REFLECTOR: WSI Weather with MX-20

Chuck Jensen cjensen at dts9000.com
Sat Jun 4 16:22:39 CDT 2005


Ooops, add ino TFRs to the 'don't have it' list for WSI.  And, the home version of WSI is prohibitively expensive.  The FBO version is widely used, but WSI is afraid someone will niggle them out of a nickel somehow by using the home version at an FBO, where they get bigger bucks.  They need to consult with Jeppesen for ideas on how to make sure no one gets unpaid benefits from their products--they are the masters!  I can say with certainty, I WANT MY TFRs!
 
Chuck
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On Behalf Of Chuck Jensen
Sent: Saturday, June 04, 2005 5:11 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list
Subject: RE: REFLECTOR: WSI Weather with MX-20


Spike/Bob,
 
I have the same setup with WSI, but I'll toss in the downsides.  Though the MX-20 has a slow refresh rate, that's not too bad.  What I perceive as serious shortcomings is the inability to show winds (the soft keys should allow you to select any altitude you want to look at).  No lightening? You got to be kidding.  Granted, lightening and NEXRAD often overlaps, but not always and when they don't, I'd like to know.
 
The last couple times I talked to WSI about things they ought to have, they agreed but said the limited download data package is a capacity problem that Garmin needs to fix and guess what...they aren't cooperating.  Probably busy working on WAAS that's now two years late.
 
Given the lack of wind and lightening, both common to other wx programs, I would certainly give a serious look at XM weather and all the iterations they are coming out with, including feeding the MX-20.  Generally, lower cost and more features.  WSI is going to have to get some cooperation out of Garmin or they'll end up as a captive supplier to limited number of certified, big dollar customers.
 
With all that said, I like my WSI but if I can get good implementation of XM weather on the MX-20, I'd consider switching.
 
Your biases may vary.
 
Chuck
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org]On Behalf Of SlvEgl99 at aol.com
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2005 11:41 AM
To: reflector at tvbf.org
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: WSI Weather with MX-20


Spike,
 Yes I do have the AV-100 WSI displaying on the MX 20. I also have the UPSAT/ Garmin AT stack and am completely pelased with the entire batch. Hellovadeal!!! Weather display is never over 4 minutes old - and the system tells you how old, clear presentation with quite a number  of options, such as text or visual metars, ability to track moving weather, display of cloud top heights and direction and speed of movement. This is great during thunderstorm season here in FL!!
 
I can tell you from experience that when flying in low ceilings with showers and imbedded thunderstorms, it is great to know where the storms are, what direction and speed they are moving, where the showers are and the intensity of the percipitation, it gives one the ability to select a clear route.
 
I have the annual subscription---thus there is no need to dial up weather, no hesitation to use it as there might be if each use cost money. And as it is based on satellite system, no (or few) dead areas. The only dead areas are areas not serviced by Nexrad radar sites, and there are damn few of those. Mostly in some of the more remote areas in the west. And the system shows where those are.
 
I mounted the WSI antenna on a sheet metal ground plane on the underside of the canard hatch cover on the pilot side. Have to disconnect the cable to remove the cover, but not a big deal. I simply bent the metal into an L shape with flanges on the edges so that I could pop rivet the flanges to the underside of the hatch cover. The ground plane covers about 1/3 of the hatch area, and that seems to be quite enough. The WSI system is then mounted on top of the canard on hardpoints that is glassed on. 
 
I think there is no difference between the AV100 and 200 except for the cost and the fact that the 200 is for certified aircraft. No one has ever shown me any difference. 
 
Buy the 100, install it and I guarrantee that you will be happy with it. By the way, after I installed it I sold the lightning strike detector that I had, for $4,000 and made quite a bit of money on the upgrade, and came out with a much more user friendly, accurate system that needs very little interpretation. What you see is what you get, no need to be a weather forecaster to understand the graphics. I even tried to get the guy who bought the lightening detector to forget it and install a WSI, but he was quite familiar with the lightening system and someone had sold him on that -- probably 3 years ago.
 
The great advantage over normal aircraft weather radar is that you see the complete picture of the weather, not just the "leading edge" of the weather being reflected. As we know a radar system can not display the complete "storm package" ahead of you, only the front edges of storms being reflected to the radar. 
 
I can not compare to the XM system as I have no experience with it and do not know how it works, but in my opinion beware of a system that requires you to dial up and wait for a response or one that has you calculating the cost every time you ask for weather. This is the same as a user fee system with all of the issues there.
 
Nuff said?
 
Bob Wood
N658SE
XL FG
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