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Michel
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 966
Location: Norway
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 Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject: ER: gps |
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I have a PocketPC PDA with PocketFMS and I am very pleased with it. I've just puchased a cheap Mio PND carNav and it runs very well on that unit too. PocketFMS runs on anything with Windows, Mobile Windows or CE Windows. It means any PC, UMPC, PDA or PND. You can customize it to do exactly what you want. Even the label of the buttons can be customized. It's European but it has a well maintained US database. Check:
www.pocketfms.com
Cheers,
Michel Verheughe
Norway
Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200
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| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200 |
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wingnut
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 2:28 pm Post subject: Re: ER: gps |
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I installed a Pocket PC in my plane (Dell Axim X3) with the intention of running Pocket FMS. This was back when Pocket FMS was free. I was a bit disappointed with the readability in sunlight and then Pocket FMS stopped being free. In fact, not only is it not free, you can't buy it. You can only rent it for $210/year (at the current exchange rate). Once I added up the PDA, the GPS and two years rent on the software, it was coming out the same price as a reconditioned Garmin 296. No contest in my mind.
http://www.tropicaero.com/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=296-081
| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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Luis Rodriguez
Model IV 1200
Rotax 912UL
Flying Weekly
Laurens, SC (34A) |
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Michel
Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 966
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:01 am Post subject: ER: gps |
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Sorry, a bit off-topic.
| Quote: | From: wingnut [wingnut(at)spamarrest.com]
In fact, not only is it not free, you can't buy it.
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I know, Luis. But what would you do if you were them?
Different countries have different rules. In Norway, for example, about half of the airfields where a Kitfox could land, are private, hence not in our national AIP. It is the Norwegian Aero Club who is responsible to keep track of them.
I am told that Jeppesen spend yearly about USD 2,000 to purchase those data only for Norway. Jeppesen can afford it because they have so many subscribers. PocketFMS has only a tiny portion of that. They can't afford the expense and must find and enter manually the data. It takes time and cost money. I was told that, when PocketFMS was 'donationware,' only 2% of the users were giving a 'donation' of 50 Euro. That's why it didn't work.
You can write programs and give them away. When the program is finished, you're finished. PocketFMS never ends; every 28 days, you must maintain the worldwide database. As long as the program doesn't have the number of subscribers as Garmin/Jeppesen, it will be blood sweat and tears to get it to survive. But aren't we, pilots, gaining from a competition between different programs?
It's pretty much like Microsoft. If they didn't had competition from Linux and Apple, they could just do whatever they want. Would you like to see that?
The only acceptable solution for the digital aviation mapping is if say, ICAO had to power to force all member countries to give them, in a standard format, all the data of all the airspaces, airfields and navaids for their country. Then the ICAO would make it available to anyone who wants to publish ditigal maps and/or navigation tools for pilots. That would be really nice! ... but, unfortunately, most unlikely to happen. 
Cheers,
Michel Verheughe
Norway
Kitfox 3 - Jabiru 2200
Do not archive
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| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
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wingnut
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356
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| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: Re: ER: gps |
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I'm all for competition and when I make a purchase, I try to give all the players fair consideration. But once I decide to buy, I'm going to go with the best value for my money. That said, it sounds like Pocket FMS might still be a good deal in certain markets. Here in the states, there are other more cost effective PDA solutions. Back when I was comparing the many PDA based systems Mountain Scope had the interface that I like best by far. I discounted them eventually because of price (hard to compete with free). To be honest, I'm now thinking of just putting my PDA back on Ebay going with a used Garmin 196. Looks like they're selling in the $400 range on Ebay.
| | - The Matronics Kitfox-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kitfox-List |
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Luis Rodriguez
Model IV 1200
Rotax 912UL
Flying Weekly
Laurens, SC (34A) |
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