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Avionics Cockpit Accessories

Garmin’s ADS-B WX: One Box Amidst Many

The GDL 39 is robust in more ways than one. It’s a solid performer, starting up fast and picking up ADS-B ground stations as soon or sooner than any of the systems we’ve tried. As you’d imagine from a Garmin product, the GPS is built in. Reception was flawless on our test trip from Portland, Maine, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, paired to both a Garmin 796 aera and an iPad. While we didn’t test it, the GDL 39 can pair with two devices via Bluetooth and one via a cable all at once. The aera currently requires the cable, but the 796 has Bluetooth built in and will connect wirelessly in the future. The GDL 39 is also big. The unit is about the size of a sardine can, and the optional battery almost doubles that size. This is noticeably larger than the popular Stratus and could be a shipping box for a pair of Sage-tech or Dual ADS-B receivers.

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Verified

One of the things about Garmin that continues to impress us is how its maintained its entrepreneurial edge despite being the colossus occupying most of the avionics space these days.

The iPad challenged Garmin in the portable world, however, and it was slow to respond. Respond it has, with a strong iPad app of its own and now a portable ADS-B receiver for both traffic and weather. However, the GDL 39 receiver has hard competition in this arena and, from where we sit, it appears the competition’s entrepreneurial edge is sharper than Garmin’s.

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