Sunday, December 09, 2012
Simple and Clear
by Thomas from Sherrills Ford NC USA 
Pros: Simple to use, easy to read
Cons: serial cable
Review: Everything works as stated. It all makes sense. I love the black and white screen. You can see it clearly from any angle. I wouldn't want to leave home without it. I can't understand why they supply a serial cable. That boggles the brain. Everyone on earth will have to convert the connection before updating. Why?
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Monday, January 09, 2012
Please study this product carefully before buying.
by James from Milton FL USA 
Pros: Map is easy to read in sunlight.
Cons: Overpriced, not enough memory, cable adaptor required.
Review: It does not have enough memory onboard to get a full database update now. It's price is still too high for what you get. If you are flying in an open cockpit and need something you can see in sunlight it is good for that. The color units are not. The Garmin people were very nice and helpful so that made it easier to get the partial update for my area. You need to purchase a cable adaptor to connect to your computer if it's a new computer.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Friday, December 02, 2011
This is a great little GPS.
by Ron from San Diego 
Review: I used my 196 to fly the Aircoupe I bought in New Orleans area to San Diego. The 196 worked perfectly! Concerning Kenneth's problem with the serial connection for updates; buy a USB/Serial adapter from here, Fry's or some other electronics store. I used it to "convert" the serial connector to a USB to update my database.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Sunday, November 13, 2011
mexico is basically an outline
by Rocky from Kelso WA USA 
Pros: It has a bigger screen than my Pilot III
Cons: see above
Review: I'm in Mexico and cities such as Hermosillo (1 million people) is marked with a dot but the airport isn't marked at all. This is an AOE (airport of entry) with airline service and all of that stuff.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Tuesday, January 04, 2011
new to me
by Kenneth from Stockbridge GA USA 
Pros: new
Cons: serial port connection
Review: Still learning.  Don't like the serial port PC connection...nobody has them anymore.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Entry Level GPS Does Everything Very Well
by David from Casa Grande AZ USA 
Pros: Great value for the price. Easy to use.
Cons: None.
Review: This GPS may not have all of the latest options, including a color screen, but it does work very well with a generous amount of features. The different pages are well thought out and keeping your logbook up to date is simple. So far it has proven reliable and and easy to use. If you are a new student pilot - or a weekend general aviation pilot - this may be all you need.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Saturday, September 18, 2010
Better Than I Expected
by Eric from North Branch MI USA 
Pros: big enough, bright easier to use
Cons: powering down after a short time. update cable doesn't fit.
Review: This is my second hand-held Garmin GPS. It performs better than the first one and better than I expected. Easier to use, bigger and brighter and the mounting devices are simple and well thought out. I like that it also can do marine and automobile - even though I haven't tried it yet. Don't like it partially powering down (to conserve energy?) as it's harder to read and need to push something to power up. Comes with a cable to connect to a serial port - that doesn't. Have to get more parts from computer store to connect it.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Thursday, August 26, 2010
Excellent little device
by Aaron from Renton WA USA 
Review: This is a great little GPS with most all the features of much larger and more costly systems. The Black and White screen is nicely backlit, and very readable in everything from direct sunlight to black-of-night. The buttons are easy to find and easy to use. The database seems extremely complete with tons of frequencies and facility information, even including tide stations! (important if you like flying into beach landings). It is so packed with features, be prepared to spend some serious ground-time with the manual, studying it and learning how to do everything. I'm very glad I got this over a larger and more expensive model.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Wednesday, April 07, 2010
This is a great GPS
by Sonex driver from Dodge Center MN USA 
Review: This GPS is everything the reviews said it would be. The display is bright and easy to read. In aviation mode it can't be beat. I am not real impressed with the land mode, but I didn't buy it for the land mode anyway.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Garmin hits a homerun
by Mark from La Porte IN USA 
Pros: Ease of use
Review: Used it on a trip down to Danville, Ky. Great product for keeping us out of Class B air spaces and a Restricted Zone. Very easy to use in the plane and in the car. Loved the different panel pages you can chose from.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Just what I anticipated
by Timothy from Smithfield VA USA 
Review:
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Exactly what I needed
by Bob from Fargo ND USA 
Pros: Easy to read. Battery life great, 15 hours +.
Cons: color screen would be nice. Worth the extra price??
Review: Excellent back up for any aircraft. Perfect for small aircraft without much other nav equipment. Has all needed info in the data base to replace 50 pounds of books & paper .
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Monday, November 30, 2009
Excellent GPS Unit!
by Pilot Guy Rob from Madison, WI 
Pros: Easy to use, see, and understand, enhances safety
Review: I am a low hour pilot (70 hours) and found the 196 to be an easy to use and reliable unit. It was my instructor's. I liked it so much I convinced him to sell it to me. He upgraded to the color unit. Nice to know exactly where you are and where the airport is. Don't see the airport? Just fly to it on the GPS, it will appear. Right runway? The runway numbers show on the map so you are sure you are approaching the correct one. Safety is enhanced for many reasons including the "nearest" button.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Better than what I expected
by Rick from Alachua FL USA 
Pros: Lots of good info and real accurate
Review: I am a new pilot and this was right on the price and gets me to where I want to go. I love having it as a backup with lots of info for a new pilot. When you are a new pilot you worry more about engine failure and this product gives me options of places to land.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Monday, August 03, 2009
The Handheld for Me
by Bill from Ormond Beach FL USA 
Review: This is the replacement for a GPSMAP 195 that Garmin is no longer offering repair service for. After my experience with the 195 I found the 196 easy to use. This is an affordable, user friendly hand held for the occasional small airplane GA pilot. I would like to have easy to find instructions for using the yoke mount and updating the data base.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Tuesday, May 05, 2009
by Benjamin from Butler PA 
Review: Great product for GA. Get the GPSMAP 296, it's worth it.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Its an excellent navigator ..
by Eggert from Kissimmee FL USA 
Pros: Easy to use and has features to please most of aviatiors.
Cons: Doesn't have a colour screen
Review: It's exactly what I had imagined and even better. I love the big screen and the backup instruments that can be displayed. The info that can be retained from it is also very handy in the air.
Was this Review Helpful to you?   Yes   No