Anybody have some hands on experience with the Garmin AERA 560 ? This unit has an internal antenna I'm concerned it can still receive sat signals in a C180 cockpit. Also does it have the approaches same as the 496 ?

I have one in and have used it in the Thrush as well as my c-180. It is to the 496, what the 496 is to an old GPS 95.... The internal antenna works fine and "locks on" indoors faster than the 496 external does out in the open... There is an external antenna available for it, but for some reason it doesn't come with the unit? It does have the "approachs" like the 496, and as expected they are easier to scroll through, activate, and use. Lots of folks think they could actually pull off using a 496 in the soup, I have had all hand helds go tits up too many times to trust them that far. In a pinch or as a back up maybe... knowingly going into the soup with any of these as a sole means, is russian roulette at best... I am sure the 560 will be no different there.
The resolution on the map and terrain blows away the 496, and the touchscreen works nicely, not like some of the cheesy telephone touchscreens... I really like the new mount and plug design. Not sure why the didn't incorporate the XM plug into the cool "one plug does it all" ? The yoke mount is the same lame one that the x96 series come with, but the "head" can be removed with 4 screws and screwed to your panel, making an Air Gizmo unnecessary, although I am sure they will come up with one for the 560. The 560 will be infinitely easier for people to adapt to panels as a "fixed" portable...
Negatives : The 496 XM antenna won't talk to the 560, I haven't activated the 560 XM antenna to see if it will get along with the 496, as I use that antenna in multiple airplanes right now. The battery life is way, way less than the 496. Unfortunately as cool as the 560 is, without a different battery program or a hardwire, it is a weekend warrior at best

Thanks Rob that's the kind of info feed back I'm looking for. I've got the 496 in a gizmo below the radio center stack and hard wired into the audio panel and electrical as well. A garmin 56 antenna into the upper center wing. It starts up almost immediately. I use it to supplement my approaches and it's been working flawlessly. I wouldn't use it to rely on only but with the intersections, and other fixes it sure is a handy tool. The 560 has victor airways I understand and that'll be a plus.

Glidergeek wrote:... The 560 has victor airways I understand and that'll be a plus.

That's correct, I forgot to mention that the map page can be displayed as a vfr version (a higher res version of the 496, or sectional feel to it) or in an ifr version, victor airways etc... Obviously not a primary ifr instrument, but a handy tool none the less. I love everything about it except the battery life and the fact that Garmin did away with the "pointer". The "pointer" was probably the least used tool in the 496 by the masses, but the primary tool for my mission

Take care, Rob

This does look like a nice unit.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=156&pID=37817

Here's the comparison chart of all the Aera series. If you're just a VFR fair weather pilot, that 500 looks like a good deal.

Aera comparison matrix

I have 396 and am going to resist the gadget spiral.

Tim