When panel mount GPS receivers debuted a few years ago, loran owners were left wondering whether they should upgrade to this new satellite-based navigation. My counsel to members calling AOPA back then was that there was no need to trash a perfectly good loran in favor of a GPS.
Even when IFR and nonprecision-approach-approved GPSs first appeared, there was little need to upgrade because there were few approaches available. Today, there are many approaches available.
What really sets today's panel-mount GPSs apart from their loran cousins, however, is the moving maps. A moving map, en route and terminal IFR approval, and an ingeniously simple installation method are what finally caused me to part with the trusty 11 Morrow Flybuddy loran in my Cessna 172.
High installation costs for panel-mount GPSs have kept many loran owners from taking the upgrade plunge. With thousands of old lorans and Flybuddy GPSs already in service, Sam Seery, II Morrow's division manager of general aviation products, recognized a ready market for a new line of GPSs — if he could provide a low-cost installation method and if the new units brought a quantum leap in capability over the old receivers.
The result, the eight-channel GX55 GPS, does both. The GX55 is designed as a slide-in replacement for all of the old II Morrow 600- and 800-series lorans and the Flybuddy GPS. Skeptical at first, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that "slide-in" really means slide in. The avionics shop literally slid my old loran out and slid the new GX55 into the rack, turned on the power-and the inside work was done.
Outside, the loran antenna must be swapped for a GPS antenna. Flybuddy GPS antennas are compatible with the GX55 for VFR use; some Flybuddy GPS antennas may need to be upgraded to take advantage of the GX55's IFR en route and terminal capabilities. GPS antennas must be mounted on the top of the airplane, so if your loran antenna is on the bottom, you'll need to make that change. In my case, the loran antenna was on the top of the fuselage aft of the cabin. It was a matter of lifting off the old antenna, changing a connector, and dropping the GPS antenna into place. Even the bolt pattern of the new antenna matches that of the old one.
For a VFR installation, it's literally that simple-an hour's installation time at most, including the paperwork. An IFR installation requires more time and effort, including connection to an external CDI and annunciators.
The GX55 truly revolutionizes navigation in an airplane like a 20-year-old Skyhawk, which had no IFR-approved area navigation gear before. The en route and terminal IFR approval on the GX55 allows me to file "/G" on an instrument flight plan and legally fly direct to the initial approach fix in instrument conditions.
The IFR capability is nice, but it is the robust database and moving map that make navigating a breeze. The GX55 features a new electroluminescent high-resolution display that is the best light general aviation panel-mount display I've seen, save the very expensive cathode-ray tubes on Bendix/King's highest-end product, the KLN 90B, and on the Eventide Argus moving maps. The 11 Morrow display has a very wide viewing angle. An auto dimming system makes it readable in the brightest sunlight and at night.
Besides the new display, the GX55 is also unique in that it is the only panel-mount GPS that offers "soft keys" that allow the user to declutter the moving map while viewing it. With many other units you have to turn the various navaids on or off from a separate page.
When in the map mode, choices appear above the five buttons across the bottom of the display: message, airport, VOR, intersection, and NDB. The message button obviously displays any system messages. With airports, for example, the user can have both the airport symbol and the identifier depicted. One touch of the key below APT eliminates the identifier but leaves the symbol. A second touch also removes the symbol.
The map also shows the pilot's choice of sectored or non-sectored airspace for classes B and C, including altitude, or none at all. In addition, the pilot can choose airspace alert buffers based on time, distance, and altitude. Concerned about busting into a Class D area? With the GX55 you can choose to display a five-mile circle around airports with control towers.
Information about airports and navaids on the screen can be called up by turning on the cursor, highlighting a symbol, and hitting the INFO key.
The map can take over the entire GX55 display, showing active waypoint, bearing to, distance to, and map scale in each of the corners. Or, the map can be shown on about two-thirds of the display, leaving the right third to also show nav information, such as the active waypoint, distance and speed, bearing and track, cross-track error, and map scale. A turn of the small knob changes the map scale. The scales are ones pilots will find useful, from 0.1 mile, which on the ground shows runways not as sticks, but as rectangles with the airplane taxiing on them, to 250 miles. An Auto feature scales the map down as you approach a waypoint.
I've found the split map page to be the most useful in flight. The only nav information missing is desired track and time to the waypoint. Those I set up on one of the customizable Nav pages. Then they are just a keystroke away from the map display.
Particularly helpful when searching for the nearest airport, accessed by touching the NRST key, is a bearing pointer, an arrow that continuously shows the approximate direction to the waypoint. In an emergency you can immediately begin navigating in that direction.
Beginning this month, units shipped will have the ability to process fuel information and air data when connected to an air data computer. 11 Morrow will retrofit units in service at no charge. There is no provision for manually entering data for wind and true airspeed calculations for those without an air data computer. However, the GX55 does output data to fuel flow computers. With the GX55 tied to the JP Instruments EDM-700 engine analyzer and fuel computer in my airplane, I can now accurately know how much fuel I'll need to complete a trip and how much reserve I'll have when I get there.
At a list price of $3,495 and typical price of around $2,900 at the dealer, the GX55 is an excellent value, particularly for those who can take advantage of the simple installation.
