Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By BobD
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1700044
For about a year now, I have been flying with the above combination. Each month, I update SV with the aeronautical and obstacle database from PFMS to SV via a USB stick.

I carry out my flight planning using SD on my home PC, then download the FP to my Android Tablet & Phone. Once at the airfield, I connect my phone to SV via Wi-Fi, and update the FP to SV, but then don’t use the phone again, just keep it as a backup. I mount the tablet in my panel, and choose PAW when I Go Flying, so I get the benefit of PAW and other traffic on the tablet display. I use the tablet SD display as my main navigation tool, and use the SV display as backup to this.

The one part of the integration that I am missing is the ability to use the SV function of transferring the COMMS frequency to the radio from the SV FP, as the frequencies don’t appear to be transferred with the FP waypoints from SD. Setting up the FP from scratch using SV in the aircraft seems like something that would take way too long each time I want to go flying, as I rarely fly the same route.

My PFMS subscription (€119) is about to expire, and I wonder if it is worthwhile renewing it, as I the aeronautical data and obstacle data I see on SD seems to make it redundant. I originally bought it thinking that it would give me the function of transferring the COMMS frequencies to SV, but as I use SD FP’s rather than ones created by PFMS, this doesn’t appear to be happening. I don’t really want to do my FP via PFMS,as I am very happy with SD, (though I suspect that if I did, I would get the COMMS frequencies as part of the FP on SV. I guess I would need the COMMS Frequencies transferred from the SD FP to get what I want, but from what I have read on this and the SD Forum, it seems to be something Tim doesn’t think is wanted by sufficient customers ?

Or am I missing something ? What does the team think ?

Picture of my cockpit attached to help decipher the above alphabet soup.

Image
#1700066
The only problem Bob is that if you drop the PFMS Aerodata is how much you intend going forward to use Dynon Skyview for Navigating ? Are you going to re-jig your SV screen to eliminate the map page?
I am in a similar situation to you with full PFMS EasyVfr FFM membership but the thought of busting Airspace because I have not kept the database changes up to date in my Dynon Skyviews makes me keep paying the subs!

Another thing is if you don't do the monthly updates on your Dynon Skyviews you will get the warning banner every time you start up that 'Aerodata is out of date' which can't permanently be eliminated!
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By Tim Dawson
SkyDemon developer
#1700092
I’m afraid you’re that correct that it isn’t part of SkyDemon to be able to update the actual nav data on your Skyview.

To my knowledge, it isn’t possible to transfer comms to the skyview as part of a flightplan, so I don’t think any other app would be able to do that either.

Most customers using SkyDemon and Skyview use SkyDemon maps and I think use Skyview as an EFIS.
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By BobD
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1700119
Thank you both for your replies

ShoeString Flyer, I recall we had much of this conversation last year, when I made my initial purchase of the PFMS databases. I don't think the lack of it would make me any more susceptible to busting Airspace, as I use SD as my primary Navigation source, and this gives me plenty of warning about Airspace, so I'm not sure what benefit I am getting from PFMS, apart from avoiding the annoying nag about Aerodata being out of date (which IS annoying, but not sure €119 worth of annoying).

Tim, I get the impression (but don't know for sure) that if I used the full PFMS EasyVFR package, I could create my flight plans with that, and the COMMs data would be transferred with the FP when I send it to SV. Perhaps someone who uses that approach will comment. However, I don't really want to change as your product is so damn good and easy to use !

I think, as you suggest, I'll keep using SD for navigation, re-jig the windows on SV, and use that mainly for primary instruments, and EFIS, with just a small window for Nav as a backup.
#1700135
Tim Dawson wrote:Most customers using SkyDemon and Skyview use SkyDemon maps and I think use Skyview as an EFIS.


I don't think so. Why would anyone pay so much, now £3.5k per 10inch screen, to utilise only part of the feature/benefits of the Dynon Skyview system?...You may as well buy another make of EFIS at half the price.
If you buy Dynon Skyviews you have to accept that EasyVfr orJepperson ( v.expensive alternative) are the only options for Nav data utilisation the same way that if you go Garmin glass you are locked in to utilising Garmin Pilot for Nav data.
It would benefit Skydemon I suppose if we all went back to round steam instruments and used SD separately for Nav but unfortunately you can't stop progress....Everyone is going Glass of one make of another.
I still though live in hope that one day maybe we will be able to use Skydemon properly and fully in conjunction with Dynon Skyview?...Nothing would please me more. :D
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By Tim Dawson
SkyDemon developer
#1700136
Shoestring Flyer wrote:Everyone is going Glass of one make of another.


