ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

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gtmize
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ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by gtmize »

Was wondering for those of you who have installed an ADS In transponder which brings free weather .. do you still subscribe to Sirius WX?

If so why?

thanks
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gtmize
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by gtmize »

May have answered my own question - Foreflight comparison of two shows XM still brings a lot more to the party ..
https://www.foreflight.com/support/xmvfisb/

But I wonder if you have both how the G1000 decides which source to display on the MFD
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by OriensFlight »

Earlier this year, I faced the same decision when configuring N556LU. I chose to try out the XM Weather+Radio for 1yr. XM actually gave me a reasonably good deal. I chose it because I was about to embark on a cross-country delivery flight during March weather and I wanted the added capabilities of XM. I also reasoned that for IFR flight training it would be useful for students flying long x/c flights into the Sierras. To be honest, here in Northern California we don't have much weather aside from fog and smoke from wildfires so I barely ever see anything on the Nextrad. I like getting the METARs on the MFD, however. I'd call up XM and see what kind of deal you can get for 6 mo or 1 yr.
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Tim H
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by Tim H »

One advantage to XM is that the weather is available when you are on the ground. ADS-B isn't available until you are airborne. It's nice to look at the weather when you are still on the ramp.
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by AlexanderBingham »

Can you have both?
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by Sandy »

Can you have both?
I have XM weather on my G1000 and ADS-B on my iPad using ForeFlight. XM is more detailed and more accurate.

Sandy
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by beetlebug »

I do not subscribe to XM. The ADS-B weather has been fine for me. That said, I do not fly in situations where the more detailed XM weather would really be useful. I have been able to divert around rain using ADS-B weather and have found it to be fairly accurate. Enough for my purposes.

To answer the question about what the G1000 shows, you get to pick. See this post:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5963&p=65601#p65601
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by Rich »

I've been using FIS-B through Foreflight for a number of years and have never wanted for weather information. With my recent switch to iPhone, I can get weather on the ground pretty much everywhere, also via FF.

The company that delivers weather through FIS-B is adding some more items, rolling out in the next couple of months. Display of same would be sometime after that, as the rendering vendors (like FF) need to roll out software updates.

FIS-B is available on the surface at certain airports. I sometimes get it at Prineville. But also towers are often located in proximity to airports and reliably deliver on the surface. Bend and Madras, OR to name a couple.
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by CFIDave »

Yesterday I had a terrific opportunity to compare ADS-B In (Stratus box displaying on Foreflight on an iPad), built-in SXM GDL-69A weather display on the MFD, and GWX 70 onboard weather radar in our DA62 as we flew through some major weather on the way to AirVenture/Oshkosh coming from the east coast.

The SXM weather display of nearby convective cells and rain was far superior to what was shown on ADS-B In -- which in comparison was "blocky" with very low resolution. Both are based on NEXRAD ground stations.

But as everyone knows, NEXRAD images (from either system) can often be delayed by 15 minutes, which is why we ended up relying on the onboard weather radar in the nose of the DA62 for "real-time" information when we needed to fly around embedded convective cells that we couldn't see with our eyeballs out the window. It was interesting that ATC specifically asked us if we had weather radar onboard when they warned us about bad weather ahead.

With our own weather radar onboard for close-in maneuvering, we could have gotten by with ADS-B In for "strategic" planning to see roughly where the storms are. So if I were getting a new DA42-VI or DA62 twin with weather radar in the nose and GTX345R ADS-B In, I probably wouldn't also order the GDL69A for SXM weather.

But with a DA40 (and no onboard weather radar) it's a tougher call. You're probably not going to attempt to penetrate lines of convective activity, and with less ambitious flights in IMC, ADS-B In (without SXM weather) is likely to be good enough.

(All of this pre-supposes that you're flying in the US where we're lucky to have both ADS-B In and SXM weather services available. Elsewhere in the world you might want onboard weather radar and a stormscope.)
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Re: ADS In / Sirius WX redundant?

Post by Colin »

You're probably not going to attempt to penetrate lines of convective activity, and with less ambitious flights in IMC, ADS-B In (without SXM weather) is likely to be good enough.
Absolutely correct. Until I get radar in the nose (I hear that Garmin just announced upgraded radar with more colors), I use NEXRAD the way I do the sectional chart: general planning, but I'm certainly going to trust my eyes out the window more and I'm definitely never IMC if there are real storms up ahead.

Good to know about the live radar vs. SXM if you were going to order a new plane, though. I think if I had your bird I would probably kill the XM subscription and eBay the LRU. Maybe use the cash on the new Garmin unit they announced.
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