Garmin aera 760

C

caepilot69

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 15, 2021
Messages
1
Display Name
Display name:
caepilot69
Was browsing the Garmin avionics site and saw this. It seems like a glorified iPad, and you can't even use it for IFR purposes. Thoughts?
 
Dedicated Garmin handhelds are da bom for their intended use. Far more robust than an iPad, but no doubt they are a dedicated tool limited to one function.
 
It's probably a little more rugged than an iPad, and probably is less likely to have overheating issues during hot summer days.

I use a GPS navigator for driving, even though I have phones with maps, and some of the rental cars have GPS. The Garmin user interface is better, and the maps are updated nearly as often as the phones' maps. I don't lose maps when I am in an area without data for the phones. I've an old hand-held that still works well.
 
I wouldn't use one as an iPad replacement.

The GPS has a use though. It will interface well with the other garmin products and is nice to panel mount if you have the space. I've installed two of them in Super Cubs as the primary navigation tool.
 
I would like to know if the database management is better implemented in the 760 than the 660. On the 660, updating is incredibly slow.
 
CA182R said:
I would like to know if the database management is better implemented in the 760 than the 660. On the 660, updating is incredibly slow.
Click to expand...

It’s the same...

If you don’t like the speed of the updates for the 660/760 be glad you’re not doing a G1000.
 
I bought one, used it for a few flights, and didn't see what made it worth $1000+ more than an ipad, so I returned it. It may be a little more robust with high temps than an ipad, but you can buy a $150 cooling mount to help with that.
 
I have an Aera 660 and am happy with it, except for the print size in the information panels. Is the print larger with the 760 with the larger screen size?
 
caepilot69 said:
It seems like a glorified iPad, and you can't even use it for IFR purposes. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Things the aera 660/760 can do that an iPad cannot: drive an autopilot, tune your radios, control satellite radio, give position to your 406Mhz ELT and draw approaches/holds/PT's.
 
I do use an ipad for flight planning and keep one in the cockpit for backup, but not for active use while flying. I have had 4 Garmin aviation GPS units; 496, 696, 796, and now a 760. They are absolutely wonderful in the cockpit. They can be read in sunlight, they don't get hot and shut down, and they "just work." The serial output can be used to drive an autopilot.

There are a variety of mounts for the Garmin portables, including a dock that actually installs into the instrument panel.

Even when I upgraded my plan from steam gauges to SkyView, I kept the 796 (now the 760) on the other side for backup.


Last summer I was selling some tools I no longer needed after building my airplane. A guy who bought a rivet squeezer wanted an excuse for a cross country to a new airport so he decided to meet me at my airport. He stopped at a nearby airport for fuel (our little airport doesn't sell fuel) and his ipad overheated on the taxi out and he had to park and go inside for about a half hour for it cool down. It was his only means of navigation / only source of aeronautical charts so he couldn't launch without it.
 
asicer said:
Things the aera 660/760 can do that an iPad cannot: drive an autopilot, tune your radios, control satellite radio, give position to your 406Mhz ELT and draw approaches/holds/PT's.
Click to expand...

You can definitely control satellite radio with the 660. I do it with mine all of the time. It’s connected to a GDL51.

The 660 also tunes my #2 radio. You click on a freq and it puts the freq on the standby side of my #2 comm.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mondtster said:
Air Gizmo has a mount.
Click to expand...

I meant to say if anyone has custom made one, I'm trying to do something like this but in portrait orientation. My goal is to be able to flip it out when flying single pilot to face the pilot, maybe with a piano hinge on the left side of the mount, and some sort of kickstand. I think someone did this with a different portable but I can't find the photo.

 
im a fan of the Garmin. Sun light readabiltiy and no overheating is just too important to me. The resolution is not near as good as an ipad though
 
I used an Ipad on a trip to Oshkosh a few years ago because my Lowrance 2000 (a very good gps) was no longer being supported with data updates. On the trip to KOSH my Ipad failed a number of times. Yes you can get a cooling pad, but without power while you are at the gas pumps the Ipad will overheat (unless you take your Ipad out of the mount and take it into the FBO air conditioning). When I arrived at Oshkosh I looked at all the handheld units available and kept coming back to the Garmin. They pried the money out of my hands but I am glad I have it now. I only use the Ipad for flight planning and transfer the flight plan to my 660 and GPS175. I also am able to control my #2 com (GNC225) with the Aera 660, and it acts as a MFD to the GPS175. I am very interested in looking at the new 760.IMG_1225 2.jpg
 
Last edited:
I want the sunlight readability and the overheat tolerance of the Garmin with the resolution of the I Pad, and I want to run ForeFlight. Toss in longer battery life to the wish list.

Life is about compromises I'm afraid. Pick the attributes you need the most.
 
I had overheating issues with my ipad, then I bought the x-naut cooling tray, and haven't had any more issues, especially if it's not charging. It's a little pricey for what it is, but it improves the reliability ten fold, and still costs less than a 760
 
Yes. It’s a compromise. There is no wrong answer as long as you understand the pros and cons and pick what works best for you. Just like foreflight vs Garmin. No wrong answer as long as you do your homework.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top