The portable XM/WxWorx system is MUCH cheaper (well, cheaper if I presume
you already own a laptop computer).. The system costs between $650 and
$850
for the hardware plus $49/month for the subscription. The downside is
that
there are lots of wires to carry around; the upside is that it is
portable.


WOW! That's much less than I had heard. IF they actually MSRP for that,
EchoFlight is DEAD, and WSI will have to reduce the cost of their box and
make it up on the subscriptions...

Any idea when the WxWorx boxes will be available? I am ready now!

No, the antenna can go right on the glareshield just like a portable GPS
antenna.

I must have missed that one at OSH. The WxWorx reps were showing me
different antenna options, and a puck to throw on the glareshield was not
one of them. However, I would probably go for the COMDAT mast that combines
the XM and VHF Com into a single antenna. Cleaner install, and one for one
replacement on my turtleback. Hopefully Garmin will get its head out of its
ass and port this thing to the 430/530.

I agree there are some practical issues to the XMRadio/WxWorx system, but
it
is indeed portable. My thought is that on the days when I know there will
be convective weather, it is worth putting up with the wires in order to
make the flight, but I suspect I will not use the system on non-convective
days.

I hope they work them out in short order. I would use it just about anytime.
My current plans are to drop a serial connection to my 530 so I can plug a
Fujitsu 4121 Tablet PC for GPS, then pull the WxWorx into the Tablet. The
4121 is daylight readable, and I can also use it as a "laptop" for work...
Flightprep offers subscriptions for pdf approach plates, and it would be a
great backup for that as well.

XM/WxWorx is notably cheaper and definitely more practical than AnywhereWx
with a sat phone. AnywhereWx has just as many wires and it is a
reply/request model. One really nice feature of XM/WxWorx is that you can
"set it and forget it" -- once you set it up before flight, just glance at
the laptop every 5 minutes or so and the automatically updated weather
will
be there. The hard part of the technology is there (satellite
reception)...
I just wish they would combine the battery/display/receiver all into one
box
like a portable GPS.

Thanks for the updates. I am sure SOMEONE will produce an integrated
solution that can be plugged into a laptop or Tablet PC... God knows the
market is there. The lines at OSH for all of the current providers was quite
long.



--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com