Attn Stan Prevost re XM Weather and Bluetooth

Stan,

I saw a posting from you from last year when you were talking about
putting XM bluetooth weather in your Saratoga, with the XM box in the
forward bagage compartment. Did you go ahead with this idea? Did you
have any issues with the range of the bluetooth? I'm thinking of a
similar thing in my own PA-32R, and I was wondering how you'd got
on.........

Cheers, Mike.

Hi, Mike -

Maybe I forgot to follow up the initial post. Sorry.

Yes, we installed the XM BT system, but we didn't put the XM rx in the
baggage compartment. We wound up just putting it in a seat pocket on the
copilot side. Ran antenna and power/data cable behind the upholstery under
the entry door.

We have had zero problems with it. We're using a wired GPS rather than BT,
because we already had it. BT is used only from the XM rx to the iPAQ.

I think we are going to relocate the rx to under the copilot seat. We need
the seat pocket space! That's where Bob Baron, who owns WxWorx, has his
located in his Lance. He has had no problems with it there, either.

Next project is to put a battery backup on the AnyWhereWx/XM system for
backup navigation.

My concern when we were considering the XM satellite system was masking of
the antenna. The satellites are in the southern sky, and I was concerned
with how it would work when flying northbound with the antenna on the glare
shield. The ControlVision people said it would work fine, as the XM signal
is very robust. I have to say that it has worked flawlessly, never a
dropout on 4-5 hour northbound flights.

Stan



"Mike Granby" wrote in message
oups.com...

Stan,

I saw a posting from you from last year when you were talking about
putting XM bluetooth weather in your Saratoga, with the XM box in the
forward bagage compartment. Did you go ahead with this idea? Did you
have any issues with the range of the bluetooth? I'm thinking of a
similar thing in my own PA-32R, and I was wondering how you'd got
on.........

Cheers, Mike.

Stan,

Thanks for this -- I think I'm going to get one of these system, as
it's the cheapest way to get in-cockpit Wx while also getting, as you
point out, a backup system...

Mike.