Garmin GPSMAP 296 (PAST MODEL)

Customer Reviews

Much better, easier and more effective Review by Carlo Borsattino

Star Rating

As well as looking into and testing many other GPS units (including PDA's) for paragliding with (I'm always trying to see what are the best things out there, which are suitable for paragliding - many seemingly good options are not good for paragliding!), I've used a Garmin GPSMAP 76S, Garmin GPSMAP 96C and Road Angel Adventurer 7000 to assist with my airspace and general navigation in the past, all of which have been highly effective - much better, easier and more effective than navigation with an airspace chart alone, that's for sure!

I've been using a Garmin GPSMAP 296 for the past year, which I've found to be excellent. It has all of the features which make the Garmin GPSMAP 96C a great option for paraglider pilots: built-in updatable Jeppesen aviation (airspace) database, crisp colour display, making map detail [relatively] easy to read, choice of aviation, automotive or marine modes, simple one-finger keypad control, optional MapSource marine, topo and city street mapping downloads, built-in basemap depicting highways, major roads, lakes, rivers, railroads and state and national borders, waterproof, Routes, Tracks, Waypoints etc.

The main big advantages of the Garmin GPSMAP 296 is that it features a large 256-colour high-resolution TFT display (3.8 inches diagonally), and has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It also has a faster processor, which gives faster and smoother map drawing and scrolling (although I didn't find this a problem with the 96).

Of course a larger screen makes for a larger unit, so the Garmin GPSMAP 296 isn't going to appeal to 'lightweight and small' fans. I don't find it that heavy (385.5 grams) or large - it fits fine on a flight deck (we've had some instrument mounts specially made for the Garmin GPSMAP 296 for this).

One of the most important things to consider when buying a GPS for paragliding is battery life; there are many great-looking aviation units out there which are not suitable for paragliding as their battery life is very short - and paraglider pilots don't have the option of plugging into their light-aircraft's power supply! You can connect additional external power (e.g. power monkey) but this makes for a fiddly, awkward set up with problem-prone cables and connections (same problem as for PDA's).

The battery life (2 x AA's) of the Garmin GPSMAP 96C is a real bonus for paraglider pilots: Garmin say: "Up to 40 hours in battery save mode, depending on backlight setting". My experience is that it has always lasted for even a very long flight (+8 hours on one occasion!) and will usually last for several.

The battery life (built in rechargeable Li-ion) for the Garmin GPSMAP 296 isn't quite as good as the 96C, but it is certainly adequate. Garmin say: "Battery life: up to 15 hours (Battery Saver mode, no backlighting)". My experience is that it actually last for around 6 hours, which is adequate for most flights. As I tend to sometimes have very long flights - I like to try and make the most of when I can fly - I always fully charge the battery the evening before I think I might have a long flight. Being Li-ion, the battery doesn't lose much of its charge over time anyway.

Overall I am extremely happy with the Garmin GPSMAP 296, and recommend highly as a great option for paraglider pilots.

(Posted on 09/06/2010)