Is the iPad an XM weather killer??

[Mike D]

I know, I know, another iPad thread but could not find thoughts on comparisons?

What are your thoughts on the iPad with 3G replacing XM weather for a VFR pilot??

XM is $34.99/mo minimum with a $75 sign up = $494.88/year
iPad is $14.99/mo no sign up = $179.88/year (or $300/yr for 2GB/mo)

The iPad has other good features like email, charts, and anything else on the web or and app. But 3G service in remote areas??
XM is somewhat real time weather you can use to steer around some weather on those longer x-country. But cant email my change of plans when on the road.

I guess this could also relate to iPhone being an XM killer too. (just much smaller charts)

I am not much of a technology chaser but I am so disappointed by Garmin and XM. So I am thinking of going back to the Lowrance 2000c and the iPad.

Thoughts? Experience to relate?

[JordanGrant]

Michael,
You might be able to get data from cell phone towers around heavily populated areas, but I'm thinking you won't be able to get weather updates while over rural Wyoming, West Texas, etc - unless there is something about it I don't know.

XM is satellite, so you get it everywhere and I've flown a lot of places where it comes in very, very handy.

[Brantel]

Try using your Iphone at altitude....Good luck!

XM is in cockpit weather at all times....including enroute...

Ipad is pre-flight planning....maybe a spot or two at low altitude where it might work but if your that low, you better be looking outside instead of at the Ipad...

[David Paule]

I flew my Cessna 180 up over the Continental Divide not far from Denver the other day, and the iPad reported, firmly, "No Services." However, the GPS continued to work well. Positional data was excellent.

I currently have a 3G data contract and both that and wi-fi were left on for the flight. Of course where there wasn't service, that didn't help.

Seems as if we can't count on the sort of coverage that the XM users achieve.

Brantel has it right.

[GLPalinkas]

Originally Posted by Mike D

I know, I know, another iPad thread but could not find thoughts on comparisons?

What are your thoughts on the iPad with 3G replacing XM weather for a VFR pilot??

XM is $34.99/mo minimum with a $75 sign up = $494.88/year
iPad is $14.99/mo no sign up = $179.88/year (or $300/yr for 2GB/mo)

The iPad has other good features like email, charts, and anything else on the web or and app. But 3G service in remote areas??
XM is somewhat real time weather you can use to steer around some weather on those longer x-country. But cant email my change of plans when on the road.

I guess this could also relate to iPhone being an XM killer too. (just much smaller charts)

I am not much of a technology chaser but I am so disappointed by Garmin and XM. So I am thinking of going back to the Lowrance 2000c and the iPad.

Thoughts? Experience to relate?

A few thought..... First, if you use an application like ForeFlight (http://www.foreflight.com/ipad) you can download sectional maps and the GPS in an iPad, much like mine in an iPhone, can track happily along without having to have a 3G connection to download map location data all of the time (much like the Map App in the iPhone does...it downloads data from your 2/3G connection to display the map.)

Second, that however does NOT display radar weather images without that 2/3G connection. In ForeFlight, you can display the weather overlaid on the moving map....AT GROUND LEVEL AND A GOOD 3G SIGNAL. It gets really iffy trying it in an actual moving cockpit at any kind of altitude (even here in the flatlands of Florida) There was a test flight video on their blog showing ForeFlight on an iPad up to 11,500'. The video was done by the someone in ForeFlight and the GPS in an iPad tracked along splendidly. No weather data, of course.

Third, Hopefully XM will come out with a plug-in receiver box that could overlay weather radar on a previously downloaded ForeFlight sectional chart. Now, you would be getting close to a full-fledged GPS system with XM weather radar. Plus you could use the iPad for a million other flight related things....like checking the weather for preflight.

At least these are my thought on the subject.....

[GLPalinkas]

I found the link I spoke about in my last post.

Here it is: http://blog.foreflight.com/2010/05/2...t-impressions/

Here is bit of the text blurb at posted on the blog:

"Jason Miller, one of the ForeFlight co-founders and principal developer on ForeFlight HD, prepared a video report of his overall impressions of iPad 3G and GPS performance after a series of test flights recently conducted in ForeFlight One, our SR22 GTS and test-bed platform."...........

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by Mike D

I am not much of a technology chaser but I am so disappointed by Garmin and XM. So I am thinking of going back to the Lowrance 2000c and the iPad.

Thoughts? Experience to relate?

I am a technology chaser! I think the Garmin 696 and XM Satellite weather is just great. I love it! No way, would I be content with a Lowrance 2000. It's low rez compared to your 496, and doesn't have near the database (in regards to airspaces & airports). With my last update, the 696 database is even much better, & has more info. I do use a Lowarance 600c as a backup.

L.Adamson --- RV6A