$200 Nav. Computer w/EFB, ADSB-In, AP, AHRS, MFD, PFD & free FAA maps, etc?

[JohnSBA]

Can it be that there's something this cool coming soon? Has anyone here checked this out?

The creator of the popular free Android Avare app by Apps4Av apparently got bored recently and built a whole new app from scratch named AvareX (X = X-Platform = runs on almost anything). It's still in Beta release, but skimming the Apps4Av Forum on gGroups lately I see many pilots are apparently flying it already. Pilots are happily running AvareX in iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, Linux, Flight Sims on computers, phones, tablets and possibly other systems. It already has far more features than Avare, with more added almost daily at times. Even pilots not yet flying it are helping to Beta test it, sometimes apparently to request tweaks and new features they'd like (and often getting them).

Well, a few days ago that impressive developer whittled up an addition to it (only for Edit: Raspberry Pi aka:rPi 4 and 5 with sufficient RAM at present apparently) with the full list of goodies in the Subject of this Thread and more. It was already working with iLevil ADSB-In early on, and apparently now with most/all other ADSB-In receivers.

Edit: Since the StratuX already contains an rPi computer, some newer ones already have a case, receivers, antennas, etc. and possibly an rPi 4 or 5. The advantage in that case would be also having full use of the rPi computer with a display or two and an excellent new aviation app.

On $200 or so of rPi5 (Edit: and StratuX) hardware, AvareX can now run in two parallel instances along with the popular free StratuX software that provides full ADSB-In capabilities. That means you can connect two displays so that you could have your choice of say FAA moving map nav w/NEXRAD on one, and StratuX display or other AvareX screens (AHRS, AutoPilot, PFD, etc.) on the other. That list I put in the Subject line here doesn't begin to include all the different screens you could choose among and change with a tap on either of the screens. Add to all this, the fact that all the software is FOSS (Free Open Source) and the full suite of all FAA charts and materials is provided free too. All the work involved is donated by a group of volunteers, and enough users donate cash to cover computer time, server expenses, etc. for the periodic FAA release updates.

Full Disclosure: I used to be one of the volunteers on the old Avare project (it's still also available free, but only for Android). I've done very little lately, but did help edit and post a few brief intro/howTo videos on early AvareX. When it's in full release I might try to do a better video if nobody else does.

I'm posting this though, because it seems strange I've not heard or read anything about this here or anywhere other than on the Apps4Av Forum. Does this seem like something of interest to our EAA community? Can you point me to any discussion of it here or elsewhere?

[JohnSBA]

Weight? I weighed my older heavier StratuX and a lithium battery that would run it for at least an hour: 14 oz. I don't know the weight of the display, but may try out powered parachute. It's unlikely I'd fly without cellphone, and wondered: have people figured out how to display rPi on one? Apparently yes, but it looks somewhat complex. Maybe since all of this is still in Beta phase, most of us would wait until there's a flight ready solution akin to StratuX. Of course, that might sell for $500.