WAAS - iFly General Discussions

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WAAS

9/27/2012 9:11 PM

David

Joined: 1/3/2011

Posts: 521

Re: WAAS

Even though the terrain avoidance feature has a buffer built in, wouldn't the additional accuracy that WAAS provides enhance this feature? I just feel the better the position accuracy provided, the better the pilot's situational awareness becomes........

As far as the external antenna requirement goes, make the WAAS capability user selectable with the default set to off. FWIW, I still use the active antenna that was supplied with my old Magellan Sky Blazer and it preforms beautifully with my '700, just as it did previously with my Garmin 295 (which never failed show it was WAAS enabled) It has been perched on my glareshield since 1996.

Please seriously consider the additional safety that WAAS capability provides,

David

C177RG: iFly 720, Stratux 978/1090 ADS-B in, AHRS, BMP, Stratus ESG ADS-B out. RV-3: 8" Samsung Tab A, Stratux 978/1090 ADS-B in, AHRS, BMP, Stratus ESG ADS-B out.

9/27/2012 9:36 PM

Alasdair

Joined: 10/12/2011

Posts: 411

Re: WAAS

Modified By Alasdair on 9/28/2012 12:38:32 PM

The unit is already more than accurate enough for it's purpose without it, so granted it's a solution looking for a problem, but if the harware supports it why not have provide an option of turning it on. I do concur with the earlier post that mentioned marketing.. if other manufacturers are providing it in handheld units, AP probably should too (if the hardware supports it) from a competeitve perspective. Perception and all (right or wrong). It certainly doesn't suddently become a panel mounted certified IFR unit, it's role remains unchanged for sitruational awareness and the disclaimers remain the same, so what harm can it do if the data is a little more precise? So, +1 for WASS

9/28/2012 5:34 AM

Cobra

Joined: 4/20/2011

Posts: 2602

Re: WAAS

WAAS in a non-certified device is a solution to a non-existent problem.

For a situational-awareness perspective, the difference in accuracy will be meaningless:
- So what if your 25-pixel-wide airplane is drawn two pixels to the left on your georeferenced approach chart?
- So what if your altitude is shown 75 feet higher or lower (or whatever the difference in altitude accuracy might be)?

Is either one of those things going to change anything at all going on in your cockpit? Really?

I don't see any benefit at all. So far all I've heard in this thread is, "But...but...WAAS is better!"

I don't see it. Sometimes, better is the enemy of good enough. I don't have any problems with my iFly's GPS performance right now. I don't want to have to buy or deal with an external antenna, and I don't want to see slower position solution determination at startup.

If WAAS ever gets enabled, then please make it an option for the user to select it or not.

9/28/2012 5:41 AM

Cobra

Joined: 4/20/2011

Posts: 2602

Re: WAAS

JC wrote:
If I'm on the ground, off airport, and I need help to get to me ASAP, the more accurate the location I can provide, the better.

If you're on the ground and intact, you're in a field and 25-50' difference won't matter...they're gonna see you.

If you're on the ground after knocking a bunch of trees down, your crash scar is going to be bigger than the accuracy difference between GPS and WAAS.

Either way, a position a few feet different isn't going to matter. No SAR guy's ever going to be quoted in the news saying, "We looked and looked in this 3 square foot area where he said he was, but we just didn't find him... Too bad he didn't have WAAS."

9/28/2012 9:01 AM

Chas

Joined: 9/8/2010

Posts: 116

Re: WAAS

Modified By Chas on 9/28/2012 12:26:35 PM

Well I see where this is going ...AP changed the wording of thecFAQ page this morning from "will" to " may " make waas selectable . I have the original FAQ stored on my phone and they are totally different . This is a very dissapointing situation .

I volunteer to be a waas beta tester as I already have the external antenna .But I wont hold my breath .

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