Jim, Gordon & Steve: I certainly don’t have all of the information on these questions, but I can provide a little.
The following is incorrect. The Stormscope displays on both the Arnav and the Sandel. When my Arnav died on the way home from DLH, I used the Stormscope display on the Sandel quite a lot.
However, I just got the engine monitoring package installed and now the Stormscope does not display on the Sandel. I don’t know if this is a problem with just my installation, or whether it is a “feature” of the Arnav engine monitoring package.
I plan a separate post on this issue.
Stormscope data, as installed by Cirrus, only appears on the Arnav display. Why this is I don’t know, since both the Garmin 430’s and the Sandel will display the data.
This is correct, the WX-500 has one RS-232 and two RS-422’s. Also, one can add a second display to the RS-232 output, sort of a daisy chain. This is what Cirrus uses as both the Arnav and the Sandel use RS-232 to talk to the Stormscope:
My understanding from BFGoodrich is that multiple displays can show the Stormscope data, and that settings (range, strike or cell mode) on one unit do not affect the display on another. I believe that both the Sandel and the Garmin units have inputs devoted to Stormscope data. Why they are not hooked up by Cirrus is not clear.
Skywatch data, as described in the posts responding to Bernard’s post of 7-10-01 display on the Garmin. I believe on both Garmins. According to Sandel, that unit does not accept or display Skywatch data. At the last AOPA convention, Sandel representatives indicated that there are no current plans to display either the Skywatch or Ryan TCAD data. As far as I know, Skywatch data will not display on the Arnav. The Arnav screen displays show a select button for the Stormscope, but no mention of Skywatch.
On the Garmin 430, when either the Stormscope or Skywatch systems, or both, are installed, there is a separate page on the Garmin 430 which is a “weather/traffic” page. If you look on the Garmn website under user manuals, you will find a “weather/traffic supplement” for the Garmin 430 which describes the display of both the Stormscope data and the Skywatch data. In addition to the dedicated “weather/traffic” page, there is also a “pop up” display on the map page for traffic data as well as the option of displaying traffic data on the bottom left corner of the 430’s screen, under the nav and com frequencies.
I think it is more like 8 months now. I wouldn’t add anything that requires a hole through the fiberglass without the blessing of Cirrus.
As to aftermarket installation of any item which requires an outside antenna, I would be very leary of such a venture. It is true that one ac was grounded for something like 6 mos. pending approval of the Ryan TCAD antenna. I never got word as to whether the installation was ever completed.
According to Bernard, for his delivery of his SR22 on 8-30-01, Cirrus asked him if he wanted the Skywatch installed at the factory. Apparantly, the factory installation won’t be in place until then.
The Stormscope displays on two displays, which is enough for me. The Garmins have tiny screens and the wiring harnesses are already pretty complicated. Also, I don’t think you’d want to put a third and fourth RS-232 load on the Wx-500 RS-232 line and I think the Garmins only have four RS-232 ports and some Arinc, no RS-422 (I could be mistaken here). So there is an interfacing issue.
I would like very much to have further detailed information provided by Cirrus. I would also like to know from Cirrus as to why the Stormscope data is not enabled on the Sandel and the Garmin 430’s. Prior posts on the subject have indicated that “one display is enough” on the Arnav, but I think that the flexability is good, particularly if it only takes a few more wires.