Those who don't have an older 11 Morrow unit from which to upgrade can add an installation kit for an extra $200. However, if you need a complete installation, another unit worth considering is the GX50. It has all of the features of the GX55, but is also certified for nonprecision approaches. The GX55 cannot be certified for approaches because the old installation trays do not have enough connector pins to output the amount of data necessary for approach certification. The GX50 costs about $300 more than the GX55 with an install kit.
II Morrow offers yet another option for those who like the GX55 features but also need a com radio. The GX60 includes the approach capability of the GX50 but also adds a 760-channel, eight-watt transceiver without requiring any additional panel space. Frequencies from the GPSs database can be uploaded to the com radio, simplifying radio management. The GX60 lists for $4,995.
With their new display technology and moving maps, 11 Morrow's GX series truly sets a new standard in low-cost IFR panel-mount GPSs. For more information, contact II Morrow at 2345 Turner Road S.E., Salem, Oregon 97302; telephone 800/525-6726 or 503/391-3411. (On the Web: www.iimorrow.com.) — Thomas B. Haines
Lowrance AirMap GPS
It's no secret that the handheld GPS arena is overflowing with star players. So when marine giant Lowrance entered the fray with its AirMap, a reworked version of its popular boating handheld, it faced stiff competition. Though its original offering was certainly no slouch, the company has responded to increased competition with a mild rework of the operating system, a substantial price reduction, and a new battery option.
From its original $899 "minimum advertised" price, the basic AirMap has comedown by a whopping $300. Moreover, the latest AirMap has a revised antenna-mounting scheme, so removing the folding flat antenna and placing it on the glareshield is much easier now. Lowrance has also simplified the database options. Before, the Jeppesen data came standard, with an obstruction database extra. Now the basic AirMap has both databases already installed.
For the most part, though, the AirMap's latest software performs its two main functions well-to make the interface better and to fix a number of early release bugs. Some of the minor annoyances in the original version have been exorcised, and the system software itself is much more robust. While several users of the original AirMap complained of unexplained lockups and other glitches, our example performed without a hitch.
Central to the AirMap's appeal is its large, high-resolution screen. Though it's no match for the Garmin GPSMAP 195, the Lowrance's 2.25-inch-square screen is easy to interpret and kind to the eyes. A host of screen ranges and myriad configurations are available so that tailoring the unit to your preferences-no matter how quirky-should be no trouble. Major roads, shorelines, rivers, and other topographical data are displayed.
Lowrance still has not completed enough of an overhaul of the operating system to be fully competitive with the others, however. Many functions that are but a button-press away on the other leading handhelds require several stabs of the keypad to initiate in the Lowrance. Too often there are just too many steps and too much slogging through the menu system for our tastes; there are more intuitive and elegant operating systems around. One main advantage of the way Lowrance packages the data is that the cartridge can include both the database and the operating system. When the company comes out with new system software, all you'll need is a new chip; no sending the unit to the factory or having to drop by the avionics shop.
We averaged about five hours on, the NiMH battery pack-now an option priced at $89.95-before the AirMap called time out. This battery can be fully recharged in less than two hours, and the NiMH construction means that you won't be fighting the memory effects common to nickel-cadmium batteries; Lowrance claims that the battery can withstand 500 charging cycles without deterioration. You can also run the AirMap on any DC source from five to 32 volts.
With its recently reduced price and strong set of features, the AirMap should at least be able to tread water in what are admittedly the rapid currents of GPS development. And while expert users might not like the "hold you by the hand" interface of the AirMap, computer-phobic pilots may well prefer it. It may be with these pilots that the AirMap will find a devoted following.
For more information, contact Lowrance Avionics, 12000 East Skelly Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74128; telephone 800/324-4740. — Marc E. Cook
Briefly Noted
Just in time for Christmas, even if it's a bit too big to be a stocking-stuffer, is Jim Wheaton's new aviation book for children, What's a Piper Cub? Following a family vacation to Hawaii aboard a Boeing 747, twins Jennifer and Jeremy are introduced to the fun of flying in light aircraft. Details of their first flights in — you guessed it — a Piper Cub are presented in a child-friendly manner that makes this book ideal for any youngster interested in aviation. Older aviators may want to obtain a copy just for the illustrations, painted specifically for the book by noted aviation artist Sam Lyons. What's a Piper Cub? costs $19.95 plus $4 shipping (North Carolina residents, add 6-percent sales tax) from Humpty Bump Publishing, Post Office Box 1536, Tryon, North Carolina, 28782; telephone 888/751-2867 or 704/894-3392. — Michael P. Collins
Sporty's Pilot Shop has introduced Ultravisors, optically clear acrylic replacement sun visors for Cessna and Beech aircraft. The $129.95 visors have received FAA parts manufacturer approval and installation does not require a signoff by a technician. The gray-tinted visors fit Cessna models 150, 152, 172, 177, 180, 182, 185, 205, 206, 210, and 337 aircraft, as well as all models of the Beech Bonanza and Baron. For information, call 800/SPORTYS or 513/735-9000. — Peter A. Bedell
Unless otherwise stated, products listed herein have not been evaluated by AOPA Pilot editors. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. However, members unable to get satisfaction regarding products listed should advise AOPA. To submit products for evaluation, contact: New Products Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701; telephone 301/695-2350.
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