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Garmin 396/496 rental service

Paul Eastham

Paul Eastham

Well Known Member
Hey RVators,
To help justify my purchasing a nice Garmin 396 or 496, and looking at that hefty $50/month service charge for XM weather which I'll only really use on the rare long X/C, I was thinking about sharing it or renting it out.

Taking the rental idea a step further, you could imagine a 396 rental service for those of you who only occasionally need XM weather like me. Using such a service probably makes the most sense for people who already have a GPS installed and don't do many long trips.

I figured I'd need to charge at least $99 for a week or $199 for a month, shipping included both ways, XM service included. It's higher than I'd like, but that $50/month XM charge and interest/depreciation on a $2000 unit adds up quick.

Would anyone use such a service?
 
One of the best features of the weather is you can take it in your car. I use it all the time now. The auto kit is easy to use and provides good turn by turn guildance in strange towns.
 
The $50 per month XM is the higher cost option. I prefer the $25/month XM package which serves me quite well. I personally would not want to rent my 396 out because I have several user set defaults that I wouldn't want someone else honking around with.

I don't necessarily agree with your thoughts about using XM weather only on long XC's. I use mine on every flight; it's just too valuable not to use.

I think the idea of renting a 396/496 is a good idea but would probably be better done to local pilots as opposed to FEDEXing or UPSing the GPS's to the renters. But hey, what do I know? Give it a try, maybe it'll work. It'll probably depend on your market. Good luck.

Don
 
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What if you just rented the puck? I have a 496, but haven't subscribed to the weather service for the same reason as many others, not enough use. Isn't the subscription/service tied to the XM antenna itself?
 
Paul,

Have a look at WeatheRent.com. When you look at the cost of shipping a box with all that someone would need with the 396/496, it gets pretty expensive. If you have to make it pay a reasonable return then you are caught between the cost of faster shipping and fewer turn-arounds per month. With the exposure of a fairly expensive unit, it is not a great business model. Having said all that, owning one isn't cheap with the cost of the updates.

Personally, I won't fly any distance without it. Especially in the West where we get a fair number of pop-up TFRs (fires, etc). But just being able to know where the weather is ....

Nick
 
Antenna

YES... the antenna is what the GPS displays under subscription radio ID... if you change antennas' then the radio ID changes... and your subscription invalidates.... unless it is set up for the antenna you are using.. I had 2 antennas' and I kept having to update my subscription.. Finally Tech support figured it out... I asked for a second subcription for free so I would not have to keep changing antennas' from the plane to the car but they said no. I cannot blame them. So much for my extra 300 dollar antenna.
Best
Brian
 
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