Best PDA or tablet soln for GPS & XM WX and gyro AI

I decided awhile ago I'd like to get a PDA (preferred) or perhaps a small
tablet for in-cockpit GPS moving map and satellite weather and a backup,
emergency-only AI as well (not a simple GPS AI but a real solid-state gyro).

After days of research I can't seem to find a single system that does
everything I would like with no major negatives.

I started looking seriously at Anywhere Map/WX/AI which looks pretty good
except for their gyro - seems many users have problems with it. The other
thing is that there seems to be issues with their customer service.

I like NavGPS a lot too coupled with the PC-EFIS they bundle and that all
looks good, but I don't know if there is a satellite WX system that will
work with their software at all.

I prefer a PDA for size reasons (plane's a 152) but a small tablet that
could be yoke-mounted would also be Ok. If anybody can recommend a system
that meets all three of these needs and can be add for less than $3K all-up
I'd like to hear of it. TIA.

Check this out, I stumbled across the website a few days ago and it
looks pretty nice:

http://www.aviationsafety.com/

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
I decided awhile ago I'd like to get a PDA (preferred) or perhaps a small
tablet for in-cockpit GPS moving map and satellite weather and a backup,
emergency-only AI as well (not a simple GPS AI but a real solid-state gyro).

After days of research I can't seem to find a single system that does
everything I would like with no major negatives.

I started looking seriously at Anywhere Map/WX/AI which looks pretty good
except for their gyro - seems many users have problems with it. The other
thing is that there seems to be issues with their customer service.

I like NavGPS a lot too coupled with the PC-EFIS they bundle and that all
looks good, but I don't know if there is a satellite WX system that will
work with their software at all.

I prefer a PDA for size reasons (plane's a 152) but a small tablet that
could be yoke-mounted would also be Ok. If anybody can recommend a system
that meets all three of these needs and can be add for less than $3K all-up
I'd like to hear of it. TIA.

Check out www.airgator.com. They don't have AI or georeferenced
approach plates (yet), but the map display is said to be the nicest.
I'm still looking, myself.

On 6/10/2005 10:49 PM, Paul Folbrecht wrote the following:

After days of research I can't seem to find a single system that does
everything I would like with no major negatives.

I agree.

I just walked this path, doing the downloads and tests on an HP TC1100 which is
I think the smallest generally available tablet. Just under 8 1/2" x 11" & 3/4"
thick. I made a kneeboard mount for it.

Among the apps I looked at were Anywhere Map XP (no demo download, downloadable
documentation is garbage, no free return policy, so I did not run it), NavGPS
(free demo download), APIC (free demo download), and ChartCase Pro (no download,
free 30 day return). None of them do it all & the ones that try to do all do
not seem to do anything well.

Without going into detail, I placed my bet on ChartCase Pro. All the charts are
the Augmented vector DAFIF, high altitude, low altitude, sectional, WAC, and
all the plates. All georeferenced and completely integrated with a quite decent
flight planning package. You can even overlay DUATS graphical WX on the DAFIF
chart! It appears to be the only package, too, that was designed for a real
screen and not a PDA. This means fewer interface compromises.

That being said, IMHO all the packages are immature (except possibly Anywhere
Map) and very much under development. So you are really selecting the company,
not the current release of the application.

I know that S&E is planning to announce a major release of ChartCase Pro at
Oshkosh, improving the in-flight user interface and possibly adding the
still-AWOL HSI. I believe that terrain warnings and in-flight WX will not be
far behind. I am also hoping for a primary flight display (PFD) like APIC's.
(The APIC PFD surprised me with how responsive it was in the air. It caused me
to conclude that GPS based reference instruments a la Garmin can be an adequate
backup for main gyro failure.)

Incidentally, the photos at the ChartCase Pro site
(http://www.flightprep.com/rootpage.p...=chartcaseinfo) show the TC1100 but
have been doctored a bit to exaggerate its brightness in a cockpit.

HTH

I have this product and it is good for terrain, best altitude by winds
aloft, gas prices, etc.

With WxWorx, it is running on a navAero tPad800. Great concept all for
around $3000. BUUUTTT! The hard drive will fail if you fly above 9-10,000
for more than an hour or so. Not may, will! It has done so on all of the
four previous flights since the product was delivered in Jan.

Keep this in mind when choosing a product. I would go with a PDAs, tablets
or other product, if possible, without a hard drive.

