My Turn

[lwford]

Let the buyer beware. Years ago I installed a Garmin AT SL50 GPS in my panel. I was determined to not mount any avionics below the panel and the SL50 just fit due to size. If you recall this unit was Apollo UPS and Garmin bought the competition as they(UPS) were a better product. I also bought to update this unit an interface cord and separate power supply. I find out now that Garmin no longer will update the database. Unfortunately Garmin remains the game. Lowrance (aviation) disappeared as did Narco and we are left no choice, maybe King. If you go to Garmin site you will see no aviation listed. Well why is that? I now have a Garmin 196 which is mounted on my panel, it is a fine unit but not that intuitive as was the Lowarance. I think since the aviation is such a small market, getting smaller and circling lawyers that any company doesn't really want to get into this. The market is so computer oriented that it changes overnight. I have known owners who bought ADS-B and their units are already obsolete. My rant is if you put out a product and people believe in you to buy it, the least you could do for them is support it. On this Garmin is a bright shining lie. You would think Jeppesen who makes a good living out of data change would demand that units have the ability to continue to be upgraded.More money for them and they are not cheap. I'm sort of glad that I am at the age where it won't matter in a couple years because this really ticks me off! OLD School Lynn the crate :evil:

 

[blimpy]

Ok.

1. I think there is still somebody in SF Bay Area who can update the chip in the old Apollo/Garmin GPS
If that is what you had. You mentioned Lowrance. Primarily a cheap marine electronics company. dunno there.
Try google or bing for an independent shop to update your data base chip.

Apollo was IIMorrow.. originally Morrow in Oregon.. a very high quality and reputable small company.. started in Ham Radio in the 50's - lost money on every one.. went to Marine Loran.. good products.. then Av Loran, then a GPS unit.. bought by Garmin.. their first entry into aviation. How long ago ? Decades anyway. When cell phones were shoebox sized.

You realize that this is almost a ancient as anything Narco.. a company Long Dead.. and good thing too.

2. Garmin is heavily into avionics.. all of it High End and Fit for 20+ million dollar Biz Jets.
They have a non-certified glass panel for experimentals.. a mere what 3 to 5 k plus installation ?
Check AC Spruce to see what they make today component wise.

Seriously, they are BIG Players in the Glass Panel market, and they have comms and gps navs and ads b's that all communicate via Bluetooth with your Ipad or android.

ADS B is about as mature a market as home radio was in 1924.
Ask anybody who has a Detrola or Spartan how much support they can get.

3. Do they care about some 20 year old product? No. Not when it is obsolete functionally, and electronically.
Nobody would buy one used . Dead Duck. Wheel Chock with display.

4. Should you Care if they don't ? I'm thinking.. only because it is built into your panel.. otherwise not.
Are you flying with a round fluorescent tube lamp, or a frig that says Kelvinator , or coffee grinder radio with 6 channels
and it's vibrator power supply modulator screwed to the firewall ? Nope.

5. A $150 Samsung Tab 2 and a $79 subscription to Garmin Pilot ( or pick another simpler competitor) with give you GPS.
and moving map, and planning, weather, winds aloft, tfr, and a zillion other overlays, alternate airports,
safe taxi, fuel prices.. and zip your fly when it's done.. plus it downloads every chart in North America no extra charge,
and FAA airport directory, and aopa data base and and and and.

6. This thing fits in your hip pocket, and they aren't going to quit upgrading it until we are 6 feet under.
and it does email, surfs the web etc. I have VOR and Gyro Horizon Apps in mine. $ 3 each !
VOR capability for $3 bucks.

We use it at home to look at Satellite WX maps, radar.

7. this thing reduces long xc planning time from days to an hour..

8. You can use the empty panel space for a banana shelf.

9. Send the old unit back to Garmin Executive Offices COD.. maybe somebody there will pay say $500
and you'll be happy. I'd use a Chinese address.

BTW... I think Garmin... like all stuff designed by computer geeks.. is 10 to the 3rd too complex to use while flying an airplane single pilot.