Unveils Next-Generation Weather Data
Garmin has introduced
the GDL 69, a new remote sensor that receives broadcast weather
data from the XM WX Satellite Weather service of XM Satellite Radio
and delivers the data to Garmin’s avionics
systems. The GDL 69 brings highly reliable, near real-time
weather information to industry-leading products such as the G1000,
MX20, GNS 530 and GNS 430.
“The GDL 69 will delight our customers in every phase of
flight, because it offers a broad array of weather services and a
high level of detail graphically depicted on the displays of our
most popular systems,” said Gary Kelley (below),
Garmin’s director of marketing. “As a next-generation
weather receiver, the GDL 69 provides greater situational awareness
to pilots flying Garmin-equipped aircraft and enables them to make
safer, more strategic decisions in flight to avoid potential
weather hazards.”
The XM WX Satellite Weather service is broadcast in the S-band
frequency over two powerful geosynchronous satellites to the GDL 69
for rapid-update, high-resolution weather information directly into
the cockpit, at any altitude across the continental United
States. The comprehensive weather data suite available
through XM WX is supplied by WxWorx, an innovator in
location-specific weather data and leading provider of analytical
weather services to the broadcast media and emergency management
industry.
The GDL 69 delivers a robust set of capabilities that
includes:
- High-resolution NEXRAD weather data*
- METARs (in graphical or textual format)*
- Precipitation type (at surface)*
- TAFs*
- TFRs*
- Winds aloft (at altitude)
- Echo tops
- Lightning
- Storm-cell data (size, speed and direction)
- AIRMETs
- SIGMETs
XM offers these capabilities in two service packages for a
monthly subscription fee. The Aviator Lite service plan
(marked with *) is $29.99 per month. The Aviator package
includes all of the above services (and more) for a monthly fee of
$49.99. XM also charges a one-time activation fee of
$75.
For pilots who want
additional value from XM Satellite Radio, Garmin also offers the
GDL 69A. This receiver combines XM WX’s weather
services with XM’s digital audio entertainment, which
provides 130-plus channels of music, news, talk, sports and
information. The additional subscription price for these
digital audio services is only $6.95 per month as part of
XM’s Family Plan for multiple XM subscriptions.
Garmin will offer the GDL 69 and GDL 69A for the MX20
multi-functional display in November 2004 and the G1000 integrated
glass cockpit later this year. The company expects to make
the GDL 69 available for the GNS 430/530 integrated navigation
systems in the first quarter of 2005. Initially, the GNS
430/530 will utilize the XM WX service to display only NEXRAD and
METAR data. But when the GNS 430/530 are approved for WAAS
and have received the requisite upgrade (price: $1,500; timing:
mid-2005), these products will offer the extensive weather
capabilities of the GDL 69 and the combined weather/audio features
of the GDL 69A.
The GDL 69 and GDL 69A will be available at suggested retail
prices of $4,995 and $5,775, respectively.
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