I just picked up the new Garmin 696 and love it. I had a 496 and traded it in to Tropic Aero in Ft. Lauderdale and picked up the 696 and have about 4 hours of cross country on it. I am still learning , but love it.
Also, have a GNC300xl GPS certified in panel , but with the addition of the 696 the amount of info, IFR charts and approach plates are an unbelievable addition. The size of the unit is perfect on the yoke and clarity on upperscale is wonderful to take a quick glance at. I hard wired to the planes electrical system to allow for paperless cockpit.
Submitted by Frederic Culleton
[ID#42]