kc wrote:
Has anyone had any experience using the Garmin GDL 49 weather datalink
system? What's the performance like?

I demoed the system once and it worked, though I didn't get enough
experience with it to make a serious judgement.

For what it's worth, however, I know of two people who have the unit.
Both say it works, but that it's nothing to write home about for various
reasons including the time-consuming nature of the request/reply system,
delays in the weather products received, the resolution (at least as
displayed on the Garmin 530) and the high monthly / transaction charges.
On the other hand, one said "it's better than nothing".

If you need weather NOW and/or have already invested in a Garmin GTX330
transponder with TIS traffic support, look at one of the solutions from
WSI or WxWorx.

http://www.wxworx.com/
http://www.wsi.com/solutions/aviation/

If you can wait, watch for the Garmin GDL90 UAT (Universal Access
Transceiver). If all goes well, we'll soon have free terrestrial
broadcast weather text & graphics as well as TIS-Broadcast traffic (in
which similarly-equipped aircraft broadcast their position data to one
another). Expect the GDL90 to list for $8000, and start shipping late
summer 2004.

-Doug

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Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
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