There hasn't been a lot
of activity in the portable GPS game, of late... but that is about
to change. Garmin has just introduced the GPSMAP 296, a portable
aviation device that delivers topographic mapping and terrain
advisory alerting in brilliant color. Thanks to its 256-color,
high-resolution (480x320-pixels) TFT transflective display, the
GPSMAP 296 makes it easy for pilots to view and interpret
navigation data in most lighting conditions.
Fans of Garmin’s pilot-friendly monochromatic GPSMAP 196
and colorful GPSMAP 295 will notice that the GPSMAP 296 takes
legacy innovations from these products and adds several significant
features. For instance, the GPSMAP 296 offers terrain cautions and
alerts, Sectional chart-like topographic data, a built-in obstacle
database of the U.S., and a transparent navigation arc view for
course, speed and distance information. The unit also features USB
data transfer, faster processing speed, and a rechargeable
lithium-ion battery pack.
"Terrain awareness really sets the GPSMAP 296 apart from other
aviation handheld devices," said Gary Kelley, Garmin's director of
marketing. "The GPSMAP 296 allows pilots to see in vivid color not
only where they’re going, but also where potential obstacles
lie along the flight path — providing useful information that
can help them avoid controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT)
accidents."
In Terrain mode, the GPSMAP 296 combines inputs from built-in
terrain, obstacle and electronic flight databases to give pilots a
vivid depiction of proximity hazards that require their attention.
Pilots benefit from this technology in a number of ways:
- Terrain/obstacle alerting. The unit offers a configurable
look-ahead warning function that provides the pilot with additional
time to make critical decisions regarding the flight path.
- Configurable buffer zones. The pilot can set the minimum limits
to receive terrain cautions. The unit then presents potential
hazards in yellow (to indicate ground proximity of 500-1,000 feet)
and red (to indicate ground proximity of 100 feet or less).
- Obstacles database. Users can view the elevation or relative
altitude of any obstacle (towers, buildings, etc.) within the
unit’s built-in database.
Pop-up alerts. Terrain proximity cautions and alerts pop up as
digital thumbnail images in the lower left-hand corner of any page
whenever a potential hazard conflict looms ahead.
- Topographic data is depicted as shaded contours in Sectional
chart-like detail. An extensive Jeppesen® database is overlaid
on the topographic mapping to help the pilot see their flight path
in relation to nearby navigation aids, special-use airspace and
obstructions.
Garmin’s innovative GPS Panel Page migrates to the GPSMAP
296 from its predecessor, the GPSMAP 196. The Panel Page depicts
GPS-derived groundspeed, altitude, turn rate, course, heading, and
vertical speed in a presentation similar to an Electronic Flight
Information System.
Garmin realizes that pilots are also motorists and many are
active mariners, so the GPSMAP 296 is designed to move seamlessly
between an aircraft, vehicle or boat. At the press of a button,
pilots have access to the unit’s Automotive and Marine
modes.
On land, the GPSMAP 296 has built-in automotive capabilities
including automatic route generation, turn-by-turn guidance, and
voice prompts that simplify navigation in unfamiliar settings. A
built-in basemap provides the user with a worldwide database of
major cities and national borders, as well as highways,
thoroughfares, rivers and lakes for the Americas, Europe or the
Pacific Rim. The optional Auto Kit includes two mounts, a
cigarette-lighter adapter with speaker output, a 128-MB data card
and a MapSource® City Select® CD-ROM for detailed mapping
and address lookup capabilities for cities in either North America
or Europe.
On the water, the GPSMAP 296 offers a worldwide marine database
and U.S. tide data. When coupled with the optional Marine Kit
(64-MB data card and MapSource BlueChart® CD), the unit
displays such information as depth contours, inter-tidal zones,
spot soundings, wrecks, navaids, port plans, restricted areas,
cable areas, anchorages and much more.
Other specifications of the GPSMAP 296:
- Detailed basemap: General map data including highways, major
roads, river, lakes and borders
- WAAS accuracy: WAAS-capable GPS receiver for enhanced
lateral/vertical guidance
Crisp display: High-resolution (480x320 pixel count), 256-color TFT
display (3.8 inches diagonally)
- Powerful processor: Operates at 200 MHz for fast map drawing,
turn-by-turn route calculation and guidance
- Long battery life: 5-15 hours, depending on backlight
setting
- Battery: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack
- Multi-platform navigation: Automotive and Marine modes for easy
navigation in a vehicle or boat; accepts data from Garmin’s
MapSource CD-ROM products (City Select for driving, BlueChart for
saltwater and Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots® for
freshwater applications)
- Languages (text/voice): 15/11
- Waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX-7 standards (submersible in 1 meter
of water for up to 30 minutes)
- Lightweight: 12 ounces
- Routes, Tracks, Waypoints: 50 reversible routes (300 waypoints
each), 15 saved tracks (700 trackpoints each), TracBack®
technology, 3,000 waypoints with graphical icon identification
The GPSMAP 296 is expected to be available in April 2004 and
will be sold first at the Experimental Aircraft
Association Fly-In at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
The suggested retail price of the GPSMAP 296 is $1,795 and the unit
ships standard with a yoke mount, automotive mount,
cigarette-lighter adapter, AC adapter cable, USB-to-PC interface
cable, low-profile remote GPS antenna, carrying case, free Jeppesen
update certificate, Trip & Waypoint Manager software,
owner’s manual and quick-reference guide.