In flight satelite WX

[bigD]

Could you tell me who did your installation? I would like to find out how they connected the portable unit to an external antenna.

I wasn't the one in charge of getting it done, so honestly I don't know. I'll make some phone calls and find out - although it might be Monday before I get an answer for you.

 

[SabreFlyR]

I wasn't the one in charge of getting it done, so honestly I don't know. I'll make some phone calls and find out - although it might be Monday before I get an answer for you.

I'd appreciate it. So far nobody, including Weather Worx can tell me where I can find a connector that will hook the portable unit up to the fixed permanent antenna.

 

[Diesel]

Interesting, thanks for all the info. I didn't realize the xm had a bluetooth in it. I'd like to go with a non permanent install for the short time being and I saw on NBAA airmail once that guys were putting the antenna on the dash and stuff like that. Our king air is in the experimental category anyway and I'm trying to avoid paperwork until it's out of experimental.

I've got the tablets allready so that works out pretty cool. I got sick of updating the books when i only use a couple of airports.

I've owned a bunch of xm radios over the years. I actually got an email from xm explaining that i was the first 100 people to sign up years ago. I remember signing up but having to wait for them to turn the satelites on, i knew it would be a hit.

XM's real buisness is data but the music is the way people understand what the unit does. How big is the antenna? A size of a quarter like the auto or bigger?

 

[Diesel]

BigD-

Thanks for the website. It had exactly what i needed and it looks like it's not that big of a cluster F. I'm trying to decide if i want the wx or the GPS capability.

I'm using jeppview and having a gps would be nice because it expands what jeppview can do. Such as using the following on the map.

How was the setup or was the system installed before you got the job?

I'm going to have the guys run a cigaret lighter behind the seat and put everything there.

Would you suggest the 49 or the 29 dollar subscription? We only fly about 4 times a month but they are 5-6 hour legs to florida.

 

[SabreFlyR]

XM's real buisness is data but the music is the way people understand what the unit does. How big is the antenna? A size of a quarter like the auto or bigger?

It's a little bigger than a postage stamp. I lay it at the bottom of the windshield in the Beechjet and it works good. Only problem I have had is a weak signal when we're in the northeast, but just sliding the antenna further up on the glareshield sloves it.
We have had no problems with the bluetooth receiver and also use a bluetooth gps receiver with XM and it works great to. If you get in touch with Wx Worx they'll set you up.

 

[Diesel]

Thanks it sounds like the antenna is the normal size. When i first got xm the antenna was the size of a brick. Now they are real small and compact. That's great. I've installed xm in all my cars and even carry a myfi.

I'll be ordering the setup on monday and hope it comes before friday. I'm still deciding which subscription to get... Is the 49 dollar one worth it? We only fly 4 times a month if that but would like to have all the info we can get. Do you really use all the info?

 

[SabreFlyR]

Thanks it sounds like the antenna is the normal size. When i first got xm the antenna was the size of a brick. Now they are real small and compact. That's great. I've installed xm in all my cars and even carry a myfi.

I'll be ordering the setup on monday and hope it comes before friday. I'm still deciding which subscription to get... Is the 49 dollar one worth it? We only fly 4 times a month if that but would like to have all the info we can get. Do you really use all the info?

We use the radar, strikes and metar/taf the most, but the rest of it comes in handy for us at times. In the scheme of things for us the extra $ didn't make much difference.

 

[bigD]

Diesel - we're on the 49.99 subscription, although I tend to spend most of my time using the radar. Knowing the tops of the storms is nice, which doesn't appear to be available on the 29.99 option. With the money the company spends to fly the plane to begin with, I think the extra twenty bucks a month tends to get lost in the noise.

I wasn't around when the plane got fitted with this (I've only been flying it for a few months), but I've heard that the installation was very easy.

 

[Diesel]

Yeah you're right i'll go with the 49 dollar option. It wasn't the price that was the worry just how much did you use the features.

I'm just sitting here waiting till monday when I can order the stuff. I'm going to have have the avionics shop wire up connection behind the seat.

One question though. Sorry.

On the website it shows a bluetooth GPS. I'm guessing that's a gps only bluetooth antenna it's not XM too? The XM antenna would be wired and is about the size of a 50 cent piece. They don't have any bluetooth XM antennas do they? Wire's drive me nuts.

 

[bigD]

On the website it shows a bluetooth GPS. I'm guessing that's a gps only bluetooth antenna it's not XM too? The XM antenna would be wired and is about the size of a 50 cent piece. They don't have any bluetooth XM antennas do they? Wire's drive me nuts.

I'm going to have to go out to the airplane to see exactly how it's set up - I haven't really taken a good look at the installation. My understanding is that there are two Bluetooth enabled receivers - one for the XM weather, and one for the GPS. The Bluetooth is what allows both the GPS and XM weather data to be transmitted to a tablet PC without any wires - it can't be used to eliminate antenna wires for the receivers.

Tomorrow I'm going to search for some answers on my particular setup. All I know is that there are *no* visible wires anywhere in the plane, and I do know that the receivers are wired directly into the aircraft power. Unclear is how we're dealing with the antennas. I've been told it's hard wired there too, but I don't know how that's being done.