Buying new GPS and would like your input

[bob butler]

I have a 720 iFly GPS in my RV-6A. The company is relative new and still has some bugs that are being resolved with software updates. Yes, i have had some problems since buying it at sun n fun 2011. The company has been extremely responsive to my problems. I expect a software update within the next few days that will hopefully solve a new problem and provide some new interesting features. I really like the maps and the other many features. The 720 upgrade from the 700 incorporated a brighter screen for day time use. I made a quick removal, swival attachment to my panel. It also has a great street GPS capability that we use on our road trips. The unit is wireless and easy to get online for updates of maps, TFRs, etc. I have it talking to my Trio autopilot that works just great. For the money, I consider it a great deal.
Bob Butler

[sgoldin]

Easy to use all features many sizes, will be here in 10 years. Also avail on IPAD. I like IPAD but it has real sun light problems not good if it is the only device you use.

Just my 2 cents

[Floatsflyer]

Easy to use all features many sizes, will be here in 10 years. Also avail on IPAD. I like IPAD but it has real sun light problems not good if it is the only device you use.

Just my 2 cents

sgoldin, thanks for your post. Which Garmin, in your opinion, meets my requirements?

[skyranger2]

First you have to decide if you want to go the iPad route or dedicated GPS.

Personally, although the iPad with Forflight is much loved,
I lean to dedicated GPS.
Many reasons. One of which is the size of the iPad in my space limited cockpit.
Also have seen iPads (which are generally very reliable) flake out inexplicably and unexpectedly more often than dedicated GPS's.

If price is REALLY no object as you say, why not get one of those multithousand dollar units that includes virtual vision?

I got an iFly 700 a year ago. For price, functionality, feature set, ease of use, IMO you can't beat it.
Their customer service is excellent.
And if it makes any difference to you it's designed, builts, sold, and supported in the USA.

A few months ago I replaced the iFly 700 with the iFly 720.
Only reason is the screen is brighter and with my cockpit having a skylight the brighter screen was necessary.

Alex

[Greg S]

+1 for the iFly. No more $10 sectionals, loaded with features and customer service that actually believes in SERVICE.

[RickFE]

• Portable.......................................... .................................................. ........................Check
• Touchscreen, moving map............................................... ..............................................Chec k
• Larger size for easy, bright readability including in sunlight.......................................... .........Check
• Highly intuitive and extremely simple and easy to use so that the manual is almost redundant.....Check
• Expandable........................................ .................................................. ........................Just not sure.
• Fast and easy to update data.............................................. ...........................................Check
• Price is not a factor as it is less important than the above requirements

IFly720. Get an ADS-B receiver and get Weather also.

Has wifi. You can download the WX even if you don't ADS-B right before you go.

Low Altitude IFR charts, VFR charts, entire country for slightly over $115 (I got 15 months) per year. Includes airport data base. You can take it home and use it to preflight. All the approach plates and airport diagrams have an overlay for situational awareness. Allows you to put an extended RWY on the chart to help you orientate for landing.

I have flown with a Garmin 296, 696, but I really love the IFly720.

[Floatsflyer]

Thanks so much for your responses and opinions, they were very helpful. The results so far are overwhelmingly in favour of the ifly700/720. Many of you like the ipad plus apps but I want a dedicated GPS as I don't need another computer in the house(already have 3 newish laptops and an old desk top).

The ifly720 definitely meets my needs and from all the remarks their customer service is outstanding. The features, capabilities and especially ease of use are perfect for me. The only negative is no internal rechargeable battery but I can live with that. It was one of the 3 units I was considering through my own research, the other 2 were Avmaps. I also looked at GPS discussion groups on sportpilottalk.com where the ifly is highly recommended by a large majority as well.

I was surprised that only 1 person here recommended Garmin(I asked him/her which one but they never replied). Perhaps this could be a clue as to why the Garmin booth at Osh this year had very little traffic. Are they losing market share because of a poor attitude towards customers and their own hubrous??

I talked to the guys at the Osh ifly booth. They are very warm, inviting, friendly and eager to talk about their product. They gave me all the attention and time I needed to discuss their remarkable device. These guys genuinely love their product and their customers and it shows.

[Kyle Boatright]

I was surprised that only 1 person here recommended Garmin(I asked him/her which one but they never replied). Perhaps this could be a clue as to why the Garmin booth at Osh this year had very little traffic. Are they losing market share because of a poor attitude towards customers and their own hubrous??

A couple of thoughts...

Garmin makes excellent handheld units. But they don't have anything new this year, so the wave of new product adopters for Garmin has peaked. At this point, most people who want a Garmin handheld have one. Also, the market is switching to tablet based solutions. So Garmin isn't generating much interest.

For a long time, there has been an undercurrent of anti-Garmin. As soon as Garmin introduced a handheld with XM, they completely dominated the market because there were no truly competitive products. Lowrance had been a decent competitor, but fell out of the market. Bendix/King tried with the AV8OR, but that was just a bad product (I bought one of the first ones).

So those of us with who have been waiting on something other than a Garmin finally have a good choice - the iFly units.

Which will probably be my next GPS, in the 720 model.

[RV8505]

I have a garmin 796 and I really like it..

[WWhunter]

Sounds like the iFly is quite popular. I have an AvMap EKP IV that I bought several years ago and I have had no problems with it. My only negative is the cost of map updates. As for Garmin products, I think they got a little too big for their britches! Their customer service took a turn for the worse and even with my Garmin Nuvi I had problems. I used to be a big Garmin supporter but their products have gotten sub-par as far as I am concerned.