1. Reason number one: It saves you valuable time. The famous saying, “Time Is Money!” With a automotive GPS one spends alot less time wandering around aimlessly searching for the nearest Walmart because you forgot your deodorant or tooth brush. With a few simple inputs to the gps it will give you turn by turn to the destination.

2.Reason number two: Accurate estimated time of arrivals.

3.Reason number three: Less Stress and More Security! 

маси

To the story & mini review!

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My wife’s side of the family, due to family being in town for thanksgiving, elected to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time. So instead of having an extra month to do Christmas shopping I was left with less than a week and half to all get it all done. My wife is in charge of all the gifts minus and electronic items (which is my department). Anyways we both decided to get a automotive GPS for my mother-in-law. So it was my job to get the best low cost easy to use GPS I could find. I searched high and low at every possible gps model (Lowrance, Tom Tom, Magellan, Mio, etc…) and ended up getting the Garmin Nuvi 200. Being the tech nut I am i must admit i opened the box and played with it a little before wrapping it up and giving it to the mother-in-law. hehe!!

Therefore, the following statements will tell you why I think you can’t go wrong with giving your loved ones a Garmin Nuvi for Christmas!

• It works and works well, tons of points of interest, accurate maps, and nice set of basic options. (this unit wont do bluetooth, MP3’s, the windows, etc. but it will get you to the nearest I.H.O.P. , Phillips 66, Disney Land, Walmart, etc..)
• Its super easy to use! Its been about three weeks and I have yet to get a call from the mother-in-law asking questions on how to use it. That in itself will sell a million units. If a not tech type person can turning a GPS on and get from point A to Point B without reading a manual or wanting to throw the unit through the windshield the GPS is easy to use.
• The build quality is very nice, super small/compact, and includes a very loud set of adjustable speakers so that the driver can hear audible directions.

I could go on forever but this is just a mini review and it’s getting close to December 25th (the real Christmas) and my side of the family loves tech so I have a lot of shopping to do. Needless to say, you probably already know what a few of them are getting this Christmas from me!

If you are looking for some great places to get a Garmin Nuvi or other Garmin GPS look below for some great deals! Merry Christmas!

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Pros:

• Fantastic terrain presentation. Some of the best looking terrain on a aviation handheld gps navigator.
• One of the biggest and brightest screens on the market. If you cant read this map then you shouldn’t be flying!
• Fantastic price point! If you are a pilot you know how much flying cost. The price for one of these babies may only set you back 3 or 4 fuel ups at the price of gas these days.
• Database is stored on a removable SD card, making it a breeze to update without have to have the unit handy.

Cons:

• Now with the latest and greatest released from Garmin this unit may be seen by many as obsolete and with only basic features.
• The unit does not have any type of live weather capability nor satellite radio capability.
• Compaired to other units availiable the Lowrance Airmap 2000c required one or two more button pushes to do the same thing on other Aviation GPS’s. (for the sake of fairness, this unit is by no means the hardness handheld aviation unit to learn to use. There are far worse in this department.)

Final thoughts:

Overall I think the Airmap 2000c is a pretty nice piece of equipment. This unit is excellent of pilots with eye sight that would appreciate a large bright screen that is easy to read and understand. Many owners of this unit express that even the unit may have a slightly longer learning curve, the big screen makes it worth it. Lastly, if having a monthly subscription or flying in less that ideal weather conditions doesn’t excite you that not have live satellite weather wont bother all that much. Plus that extra dough you save buying this unit with allow you to put more fuel in the tank for more flying and who could ever complain about that!!

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To define GPS the easiest way, think of the movie, “Enemy of the State,” starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. Do you remember what was so cool about the flick? There were scenes showing realistic mapping images that was supposed to be captured real-time by satellites in space with an image zoom capacity so high that you can define movements of people. In the movie, Global Positioning System or GPS was one of the tools used by the government to pin down the slick character portrayed by Will Smith.

As was demonstrated in the film, the GPS tool can be used to track movements at any point of the Earth. Subsequently, aside from use by government and law enforcement agencies, respected organizations such as Discovery Channel make use of the GPS tool in their research. And less than a decade after the movie was shown, the GPS tool is finally within reach of every individual.

Automotive handheld GPS is a dream come true for civilians. But before you surf eBay or head to the nearest gadget shop and purchase an automotive handheld GPS, there must be a GPS provider catering such services in your country. It can be a GPS provider that has an agreement with your data service provider or it can be your own data service provider that has already made arrangements to access a global satellite system for GPS service.

