Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

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Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

6/17/2018 7:11 PM

JohnnyBlackCT

Joined: 12/31/2017

Posts: 161

Re: Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B Modified By JohnnyBlackCT on 6/17/2018 11:56:04 PM

"Is FIS-B free? Is TIS-B free?

TIS-B is a free service available to aircraft operators equipped with ADS-B Out and ADS-B In. FIS-B is available free to any operator with the ability to receive and display the data that is broadcast on the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) or the 978 MHz link."

"ADS-B In

What are FAA ADS-B In broadcast services?

ADS-B In pilot cockpit advisory services consist of Flight Information Service-Broadcast (FIS-B) and Traffic Information Service-Broadcast (TIS-B). These are free services transmitted automatically to aircraft equipped to receive ADS-B In.

FIS-B provides a broad range of textual/graphical weather products and other flight information to the general aviation community. FIS-B is only available on the 978MHz Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) equipment. FIS-B includes the following:

Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METARs)
Non-Routine Aviation Weather Reports (SPECIs)
Terminal Area Forecasts (TAFs) and their amendments
NEXRAD (regional and CONUS) precipitation maps
Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Distant and Flight Data Center
Airmen's Meteorological Conditions (AIRMET)
Significant Meteorological Conditions (SIGMET) and Convective SIGMET
Status of Special Use Airspace (SUA)
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)
Winds and Temperatures Aloft
Pilot Reports (PIREPS)

TIS-B is an advisory-only service available to both 1090ES and UAT equipment users. TIS-B increases pilots' situational awareness by providing traffic information on all transponder-based aircraft within the vicinity of the ADS-B In equipped aircraft receiving the data."

6/20/2018 10:12 AM

Joined: 1/1/0001

Posts: 0

Re: Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

Hook,

I'm going to forego the debate and answer your root questions

1: Correct, you'd have to disconnect from the Skyguard network or disable wifi on that tablet to get it to update from the internet

2: Also correct, assuming you have "Attempt internet weather download while in flight" selected (in Menu -> Setup)

3: Possibly, but if you have the space, I'd recommend having both tablets up. You can turn the wifi off on the tablet that has cellular and it will update via the internet. Then you can leave the Skyguard on and let the other tablet display the traffic and weather from ADS-B.

As for your followup questions: iFly will update weather over the internet as our server gets new data from NOAA, about every 10 minutes. The download includes the whole country and is only about 500kB, so you're looking about 3-5 MB per hour of data for weather. That doesn't include some things, like high-res winds aloft, which are updated every few hours.

6/20/2018 7:01 PM

Hook

Joined: 11/12/2011

Posts: 672

Re: Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

Thanks Shaun!

Powrachute PC 2000; Aventura II; Cherokee 180

6/26/2018 11:03 AM

Christopher Froeschl

Joined: 2/12/2015

Posts: 47

Re: Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

Also, while in flight, if you click on an area of the map, a pop up box appears. If you click on WX, it will provide you with weather for the closest airport that provides weather along with how old the weather is.

6/26/2018 5:48 PM

Cobra

Joined: 4/20/2011

Posts: 2602

Re: Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

Hook wrote:

I am researching what you say now. You may be right, and if so, I'll say so. If you have any links to references that address whether weather is transmitted to non-ADS-B Out aircraft that would be helpful. So far, what I've read either glosses over the subject, or supports what I said. For instance this quote: "The system will show detailed regional radar imagery within 250NM of your current position, and is updated every 5 minutes." But I'm fully prepared to admit I my have had an incomplete understanding regarding FIS-B.

Edit: at https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/programs/adsb/pilot/ they don't say it directly, but by omission it's implied that unlike TIS-B (traffic) where you have to be a "client" by transmitting ADS-B Out, they don't say you have to be a client of any kind to receive FIS-B (weather and other information). So, I think now that you are correct and that I made an incorrect presumption that I knew more than you. I was however concerned for your safety (and anyone else relying on ADS-B In without Out), and that's where I was coming from. And in regards to traffic, what I was saying was correct.

I would still like to hear from iFly staff on my questions, when one of you gets a minute.

Sounds like you got this figured out. Note that "within 250nm of your current position" should probably read "within 250nm of the transmitting antenna". The base station knows where it is, and can crop the weather data to the correct region that it covers, without knowing the GPS locations of all the clients listening to it.

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Questions about internet weather download in flight vs ADS-B

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