Palm-Powered Unit Combines Best Features Of Handheld PDA Computing, Garmin GPS Technology

By ANN Associate Editor Juan Jimenez

• Read Part I Of This Aero-Review
• Read Part II Of This Aero-Review

In the previous installment of this review, we talked about the major software features and components of the iQue 3600a.

Once we took off. climbed to altitude and settled into the seldom-used Plaza Transition over SJU -- the winds were blowing from the north that day, which almost never happens -- I turned my attention to the GPS. I switched into terrain mode and it showed me exactly what I should be looking out for -- the mountains to the east, as well as towers and other obstructions in the area. Using the Que button on the bottom right corner of the PDA, I switched to different applications, such as QueNav, which gives you display options showing a mixture of primary flight instruments -- but no simulated horizon -- and an HSI. The Que button can also be customized to cycle through a variety of the applications available on the iQue, including the automotive information screens.

As I approached X63 and started my descent, the terrain warnings became more urgent, as the unit tried to make sure I knew where the obstructions were located. Given the weird winds that day, I circled the airport to take look at the wind sock and pick the best runway. I also wanted to see if there was any ultralight activity. The iQue doesn't say it, but X63 is the home of much of the UL and parachuting activity on the island, and if you're not sure what's going on at the airport that day, it's a good idea to circle at a safe distance and look/listen. At this point I noticed one of the limitations of the Jeppesen database on the iQue -- there was no COMM information screen for the airport, so a pilot unfamiliar with the field would either have to refer to notes, or break out a chart to find the CTAF/UNICOM frequency for the field.

The return trip was uneventful, and the unit performed flawlessly. As I began my descent into TJIG's runway 27, the iQue began flashing terrain warnings from the multitude of beachfront high rises, the cruise ship docks and even some long term constructions cranes working on projects related to the new Convention Center being built on the property just south of the airport. From an aviation point of view, this unit provides most, if not all, of the functionality of the dedicated aviation GPS units Garmin sells, with the accuracy of WAAS.

Towards the end of the review period, another small box arrived from Garmin, with a cool add-on for the 3600a which I was told was a "car kit."  In the box was included a City Select CD with the detailed databases for land navigation in the United States and Puerto Rico. This product was of particular interest to me because I have never found a consumer-level navigation product that shows Puerto Rico street-level detail with any kind of decent accuracy. I tried Microsoft Streets and Trips, which said it covered Puerto Rico, but gave up on it once I found myself at what the map said was the beginning of a freeway. In reality, I was facing the beginning of a freeway that was never built, and all I had in front of me was a cow, who was probably thinking "Gee, another one bites the dust."

The car kit includes a very interesting car mount which does away with the need for any hardware installation. It consists of a small bag with four compartments filled with some sort of pellets to weigh down the mount. At the top there's a locking mechanism where the holder for the iQue is installed. It takes about 30 seconds to put together the mount with two hand-tightened screws. Once attached, the mount can be rotated into position and angled to your comfort. It also doubles as a pseudo-docking station for the iQue. Out of the mount runs a cable to a cigarette lighter power adapter which also has a speaker and a volume adjustment knob.

That's right. This thing talks to you, and it can do so in more than one language. I kid you not!

The City Select software installation is fairly easy, though I did run into one glitch. When the software wants to know the serial number of the device it's going to talk to, it tries to go look for it but can't find it. The reason it can't find the iQue is it only connects to the PC during a Hotsync synchronization. This requires you to open the patch antenna, look for the serial number and enter it manually. You also need to enter the coupon code that comes with the Car Kit package to unlock the maps. The rest is straightforward, just follow the instructions. You can activate each City Select set of maps for up to two Garmin units with a single coupon code. If you have more than two units and want to use the maps you'll have to purchase more unlock code coupons.

The City Select software allows you to install detailed maps included in the product you selected, limited only by the amount of physical memory available on the iQue and/or the size of the SD memory card you have inserted into the top of the unit. SD cards are relatively inexpensive now -- my local OfficeMax carries the 512 megabyte card for under $100. Buy the biggest one you can find, and you won't regret it when you need to load several maps for that long road trip you can't take in the plane for lack of seats. Once the maps are selected, you tell the software to save them, and then perform a Hotsync operation to load them into the iQue. You can also use the software to manage and load waypoints, routes and tracks, and if you have a GPS on your computer, the software can also track your location on the maps.

My first test of the land capabilities was to set up a simple route from one address to another. I have found that if a navigation unit which provides this capability can do a good job of this in Puerto Rico, with its addressing system based on 400 years of Spanish influence, it will do an excellent job in the United States. The database does hold a tremendous amount of information, but the search function shows there is a need for consistency in the database. The word for "street" in Spanish is "Calle" and all streets begin with that word, then the street name. The street I live on is "Calle Jose Marti." While some streets had the word "Calle" in the entries, mine did not, which made it much harder to find. Also, some streets are identified on the map but are not searchable for some reason. In Garmin's defense, the database is not theirs, but rather licensed from another company. That company would do well to standardize their database against the US Postal Service address database.

I was very impressed to see the maps are very accurate, much more so than Microsoft's maps. However, the one feature that blew me away was the land navigation function. I have never seen anything as complete, useful and easy to use. I've been working with computers for 30+ years, and I can honestly say the navigation software is a work of art.

As you are driving, it not only shows you where you are, it tells you what is coming up next, be it a street, avenue or otherwise. It even tells you what street or house number you are passing, and it takes into consideration what side of the street you are on. When you are navigating a route, a pleasant female voice gently guides you through the route and tells you, well in advance, what you need to do to stay on the route it has chosen for you.

During one of the test trips, I found that I did not want to follow the route that the iQue had picked for me, so I took another. I came to this decision after I had departed and thought it unsafe to try to reprogram the route while I was driving. Were I using any other navigation product, I'd have to find a place to pull over once I had established my new route, and ask for new routing directions.

Little did I know that the woman in the computer was ahead of me. The software not only figured out and announced that I was off the route, it instantly recalculated a new route for me and began giving me voice guidance. Murphy being who he is, the new route would be acceptable, except the ramp I was supposed to take was closed for construction. I knew I had to drive on and make a u-turn, so I proceeded down the street, and sure enough, again the woman in the computer told me she was recalculating, and asked me to drive 1.2 miles down the road, and make the u-turn!

Words cannot describe my reaction. To see a computer effortlessly doing that, knowing what sort of algorithmic work is required, was akin to an artist visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam for the very first time (I have visited the Van Gogh Museum, it's an experience I highly recommend).

In the next installment, we will cover the additional software features of the Garmin iQue 3600a and render our verdict.

FMI: www.garmin.com/products/iQue3600a/