Using an automotive handheld GPS, any driver can cruise in and out of streets without getting lost. The GPS system simply provides the directions that they need. Viewing options can be top view or via bird’s eye view. It will also provide a map to indicate where the car is in real-time while relevant information such as street address, geographic coordinates and Points of Interest; gas stations, pay parking and others. With an automotive handheld GPS, navigation through the city will never be a problem anymore.

Below i will in detail try to explain the main differences between the Garmin GPSMAP 496 and the Garmin GPSMAP 396, but before I go and further I would like to again make something very clear. If you are a pilot, professional or recreational, you can not go wrong with either unit. They both provide unbelievable situational and tactical awareness that just a few years ago would not have been thought possible! Now that I have that off my chest on to the technical differences!

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1. The Garmin GPSMAP 496 comes with the City Navigator Auto Information preloaded from the factory.
   • *The GPSMAP 496 out of the box gives you as much or even more information than a dedicated Automotive GPS. It gives you audible turn by turn directions, points of interest, and every road/highway in between.
   • *The Garmin GPSMAP 396 does have the ability to do automotive functions but from the factory it only includes the basemap highways and major roads. Do not trust the 396’s stock automotive routing when your planning your next cross country trip.
2. The Garmin GPSMAP 496 comes with the Safe Taxi tm taxiway information preloaded. With the GPSMAP 496 now when you zoom into a airport you not only see the runways but you see all the taxiways, buildings, and points of interest. Plus they are all labeled accordingly. With the GPSMAP 396 when you zoom in you just get a layout of the actual runways and are not label. Now with the 496 no one will have a good execuse to land on the taxiway instead of the runway. You think im kidding, I actually know a person who on a beautiful VFR day landed on a taxiway because he got confused as to where he was!!
3. The Garmin GPSMAP 496 has the AOPA Airport Directory built into it! This means 7,400 airports worth of data including names and phones of FBO’s, ATC data, rental facilities, etc are available at a moments notice at a push of a button. With this information you can land and look up the local FBO, call them for fuel while taxing their, and have the fuel truck waiting for you! The GPSMAP 396 on the other hand still gives you a wealth of information but only the actual navigational and communication information such as com frequencies and available approaches.
4. Although the GPSMAP 396 and 496 both have terrain functionality, the GPSMAP 496’s terrain database is much more detailed. The topography on the 396 is accurate but shows a much more block presentation. With the enhanced 496 database the topographic is depicted at a much higher resolution.
5. The GPS receiver found in the 496 is faster than the 396. This allows for much more mealtime operation on virtual glass panel page gauges. Again the 396 has the glass panel also but the 496’s version works better.
6. Lastly, probably the most unknown new feature the 496 has that the GPSMAP 396 does not at all have, private airports and heliports. This information is extremely important in emergency situations allowing you to see all your options. At Oshkosh at Airventure 2007 I put the 496 to the test in this aspect. Everyone who lived near or knew of a local private strip, I ask if they would search for the strip. Over 95 percent of the time the land strip they searched for was there!

Overall, both units do there job and do there job very well. I would recommend either unit to any pilot looking for a fantastic aviation gps. With the rather large difference in price you do get a substantial difference in features but again you really cant loose with either one.  Happy Flying!!
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Get Localized Information with dynamic content from MSN Direct, c580 is one resourceful navigator. Using the included receiver and free trial service* to MSN Direct, you can check the weather, avoid traffic backups, compare local gas prices and check movie times and locations when you travel with your unit. The MSN Direct receiver is plug-and-play portable, making it easy to connect to your unit when out and about.

Navigate with Ease

StreetPilot c580 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the super-bright sunlight-readable color screen to enter a destination, and the c580 takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It even announces the name of exits and streets so you never have to take your eyes off the road. In addition, the c580 accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.

Make Hands-free CallsTalk about worry-free driving. The c580 integrates Bluetooth® wireless technology with a built-in microphone and speaker, so you can pair it with your compatible Bluetooth® phone. Then talk hands-free through the c580 while staying focused on the road. Now there’s no more fumbling with your phone’s handset to answer a call or dial a number — just tap the c580’s screen and you’re connected. With 1-touch dialing for POIs, you can conveniently call ahead for reservations or information.

Take It With YouThe portable StreetPilot c580 conveniently moves from vehicle to vehicle with an easy, adjustable mount. Its compact size makes it convenient to take along on business trips and use in rental cars. c580 also comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for out-of-car route planning.

Enjoy the ExtrasStreetPilot c580 is packed full of additional features that make it the perfect navigator. Its high sensitivity GPS receiver acquires satellites quickly and maintains signals even under heavy foliage or near skyscrapers. c580 also comes with an MP3 player, Garmin Lock™ (an anti-theft feature) and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map. Customize your c580 with optional software on plug-and-play SD cards.

