How To, XM in Cockpit

GMascelli

GMascelli

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Display name:
GaryM
When I flew my Sundowner I had a panel mounted 496 for wx and it crossfilled from my Garmin 530W. The 496 provided xm radio service which I really enjoyed. Nothing beats flying along singing the oldies....unless my bride was in the plane, then I just listened to the music.
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What is the best way to get xm radio in the Commander? I have an iPhone X, iPad mini 5 for flight stuff and a back up iPad mini 4 for copilot or back up plates if needed.
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might look into this
SiriusXM radio is optional and is discounted when added to an Aviation plan. Audio can be added for as low as $11.99/month when bundled with the Aviation subscription. You can also get SiriusXM Radio on your phone or online with the All Access Package.
 
AKBill said:
might look into this
SiriusXM radio is optional and is discounted when added to an Aviation plan. Audio can be added for as low as $11.99/month when bundled with the Aviation subscription. You can also get SiriusXM Radio on your phone or online with the All Access Package.
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I'm not sure what I would bundle it with. I have the Garmin 480 and I use ForeFlight on the iPad. I'll check out the iPhone access. I think I might have email from SirrusXM, since it seems they never really close your account, just suspend it.
 
How would you plumb it in? Does your intercom have Bluetooth or a stereo plug?

There are many options to get a gxm 40 antenna. There are also many antennas that work for the iPad as well. How do you listen to foreflight, if at all?


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You cannot put xm or entertainment of any sort in the Commander. That's a real aircraft...

Leave the entertainment behind in the Sundowner... Whence it came from and belongs... A recreational aircraft.

Real pilots insist on a sterile cockpit at ALL times...

Charlie,

Taking all the joy out of GA. Just for today...
 
Probably a Garmin GDL 51, which will bluetooth XM weather to your iPad, and you can either listen to the music via some sort of connection to your iPad, or use a aux wire from the GDL to your audio panel, which appears to have an aux input.
 
here's my XM..... to the left of the Ipad.
 

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Llk said:
How would you plumb it in? Does your intercom have Bluetooth or a stereo plug?
There are many options to get a gxm 40 antenna. There are also many antennas that work for the iPad as well. How do you listen to foreflight, if at all?
Click to expand...

I have bluetooth into the audio panel. I use ForeFlight with the Sentry unit. I think I might try streaming on my iPhone for $1 for three months as a trial. I can also stream into my radio in my SUV the phone connects via blue tooth. It's worth a shot as a test anyway I look at it.


CharlieD3 said:
You cannot put xm or entertainment of any sort in the Commander. That's a real aircraft...
Leave the entertainment behind in the Sundowner... Whence it came from and belongs... A recreational aircraft.
Real pilots insist on a sterile cockpit at ALL times...
Charlie,

Taking all the joy out of GA. Just for today...
Click to expand...

:confused: gotta have tunes when it gets quiet. ;)


Checkout_my_Six said:
here's my XM..... to the left of the Ipad.
Click to expand...

What is that?
 
GMascelli said:
I have bluetooth into the audio panel. I use ForeFlight with the Sentry unit. I think I might try streaming on my iPhone for $1 for three months as a trial. I can also stream into my radio in my SUV the phone connects via blue tooth. It's worth a shot as a test anyway I look at it.




:confused: gotta have tunes when it gets quiet. ;)




What is that?
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Gary, I think you will have trouble streaming from the phone network while flying. The best you will get is intermittent service. I'd look for a satellite receiver or get something like google play and download what you want to play onto your phone for playback on the plane.
 
PaulS said:
Gary, I think you will have trouble streaming from the phone network while flying. The best you will get is intermittent service. I'd look for a satellite receiver or get something like google play and download what you want to play onto your phone for playback on the plane.
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I will be connected to the Sentry by Foreflight. Obviously I know nothing about xm or its connections. :confused:
 
I don't any longer, but I still have a prehistoric IPOD that would plug into the headset (PAX didn't get any benefit). I don't listen to music while flying as most is long XC and on FF and they chat non-stop anyway (that plus comm 2 on guard is entertaining enough here in Texas;)).
 
CharlieD3 said:
You cannot put xm or entertainment of any sort in the Commander. That's a real aircraft...

Leave the entertainment behind in the Sundowner... Whence it came from and belongs... A recreational aircraft.

Real pilots insist on a sterile cockpit at ALL times...

Charlie,

Taking all the joy out of GA. Just for today...
Click to expand...

One would presume you have never used an ADF to listen to the ball game....?
 
smv said:
One would presume you have never used an ADF to listen to the ball game....?
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Had that in the Tiger I sold a couple of years ago ... miss that as you can listen to stuff for MILES farther airborne than in the car. I had a whole list of frequencies for the El Paso to Austin run (best country music, talk radio etc.).
 
