ADS-B

[llacy]

Will the weather presentation ever get any better for an ADS-B receiver. The resolution is awful and the answer you get that the resolution will be better when you get closer to the weather is just not correct!

[MEdwards]

Depends on what you mean by "closer." The regional NEXRAD displays radar for about 250 nm from the ground station. The CONUS NEXRAD is the display for the rest of the country. Regional is better resolution than CONUS, but once you're looking at less than 250 nm from the station it's not going to get any better no matter where you are. I have not heard of any plans to change the ADS-B radar display capability in the future.

I've used XM weather for years and find its radar resolution to be quite adequate for what I use it for. Not for avoiding imbedded thunderstorms! ADS-B regional radar is a few percent poorer resolution than XM, but still quite usable in my view. And it's "free," not $70 a month. [Quotes to try to avoid getting lectured on how nothing from the government is free!]

Due to bandwidth limitations, nothing onboard is going to look like the Weather Channel unless you happen to have cell phone coverage at altitude which, in my limited experience, is occasionally possible but you can't count on it.

Mike

[llacy]

Mike thanks for the reply. I don't think looking at a big red or yellow square(lack of resolution) tells you anything about the weather. I don't like paying for XM weather but it is so much better there is no comparison to ADS-B. Another thing I have been on approach with a thunderstorm over the airport and I have to be at 1800 feet to get ADS-B weather and that makes it unusable
Lou

[MEdwards]

SiriusXM introduced a new receiver at Oshkosh this year that will interface with tablets like iPad. Looked pretty good. So far I think there's only one app that works with it, and it gets lousy reviews. We'll have to wait and see is one of the major apps picks it up. I hope so. I don't find ADS-B unusable, but I like XM better too.

Mike

[rleffler]

SiriusXM introduced a new receiver at Oshkosh this year that will interface with tablets like iPad. Looked pretty good. So far I think there's only one app that works with it, and it gets lousy reviews. We'll have to wait and see is one of the major apps picks it up. I hope so. I don't find ADS-B unusable, but I like XM better too.

Mike

NavWorx has had iPad support for awhile for WingX users.

[cub builder]

The ADS-B (FIS-B) radar resolution isn't great as everything gets turned into green, yellow, or red squares, but the resolution seems to be adequate for my uses. Recently as I was returning home the FIS-B image was showing a square blob over one end of the runway at home with the other end clear. Sure enough, when I got there a few minutes later, one end of the runway was wet and the other end was dry. So while the square blobs aren't the greatest in resolution, less than 1/2 mile accuracy in the location of precipitation is close enough for my purposes.

As stated by others there are limitations in bandwidth from the ground stations. However, I do find that when there is active weather in the area, the radar updates from the ADS-B ground stations increase significantly (roughly 3 minute interval updates) at the cost of the routine METAR/TAF/Winds updates.

-Cub Builder

[S3flyer]

I've had both and really didn't notice any practical difference in the NEXRAD display. According to WxWorks the resolution of XM Weather and FIS-B Regional NEXRAD are broken down to the same size blocks, 2km x 2km.

[FlyingRon]

To use terms familiar to some of us, NEXRAD is strategic not tactical.

[MEdwards]

NavWorx has had iPad support for awhile for WingX users.For XM? Or for ADS-B? WingX, which I use, works with lots of ADS-B receivers, but I wasn't aware it worked with any XM or Sirius/XM receivers.

[rleffler]

For XM? Or for ADS-B? WingX, which I use, works with lots of ADS-B receivers, but I wasn't aware it worked with any XM or Sirius/XM receivers.

NavWorx is ADSB only.

[llacy]

Anyone who says there is no difference in the display between ADS-B and XM obviously hasn't used them. There is no comparison !

[champ837]

I used to use XM on about 2-3 days per week for about 10 years in the southeast year round. I have, for the past 10 months, used an ipad/Foreflight and the Strattus 2 ads-b. The only significant difference I've found is that the update rate of the radar display, at times has been as long as 40 minutes and usually is about 5-10 minutes whereas XM was consistently 6 minutes. The inconsistency is just not acceptable. It needs to be updated as quickly as possible.

[S3flyer]

There is a fairly balanced review of the 3 different sources for inflight weather data at: http://airfactsjournal.com/2013/09/thunderstorm-flying-in-the-age-of-datalink-weather/

Below is an image of XM, Regional FIS-B and CONUS FIS-B Nexrad from the article:
4244

For my purposes, FIS-B provides the information I need for my type of flying. Others may want or need something different.

[rleffler]

For my purposes, FIS-B provides the information I need for my type of flying. Others may want or need something different.

I concur. It's certainly better than what I had previously. Like most things in life, you just need to understand it's limits and shortcomings.

[llacy]

I am using Garmin Pilot using the Garmin GDL39. Do any of the other apps have any better resolution than the Garmin or they all the same?