Just When You Thought The Portable GPS Map Game Couldn’t Get ANY More Interesting… We’ve been sitting on this secret for several weeks now and FINALLY, we get to let the feline out of the paper sack… Garmin has upped the ante in the ongoing portable GPS/Map wars. They call it the GPSMAP 696. The GPSMAP 696 is an all new, tablet-style device with a large, 7-inch portrait screen that makes it possible to view an entire approach plate on the display. The high-resolution, sunlight readable screen uses Garmin’s latest technology to ensure that pilots will be able to read the vibrant display day or night. The bezel that frames the bright screen has multiple keys on the bottom and right sides. The soft keys at the bottom of the display control the most commonly used features of the current page, such as turning the weather display on/off. The dedicated keys on the display’s right side have specific functions such as nearest, direct to, flight plan, zoom in/out and menu. Also on the display’s right side is a rotary knob/joystick, similar to the G1000’s joystick, that lets pilots enter airport identifiers, pan the map, or scroll to page and sub-page groups. The GPSMAP 696’s IFR map mode displays a map similar to a standard enroute chart that has important features like victor airways, jet routes, minimum enroute altitude (MEA) and leg distance. The 696’s IFR map mode also offers more situational awareness than traditional charts because it subtlety displays major visual …

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Filed under: Garmin Video Reviews

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