Garmin 296 questions

[Rick6a]

Fellow Garmin 296 users,

I can not determine if it is technique or my brand new 296 has a software problem.

#1. In the VNAV mode, no matter what values I program in for the profile....for instance 800' above waypoint, 2 miles out and 400' rate of decent etc. the VNAV indicator (teal bar) always disappears when the altitude reaches 1900' (regardless of MSL or Above) and 5 miles or more from the waypoint. In other words, the VNAV feature stops functioning considerably earlier than what it is programmed to do.

#2 On the map page, I cannot retrieve the HSI (as shown on page 29) display. It was there on initial start up but has since disappeared. According to page 105, changing the page layout to "MAP WITH OVERLAY" should result in the HSI being displayed along with datafields in the 4 corners. The 4 datafields show up just fine...but not the HSI.

Can anyone offer any insights or comments as to what may be going on?

Rick

[Rick6a]

I contacted Garmin and the problems were largely of technique.....with a minor caveat. The VNAV function stops when approaching 500' of the user programmed numbers. Intuitively, seems to me when you program a descent to 800' above an airport and to arrive at that altitude at say 3 miles out (pattern altitude), the VNAV should continue to function to 800'. Not so. One thing they did acknowledge is the admitted confusion in determining if the VNAV function is on or off. The VNAV is operating when the menu says VNAV off. The VNAV is off when it is selected to be on. Go figure.

As for the HSI display on the MAP PAGE as illustrated on page 29.....not to be confused with the HSI instrument, it only functions when you orient the moving map to TRACK UP, not COURSE UP or NORTH UP as I usually set the moving map to depict.

Rick