They’re really not. And it appears that of those that are, many choose to keep their planning/navigation on SkyDemon. For their reasoning, you’d have to ask them.
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#1700137
I spent a lot of money installing twin 10inch Dynon Skyviews and also a seperate Ipad for Nav in my aircraft and I would love to use Skydemon in conjunction with them. But the Nav data issue makes it a difficult decision. Buy two subscriptions every year to retain use of SD or ditch 50% of the feature benefits of Dynon Skyview?
The numbers don't add up or make sense unfortunately and are one of the reasons why I am subscription averse to all add-on type Apps..SD/Easvfr/PAW etc...
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By Tim Dawson
SkyDemon developer
#1700139
You’ve mentioned that before a couple of times :)

And I am sorry that I can’t help you.
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1700174
Tim Dawson wrote:
Shoestring Flyer wrote:Everyone is going Glass of one make of another.


They’re really not. And it appears that of those that are, many choose to keep their planning/navigation on SkyDemon. For their reasoning, you’d have to ask them.

If I had a choice of two identical aeroplanes, one glass, one six pack, then I'd go for the six pack every time, guages are instantly deciferable, but I would ensure there was a spot could mount a tablet for navigation. The thing about tablet based nav apps is you program and plan at home then take it with you in the cockpit.
My partner likes to come flying with me, but doesn't want to sit about at the airfield or in the aeroplane for an hour or more before we depart. This is the beauty of your favourite app of choice on a tablet...

Regards, SD..
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#1700203
skydriller wrote:
Tim Dawson wrote:
Shoestring Flyer wrote:Everyone is going Glass of one make of another.


They’re really not. And it appears that of those that are, many choose to keep their planning/navigation on SkyDemon. For their reasoning, you’d have to ask them.

If I had a choice of two identical aeroplanes, one glass, one six pack, then I'd go for the six pack every time, guages are instantly deciferable, but I would ensure there was a spot could mount a tablet for navigation. The thing about tablet based nav apps is you program and plan at home then take it with you in the cockpit.
My partner likes to come flying with me, but doesn't want to sit about at the airfield or in the aeroplane for an hour or more before we depart. This is the beauty of your favourite app of choice on a tablet...

Regards, SD..


After you have flown behind a glass panel for a while there is no way you would go want to go back to an old fashioned 6pack!
No hanging around at the airfield. You plan route at home on Tablet then send route when in aircraft via wifi-hotspot to Dynon Skyview glass panel which also drives Autopilot. Takes 10seconds to transfer route max! :D
#1700207
Shoestring Flyer wrote:
After you have flown behind a glass panel for a while there is no way you would go want to go back to an old fashioned 6pack!


Simply not true.

For VFR bimbling, and particularly for aeros, six-pack wins every time - and I speak as one lumbered with a largely glass cockpit that I dislike intensely. The planned refurb will add a fourth round dial, we are getting there slowly :D

Rob P
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1700208
Shoestring Flyer wrote:After you have flown behind a glass panel for a while there is no way you would go want to go back to an old fashioned 6pack!
No hanging around at the airfield. You plan route at home on Tablet then send route when in aircraft via wifi-hotspot to Dynon Skyview glass panel which also drives Autopilot. Takes 10seconds to transfer route max! :D

I think you are conflating the ability to upload a plan to your avionics suite, which may or may not have EFIS presentation, with EFIS itself. You can upload plans to some conventional six pack cockpits.
#1700219
For the dinosaurs stiil hanging on to the belief that a 6 pack is better than glass. Go and do some difference training behind glass ( which is also a licence rating requirement) and tell me then which is best!
Behind glass you will fly more accurately, hold altitude better, nail the airpseed more accurately on the approach and won't have to worry if you reset that constantly precessing DI the last time you did your FREDA check.
I flew 25years behind a 6pack and have now flown the last 10years behind Glass and certainly know which I prefer every time! :D
Last edited by Shoestring Flyer on Sat Jun 15, 2019 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
#1700221
GrahamB wrote:
Shoestring Flyer wrote:After you have flown behind a glass panel for a while there is no way you would go want to go back to an old fashioned 6pack!
No hanging around at the airfield. You plan route at home on Tablet then send route when in aircraft via wifi-hotspot to Dynon Skyview glass panel which also drives Autopilot. Takes 10seconds to transfer route max! :D

I think you are conflating the ability to upload a plan to your avionics suite, which may or may not have EFIS presentation, with EFIS itself. You can upload plans to some conventional six pack cockpits.


My reply was to skydrillers thinking that he felt that planning a route on glass meant sitting at the airfield spending time inputting a route into an EFIS so upsetting his impatient wife.
I am sure as you point out possible using modern technology you can via wifi hotspot transfer a route to the latest version of 6pack Avidyne/Garmin et al equipment.
#1700232
Shoestring Flyer wrote:Go and do some difference training behind glass


I have

Shoestring Flyer wrote: tell me then which is best!


I already have

Six pack every time

Rob P