"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I was appalled at how pixilated the weather appeared on the 396. Small
thunderstorm cells appeared to cover entire counties (or bigger), simply
because they were depicted with big squares instead of being able to take
advantage of a higher resolution screen.

You're exaggerating. The resolution is 2km, and it's due to the NEXRAD's
limits, not Garmins.

http://www.cami.jccbi.gov/aam-400A/A...0TEXT/0405.pdf

Anyway, in actual operational use it's plenty fine enough.

Now perhaps that's an XM thing, and not a Garmin thing -- but either way
I'm not spending thousands on such a crude depiction of the weather.

I'd hardly call something "crude" that accurately depicts a shower so small
you can see all the way through it when you look out the window. Until
you've flown with WxWorx, you just don't know what a superb tool it is.

Within a year or two, someone will offer a much more usable tool, hopefully
on a bigger screen, probably for much less $$ -- and then I'll be glad to
add portable weather to the cockpit.

Much more usable? In what way?

Bigger screen? That would be nice if I don't have to strap the damned thing
to my leg. It's got to fit on the yoke without blocking the HI or I don't
want it.

Go ahead and wait if you want to, but here in Thunderstorm Alley I ain't
flying without it a day longer than necessary. I can't wait for mine to get
here so I can get rid of my notebook pc setup.

--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM