The Garmin 195 and Lowrance AirMap were contemporaries in 1996. The 195 has proven more enduring on the used market.

by Larry Anglisano

When portable GPS was the hot item of the day—make that about 1996 or so—we could see the sense of the buying frenzy. Loran was on the fade and handheld GPS bested it in every way. Now, with a full range of panel mount GPS systems on the market for seemingly every budget and flying habit, it would seem that there shouldn’t be much need for portables.

Wrong. Buyers still want them, although the buying orgies of eight years ago appear to be over. Some owners want portable for back-up while others still haven’t replaced those old KX-170Bs yet and a yoke-mounted portable will do fine as primary navigation,…