Garmin 696 vs. Ipad

[tsuttles]

Question for you guys out there... I have a 696 that I am thinking of selling due to the subscription cost and the iPad I have seems to do everything it can do and sometimes better... What is your opinion on the subject. I will tell you the 696 is wired to the 430W and is cool to see it in 2 places but with the map not being current I don't use it for navigation. What are your thoughts?? I am thinking the 696 was GREAT when it came out but the iPad had not really hit the market yet...

 

Tim

[DS1980]

What's an iPad?

[tsuttles]

DS maybe you are right I should be more specific.. Garmin 696 vs. ForeFlight Pro. 

[tomn]

I have and use both. I like the robust operation of the 696 and use it more than the iPad. The iPad is used as a backup for the 696 and for working out possible route changes etc. it would be nice if Garmin were more reasonable with their subscription costs.

Tom

[sreid]

My thoughts are that you already have it and went to the trouble of permanently wiring it to your 430, so why not keep it? Updating the nav database and possibly the obstacle database every couple of years won't cost too much.

 

Steve

[tsuttles]

I guess I need to find out a better mounting option for the 696 and keep it around. I used to have the iPad on my thigh for IFR flying and the 696 on the yoke but I am always cautious looking up and down so much looking at charts to prevent the bad word (spatial disorientation). I had the 696 mounted on the pilot yoke and moved it today to try out the iPad on the pilot yoke and like it better since all I have to do is move my eyes and not my head. 

 

Where do you guys have your 696 mounted?

[DS1980]

DS maybe you are right I should be more specific.. Garmin 696 vs. ForeFlight Pro. 

I was joking. But seriously concerned about the emphasis on cockpit tech and not on stick and rudder skills. Another topic.

If you use the iPad for more than aviation go with it. I hear it's hard to read a book or surf the net on the 696.

[tsuttles]

I get what you are saying DS and since I do more than fly around the patch and actually use the aircraft for long cross country it is necessary to stay up with the tech. I mean sure I could use the sectional and plotter for some pilotage skills but I also choose not to hunt with a black powder rifle or drive a Model A Ford.... 

[Bob_Belville]

I guess I need to find out a better mounting option for the 696 and keep it around. I used to have the iPad on my thigh for IFR flying and the 696 on the yoke but I am always cautious looking up and down so much looking at charts to prevent the bad word (spatial disorientation). I had the 696 mounted on the pilot yoke and moved it today to try out the iPad on the pilot yoke and like it better since all I have to do is move my eyes and not my head. 

 

Where do you guys have your 696 mounted?

My 696 is mounted to the right side of the panel. It blocks nothing and is easy to operate to pull up airport freq ect. I also have XM radio on it. Weather and traffic is on the 750.

[tsuttles]

My 696 is mounted to the right side of the panel. It blocks nothing and is easy to operate to pull up airport freq ect. I also have XM radio on it. Weather and traffic is on the 750.

Wow great panel Bob!! I will look in the C tomorrow and see if I have room on the right side. I have the old glove box area but I just mounted the UBG 16 engine monitor in there but I can always move that if it will fit the dimensions. 

[Bob_Belville]

I had the 696 on a RAM suction mount until I was satisfied I was through experimenting with location. Now the back plate is bolted to the panel. RAM makes hundreds of mounts! 

[tsuttles]

Hey Bob by the way I was looking at your location and I grew up in Morganton now live in Raleigh and was actually just up there this week. My parents still live there and I fly into MRN quite often I would love to see your bird and exactly how you have the 696 mounted if you are around the airport one day I am coming up. 

[RocketAviator]

I have had both the 696 and the IPad & the Skypad.... I guess that makes 3 not both..   In any case I just sold my 696 not because it was not a great product it was and very reliable, much more than the IPad.   My only reason to go with the IPad was the AHARS and being able to drop the XM weather subscription cost.  The XM weather in my opinion is slightly superior to the IPad & ADS-B today but not worth the 60 bucks per month cost.  Also correct me if I am wrong but the ADS-B has freezing level temps and to get that it would cost 99 bucks per month at XM.

Also I think the ADS-B will get better with time at least i hope it does.  Just remember neither the XM nor the ADS-B weather is real time and should only be used as a general data input and not to pick your way through a current particular weather element!

I have another WOX XM reciever that i want to sell if anyone is interested!

Either way I think would be great especially for casual flight.  

I have a rule I wont fly anything other than local without onboard weather. I fly a fair amount of IFR in IMC and weather & autopilot is not a luxury but a necessity at least for me!

I too learned some time ago to keep the devices up at panel level for any IMC flying.... very good idea, especially during a low level approach, you sure don't want to be moving your sight element any if you can help it!

