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Is XM WX's NEXRAD "Better" than WSI NEXRAD?
Is WSI's Coverage better?
Each pair of images below was taken on May 30, 2011 to snap the same weather at the same waypoint as we were sitting in our cockpits (in Virginia and Indiana), coordinating by cell phone. All images are NorthUP (ignore the number in the top-center box, the aircraft's heading).
YOU DECIDE !
XM WX "EX600 Terrain OFF"
WSI WX "EX 600 Terrain OFF"
XM WX "EX600 Terrain OFF"
WSI WX "EX 600 Terrain OFF"
Blue snow, mixed precip (pink), and green/yellow rain in Wyoming/Montana on XM WX ... (Oops! We left the Airways ON)
The same snow/rain complex shown on WSI WX, Airways OFF
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Puerto Rico is home to a good US NEXRAD site. Neither WSI nor XM WX shows any NEXRAD weather today, but WSI does show "Storm Track Vectors". We may be fairly certain that there is heavy weather nearby...but where's the NEXRAD? We wondered why. WSI reported back: "Puerto Rico and Alaska NEXRAD are not a part of the NOWrad mosaic that we use and as such they are not on the broadcast."
WSI WX - "Storm Track Vectors" but no NEXRAD? (Me: That needs fixing.).
My WSI with its "Caribbean service" MFD really ought to look more like this Garmin-My-Cast image:
XM WX shows neither NEXRAD nor "Storm Track Vectors." XM's Aviator coverage doesn't include the Caribbean. Fair enough.
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By now you may have noticed that (by coincidence?) the XM is always fresher by 5-9 minutes in the US and 25 or more in Canada. One must therefore consider the age difference between the data when making such a comparison.
Here's Chicago and lower Lake Michigan getting blasted...
XM WX "EX 600 Terrain OFF
WSI WX "EX 600 Terrain OFF
But the weather is moving east; only an hour later, Chicago opens up, and it's South Bend's turn....
GOOD STUFF, ISN'T IT? To every software engineer, every rocket scientist, and every manager who made it happen....every pilot owes immense gratitude to Baron Weather Services, to WSI Weather Services, and to the XM and Sirius satellite teams that deliver both products.
We almost forgot!
Stuart says: "Looking at each pair of pictures from the standpoint of planning a flight through the area of weather, I see none where the decision would change between XM and WSI presentation. If I flew outside the continental US, I would favor Fred's WSI data and the Avidyne NEXRAD receiver."
I say: "I totally agree!"... but it doesn't really matter what we think. YOU DECIDE !
One early reader here did suggest:
"It would be most interesting if you also provided the "official" NWS radar returns (base and composite) during your XM/WSI side by side test. Looks like you and Stu need to run up another cell phone bill!"
For more on the new EX600, click here. Any questions? just give me a call, or
click on the e-mail link below.
While you are here, have a look at our horse
teams, and carriages, or take
a tour of our farm in central Virginia.
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