: For those 396/496 owners, what is the annual cost to keep that thing updated, GPS, EM Weather, etc. XM weather subscription is either $30 or $50/mo, depending on which service you prefer ("Aviator" or "Aviator Lite", I think they're called). I have the $30/mo version. There are "Jeppesen", "Obstacle" and "Terrain" databases. The Jeppesen updates are $35 each. There are discounts for longer term subscriptions, ($295/yr for 13 conecutive updates) but I just get a Jepp update every once in a while, whenever the spirit moves me, maybe a couple of times/yr. New cycle every 28 days. Obstacle database is $35, or $195 for 7 consecutive. New cycle every 56 days. Terrain database is $150, no regular update cycle. I've never updated either of these on my unit. The automobile database is IIRC $75 and there is a new cycle every couple of years. Software/firmware updates are free downloads from garmin.com Back to top Jon Kraus Guest Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Garmin 396 vs 496 Garmin give you one free DB update that you must use within 90 days. We have a GNS430 that we keep IFR current and we only want the 396 for the XM weather. This being true we will probably only update the 396 one or two times a year. I don't know how much Garmin charges for each update. The XM weather is $29.95 per month for Aviator Light and $49.95 Full Aviator. Jon Kraus Ross Richardson wrote: Quote: Jon Kraus wrote: We just bought a 396 two months ago. My partner and I discussed the differences and I went back and read all the posts about the 396. We already have a Garmin 430 in the panel so we only wanted the XM weather capability. In the end we decided that for the type of flying we do it was not worth the extra price for the 496. So far, it seems that we have not regretted our decision. I think we paid 2.2 AMU's for our 396 but I think I just saw them for 2.1 AMU's somewhere. I am unsure if the 496 took a similar dip. Jon Kraus '79 Mooney 201 4443H @ UMP mbremer216 wrote: Any opinions on the differences between the two units. Other than the faster updating and the better street atlas, what makes the newer model worth $600 more? Thanks Mike For those 396/496 owners, what is the annual cost to keep that thing updated, GPS, EM Weather, etc. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First         AirTalk.org Forum Index -> Owning Airplanes All times are GMT Page 1 of 1   Jump to: Select a forum Aviation----------------alt.aviationAviation safety EnhancementPlanes, gliders and flying in AustraliaAviation et pilotage (Français)rec.aviationAviation (Aerobatics)Hot air, gas balloons and airshipsHang-gliding, paragliding, foot-launched flightAircraft Design & BuildingInstrument Flight RulesAviation (Classifieds)Military AircraftNaval AviationAviation (Miscellaneous Topics)Owning AirplanesAviators (General Discussions)Aviation related productsAircraft RestorationHelicopters and rotary wing aircraftsFlight SimulationSailplanesAviation (Students)Light aircraftFlying related activities in the UK Airports----------------alt.airportsEdinburgh Airport Glasgow Airport Humberside Airport Luton Airport Aberdeen Airport Glasgow Prestwick Airport  You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2006 phpBB Group SEO toolkit © 2004-2006 webmedic.