Garmin AREA 760: Disappointing experience

[Oscar Avalle]

I am a gadget guy and I like Garmin's portable units. So I ordered the new AREA 760 as soon as I heard it had been issued. I was really excited and when I saw the unit I thought:  this is it. Better and brighter screen than my ipad and a sturdier build. This is exactly what I needed. The capacity to download via WIFI the updates was also great. So I was a happy camper until... I tried to get the approach plates... from Jeppesen (have used jepp charts for so long...). 

I went on the www side shop.jeppesen.com and looked for the unit. It was not listed. So I called Jepp customer service. Waited for about 30 minutes and was told Garmin had not send the unit over so they didn't support it. So I called Garmin and they told me that Jeppesen did support the unit. I called Jepp and they told me no. Called Garmin (waited and got a call back) told them that Jepp did not support the 760, so they shared with me a notice on the Jepp www side stating that indeed they did support the unit. Called Jepp was told first yes it is supported and then they backtracked and said NO.  So I called Garmin and they told me I could order the plates for the 796 and they should work.

I called Jepp and tried to purchase the approach plates for Northamerica for a 796. I was quoted 1300.- just for the plates!!!! I asked them if that was the price? And that I thought that this was simply too much, considering that it was portable unit! They basically said yes that is it.  There is no bundle available. Long story short... I have a nice unit, but the plates cost each year about the same as the unit... so instead of a nice unit, I have a nice paper weight until Garmin and Jepp figure out what to do and what their pricing should be. 

So if you want to use the Garmin unit with your Jepp approach charts... call them and evaluate if it is right for you. I had I known all this I would have not bought it.

[donkaye, MCFI]

If the 796 Charts would work and you buy a key for the iPad, the Charts should be an additional $60, as a bundle.  At least that was the way it was last year.  The US coverage for the iPad was $199 last year.  With Boeing having bought Jeppesen, who know what is is today.  Worth a try for $60, if you have an iPad subscription.

I'm a gadget guy, too, and have bought nearly every Garmin handheld since they came out with the GPS 90.  I like the features of the 760, but having to buy the bulky GDL 51 for XM weather, and potentially no Jeppesen interface is a complete deal breaker for me.  I'll be passing on this unit---for now.

[Oscar Avalle]

If the 796 Charts would work and you buy a key for the iPad, the Charts should be an additional $60, as a bundle.  At least that was the way it was last year.  The US coverage for the iPad was $199 last year.  With Boeing having bought Jeppesen, who know what is is today.  Worth a try for $60, if you have an iPad subscription.
I'm a gadget guy, too, and have bought nearly every Garmin handheld since they came out with the GPS 90.  I like the features of the 760, but having to buy the bulky GDL 51 for XM weather, and potentially no Jeppesen interface is a complete deal breaker for me.  I'll be passing on this unit---for now.

I tried it does not work.A 795 is not considered a mobile device


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[MIm20c]

I really got excited when it was released. Thinking a flush panel mount right next to my aspen would really look nice.  Now I’m not so sure. Wished I kept my 660 now...

[donkaye, MCFI]

1 hour ago, Oscar Avalle said:

I tried it does not work.A 795 is not considered a mobile device


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

This isn't surprising, since to download the Jeppesen database for the Aera 796 with JdmApp, Jeppesen needs to enable your 796 for download.

[steingar]

I must be retarded or something.  When I started using an iPad with Foreflight I thought I'd stumbled on a miracle.  An inexpensive piece of consumer hardware that could navigate for me.  Coupled with an inexpensive bit of aviation hardware I could see weather in near real time.  And best of all when I'm done flying I can take the iPad home and read Mooneyspace on it.  If it breaks or (more likely) goes obsolete I can inexpensively replace it.  I just paid my $75 subscription to Foreflight which includes all the charts and approach plates I'm likely to ever need.  I can even do my preflight weather briefing on the thing.  Like I said, a miracle.

[ArtVandelay]

I like the best of both worlds, iPad and panel mounted 660. The smaller footprint of the 660 makes it easier to fit in the panel.

[donkaye, MCFI]

59 minutes ago, steingar said:

I must be retarded or something.  When I started using an iPad with Foreflight I thought I'd stumbled on a miracle.  An inexpensive piece of consumer hardware that could navigate for me.  Coupled with an inexpensive bit of aviation hardware I could see weather in near real time.  And best of all when I'm done flying I can take the iPad home and read Mooneyspace on it.  If it breaks or (more likely) goes obsolete I can inexpensively replace it.  I just paid my $75 subscription to Foreflight which includes all the charts and approach plates I'm likely to ever need.  I can even do my preflight weather briefing on the thing.  Like I said, a miracle.

