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Garmin 695/696

BCross said:
Hi Folks

I hope I am wrong in this statement, but I noticed 1 or 2 days ago that Garmin has RAISED the price of the 696 to $3595 & the 695 to $2895 on their website - www.garmin.com. That would be a price rise of $300 for either product.

On the couple of days last week both the 696 & 695 were priced at $3295 & $2595 as I am sure all you know. Hopefully, the price will drop $300 by tomorrow!

It looks like Garmin has reacted to the very very positive feedback from their customers!

Cheers


Brian - Flying RV-8 in the basement!
Click to expand...

I know that the $3595 is suggested retail price, but all the dealers that I've looked at, are selling it for $3295.00

L.Adamson
 
Correcto! Like always, there is a "List Price", then there is the selling price. Only in rare circumstances are they the same. Kind of like car mfgrs and their "sticker price". The street/selling price is almost always lower than list. You will find that the price for the 696 will most likely be the same everywhere ($3295), from me or the big box stores....same price, same unit just different people selling them. Been that way for a long time.

Anyway, that's the story!

My 2 cents as usual.

Cheers,
Stein
 
Hi Again

I am sure you guys are right, but what I was trying to point out is that I think the original list price on the Garmin website was raised by $300.

But per Stein etc., it will be sold at $3295. That is good news & thanks for the clarification!

Cheers

Brian
 
If any of you are going to be the "early order" guys and want a 696 right away, Garmin is going to start shipping them tomorrow. I have a "list" of people who want them, but if you're intending to order one from me this week, please let me know ahead of time so I can get an appropriate number of them from Garmin - lest you have to wait a few days! :)

Cheers,
Stein
 
Received my 696 today and think it's GREAT. However.....it has crashed about 5-6 times today since I got it. It has the latest software on it, v2.20. Anyone else have this happen? It seems to be when I am in the menu system, and I cannot duplicate. Seems random. Stable when left alone, only crashes when I am 'menuing' something.

Jim Shannon
 
You may want to check the Garmin website for a software update early next week...

mcb
 
It came with 2.10 on it and I updated to the current version, 2.20. I will call Gamin Monday to tell them of my crash issue. Other than the crashing, which I am sure will get fixed with sw updates, the unit is beautiful.

Jim Shannon
 
chart update costs

I have seen remarks that the annual cost to update everything on the 696 will run over $1,000. That doesnt seem right. I searched the garmin sites and couldnt find chart update costs. Does anyone have this price. Also costs for one time updates.

Thanks in advance
 
Bugsy said:
I have seen remarks that the annual cost to update everything on the 696 will run over $1,000. That doesnt seem right. I searched the garmin sites and couldnt find chart update costs. Does anyone have this price. Also costs for one time updates.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Per Garmin's RSS Feed:

The NavData is $49.95 for a single update or $295 for an annual subscription. The FliteCharts database is $95 for single update and $395 for an annual subscription.

http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/20...g-your-69.html
 
Anyone care to post a high res image of the 696 with the panel page on top and the map on the bottom? I would like to print one for my panel layout and all I can find on the net are small low res images that when scaled to the proper size look poor....
 
You will need to purchase a separate subscriptions for each. Jeppesen has not offered any "deals" in the past and I don't see them changing.

There is no chart subscription for the 430/W but since you would have an updated approach database subscription for the 430, I would only update the portable nav data perhaps only once per year. The NACO chart update for the 696 ($395 annual) may be a better deal in lieu of paper charts however.

Navdata Subscription for GNS-430W $100-195 single, $265-815 annual

Navdata Subscription for 696 $49 single, $295 annual
NACO FliteCharts subscription for 696 $95 single, $395 annual

The 430/W subscription you have to get from Jepessen, the portable 696 subscription you have to get from Garmin.
 
I'm up to sw v2.30 (came with 2.10) and the unit is now rock solid stable. Have not had a crash since its been on 2.30.

Jim Shannon
Charlottesville, VA
RV-8 N52VV
 
I just got back from a trip to California with the 696, and it didn't miss a beat with version 2.20. I took some notes on thigns I learned, and will post when I can get some to time to organize them. Weather look-ahead was fabulous - much better than the 496, which is good to begin with . And having all the charts (reliably) with no paper in the cockpit was really nice.

Paul
 
Brantel said:
Anyone care to post a high res image of the 696 with the panel page on top and the map on the bottom? I would like to print one for my panel layout and all I can find on the net are small low res images that when scaled to the proper size look poor....
Click to expand...

Brian -

You can find high res images of just about all Garmin's hardware in the Media Gallery of their press room.

Go here: http://www8.garmin.com/company/newsroom/mediagallery/index.jsp?activeBranchId=newsroom

Just select the products you would like to download high res images of and then click the "I agree to the Terms and Conditions" botton. Accepting the T's & C's is why I can't link you right to the images.

Have fun!

- Peter
 
I was in Chicago last week and was looking forward to playing with the 696 at the big Garmin store there, but it was not in yet. :mad:

The big questions I have about this thing are, how do the approach plates (the ones that show your position) look? and CAN YOU ENTER A ROUTE USING VICTOR AIRWAYS? For example, if ATC issues me KLNS LRP V210 BUNTS KDYL, can I enter that directly and have it decode V210 to its constituent waypoints?

I am leaning more towards FliteSoft+Vista Moving Map on a tablet PC using bluetooth GPS and XM recievers. Flitesoft has the actual approach plates referenced so you can your position on the real plate, not some one that the GPS draws, like on my 430W. FliteSoft updates are only $119/year for charts and data and $119 for the approach plates, cheaper than I think the same stuff on the 696. I just like the fact that the 696 has real buttons and a joystick, unlike my Toughbook tablet which only has a stylus.

