PDA for Moving Map

[brian whatcott]

I know it sounds unlikely for someone seeking to put a yoke mount moving
map in his 150 to be seeking advice from a soaring group, but here I am...

I have a whole lot of sales resistance to the Garmin 626's or whatever
of this world, that go for prices in four places of digits.
And the current run of aviation GPSs all seem high...

But then, I searched on moving map displays and Bingo! plenty of better
priced hits. I was specially interested to read that sailplane
enthusiasts have been using PDAs with aviation apps loaded for a while
now. I read about Anywhere Map, and one or two others.
My interest is the one finger selection of a destination airfield
with distance to go, cross track error, and heading and bearing to steer.

Any useful tips??

Thanks in advance
Brian W

[Uncle Fuzzy]

Brian,
Paul Remde has huge amounts of information on his website regarding
PDAs, software, etc. Start here:

http://cumulus-soaring.com/pda.htm

I'm a big fan of the Hp3870 with a cheap Bluetooth GPS, and XCSoar. I
recently purchased a lot of 5 PDAs for $110.00 including shipping.
New Batteries were required for all but one, at around another $20.00
each. XCSoar is probably not a good match for what you want to do.

[Matt Herron Jr.]

Don't overlook the iPhone and an app called SkyCharts. Maps are
downloaded so they are local and no carrier connection is needed. GPS
shows where you are, and clicking on an airport shows it's details.
the iPhone is a whole lot more processor than the typical PDA, so
loading is fast, and you can zoom/pan, etc. with ease. cockpit
readability is good in daylight and at night, and there are a variety
of car cradles that could be modified for aircraft use. GPS should
work, even in "Airplane" mode.

Matt

[brian whatcott]

Thanks for the URL. I see that XCSoar is specialized for energy reserve
and distance to run - not the same parameters I look for but the same
approach no doubt. I bought a GPS equipped PDA - the Garmin iQue
M5 (416MHz core 64MB RAM/64MB ROM) which I see is one of the targets of
Navzilla (and I expect other) moving map/HSI apps - but I am already
finding the soaring input is paying off: using an auto mirror mount
rather than a bulky plastic RAM mount makes sense to me.

Brian W

[Dixie Sierra]

WinPilot has a VFR program. I don't know anything about it, but you
can find it (and a demo) at www.craggyaero.com.

It's $200. Throw in a PDA and gps card and you would still be under
$500. You might do better finding a used aviation gps on ebay.

If inexpensive is your main interest... you can find free soaring
software that will do the things you mentioned and gps card and pda
would be easily under $300. If you can live with soaring software...
Paul Remde's site is very good.

[Peter Wyld]

"brian whatcott" <bet...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:J5-dnXjAO9TQrLXW...@giganews.com...

Being open source, XCSoar could be made to do anything you want (if you are
capable of re-writing bits of it, of course!), but even as it stands the
display can be reconfigured so that it loses the gliding specific stuff and
keeps the 'normal' navigation stuff.
I use it in this way (as a non-soaring pilot), displaying Ground Speed, ETE,
ETA, CTS etc.

[brian whatcott]

WinPilot. Thanks for the tip. I'll take a look...
While looking for a straight PDA I landed a GPS equiped version called
iQue from Garmin - an M5. Compatible aviation apps is now the name
of the game....

Brian W

[brian whatcott]

Peter Wyld wrote:

>
> Being open source, XCSoar could be made to do anything you want (if you are
> capable of re-writing bits of it, of course!), but even as it stands the
> display can be reconfigured so that it loses the gliding specific stuff and
> keeps the 'normal' navigation stuff.
> I use it in this way (as a non-soaring pilot), displaying Ground Speed, ETE,
> ETA, CTS etc.
>
>

Well, well! More interesting than I realised....must take a look.

Thanks

Brian W

[Paul Remde]

Hi Brian,

If the M5 is a Microsoft Windows CE platform (some Garmin iQues were Palm
devices) then you should be set in regard to hardware.

I love soaring software and use it all the time, but I think for use in an
airplane you will be happier with a general aviation product such as
Anywhere Map. Soaring software is pretty focused on final glides - which
you won't need as much as we do - until your engine quits... Also, soaring
software doesn't usually show how far you are off your track because gliders
often wander off track to find the best lift.

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"brian whatcott" <bet...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

news:G6mdnen-i4ICU7XW...@giganews.com...

[Richard]

> Brian W- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Brian,

I am the WinPilot dealer for the US and provide sales and support.

http://www.craggyaero.com/WinPilot.htm

Yoke Mount options, cradles and power converter also available.

http://www.craggyaero.com/pdam.htm

Give me a call if you want to talk about systems for VFR.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

[brian whatcott]

Paul Remde wrote:
> Hi Brian,
>
> If the M5 is a Microsoft Windows CE platform (some Garmin iQues were

> Palm devices) then you should be set in regard to hardware. /snip/

> Paul Remde
> Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

THAT sounds good! The blurb mentioned Windows Mobile 2003 2nd Edn.
and I THINK that's what they renamed Windows CE.
Your site offering looks good too...
Brian W
>

>>> WinPilot has a VFR program. I don't know anything about it, but you
>>> can find it (and a demo) at www.craggyaero.com.
>>>
>>

>> Brian W
>

WinPilot looked good at the fist glance, and priced right too...

[brian whatcott]

Wow! I'm unused to this level of responsiveness. I got a private note
from Wayne Paul explaining the soaring context - that it is a smaller
cooperative world - but having two MovingMap initiators responding to a
note? That's luxurious!

Then I had a flight of the imagination: 8000 ft, no engine, in the
middle of featureless country?? SOP for sailplanes, I guess.
That would make a Moving Map with
reachability and direction precious (I imagine...)

Thanks again.

Brian W

[Chris Nicholas]

You may also wish to look at some new software: “skydemon”, aimed at
power flying. It has just been released, and I think covers USA
airspace and terrain. Not free, but thought by its beta testers to be
very good. In one application, generates weather, NOTAM, and radio
frequencies etc. for a planned flight.

http://www.skydemon.aero

(I have no commercial connection, just looked at the product during
beta testing. It is not very suitable for gliding, however.)

Chris N.

[brian whatcott]

Chris Nicholas wrote:
> You may also wish to look at some new software: �skydemon�, aimed at

> power flying. It has just been released, and I think covers USA
> airspace and terrain. Not free, but thought by its beta testers to be
> very good. In one application, generates weather, NOTAM, and radio
> frequencies etc. for a planned flight.
>
> http://www.skydemon.aero
>
> (I have no commercial connection, just looked at the product during
> beta testing. It is not very suitable for gliding, however.)
>
> Chris N.
>
>

Thanks for the tip. Will do!

Brian W

[wby0...@aol.com]

Flightmaster with Copilot are highly regarded palm airplane programs
and are very affordable. A quick google search should direct you to
the current dealer. You will be impressed.

I have no connection with that company. I had an earlier version of
these that ran on my old palm visor. Amazing capabilities for cheap.

[brian whatcott]

I *am* impressed. I didn't see where you could load it on a Garmin iQue
though....

Brian W

[Peter Wyld]

Brian, also check out PocketFMS.

[brian whatcott]

Peter Wyld wrote:
> Brian, also check out PocketFMS.
>
>
>
Will do

B

[brian whatcott]

Needs Windows Mobile 2005 or Windows CE .net 4.2
a 500 MHz cp + 400 MB disk

Pity!

Brian W