Handheld GPS - Which to get?

[1600vw]

Speaking of Bendix King. I had a problem with this little unit that I caused. When updating the software on this unit I screwed it up. It was under warranty so I sent it back. Because I had these issues Bendix King loaded my little unit with everything they offer free of charge. When I got it back it now has airport charts and other things I will never use but it sure was nice of them to do this for me.
Great customer service from Bendix King.

Tony

[Kyle Boatright]

I've been through 5 major brands of portable GPS and an iPad application. Here's my run-down.

iFly and Bendix/King's AV8OR were both re-purposed consumer grade electronics with aviation software. I was a fairly early adopter of both and found the hardware lacking and the software buggy as thousand year old rice. Multiple lock-ups and other failures in my short timeframe with each. I returned both for a full refund. I need reliability more than I need gee-whiz features. Atlanta/Hartsfield is pretty serious about its airspace and nothing will get your attention faster than the GPS going on the fritz while you're working around the perimeter or under Hartsfield's airspace.

Lowrance (RIP), Trimble (RIP), and Garmin. Purpose built, rock solid, stable platforms that never failed me in years of service. Great displays and simple functionality.

WingX on the iPhone and iPad. This has done well by me, but the iPad/iPhone are hard to read in the cockpit of the RV, and they have overheating issues in the cockpit. IMO, they are great situational awareness products (including AFD's and maps), but I would prefer a more robust solution (a dedicated aviation GPS) as my primary navigation device.

My personal preference is for a dedicated aviation device. In today's world, that really points you towards one of the Garmins.