Anywhere Map with XM weather

After spending many hours using a Pocket PC for navigation and weather,
I feel that PDA solutions can offer tremendous value but are not for
everyone.

If you are tech savvy and do not need the PDA for primary navigation
you can potentially save many thousands of dollars vs. the cost of
panel mount units and proprietary weather data feeds.
Keep in mind that the underlying PDA operating systems are imperfect
and can fail you at inconvenient times. Are you ready and willing to
perform soft resets, define Bluetooth connections, proactively manage
memory (i.e., don't run a bazillion applications at once), move
files, configure Internet properties and acclimate to a screen with
tiny fonts?
If not, go straight for a dedicated aviation handheld or panel unit and
get regional NEXRAD on your cell phone. That will keep you out of the
worst weather. All NEXRAD data is minutes-old information regardless of
how much you spend to get it and is not suitable for picking your way
through storms.

For missions that include hard IFR, I would want an in-panel display
with a satellite NEXRAD receiver and an independent storm scope. The
PDA would then make a good backup.

One benefit of having a PDA is the wide range of aviation specific
software applications. Mix and match to suite your needs without being
locked into the offerings of a single vendor. Much like choosing a
wine, start at the low end and work your way up. When you find one you
like, stop.

If you have a Pocket PC and an in-cockpit Internet connection
(satellite or 'cell' phone), you can get a moving map with NEXRAD
for a monthly cost equivalent to a couple quarts of Aeroshell 15w-50.

I cringe when I read about pilots spending thousands of dollars on PDA
based solutions. Hundreds is about right, not thousands. If that spare
change is burning a hole consider spending it on training or maybe a
2nd AI.

Search google using = Pocket PC Moving Map NEXRAD METAR
for some on-topic links.

Most people I've talked to about cell phone use in flight report no
signal above maybe 3000 AGL unless it's a satellite-based system. I've
tried mine at 5000 AGL and got nothing.

However, I do agree with your analysis of the PDA systems. I have one
and would never use it as primary.

In article .com,
wrote:
For missions that include hard IFR, I would want an in-panel display
with a satellite NEXRAD receiver and an independent storm scope. The
PDA would then make a good backup.

I'm sorry, I just don't see much difference between the PDA-based
systems and a dedicated handheld when it comes to primary
navigation--neither one is approved for primary navigation in IFR, but
when they're working, they are at least equals. The PDA beats the pants
off of the handheld when you add weather or geo-referenced approach
plates (for situational awareness.)

I'm not sure how weather uplink to a certified panel system would be any
different than weather uplink to a PDA or Tablet. As far as I know, the
weather providers and products provided are the same. Most of the
PDA-based products being marketed today rely on GlobalStar, WSI, or XM
for weather feeds.

To me, the NEXRAD part of weather uplink is only part of the weather
picture. Echo tops are invaluable (especially in the summer), and
METARs and TAFs are certainly helpful. Live TFR updates are also nice.
I have a StrikeFinder, so lightning data simply backs up the
StrikeFinder. Show me the handheld that can do all of that. Show me
the panel-mount that does it better for a competitive price.

You do not have to be a computer expert to use the PDA systems, but you
do have to pretty much dedicate them to one application, and that is the
moving map/weather application. Most Windows systems would run very
well if they were dedicated to only one application, not connected to
the Internet, and had nothing else installed on them.



JKG