My Garmin 296 was stolen from my car in Bantry Bay in August last year after a break in. Regrettably it wasn't insured and I had to bite the bullet for my loss
. Out of the blue 2 days ago, an email from Garmin asking me if I was the owner of a 296. Long story short, a gentleman looking for GPS for motorcycles responded to a Gumtree ad advertising a 296 for sale (it was put on on on 29/8). He was savvy enough to know that it is principally an aviation GPS when he met with the vendor, and subsequently contacted Garmin in Cape Town (Eljanne) to let them know. She followed up with her principals in the US where, happily, I had registered my unit, and thus obtained my details. I gave her the serial number and it was a match.I subsequently spoke to the gentleman who had seen it, and he described a short meeting at Canal Walk with a black fellow who showed him the GPS, still in good nick. He said he would get back to the 'vendor' to get some breathing space to see if this could be followed up. I came upon the ad (quite professional, I must admit), and asked (from an internet based email address I have) if he was negotiable to test his response. Regrettably there was none, and I today see that he has taken it off the site. He is discovering that it has a limited market
Watch this space, but if you (probably in the Western Cape) come across someone (and he certainly won't be an aviator!)selling a 296 with only cigarette lighter charger and no other peripherals, please let me know via a PM and maybe I can still catch this bastard... I hate affirmative shoppers!!!
. I tried to call him to 'have a chat', but he won't answer.
) from a new player in the saga to say that he had my Garmin in hand, having bought same for his son who has his PPL, is involved in his night rating and needing a GPS for his cross country I (I thought you had to use vectors and maps 
.) What a rollercoaster ride! He had bought the GPS from a gentleman in Edgemead (who shall remain nameless) the previous evening and, having taken custody of the unit, electronically transferred the R5000 asking price to said gentleman. On arriving home, he felt that something wasn't quite right and he went onto this and the microlighters forum (where I had divulged the S/N of the unit) and, to his considerable credit, ascertained that the unit had been stolen and was owned by me. Happily, he was able to instruct his bankers not to honour his payment in time, and was not out of pocket.