OK, so somehow I missed the whole Lowrance getting out of the aviation gps business and stopping support of their discontinued aviation products. Then this week, thinking I might go out and buy a Piper Pacer I've been pre-buying out in CA, I figured I might better up date the data base on my Lowrance 600c online. Can't do it anymore. Have to order a new card thru a Lowrance subsidiary at a fairly high price...no support for the unit anymore (although some folk say they will still repair it if it is broken, that is only expected thru the end of the year).
So then I figured that I would get a Garmin 496 like I should have done in the first place and found out they don't make those anymore either (tho Garmin still supports them fully). I wasn't really sure about the new touch screen replacement for the 496, the 560 but wasn't really wanting to spring $3000 dollars for a 696 as this was pushing close to the price of a panel mounted 430 that could be IFR certified in the afore mentioned Pacer. So I went ahead and ordered a new 560 for $1600 bucks....
Do anyone use this unit? What do you think of it?

Nope, but I'm interested to hear your feedback & replies here. I've been looking at them & sounds nice. I've used a friends 695 a lot & like it, but the size turns me away due to limited space in the birddog. I clamp it to tge V brace & need to do S turns while taxing to see.

Good luck, sounds like a nice unit.

I own a 510 and love it. I also fly with all the others, the 696, 370/375 panel mounts, and love those too. Pricing is of course never fun, but I like the products. I've not had any issues with Garmin's customer service either. I don't enjoy updating my databases on the 510 due to cost, so I don't update them very often....though I should do it more.

I have the 550 and like it. It is simple to use , like all GPS go they have more info then we ever need.
The touch screen for me is a big + . Simpler to use then my 295 and my Garmin flight mate pro. I think once you use it you will like the touch screen. Hope this helps.

Ken in Alaska

akflyer2001 wrote:I have the 550 and like it. It is simple to use , like all GPS go they have more info then we ever need.
The touch screen for me is a big + . Simpler to use then my 295 and my Garmin flight mate pro. I think once you use it you will like the touch screen. Hope this helps.

The first couple times I used the touch screen I complained. Now I really like them. When I fly with the 496s I'm annoyed with the buttons.

I used my 15 yr old 'fish finder' to find my way to Johnson Creek (Yes, I'm a 'high bucks' flier). That was why I flew the drainage into JC. My Lowerance does much better if I stay over water...
The data base is not update-able now(no support) and it is creaky and cranky and chooses when it wants to work (we have things in common...), but I mostly use the finger on the sectional technique anyway, it just keeps my flying in the cub interesting.
Does Garmin have a loan department?
lc

I have a 560 and love it! The touch screen is much easier to use than the buttons on the 96 series. The internal antennae works very well, the screen is sharp and bright, and the weather overlay fantastic! My only issue is the speaker is not loud enough when driving at highway speeds, not and issue when attached to my Zulu when flying though.
Dave

Littlecub wrote:I used my 15 yr old 'fish finder' to find my way to Johnson Creek (Yes, I'm a 'high bucks' flier). That was why I flew the drainage into JC. My Lowerance does much better if I stay over water...
The data base is not update-able now(no support) and it is creaky and cranky and chooses when it wants to work (we have things in common...), but I mostly use the finger on the sectional technique anyway, it just keeps my flying in the cub interesting.
Does Garmin have a loan department?
lc

I have the 550 and like it better than my old 396. I also find that the eraser end of a pencil works much better on the touch screen than your finger.

I have a 510 panel mounted in my pacer and its great! In my opinion the touch screen is easier to use compared to the buttons on the 96 series. It is easy to learn and i find that the xm weather and radio features are much easier to use.

Sounds like some good reviews...I am hoping to be a Pacer owner by the end of this coming week myself. I will get to do a thorough review of the new unit by the time I get back from Tehachapi.

Littlecub, If you want an update on your fishfinder, I would let the L600c go for very little scratch. It is only one year out of date.

Daryl

This thread just got me to look up the 560 to see what I'm missing. I've been using a 196 since they were the hot ticket.

I really like Garmin products, and I'm willing to look past the pricing. My issue is that the new ones like this 560 seem to bundle a gazillion features that aren't any use for my type of VFR in Alaska:
XM weather and satellite music- Nope, can't use those in Alaska.
Traffic avoidance- Nope, can't use that, no Mode-S.
Road mapping- No point, you can count all of Alaska's major roadways on one hand.
Bluetooth phone hooey- Nope, no cell service most places around here.
Comm frequency interface- Nope, don't have the right radios.
Updates- Still wishing they would make those Mac-compatible.

Now I'll bet this 560 is the cat's ass if you live other places (and have a p.c.). But I can't see paying for so many features I can't use, or buying into all the complexity that comes with them. Is there a product out there that has touch-screen, high color resolution, with fast map redraws, and none of the rest? Otherwise, the 196 still does pretty well for this guy.

denalipilot wrote:Is there a product out there that has touch-screen, high color resolution, with fast map redraws, and none of the rest? Otherwise, the 196 still does pretty well for this guy.

Did you look at the Aera 500? Same thing but with lots less of the extras and $900 less.

Denalipilot, I think the 500 would be nice in Alaska...you do have terrain there don't you?

Or maybe you 'd like my Lowrance 600c...it has terrain and none of the other features you don't like and is a step up from the 196 for sure....

Denali Pilot, Take a look at the 550. Its what I use here in Alaska. The 510 and 560 your right we do not have a lot of the features offered here in the State so its a coast we do not need here in Alaska. The 550 is a great GPS.

Ken

I've had the 560 for a year & a half now. previous to that I had a 496 & a 296. The only hardware problem I've had was the on off switch failed and I sent it back to Garmin after having it for 1 yr & 5 mos fixed for shipping cost. It took them 3 weeks to turn it around. I've had software issues but they've been resolved by downloading the latest into the unit. Mine came with 1 years worth of updates for all databases. Updating has gotten considerably more simple since the old 296 days. They claim 1 year for free but at $2000 that's the least they could do.

The map screen area is larger than the 296/496 slightly. The touch screen is easy to learn and fast. The 560 is really fast processing your request compared to the 496. The colors seem to be a little more vivid, in my plane I get a lot of reflection from my interior it's almost white or beige. In turbulence the touch screen can be challenging to use but doable.

I've used mine IFR and having the Victor airways makes it really nice as you can see if you're on the airway.
I've got my XMSIRUS wired into my audio panel so having the music piped in for long flights is nice. But you do have to silence the "Bitching Betty'.

Glidergeek,

thanks...I'm hoping some of the early glitches are fixed by now and I paid $1600 for mine as prices have come down. I would have been happy to order a 496, but not an option and most folks seem pretty happy with the 560.

Daryl

akflyer2001 wrote:Denali Pilot, Take a look at the 550. Its what I use here in Alaska. The 510 and 560 your right we do not have a lot of the features offered here in the State so its a coast we do not need here in Alaska. The 550 is a great GPS.

Ken

Thanks Ken. And sorry everyone for the hijack.

littlewheelinback wrote:Sounds like some good reviews...I am hoping to be a Pacer owner by the end of this coming week myself. I will get to do a thorough review of the new unit by the time I get back from Tehachapi.

If that's the Pacer I'm thinking of it sure looks like a nice plane!