I have a crapload of tunes on the phone. I want music I just sync it up to my headset and away we go. I think the only thing I have more than XM are Nazis. I have never before witnessed such a dysfunctional company. I love ADSB, as I can get wx without the pure unadulterated evil that is XM. I would sooner fly without than engage them for anything. I would sooner take a hole punch to my eyelids before giving even a dime to XM.
 
danhagan said:
I don't any longer, but I still have a prehistoric IPOD that would plug into the headset (PAX didn't get any benefit). I don't listen to music while flying as most is long XC and on FF and they chat non-stop anyway (that plus comm 2 on guard is entertaining enough here in Texas;)).
Click to expand...

I still have one of those.....that's an idea. Plug it into my Zulu headset.

Guard isn't much better here....meooooow...all all the other crap. Every now and then it does provide a chuckle.
 
GMascelli said:
I will be connected to the Sentry by Foreflight. Obviously I know nothing about xm or its connections. :confused:
Click to expand...
Pretty sure you won't be getting any music through that Sentry, in fact I just looked at it, I didn't see it. I think a music service like Google play or Prime, that let's you download tunes for off network play is your best option.
 
A gdl51 is around 600 plus best case. If the only problem that needs solving here is XM, a Lynx Bluetooth receiver is a whopping hundred bucks or so and has Bluetooth connectivity - no need for cellular service, a nice dedicated antenna, and you’re good.


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Llk said:
A gdl51 is around 600 plus best case. If the only problem that needs solving here is XM, a Lynx Bluetooth receiver is a whopping hundred bucks or so and has Bluetooth connectivity - no need for cellular service, a nice dedicated antenna, and you’re good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I assumed he was looking for weather as well.
 
GMascelli said:
When I flew my Sundowner I had a panel mounted 496 for wx and it crossfilled from my Garmin 530W. The 496 provided xm radio service which I really enjoyed. Nothing beats flying along singing the oldies....unless my bride was in the plane, then I just listened to the music.
View attachment 88507

What is the best way to get xm radio in the Commander? I have an iPhone X, iPad mini 5 for flight stuff and a back up iPad mini 4 for copilot or back up plates if needed.
View attachment 88509
Click to expand...

You need an XM receiver of some sort whether it’s a GDL51 bluetoothed to the iPad or an XM receiver in an aux plug or iPad. Like someone else said, how will you get the music to your headset?

It can come directly from the GDL51 or XM receiver into the aux plug of your headset or the aux plug in your audio panel if you have one installed. The other option is to BT the GDL51 to the iPad and plug into the iPad.

The cheapest option is to buy a a separate XM only receiver. If you want everything such as AHRS backup and XM weather then the GDL51 is the way to go.


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danhagan said:
I don't any longer, but I still have a prehistoric IPOD that would plug into the headset (PAX didn't get any benefit). I don't listen to music while flying as most is long XC and on FF and they chat non-stop anyway (that plus comm 2 on guard is entertaining enough here in Texas;)).
Click to expand...
GMascelli said:
I still have one of those.....that's an idea. Plug it into my Zulu headset.

Guard isn't much better here....meooooow...all all the other crap. Every now and then it does provide a chuckle.
Click to expand...

I actually got to put Guard to use on my big cross country flight a few weeks ago. There were reports of hearing an ELT. I didn't hear it at first, but then flew over a ridge and started picking it up. I let ATC know that. As I got closer to a local airport it came in stronger. So, I called the airport on their frequency and told them about the ELT. Never heard back from anyone, but it stopped shortly after that. I updated ATC with that as well.

Usually it's silence, fortunately, as otherwise it's typically yahoos.
 
Also interested in a portable antenna I can hook up to any rental I may be flying.
XM reception on my phone is spotty once I get into the boonies or above a few thousand feet.
 
I get mine through the Aera 796, which is basically a great poor man's MFD for the GTN650. I love the combo together.

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Here is a write-up I did on installation of an Onyx Plus XM receiver in my Piper Warrior. Improvise as you wish for a Commander.
 

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I installed the touchscreen XM receiver and it feeds into my audio panel.. works great and is cheap! (Just above and right of my altimeter and antenna is on my glare shield)

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Indiana_Pilot said:
I installed the touchscreen XM receiver and it feeds into my audio panel.. works great and is cheap! (Just above and right of my altimeter and antenna is on my glare shield)

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I really like the size of that XM receiver - which one is that? Is that the Sirius Commander touch? Would love to get details on how you are powering it - it has a power harness with 4 wires (Ground, Power that is always on (assuming to keep satellite lock), power that is on only when vehicle is running, and an AUX power (when like lights are on but engine is not running in a car). Did you just wire the power that is on when the engine is on and the ground?
 
I had Baron/WXWorx/XM weather in the cockpit driving a tablet with appropriate software (Foreflight works).

I had a separate, small XM receiver that I velcroed to the glareshield, driven off the same antenna as the weather receiver. Fed the audio panel with the audio in Jack. A few wires, but not bad - they can be taped up. Personally, I liked the XM weather product better than what I see with ADSB, but it is much more costly (back then, I was doing 250-ish hours a year so I could justify it).
 
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