ADSB weather (stratus)

[simtech]

So I finally got to fly with my stratus in some weather. It was raining when I took off and didn't pick up a tower until I was at 2500ft. But then I noticed it took like 10 to 15 minutes for the radar data to populate. Is that about normal? Just wondering..

 

[Marauder]

Yes. I have been able to pick them up as low as 1500 but have seen them not connect until over 2000.

 

[rbridges]

sounds right. If you have an iphone, you can add foreflight to it, also. this will let you get weather on the ground so long as you have a cell signal.

 

[simtech]

Yeah Ive picked them up lower sometimes. But I guess my main thing was how long it took for the radar data to populate. 10 to 15 minutes after I got a tower.

 

[AggieMike88]

FYI; if you add the external antenna ($60 from Sportys) the reception increase is significant. Without, I can see 2 maybe 3 towers west of DFW. With, I can see 4 near constantly, and often 5. One or two are seen on the ground at DTO.

 

[James331]

The weather isn't anywhere near live ether.

It's just by picture radar, METARs will be current but I would no way try to, say, navigate CBs using it.

Personally I won't be investing in it.

 

[AggieMike88]

10 to 15 minutes after I got a tower.

I wonder if an ADSB-Out equipped aircraft gets the info quicker because the ping causes a refresh cycle.

 

[simtech]

FYI; if you add the external antenna ($60 from Sportys) the reception increase is significant. Without, I can see 2 maybe 3 towers west of DFW. With, I can see 4 near constantly, and often 5. One or two are seen on the ground at DTO.

I thought about getting that, but I held off to see how it actually works. I will likely adopt the Transponder they are coming out with and then the stratus can link to it and use the antenna of that. And to boot Id be 2020 compliant. But that is just me thinking ahead right now and likely might not happen. And as we know a $60 antenna will be cheaper than the transponder! haha

 

[simtech]

The weather isn't anywhere near live ether.

It's just by picture radar, METARs will be current but I would no way try to, say, navigate CBs using it.

Personally I won't be investing in it.

I agree but it should provide a general direction of travel for cells..I would think anyways. How will it work for summer time pop ups...IDK but im sure Ill get my fill this summer with it and see how it is. They says its 15 minute old data.

 

[James331]

I've heard up to 1/2hr, which is a lifetime when it comes to convective activity.

I just do my planning on the ground, use my eyeballs in the air.

If there is a good chance of CBs and I'm expecting IMC, or pitch black, unless I have onboard radar, I'll just keep her on the ground.

 

[simtech]

I just read a blog from foreflight that says radar animation data around the aircraft is updated every 5 minutes and further away every 15 minutes. I didn't even know it can animate, haha. Oh well but yes there is nowhere that important I have to be, so if its too bad or out of my comfort zone, we stay on the ground. Im not afraid to cancel a flight that's for sure!

 

[happypilot876]

I wonder if an ADSB-Out equipped aircraft gets the info quicker because the ping causes a refresh cycle.

It does not. FIS-B (weather data) is broadcast at the same rate regardless of whether there's an aircraft equipped with ADS-B out in the area activating the TIS-B (traffic data) from that tower.

- Josh

 

[happypilot876]

I've heard up to 1/2hr, which is a lifetime when it comes to convective activity.

I just do my planning on the ground, use my eyeballs in the air.

If there is a good chance of CBs and I'm expecting IMC, or pitch black, unless I have onboard radar, I'll just keep her on the ground.

Agreed that you shouldn't use ADS-B (or any data linked) radar for tactical CB avoidance, because it's not "real time" radar. But to dismiss radar & other in-flight weather via ADS-B out of hand is IMHO shortsighted.

I find it to be a tremendously useful tool, especially if you're flying a longer distance. Say you take off on a 3 or 4 hour flight, and the weather 2 hours downrange is questionable but not impossible. ForeFlight (or another app) + ADS-B weather (METARS, Radar, PIREPs) will give you a GRAPHICAL look at how the weather picture is evolving, letting you make BETTER decisions MORE EASILY than you would by calling FlightWatch and asking them how things look, then trying to translate that to a map or chart.

OTOH if your approach to weather avoidance is to not fly if there is weather, then yes, weather via ADS-B is probably not money well spent for you.

But for me, I'm a convert to in-flight WX: I have flown with it since 2005 (396 + XM) and I added a Stratus to my ForeFlight in 2012, and sold the 396 (preferred the presentation of WX in ForeFlight, and didn't like paying the XM subscription). And I sure don't like to fly without in-flight WX anymore!

- Josh