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I have been looking a purchasing a Garmin 296. Does anyone know if the brightness on the screen is as bright as a 396. Will a new 296 be brighter than an older one?

Thanks

Richard

A properly working older 296 will be as bright as a new one. I'm told the 296/396 are the same...other than the added features...just hearsay.

I saw half dozen bogus ads on eBay for 296s the other day...reported them and they were gone the next day. They were under different sellers' names, but obviously from the same scammer.

Shop around and you'll likely save some money <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The 396 has a better quality display (resolution and brightness) than the 296. It is very noticeable.

My 296 is very bright and easy to see in direct sunlight.

A friend of mine has the 396 and stated that its screen brightness was 75% greater than the 296. Only reporting what he told me and if true that's pretty significant. I have heard some complain about the brightness of the 296 screen and it looks like Garmin addressed it in the 396.

I'm happy with the brightness, which is adjustable, on the 296. The resolution could be a little better, but is still good. Mine is an older one which I bought used on Ebay. There are good deals to be found there, but watch out for the dishonest people selling new ones at "too good to be true" prices. Garmin posts operating system upgrades on their website for free so there is no disadvantage in buying a used one. Incidentally, the terrain update, which is usually $295.00 is free this cycle! There is a beta version of the next operating system available, but I'll be waiting for them to work the bugs out.

I just ordered a reconditioned 296 with warranty from Tropic Aero for $1099. Seems like the best deal I could find.

I've recently had the chance to play with a 396 for a few hours. They are a completely different animal from the 196 and 296, so much nicer. The screen is crisp and bright, the response is fast, and navigating the units features is still very simple and straight forward. Oh, and the XM thing ain't too shabby! :P

Jeff,

I see you made it to Craig! Stop in and say Hi sometime!

Warning! If you've never flown off grass, you might not want to go back to Craig!

My plane is still in Dallas; my little brother is learning to fly and just soloed for the first time a few days ago. I miss Jenny terribly all this structure sometimes takes the fun out of flying. As far as flying off of grass, it?s my favorite. Probably 70% of my flying there in TX was done on turf. Pavement is just so.....boring!