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To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 19:04:12 -0400
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From: olsen25@comcast.net
Subject: Re: [LML] Got my Garmin 396 yesterday!

Colyn,

Here are some answers to your questions so far.
  - Yes, it has satellite coverage
  - Also has echo tops
  - Also has winds aloft from surface up to something like 45000'
  - Max radius is huge.  I can zoom out to where I can see Alaska, Hawaii,
    Canada, Greenland and northern South America all at once.  I actually have
    so zoom in a bit to see just the lower 48.
  - When I select different weather products the display of them is virtually
    instantaneous.  Maybe 1 sec delay max.
  - The user interface is very well done.  I have not yet cracked open the book
    and have not felt the need to since everything is so easy to navigate.  BTW,
    I've never used a Garmin handheld before so I had no experience with their
    user interface.
  - Getting METARs and TAFs is quite easy.  If you hit the NRST button you get
    a table list of nearest airports along with the METAR and TAF for each.  On
    the map the METARs are color coded for VFR, low VFR, IFR and low IFR.  Just
    move the little mouse-pointer over one of them and the text pops up.  Very
    simple!

My couple days spent with it have uncovered no ugly problems.  Probably the only complaint I might have at this point is that without the XM receiver connected I geet about 15 hours of operation on a single charge.  Once you connect the XM antenna the time goes down to about 4-5 hours.  I'll be using it on my trip from Colorado to OSH this coming week and will have a better idea of the real value after that.

Dan


=====================================================


Dan,
   Congrats. I saw the 396 announcement one hour after I ordered the portable receiver and almost canceled my order. But then it was looking like mid-August availability.
   since you dared to boast, and since I just got my cheezy wxworx receiver yesterday, hooked it to my tablet and fired it up, I have to ask you some questions:

1) does it support all functions including:
   a) satellite cloud coverage
   b) tops
   c) winds
2) what's the max radius you can see at once? e.g. can you zoom out to the whole US and zoom back in to your local area? can you see 700nm in front of you?
3) how is response time? e.g. # seconds to respond to "winds" display request?
4) user interface. wxworx on wings software is close to modeless. just a lot of big fat buttons that are easy to hit. Also easy to click on airports to get metars with the tablet. I'm wondering how Garmin solved these problems.

thanks,

Colyn