Walt

Walt

Well Known Member
If someone knows how to make these features work (perhaps they are there but I just can't find them) these are the things I really wish the 696 had:

1) Runway numbers displayed on the 3 or 5 mile range setting (VFR into an airport with 3 runways can be challenging trying to figure out which is which).

2) Rubber band for the course line, (really useful for deviations around airspace or weather).
 
Rubber banding is easy Walt - you have to be on the Flight Plan page however - hit FLTPLN, then in the lower left corner is a hot-key for "Use Cursor". Hit that, the cursor is hot - float it over the course line you want to grab, hit Enter and drag it where you want to go. Sounds like a lot of buttons, but it is all intuitive - except having to do it on the FLTPLN map page.

Paul
 
Thanks Paul :D

Ok now who knows the secret to getting runway numbers up? (the 496 used to have this feature)
 
Walt, Overall how are you liking the 696 compared to the 496. With the price drop I am considering a switch to the 696 from my current 396. I have also thought about just dropping in a 496 which requires no rewiring or work. Simply plug in and go.

George
 
Walt said:
Runway numbers displayed on the 3 or 5 mile range setting (VFR into an airport with 3 runways can be challenging trying to figure out which is which).
Click to expand...

Just checking..............

IMO ---At the 3 or 5 mile range, the airports are too small and cluttered for runway numbers. At .3 to .5 range (with a few clicks of the rocker switch), the numbers and runways are easy to see.

L.Adamson
 
L.Adamson said:
Just checking..............

IMO ---At the 3 or 5 mile range, the airports are too small and cluttered for runway numbers. At .3 to .5 range (with a few clicks of the rocker switch), the numbers and runways are easy to see.

L.Adamson
Click to expand...

At that close of a range setting I'm already to close to the airport, I'm not able to plan the approach when I'm far enough out. Zooming in when you're 10 miles out moves the airport off the map and things are too busy to be panning around on the screen.
 
sailvi767 said:
Walt, Overall how are you liking the 696 compared to the 496. With the price drop I am considering a switch to the 696 from my current 396. I have also thought about just dropping in a 496 which requires no rewiring or work. Simply plug in and go.

George
Click to expand...

I love the 696, except for the minor items above I have absolutely no issues with the unit at all, it has performed flawlessly for about 3 years, love the weather and the display (I can read it easily compared to the 496) and almost consider it a "no go" item :eek: Lets put it this way, after flying with the 696 for about a month on a temporary mount, I completely redid my panel to make it a permanent fixture.
 
One trick I do on my Aera is to load an approach to the runway you are planning to use and tell it to use vectors to final. This will give you a nice course line extension off the end of the runway you are landing on which helps with orientation (better than runway extension feathers)....added benefit is that this will give you distance to the runway threshold on final in case you want to communicate your position.
 
Walt said:
At that close of a range setting I'm already to close to the airport, I'm not able to plan the approach when I'm far enough out. Zooming in when you're 10 miles out moves the airport off the map and things are too busy to be panning around on the screen.
Click to expand...

Okay.


Most of the time, I use a printed airport diagram or Flight Guide to do the landing planning. Then I just compare to the runway orientation on the GPS.

L.Adamson
 
runway display from the waypoint, info page...

on the waypoint, info page... select the runway and the small window in the upper right displays the selected runway with the current projected flight path to the airport along with the handing of the pattern. very useful in planning for pattern entry.
 
I do know that Garmin is both watching and listening to our collective requests and I wouldn't be surprised to see some neat features in the future!

Cheers,
Stein
 
Walt said:
Yea but that would take planning :D
Click to expand...

I feel your pain. It is simply one click of the joy stick knob to get the airport info page which makes it super simple to get all of the info you need; but, unless you specifically check for all runways only the default is displayed. Way too easy to assume only one runway when there are actually more.
 
newtech said:
It is simply one click of the joy stick knob to get the airport info page which makes it super simple to get all of the info you need; but, unless you specifically check for all runways only the default is displayed. Way too easy to assume only one runway when there are actually more.
Click to expand...

I am aware of the runway choice on the info page, but this is not the same as having the runway number pasted on the extended runway line on the map page.
All I'm saying is this feature was on my 496 and I miss it. The last thing I need is more "button pushing heads down" time when getting close to the airport.

It's nice to know, at a glance, exactly which runway is which at an unfamiliar airport.
 
Ironflight said:
Rubber banding is easy Walt - you have to be on the Flight Plan page however - hit FLTPLN, then in the lower left corner is a hot-key for "Use Cursor". Hit that, the cursor is hot - float it over the course line you want to grab, hit Enter and drag it where you want to go. Sounds like a lot of buttons, but it is all intuitive - except having to do it on the FLTPLN map page.

Paul
Click to expand...

Paul, tried this today while coming back from Oklahoma (bored looking for something to do) your method does work but it's rather "awkward", the map orientation is different (N. up) and that combined with small flight planning screen makes it hard to put the new waypoint (you are basically adding a new WP) where you want it. The first time I tried I got the WP is the wrong place and then it took me a few minutes to figure out how to go back and delete it so I could start over. Bottom line is this method works but is a not very user friendly.

I just want a simple rubber band function on the map page and my runway numbers back and I'll be happy :D (I hope garmin is listening)

And of course, reasonably priced updates would just be the right thing to do :cool:
 
newtech said:
I am running firmware version 4.70 on my 696 and I haven't been able to get the "Use Curser" hot key to display. Doing this on the ground with a flight plan active hitting the FPL key doesn't result in the "Use Curser" hot button being displayed. It may require the flight plan to be active and actually flying or something.

My G3X is being delivered tomorrow so will try it with the 370 to see how it behaves.
Click to expand...

Mine actually said "use map".
 
Walt said:
Mine actually said "use map".
Click to expand...
:eek:Man I hate it when I do something stupid like this. Rubber banding works great on mine too. I know I tried "Use Map" before but it works great now. Think I will edit my earlier dumb post.
 
The cost of updates are the single reason I am using a IPad at the moment for my EFB. I would love to have it all in the 696 but 700 dollars a year is a bit steep. If foreflight is able to come up with a XM interface for weather and the Ipad 3 has a bit brighter screen then Garmin is in deep trouble with the 696. Give us something within reason however and I would quickly switch to the 696 in order to have a dedicated aviation unit. Is anyone at Garmin listening?

George
 
sailvi767 said:
The cost of updates are the single reason I am using a IPad at the moment for my EFB.
George
Click to expand...

I have a 696, and an iPad-2 running Foreflight. For $75/year, Foreflight provides up-to-date charts and plates. This allows cross-checking with the 696 to verify the status of any plates that might be used on a flight, and if any are out of date, the changes can be noted. With a $75/year plate verification solution avaialble, my plan is to update the 696 only once a year.

Isn't it great that Garmin lowered the price of the 696 enough that an iPad could be purhased as well, and still have money left over.
 
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