Fly safe,

Lacee

[Danb]

Lacee. spot on. I sold my 696 due to the sub cost seems like we have so much cost in updating our equip. Garmin has us by our shorts, just pd. 1500 for my G1000 updates, then xm, then charts, foreflight etc. I have the iPad with stratus which helps curb the cost of our 21century goodies. Jepps, they have us by out shorts even before we go fly or buy aviation fuel. Whewwww. Happy thanksgiving. Will fly this weekend anyway..Dan

[tomn]

I have my 696 mounted on my left yoke - hard mounted to the yoke with a quick remove mount plate I made. This works out much better than the ram mount since it holds it firmly in place and at a good viewing angle. I found it a little heavy for the ram mount I tried first. I have my Ipad mounted on the right yoke using a ram mount clamped to the yoke shaft with it angled towards me. This setup works great and does not block my view of any other instruments.

Tom

[Piloto]

You do not need to have a current data base to legally fly. But you are responsible for the data information applicable to your flight still current. Keep the 696. it has a lot features not available with Foreflight like map decluttering, map text always upright, better contrast, navigation guidance and others.

 

José 

[Danb]

Agreed. Jose. I replaced it with an av8tor. Works for my mission as a back up..

[wishboneash]

Question for you guys out there... I have a 696 that I am thinking of selling due to the subscription cost and the iPad I have seems to do everything it can do and sometimes better... What is your opinion on the subject. I will tell you the 696 is wired to the 430W and is cool to see it in 2 places but with the map not being current I don't use it for navigation. What are your thoughts?? I am thinking the 696 was GREAT when it came out but the iPad had not really hit the market yet...

 

Tim

 

I like the 696. The Nexus 7 (in my case) will never replace it. I can crossfill my flight plan from the GTN650 and the convenience of the knobs is great in IMC. The GDL-39 drives both the 696 and the Nexus 7 (with Garmin Pilot). I will update the database on the 696 every once in a while.

 

http://mooneyspace.com/gallery/image/33781-right-side-of-panel/

[donkaye]

There is NO way I would give up on the handheld GPS.  Before I did my avionics panel upgrade it was my primary MFD and even with the G500 and GTN 750 and 650 it will stay on the yoke.  I do a lot of ferrying all over the country and I would decline a trip if for some reason the 796 were not operational.  The same could not be said for a faulty ipad.  That goes for the 696 which I had previously.  Everything in one place, easily accessible without switching programs like you have to do with the ipad.  ADS-B weather is "adequate" but XM just outshines it with many more useful functions.  BTW the regular Aviator version of XM does have freezing levels.  For me the ipad is backup for charts.  Although the aviation programs are nice on it, the Garmin handheld is all around so much better as to not even be considered a competitor from my point of view.

 

Don Kaye, MCFI

[DaV8or]

I use both a 696 and an iPad with ForeFlight. I love my 696 for lots of reasons, but not the least of which is it is rock solid, won't quit when it gets too hot, I can read it in all lighting conditions and it cross fills from my 430. Because the display is bigger, I use the 696 for navigation and the 430 mostly for traffic. The iPad replaces all the paper in the cockpit except the note pad. The geo-referenced sectional is slick and I love it, but I would only use the iPad for primary navigation if everything else quit.

 

I have the 696 in an Air Gizmo mount on the panel and my iPad is on my knee.

[Bob_Belville]

I use both a 696 and an iPad with ForeFlight. I love my 696 for lots of reasons, but not the least of which is it is rock solid, won't quit when it gets too hot, I can read it in all lighting conditions and it cross fills from my 430. Because the display is bigger, I use the 696 for navigation and the 430 mostly for traffic. The iPad replaces all the paper in the cockpit except the note pad. The geo-referenced sectional is slick and I love it, but I would only use the iPad for primary navigation if everything else quit.

 

I have the 696 in an Air Gizmo mount on the panel and my iPad is on my knee.

66F! (One of 3 built?) With electric gear? Guess that was a retrofit? Nice clean panel. 

[DaV8or]

66F! (One of 3 built?) With electric gear? Guess that was a retrofit? Nice clean panel. 

 

Nope. The electric gear is original. In 1965, Mooney offered electric gear on all models except the D as an option. My plane was used as a factory demonstrator for the new Executive and so it came loaded with all the options. Actually, my plane was the 4th and last 1966 M20F. It's also the only one left flying as far as I can tell. Maybe one of the others went to a foreign country and is still at it? A lot of people think they only made 3 '66 Fs because the website, Mooneyevents.com has been around a long time. It has a nice model chronology that every new Mooniac peruses. However it's wrong about the '66 F and my plane is the living proof, but I have no idea how to get the site changed and I guess it doesn't matter that much anyhow. Thanks for the kind words about my panel, I like it too!

[Bob_Belville]

Nope. The electric gear is original. In 1965, Mooney offered electric gear on all models except the D as an option. My plane was used as a factory demonstrator for the new Executive and so it came loaded with all the options. Actually, my plane was the 4th and last 1966 M20F. It's also the only one left flying as far as I can tell. Maybe one of the others went to a foreign country and is still at it? A lot of people think they only made 3 '66 Fs because the website, Mooneyevents.com has been around a long time. It has a nice model chronology that every new Mooniac peruses. However it's wrong about the '66 F and my plane is the living proof, but I have no idea how to get the site changed and I guess it doesn't matter that much anyhow. Thanks for the kind words about my panel, I like it too!

OK, I see your ser# is 660004 which Mooneyevents thinks was the first M22 Mustang.