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New panel, WX Choice


Danb

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Looking at the awesome panels such as Chis's and Don's. What would be your weather avoidance choice's be if you started from scratch.

Most panels are built over time therefore many have ADSB, WX,Stormscope etc., quite a bit of redundancy. 

From zero to your completed panel how much redundancy would you have? 

Stormscope and ADSB

 

ADSB, Stormscope and WX 

 

WX and ADSB

Basically would you opt for the three types of weather avoidance we most have?

 

Looking at Chris's awesome panel caused me to think would the extra $5-10,000 not investing in a third method still occur?

I have like most the three systems, maybe overkill.

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I'll be the contrarian here (it's been trending today). For me it's ADSB and done. Understand I'm generally flying west of the Mississippi and things might be different out here. But ADSB on my iPad is always good enough. Another thing is that the weather capability of ATC has improved significantly over the years. I find that ATC is vectoring me around weather even when IMC and those vectors match what I'm seeing from ADSB as well. I've had the stormscope and XM weather. I canceled the XM and the stormscope is up for sale. 

Finally, the resolution is so poor with both XM and the stormscope compared to ADSB on the large iPad screen, that even though the ADSB weather is delayed, it's much easier to use. When I had all three, I just never used either the stormscope or XM.  So for me it just ADSB and an assist from ATC.

Just my $0.02

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Adsb is the cheaper long term way to go. I have found the xm weather resolution to be excellent on the 750 especially if you look out to the destination airport 500 miles away.  So for me the ultimate setup is the one I'm using with XM, WX500, Skywatch. I'll probably add the 345 remote mount to get traffic trend lines but since I'm already adsb out the incentive is lacking. 

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I'm definitely spoiled.  Mostly use XM which is better than ADS-B--for now.  When enroute in the summer the WX 500 stormscope is a must have for me--real time display of T-storms.  The combination of XM plus stormscope gives the most comprehensive picture of the weather currently.  I have FIS-B weather just because I have the receivers in the GLD 88, but have never used it.  Mine is a "money is no object" solution.  The best solutions (which mean the costliest-panel mounted) in decending order would be:

1. XM plus WX 500 Stormscope plus FIS-B.

2. XM plus WX 500 Stormscope

3. XM

4. WX 500 Stormscope

5 FIS-B

 

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32 minutes ago, donkaye said:

I'm definitely spoiled.  Mostly use XM which is better than ADS-B--for now.  When enroute in the summer the WX 500 stormscope is a must have for me--real time display of T-storms.  The combination of XM plus stormscope gives the most comprehensive picture of the weather currently.  I have FIS-B weather just because I have the receivers in the GLD 88, but have never used it.  Mine is a "money is no object" solution.  The best solutions (which mean the costliest-panel mounted) in decending order would be:

1. XM plus WX 500 Stormscope plus FIS-B.

2. XM plus WX 500 Stormscope

3. XM

4. WX 500 Stormscope

5 FIS-B

 

Actually agree...

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Dan - great topic! I have a picture that I will post later of Jerry's Ovation and the flight he and I made back from Oshkosh. He had XM, a WX-500 and FIS-B all running at the same time. It was good example of the capabilities of these tools.

I have been flying with FIS-B on my iPad and a WX-500 displaying on my Aspen and GTN. The limitation of FIS-B has to do with resolution of when it is displaying in CONUS versus regional mode. I have been reading up a lot of my L-3's weather capabilities and how it will display on its display as well as the Aspens. When I get the plane back, let's go find some weather and try it out.


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My Stormscope helps to clarify what I see on ADS-B. Is it in early convective stage, is it building fast, is it a solid line?

I also have a 9.99 XM marine subscription that I use on a Garmin 496 just in case - I get METARS and Nexrad (I wish it worked on my 796).

I like having all three for a complete picture, especially since I only pay a small subscription fee.

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Chris I'm flying to the gulf coast in the morning for my first vacation this yr, I'll also have all three at my disposal, luckily there may not be a cloud for the entire trip, what luck for my first of the year.

Like Don stated above I agree with his outline.  I basically lean on XM, and then the Stormscope when it gets dicey, I've looked at ADSB for metars etc but that's been all so far.

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I'd like to weigh in 'cause this has been a dilemma for me as well.

 

For those who fly their Mooney's on a pressing schedule, having all those things makes great sense. With a less urgent schedule such as mine a good NEXRAD display (XM or ADSB) allows me to avoid the dangerous weather quite well as long as I give due respect to fast-moving fronts and squall lines. I do fear embedded CB but my modus operandi is to opt out of IMC flights when mixed with convectivity.

 

I removed a low-rez WX-8 from my panel when the JPI-830 went in since panel space is hard to come by. I wouldn't trust it (WX-8) to fly in IMC with CB anyway. If money was no object I WOULD add a WX-500 to display on the big Garmin screen just for peace of mind, but at $6,000-$7,000 used I just don't see the value. IMO that money would be better spent on a new digital AP with envelope protection or unusual attitude recovery functionality.

 

I'd love to hear others' thoughts on the subject.

 

 

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48 minutes ago, cnoe said:

I'd like to weigh in 'cause this has been a dilemma for me as well.

