silver-eagle
En-Route
Those that have XM Weather, what level do you have and how useful do you think it is? Are you seeing this on a portable (on the yoke), or something on the dash?
ive been getting very used to having the 396 in the 421 on flights, and i dont really like doing substantial XC flying without it now.
ive been getting very used to having the 396 in the 421 on flights, and i dont really like doing substantial XC flying without it now.
Agreed -- The XM on the 496 has spoiled me.
I find the most useful screens are NEXRAD, Satellite, Echo Tops, and METAR (though the METAR update rate is not very impressive).
Winds aloft and freezing levels are somewhat helpful, but less referenced that the others.
I'll second the caution about NEXRAD -- it's a way to know where the ugly stuff was -- not a picture of what is happening right now.
So I gave intense echoes a wide berth and it has worked during a variety of longer XC in and around convective activity.
I have the full aviator package on an MX20 MFD. It has totally spoiled me. Yeah, you shouldn't use it to squeeze between two cells 5 miles apart, but it has made many flight completions (and initiations, for that matter) possible that couldn't have been made without it. Mooney pilots like to go fast and far. We are also known to be cheap. With this in mind the money spent on the XM weather has been well worth it!YRMV
With regards to the METAR update rate on XM Weather: I believe it is a function of the frequency the METAR data is captured and reported from the individual stations. Many are only captured once per hour with special observations increasing that somewhat rarely when condistions change rapidly. It's not to be confused with the AWOS/ASOS update frequecies.
Marco
XM broadcasts these on a 12 minute cycle. But, of course, they don't create METARs, they just pass them along, and most sites generate them hourly.With regards to the METAR update rate on XM Weather...
Mooney pilots like to go fast and far. We are also known to be cheap. With this in mind the money spent on the XM weather has been well worth it!YRMV
Don't forget the newest level, Aviator Pro.
Dan,
Don't think EFAS will provide you with mesoscale discussions or the SPC convective outlooks (they don't provide the convective outlooks issued by the AWC either). They *may* have access to the SPC severe weather watches, but I've never been offered that information for any briefing or en route update via EFAS (warnings included) - only convective SIGMETs. Additionally, if you ask them for information on CIP or FIP or the GTG (turbulence) product, they won't know what you are talking about (or they won't have immediate access to it). They will offer AIRMETs, SIGMETs, convective SIGMETs, area forecasts (FA), terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs), PIREPs and METARs.
What would have been smarter for XM-based WxWorx is to include the convective outlook areas from the AWC. Those are a forecast for a 2 to 6 hour window perfect for most of the flights we take...I could sure have used them on dozens of flights. When I visited the WxWorx facility July 2007 and got to see these products, I couldn't convince them that the AWC outlooks were more helpful than the SPC outlooks.
Mesoscale discussions, on the other hand, are the front lines of convection and will be very useful in the air. These are typically "issued" before any severe weather watches are issued.
Those that have XM Weather, what level do you have and how useful do you think it is? Are you seeing this on a portable (on the yoke), or something on the dash?
Wow, $50 more ($99/month) than Aviator. Adds the following. Not sure it's worth double the price, though! Must be targeted at the high fliers (turboprops and jets) that have the funds and need for this kind of info:[ROW][CELL] Product [/CELL][CELL] Coverage [/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]Turbulence[/CELL][CELL]U.S. / Canada[/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]Current Icing Product (CIP)[/CELL][CELL]U.S./ Canada[/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]Supercooled Large Droplets (SLD)[/CELL][CELL]U.S./Canada [/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]SPC Day One Convective Outlook[/CELL][CELL]U.S.[/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]SPC Mesoscale Discussions[/CELL][CELL]U.S.[/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]Visibility[/CELL][CELL]U.S. / Canada[/CELL][/ROW]
[ROW][CELL]Hurricane Track[/CELL][CELL]U.S. / Puerto Rico[/CELL][/ROW]
Why is there a large gap up above? I have zero space between the last colon and the table tag...
Thanks. Wasn't aware of that package.I've got a 496 with the Master Mariner package, used to have the Aviator package. It contains everything the Aviator package does plus a few more products for the same price. Don't bother looking at the XM web site, their list for the Master Mariner is wrong. Several of us from the red board have gone this route and it is better. You can try for yourself for free, XM will switch you for no cost, if you don't agree, switch it back for free.
Thanks. Wasn't aware of that package.
One thing I've noticed with our 496 is that sometimes while scrolling on the map it will freeze for a moment and remove all the WX as it redraws it. It makes it cumbersome to bring up the weather for a station by pointing to the flag. Has anyone else found that too?
Speaking about switching, the reps I talked with at XM said that if you're not using the subscription for a given period of time, they can suspend it so you don't pay for a service you're not using.I've got a 496 with the Master Mariner package, used to have the Aviator package. It contains everything the Aviator package does plus a few more products for the same price. Don't bother looking at the XM web site, their list for the Master Mariner is wrong. Several of us from the red board have gone this route and it is better. You can try for yourself for free, XM will switch you for no cost, if you don't agree, switch it back for free.
This, IME, depends on the reporting station. KFRM reports METARs every 20 minutes, and those updates show up on my 496 just fine.METAR screen is pretty much useless as all the reports are 53 after the hour. So if you're looking for Wx changes at 1130, oh well.