So does anyone know about the two questions I have about the 696?
 
N73RZ said:
The big questions I have about this thing are, how do the approach plates (the ones that show your position) look? and CAN YOU ENTER A ROUTE USING VICTOR AIRWAYS? For example, if ATC issues me KLNS LRP V210 BUNTS KDYL, can I enter that directly and have it decode V210 to its constituent waypoints?
Click to expand...

Based on the experience I have had so far (and i continually find new things every time I use it, so I can be wrong):

1) The approach plates look great - very readable - but they do not show the airplane's position in real time on the plate. the airplane's position on the moving map is excellent, and there is little doubt that you know where you are. You can go from moving map to the plate with one click of the joystick knob - very quick. And of course the unit is not IFR certified for approaches anyway - but the plates do serve in place of paper charts.

2) Nope - you enter routes by way point. The trick I have sued is to put in departure and destination, then use the "rubber band" mode to move the course line to the proper airways. Nowhere near as fast as entering airways directly, but far better than the older Garmins. Personally, I'd like to have a full alphanumeric keyboard on a box this sophisticated, so I could just type in a route, but none of the companies seem to go that direction....

And yes, the knob/joystick is really, really nice! If I can't have a keyboard, I'll take it. Years back, I tried the stylus/Ipaq idea with Controlvision's software, and gave up on it after awhile. A bigger screen - maybe, but I could never get it working well in real life.

Paul
 
Darn. Entering victor airways was something I really want. I hate I can't do it on my 430W, and don't want to spend $3500 on a GPS that can't do it either. I don't have an autopilot and literally can't open a chart in the cockpit without losing sight of all the instruments, so when I get airway routing in IMC, direct entry is the only safe option I have. Sometimes I flat out decline the clearance unless they can give me GPS waypoints, which usually pisses them off. Taking my eyes of the panel to drag a route to the airway is not good either. Why is this feature continually left out of Garmin products? I have FliteSoft on my tablet to enter routings but have not upgraded to the moving map or weather options yet. I like that FliteSoft lets you enter the V airway, STAR, whatever then on the flightplan it shows the waypoints that make it, which I can then transfer to my 430W. If I have Vista installed with FliteSoft, I won't have to transfer the waypoints to the 430.

Any way you can post a picture of what the vector-drawn approach screen (the one that shows your position on it) looks like? FliteSoft shows your position on actual charts and plates, which I really like.

My toughbook tablet is convertible- like a normal laptop or the screen flips around to be a tablet, so I have both options. Looks like Flite Soft + Vista is the better option, even without the nice buttons. I can upgrade the software, the XM and GPS bluetooth modules for less than $1000.
 
I love flightsoft for flight planning but you can forget Vista for what you want.
Manipulating the tablet in flight is going to be far worse than finding the airway on the 696. Flitesoft/Vista on a windows platform is not real user friendly in the cockpit especially in IMC. If you can't take your eyes off the panel; long enough to drag and drop on the Garmin forget Vista.

I have never really found center averse to giving me a fix on an airway when they give a deviation to join one.

All the problems you mention are the best reason to install an AP if you plan on flying your RV IMC.

Is there any unit available other than the GNX 480 that allows you to select an airway?
 
Vista on tablet

I disagree with Milt regarding using Flightsoft/Vista on a tablet. I use this product in my RV7a all the time, however I do have an autopilot. Vista allows you to use sectional maps, low altitude enroute IFR maps, or display the IFR approaches with your location shown on them. Add an xm weather receiver and you have alot of the capability of the 696, and I have had it for several years.
 
Another product I've been looking at is the Anywheremap XP kit on a Q1 "tablet" The kit costs $2500 and comes with bluetooth GPS and XM receivers, and even a multi-voltage power supply box that powers all 3 devices off one 12V feed. I can install all the "boxes" in the back and only run a power cable forward for the tablet. And it has a nice kneepad mount since I don't have a yoke. I don't have that option with my Toughbook. Anywheremap even plots weather on the actual FAA approach plate, something Vista does not. I have not found out if Anywheremap lets you use airways.

One cool feature on Anywhere map, for a total of $800 ($400 for plates and $400 for IFR database) you get a life time subscription to those services. And since I'm 26, I will get my money's worth out of it. From what I understand, thats only 2-3 years of updates on the 696. I wish I could get that for my 430W too.

And yes, it would be nice to have an AP. Unfortunately, my plane is a 1985 and adding one after the fact is not as easy as when its being built. Having a G1000 and a turbine engine would be nice too, after I win the lottery! :rolleyes:

Here in the northeast, I've been told several times by ATC that they can't decode the airway for me down to GPS waypoints.

Q1.jpg
 
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lucaperazzolli said:
If you have saw a 696/695 gps, do you think this idea is practicable ?

http://www.rv8.it/immagini/2.tiff
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Are you asking for an opinion? If so here's mine...

Is the map box essential? If not I'd replace the smaller Dynon with the larger 180 and place it front and center. Removing the map box would give you the room. This I feel would replace all the round gauges you have in the lower left. You can then move the IAS and Alt to the left under the intercom (vertically) where the round gauges were. Panel is cleaner and less eye darting due to having all the engine/flight instruments at a closer proximity to each other.

Again just my opinion. I don't know what Italy does and does not require for instrumentation.
 
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