StreetPilot c580: Yes, it really is that simple.

* Package includes 1 year free MSN Direct service. Some services available only in select cities where coverage exists.

Expected Availability: Now!!

StreetPilot c580 Features:

• Receiver: High-sensitivity WAAS-enabled GPS receiver
• Display: Bright, anti-glare color display, 2.8”W x 2.1”H (7.2 x 5.4 cm); 320 x 240 pixels, with touch screen
• Unit dimensions: 4.4”W x 3.2”H x 2.2”D (11.3 x 8.2 x 5.6 cm)
• Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free calling
• Dynamic content from MSN Direct
• MP3 player
• Voice announces streets by name
• Includes Garmin Lock™, an anti-theft feature
• Configurable car icons
• Fingertip touch-screen interface
• Look up addresses and points of interest
• Choose 2D or 3D maps
• Upload custom POIs, including alerts for speed zones and safety cameras
• Add optional software such as Travel and Savers Guides to personalize c580
• SD card slot

Below are some great buys on the StreetPilot C580 and all related accessories!
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Please visit and post in our forums and I can almost promise you that someone will be willing to help you!

Sincerely,
GPSProfile.com Staff

Garmin released quite possible the most capable handheld GPS in aviation history with the Garmin GPSMAP 496.

From Garmins Site:
Fly smarter and safer with the GPSMAP 496 on board. This “know-it-all” mini-MFD puts more power and information at your fingertips than any other portable handheld in the history of aviation. Similar to the GPSMAP 396, the 496 combines satellite datalink weather with a detailed color map and terrain alerting, then takes it up a notch with even more high-end software and features. The 496 is a “must have” for any pilot.

View Your Position on Taxiways

Garmin SafeTaxi™ data provides detailed taxiway diagrams and position information for over 650 U.S. airports. Preloaded on the unit, this information helps you navigate unfamiliar airports with confidence and shows your aircraft’s exact position on the field. (Not available in Atlantic version.)

Easily Access AOPA Airport Directory

• Look up taxi services, plan an overnight, choose fuel stops and more with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Airport Directory included on the GPSMAP 496. This indispensable reference guide puts a wealth of airport and travel information at your fingertips. It offers detailed information for over 5,300 U.S. airports along with the names and phone numbers of thousands of FBOs, plus ground transportation, lodging, restaurants, local attractions and more. (Not available in Atlantic version.)

Receive Altitude-Sensitive Smart Airspace™ Alerts

• When in the air, Garmin’s new Smart Airspace feature makes it easier than ever to identify what airspace lies ahead. Smart Airspace automatically highlights airspace close to the pilot’s current altitude and de-emphasizes airspace away from the current altitude, which gives you increased situational awareness.

Navigate with Enhanced Terrain and Aviation Databases

• The GPSMAP 496 features a built-in Jeppesen database with terrain and obstacle databases. Fly with informed confidence thanks to the enhanced, higher-resolution terrain database. With over ten times as much data as the 396’s terrain database, the 496 provides even more visual reference. It monitors your current position in relation to surrounding terrain to provide alerts. Even customize your own minimum clearance levels to receive terrain cautions. With the unit’s Jeppesen® database, you can view your flight route displayed over contour terrain mapping. The addition of private airports and heliports to the database provides even more navigation and emergency “nearest” options.

Enjoy Faster Update Rate for Maps and Indicators

For added realism and safety, the 496 updates map data and “Panel” page instruments at 5 Hz, a significantly faster update rate that gives you a smoother, near “real-time” presentation of your aircraft’s analog indicators, such as the HSI and turn coordinator.

Make Informed Decisions with Optional Weather and Traffic

With an optional subscription to XM WX Satellite Weather™ and the included GXM 30A smart antenna, you’ll have access to constantly-updated, high-resolution weather data for the U.S., right in the cockpit. Weather information includes Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD), Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METARs), Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs), Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), Lightning and Winds Aloft, plus more and can be laid directly over the 496’s Jeppesen and topographic map databases. Add a Garmin Mode S transponder, and the 496 will also display TIS traffic alerts that identify surrounding air traffic.

Navigate by Air, Land or Sea

Garmin’s GPSMAP 496 comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps and a hefty points of interest (POIs) database, including motels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply enter a destination, and you’re automatically routed with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions. In addition, GPSMAP 496 accepts customized points of interest such as school zones and safety cameras and includes proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs. Add optional BlueChart® g2 data cards, and turn the 496 into a color chartplotter.

GPSMAP 496: The world’s most highly evolved aviation portable

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