Unless the airplane has a means of getting XM or ADS-B weather to the iPad or you bring along some type of receiver like the GDL 50 series to do it,  the iPad is pretty useless for cross country flying where weather issues are involved.  In flight instructing I'm often tasked to ferry airplanes around the country or help someone bring an older airplane home.  They often have old avionics without weather capabilities.  The Aera 796 allows me to "normalize" any airplane for travel around the country with weather and all other aviation specific tasks I need.  I don't leave home without it.  Of course I take an iPad for easy filing and briefing, but in flight the 796 is King.

[Andy95W]

47 minutes ago, donkaye said:

Unless the airplane has a means of getting XM or ADS-B weather to the iPad or you bring along some type of receiver like the GDL 50 series to do it,  the iPad is pretty useless for cross country flying where weather issues are involved.  In flight instructing I'm often tasked to ferry airplanes around the country or help someone bring an older airplane home.  They often have old avionics without weather capabilities.  The Aera 796 allows me to "normalize" any airplane for travel around the country with weather and all other aviation specific tasks I need.  I don't leave home without it.  Of course I take an iPad for easy filing and briefing, but in flight the 796 is King.

I get your point, but you should realize that your point is likely lost on most people here who only fly one airplane (their own).  And it is certainly lost on Steingar, who hasn't quite started his Instrument rating.

And why would someone need a GDL-50, when you can get the same capability from a knock-off Stratux for $250 (like Steingar mentioned in his post-"coupled with an inexpensive bit of aviation hardware")?

[larryb]

I use both a 796 and iPad. The 796 is panel docked on the co-pilot side. My wife likes to play with it, considers it "her" gps. For me, it's just a backup. One primary reason I put it in was at the time it was the XM weather and audio receiver with the GXM40 antenna. But I had trouble with that internal antenna getting a consistent XM signal and finally got rid of the GXM40 in favor of the GDL52R, remote mounted in the tail, and connected to an external XM antenna.  

 

With the GXM40, the XM audio passes through the 796. But with the GDL52R the audio is connected directly from the GDL52R to the audio panel, bypassing the 796. So now I don't really need the 796 anymore. 

 

With the GDL52R I get ADSB and SXM. I also get ADSB from the GTX345. So dual ADSB receivers and a single SXM receiver. All displayed on both the iPad and 796.

[McMooney]

2 hours ago, Andy95W said:

I get your point, but you should realize that your point is likely lost on most people here who only fly one airplane (their own).  And it is certainly lost on Steingar, who hasn't quite started his Instrument rating.

And why would someone need a GDL-50, when you can get the same capability from a knock-off Stratux for $250 (like Steingar mentioned in his post-"coupled with an inexpensive bit of aviation hardware")?

Man,  i feel really bad, i have both a gdl-39 3d and a stratus 2 in the plane.

 

[Ragsf15e]

iPad and some form of adsb in... stratus, sentry, spot, stratux.  Phone in the pocket as backup.  The rest seems like overkill.  To each their own I suppose.

[Lance Link]

Appreciate the report.  Are the Jeppesen charts really that much better than the ones available from Garmin?

[donkaye, MCFI]

4 hours ago, Lance Link said:

Appreciate the report.  Are the Jeppesen charts really that much better than the ones available from Garmin?

I think it is a matter of preference and what you feel most comfortable with.  Step downs are better documented on Jepp Charts, but there is a nice airport diagram on the Garmin NOS Charts.

I watched a webinar on the 760 and some other products.  I asked about Jepp Charts, and Garmin answered that they were available.  I don't think these people knew what they were talking about.  I do think they will  become available at some point.

[carusoam]

Back in the day... Jepp charts were printed in HD... Precision depiction of all the data... including some color and font changes...

Gov charts were barely printed with any precision...

Jepp probably studied how pilots used the data... And refined what they had...

Gov charts made sure pilots had the data... It was up to the pilot to get the data out of it...
 

Decades later... the electronic boxes are highly responsible for delivering the data in a precise way... and printing has gone by the wayside...

For a VFR only Pilot, the precision of the Jepp’s offering probably wasn’t very helpful... it was definitely expensive... updating everything required a lot of paper shuffling.... something to do on rainy days... 

In modern times... select your favorite nav box, then decide on a chart system... 

It would really suck if you can’t try a 28day cycle, without having to sign up for a 1amu version...

Some stuff really is that good... try it once, and you are willing to stay with it forever...

Some stuff is fluff... if you have to buy the lifetime supply up front... it probably isn’t that good....

Expect that the chart suppliers need to catch up to the hardware suppliers... it shouldn’t take too long...

