They are really proud of their subscription. I have a GDL51R installed but don't think the cost is worth it. I have been following the thread on the Starlink Mini, and for the money, I think it is a better solution.I have the GDL51R mounted in the plane and was going over the plans. Not cheap but reasonable I suppose if its significantly better than ADS-B. Have any of you been able to negotiate cheaper than the $30 plan or add entertainment for discount?
They will negotiate.They are really proud of their subscription. I have a GDL51R installed but don't think the cost is worth it. I have been following the thread on the Starlink Mini, and for the money, I think it is a better solution.
Not sure who you talked to, no negotiation when I talked to them. What were you able to negotiate for a monthly subscription?They will negotiate.
Not weather, but I pay $19/mo for "music & entertainment" on 3 vehicles. I used to have to threaten to cancel every year. but after quite a few years, they don't even argue anymore.Not sure who you talked to, no negotiation when I talked to them. What were you able to negotiate for a monthly subscription?
I still think that, for the money, Starlink would be a better option.
I had both years ago. Was great when I wanted to listen to Heavy D and The Boyz or sing about my Ambitionz as a Ridah on a cross country but I got my weather info from ADSB. I just found the display was easier to consume.I have the GDL51R mounted in the plane and was going over the plans. Not cheap but reasonable I suppose if its significantly better than ADS-B. Have any of you been able to negotiate cheaper than the $30 plan or add entertainment for discount?
Yeah I'm fairly rural and mountainous so XM may be the ticket in certain areas vs ADS-B. I think I will try the AOPA 3 month free trial and then decide. Smart people they are....it'll probably get me sucked in and be hard to stop after that point. Good marketing strategyI think xm works better in the mountains or low level. ADS-B doesnt seem to work low because of line of sight. I don’t like paying the money, but the information is better. $39.00 a month, but you can pause it for a month or more if you aren’t going to need it. We just use recorded music on long trips.
Paul how does the ADSB stack up in comparison to XM as far as lag time etc? Not an issue?When XM weather first came out, it was te greatest safety enhancement for cross-country flying since the invention of the wing! We had two portables with subscriptions for both - and could listen to music and endless Car Talk episodes to boot. Then along came ADS-B for weather, and my iPhone gives me books, tapes…and endless Car Talk podcasts, so we reduced the monthly bills and skipped XM receivers in all our most recent avionics purchases.
Technology improves…or at least it advances.
Not really an issue considering that you’re not using it (or shouldn’t be using it) like airborne weather radar, assuming that you can poke through a yellow band in a mass of orange or red.Paul how does the ADSB stack up in comparison to XM as far as lag time etc? Not an issue?
Flying to Sun 'n Fun 2023 there were constant bands of storms crossing West to East along Southern Georgia and South Carolina. ADS-B showed a 30 to 40 mile wide band of light green coming. Monitoring the speed the weather was moving and adding the appropriate amount the band would've moved in 10 or 15 minutes (lag time of ADS-B) I was able to see the lighter weather between heavier muck and was able to time it perfectly to pass through with just a mist of rain. XM would've been easier to see real time but anticipating the movement isn't too tough.….but I have gotten confidence in ADS-B weather.
UGH! That likely caused multiple CFIT accidents just to get the annoying noise out of the headphones.The "Taylor Swift Free Weekend" thing they did a few month ago
10 years ago I had two XM receivers in the plane - one for music, one for wx. Every so often (6 months?) one or the other would quit working, until I went onto the XM web site and had a "refresh" signal sent down. I had one trip across the desert SW with scattered TW in the forecast, and - you guessed it- my WX receiver needed to be refreshed. Our fuel stop was so remote in AZ that it had no internet nor cell service, so I couldn't use my iPad to get that damned refresh sent. Dodged a few Tw visually. I was pretty unhappy. As soon as ADSB became available, I pulled the plug on XM WX, and have never regretted it. Still have the music, and still need to refresh it once in a while. I wish I understood the issue. BTW: XM radar looks better (especially at long range). But given the latency in both products, it's just an illusion. The added detail cannot be trusted.GDU 465 and GDU 460 -- Active SiriusXM weather and audio. The audio is "meh", I could do without it...the WX is still the bees-knees however.
The NEXRAD imagery is "better" than FIS-B; More up-to-date, less "blocky" in the case of precip. I've noticed quite a delay in receiving FIS-B data vs XM. Also, FIS-B is only available over UAT (978MHz) -- there are occasions where FIS-B is not available due to geography/location.
I would >never< attempt to penetrate an area of weather with either product, but when I find myself enroute and I want to come up with a plan, the XM weather is much more useful...