YRMV, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

VOsborne2 at charter dot net
"Ben Hallert" wrote in message
ups.com...
Check this out, I stumbled across the website a few days ago and it
looks pretty nice:

http://www.aviationsafety.com/

Hey Paul,
I just got back from looking at a friends Sony U750. Pretty impressive, but
needs to be used fairly close, either on a yoke mount or kneeboard. It's
bluetooth enabled and he uses it for XM Weather and has the NOS approach
plates on it. He loves it, especially for the dimming feature that goes
completely black with only a couple presses of a button, no fumbling through
menus for the backlight slider. Makes night time approaches a lot nicer.
Jim

"Victor J. Osborne, Jr." wrote in message
...
I have this product and it is good for terrain, best altitude by winds
aloft, gas prices, etc.

With WxWorx, it is running on a navAero tPad800. Great concept all for
around $3000. BUUUTTT! The hard drive will fail if you fly above 9-10,000
for more than an hour or so. Not may, will! It has done so on all of the
four previous flights since the product was delivered in Jan.

Keep this in mind when choosing a product. I would go with a PDAs,
tablets or other product, if possible, without a hard drive.

Why would altitude affect a hard drive?

FWIW, I run my iPod at high altitudes all the time with no failures.

Michael

Michael 182 wrote:
Why would altitude affect a hard drive?

Because the hard drive head "flies" over the platter. The tolerances
are tight enough and things move quickly enough inside the drive that
the air has a big affect on how close the read/write head gets to the
disc platter, and the drive is designed with this in mind.

Take the air away, and the head that was supposed to be hovering a few
mils over the disc is now scratching up the surface on which the data is
stored. Not a recipe for reliable long-term data storage.

See the following page for more detail:
http://www.storagereview.com/guide20.../opHeight.html

FWIW, I run my iPod at high altitudes all the time with no failures.

Then somebody did a good job designing the hard drive in it, assuming
that it has a hard drive. The iPod Shuffle uses flash ram instead of a
hard drive and should work in a vacuum -- even if listening to music in
a vacuum appears to be impractical. :-)

-Luke

On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 03:49:27 GMT, Paul Folbrecht
wrote:

I decided awhile ago I'd like to get a PDA (preferred) or perhaps a small
tablet for in-cockpit GPS moving map and satellite weather and a backup,
emergency-only AI as well (not a simple GPS AI but a real solid-state gyro).

After days of research I can't seem to find a single system that does
everything I would like with no major negatives.

I started looking seriously at Anywhere Map/WX/AI which looks pretty good
except for their gyro - seems many users have problems with it. The other
thing is that there seems to be issues with their customer service.

I like NavGPS a lot too coupled with the PC-EFIS they bundle and that all
looks good, but I don't know if there is a satellite WX system that will
work with their software at all.

I prefer a PDA for size reasons (plane's a 152) but a small tablet that
could be yoke-mounted would also be Ok. If anybody can recommend a system
that meets all three of these needs and can be add for less than $3K all-up
I'd like to hear of it. TIA.

I have a Fujitsu ST4121, which is a sunlight readable tablet with
10.4" display. It is a phenomenal tool in the cockpit for moving
maps, approach plates, XM Radio, and with the 40G HDD it is a good
iPod too.

If I was starting over, I would spring the extra for an ST5121, which
is the latest and greatest from Fujitsu. The ST512 integrates
bluetooth. The latest WxWorx receivers are bluetooth enabled, and
bluetooth GPS receivers are easy to find, so this would greatly reduce
cockpit cable clutter.

I fly solo most of the time, so the tablet size is not an issue for me
- the tablet is my right seat passenger.

I think if you went with the ST5121, and all BT capable devices, it
would be easy enough to use even if you have a right seat passenger.

-Nathan

What the battery requirements for all these bluetooth devices.

Thx, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

VOsborne2 at charter dot net

I have a Fujitsu ST4121, which is a sunlight readable tablet with
10.4" display. It is a phenomenal tool in the cockpit for moving
maps, approach plates, XM Radio, and with the 40G HDD it is a good
iPod too.

If I was starting over, I would spring the extra for an ST5121, which
is the latest and greatest from Fujitsu. The ST512 integrates
bluetooth. The latest WxWorx receivers are bluetooth enabled, and
bluetooth GPS receivers are easy to find, so this would greatly reduce
cockpit cable clutter.

I fly solo most of the time, so the tablet size is not an issue for me
- the tablet is my right seat passenger.

I think if you went with the ST5121, and all BT capable devices, it
would be easy enough to use even if you have a right seat passenger.

-Nathan