Also remember the people answering the phones and dealing with chart subscriptions probably handle the boating stuff along with the aviation stuff... they probably don’t know the equipment very well...

There was a time when the data was single lines on a monochrome screen... and we were extremely happy with that... 

PP thoughts only, not a chart guy...

Best regards,

-a-

[steingar]

16 hours ago, donkaye said:

Unless the airplane has a means of getting XM or ADS-B weather to the iPad or you bring along some type of receiver like the GDL 50 series to do it,  the iPad is pretty useless for cross country flying where weather issues are involved.  In flight instructing I'm often tasked to ferry airplanes around the country or help someone bring an older airplane home.  They often have old avionics without weather capabilities.  The Aera 796 allows me to "normalize" any airplane for travel around the country with weather and all other aviation specific tasks I need.  I don't leave home without it.  Of course I take an iPad for easy filing and briefing, but in flight the 796 is King.

The receivers for ADSB can be had for little money.  They are portable and battery powered.  Coupled with an ordinary iPad you get weather and navigation throughout the US, or at least throughout the parts of the US I've flown through.  I'll bet the iPad and the receiver combined are less than the Garmin widget.  All that said someone did have it right on the money.  I do only fly one airplane.  

[donkaye, MCFI]

In my  case I fly many, many airplanes.  If you want a Garmin handheld, you have no options but to use a Garmin receiver.

[Oscar Avalle]

I fly internationally, so Jepp charts are a must. After three days of back and forth between Garmin and Jeppesen,  they were  able to make it work. 

I must have talked to all sales rep at Jeppesen. Some very nice and competent like Amanda and William. It seems that Boeing is downsizing customer services and sales even more. So lets brace for LONG WAIT TIMES.

 Garmin on the other hand was really amazing! After I told them that Jeppesen said said that it was their fault and I told them that I needed really them to help, they stepped up and solved the issue in a question of two hours. They even called me back!

Price, the cost was around US$ 100 for the chart service for a year. 

So now I am a happier camper and will be able to give you a better PIREP for the unit.

Oscar

[Lance Link]

Well hot darn!  I'm glad to hear both types of charts can be used.  (Not that it matters to me yet because I just got in a few IFR sessions in the "before time", although most people I know seem to like the Jeppesen charts best).  It makes the idea of the 760 really attractive, given that I already have a GDL 52R, which will drive four (count 'em) devices.  This can mean something similar to an unofficial GTN 750 on the yoke, with the Aera 660 still in the panel for traffic, weather, or whatever.  I always carry two iPads and do use them, but I cannot find an acceptable place to mount them, and have trouble with the glare and the heat problem.

Thanks for posting this Oscar.  Great information!  

[toto]

22 hours ago, carusoam said:

Back in the day... Jepp charts were printed in HD... Precision depiction of all the data...

Glad to know I'm not the only one with a bunch of giant leather Jepp binders in a closet that I can't bring myself to throw away. 

The process for keeping the Jepp charts up to date was incredibly painful, but they had a far superior product to the government charts.

When you eliminate the printing and paper quality differences (the IFR enroute charts were also so much easier to fold and reference in the cockpit), I haven't found the Jepp charts worth the money. But they're still better. 

[BriarLakes]

Hi - new here -

To Oscar - how did they finally resolve? I'm having the same issue - we fly international so Jepp charts are a must.  I can't seem to view the charts on the 760.  I've updated my subscription to the Aera 760 with Jepp and all seemed to be on the card and even says so when I insert the card - but can't see the charts?

[Oscar Avalle]

1 hour ago, BriarLakes said:

Hi - new here -

To Oscar - how did they finally resolve? I'm having the same issue - we fly international so Jepp charts are a must.  I can't seem to view the charts on the 760.  I've updated my subscription to the Aera 760 with Jepp and all seemed to be on the card and even says so when I insert the card - but can't see the charts?

Brian, I called jepp and garmin and at the end was able to get garmin to talk to jepp for them to sort it out. So I download the data through JDM to a card and get it updated. But to be frank, I gave up and I am now using my Ipad mini 6 with Garmin pilot.

 

Oscar 

[donkaye, MCFI]

While I only have US Coverage, I have no problems displaying Jepp Charts on the Aera 760.  Worked the first time.  

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard BriarL!

best regards,

-a-

[donkaye, MCFI]

Let me expand on my above comment.

You can get to Jeppesen Technical Support 24/7.  Call 800-621-5377.  They discourage you by telling you they are closed, but that is just sales.  Wait and wait and wait through all the menus.  Finally, at the very end there will be an option for technical support and you will immediately get a first class response from a real person--at least I have every time I have called.