If I were between that and the 396, given that neither is certified for IFR, I'd choose the 396. The addition of weather is the clincher for me. Especially since Ken already has an IFR-certified GPS in the plane. I wouldn't yank that for a VFR unit! Besides, you can easily buy the 396 used from someone upgrading to a 496 and later resell it on eBay (or PoA) when you upgrade the panel to the 530W!
Know exactly what you're saying. However, I hate--as in despise--having to rig a GPS up to a yoke or make some panel extension mount, etc.
I like panel mounted com/nav devices. It's a quirk, but it's my quirk.
As far as the weather feature goes, THAT would depend on the airplane, its mission, etc.
For my 172, I only fly little short hops/XCs--rarely leaving Texas in it (Oklahoma doesn't count because A. It's Oklahoma, and B. it's only an hour away). It's also slow which means I can see weather developing. I also use Flight Watch a great deal.
The RV is IFR legal but has yet to see IMC. Thus, the 250 panel nav/com in it as well. BUT, it's fast enough (twice as fast as the Skyhawk) to get into changing weather situations. . . . but it's panel isn't big enough to really clutter up, so in THAT instance, a handheld 396 or 496 that I can set off to the right side might be feasible--at least for my partner who will be buying out my half after he gets this year's tax refund.
The Cardinal is my long-distance, serious XC machine. We travel from coast-to-coast in it on a regular basis. I'm headed back up to Oregon next week sometime to meet with the Lancair folks. Next month, we're headed to Florida. Etc. That's where I like the 430:
For the long, long trips, it and I get along very well. With the TAT turbo STC on the Cardinal, I can get up around 12,500 and get some respectable speed. (All I generally care about is ground speed). Like the RV, when you're moving faster, the ground and your landmarks are moving faster.
Having weather would be nice, but again, that high and at that speed, I can see a ways.
AND. . . all of my trips are strictly optional. Bad weather, I stay on the ground.
Now, when we build the Lancair, it will go faster than hell. It will take the place of our Cardinal for those long, frequent coast-to-coast trips, and yep, I'll probably get the best panel-mounted GPS/com w/wx that I can fit on the panel. Remember--with homebuilts, I can build and design and modify the panel however I wish. Can't do that all the time with certificated birds.
I know where you're coming from and it's certainly not a bad rule to buy nav/com equipment "one step up from what you actually need," it's just that I have this thing about stuff hanging off the panel or the yoke and also, being older, I'm STILL trying to figure out how to fiddle with all those knobs and buttons.
Regards.
-JD