 

If money was no object I WOULD add a WX-500 to display on the big Garmin screen just for peace of mind, but at $6,000-$7,000 used I just don't see the value.

 

I admittedly got a good price on my WX 500 at $4,200 uninstalled.  You shouldn't have to pay retail.

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Check with Aerodon to see if he has any WX-500s available. I purchased a pre-owned one from him for a really decent price. The WX-500 is a great unit. The ability to switch between strike and cell mode, both with rate indicators really is light years ahead of the WX-8 I flew behind.


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Stormscope is my only must have for CB weather. I am not bothered by IMC so ADS-B is mostly for entertainment, about like watching the TV weather lady. WX900 is perfect. Probably can be had for under $1000?

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What is the latest & greatest Stormscope with it's own display? I've been penciling-in the -500 to display on my 530W, but am now thinking that when I finally upgrade to an EHSI of some sort I'll have a space where a Stormscope could live. I'm weight conscious and thought a -500 would be best from the standpoint, but perhaps the other units are comparable.

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What is the latest & greatest Stormscope with it's own display? I've been penciling-in the -500 to display on my 530W, but am now thinking that when I finally upgrade to an EHSI of some sort I'll have a space where a Stormscope could live. I'm weight conscious and thought a -500 would be best from the standpoint, but perhaps the other units are comparable.

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I think the WX-950 and WX-1000 are available from L-3. Both have a dedicated screen but I think the 1000 can be ported to an MFD.


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Why in the world would you want a 2 box solution when you could have a single box solution?  The repair costs of the L-3 Stormscopes are large.  I know because I had to have my previous WX 1000+ sent  back for repair and it required  both boxes be sent back.

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Don, I'd be buying used/take out equipment. I'd prefer the -500 displayed on my 530W or an MFD to be named later, but I have a budget and something is better than nothing, which I have now. My budget has shrunk since I got married , too.

I'm still rebuilding my fun money after the unscheduled engine overhaul, and a mild panel refresh is coming in the next year, I think. Before then I'll do my seats but that will mostly be sweat equity as I retrofit the newer rear seats and replace my bench...

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The 950 and 1000 are both series II but the wx1000 has a separate processor box. More wires and more weight. But I could not find a 950 for over a year, used, and I got the wx-1000e for 1k.  It will not display on other devices.  It will sync to heading and display the flight plan waypoints so it makes a nice pseudo backup to a sandel sn3308 

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11 hours ago, donkaye said:

Why in the world would you want a 2 box solution when you could have a single box solution?  The repair costs of the L-3 Stormscopes are large.  I know because I had to have my previous WX 1000+ sent  back for repair and it required  both boxes be sent back.

I have not flown with a WX 500 displaying on a multifunction screen but I think I prefer the stand alone models for panels like mine that have room for it. I did spend $1200 to have my WX900 restored by the factory shortly after I bought this plane and it has performed fine for 5 years.

The WX 900 I have does not have "heading stabilization" and the max range is 100nm. Both of these features are available on the 950 and other models but I doubt that the greater range would be a big advantage for my 150 ktas plane. And when the screen is displaying activity I am refreshing it far more often than I am changing headings. In my experience, returns more than a few minutes old are of little interest.

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I have ADSB and SatWX, no stormscope.  I much prefer the SatWX over ADSB.  I often need to look several hundred miles ahead on long trips, and ADSB just does not do that.  It give you a "puck" of about a hundred miles.  Example: a couple of years ago I was flying some friends to KRAP.  Storms form over the Black Hills in the summer and spill out to the east over KRAP.  That particular trip they were spilling out directly over the airport.  They were forecast to clear by our intended arrival time, but SatWX told me that was not happening.  So I just slowed down quite a bit, to give them time to clear.  Worked really well.  It would not have worked at all, except that I could see what was happening 400 miles out and allow for it.  So I have kept my SatWX subscription and don't use ADSB much at all.  I am not sure what a stormscope would add, I prefer not to penetrate at all, and use the Mark I eyeball to find clear air.

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Just now, jlunseth said:

 I am not sure what a stormscope would add, I prefer not to penetrate at all, and use the Mark I eyeball to find clear air.

A stormscope allows me to safely navigate through and around weather that would be really problematic without it. My NA Mooney cannot climb above all weather and it is very helpful to be able to be in IMC and still be able to "see" the rough stuff.

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A stormscope allows me to safely navigate through and around weather that would be really problematic without it. My NA Mooney cannot climb above all weather and it is very helpful to be able to be in IMC and still be able to "see" the rough stuff.


Here you go Bob. Circular StormScoping! This phenomenon was caused by my old belly strobe. Fixed it with an RF filtering replacement strobe dome until I replaced the strobe with an LED one. The WX-500 is heading synchronized.




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Just now, Marauder said:

 


Here you go Bob. Circular StormScoping! This phenomenon was caused by my old belly strobe. Fixed it with an RF filtering replacement strobe dome until I replaced the strobe with an LED one. The WX-500 is heading synchronized.

 

 

 

 

 




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I like that. And that Aspen MFD isn't doing much anyway...:rolleyes:

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