New Airmate aviation data

[RV6-KPTW]

They do have a Manager app for PC.

That is what I have been working with them on. It does work except the default location is the C drive and there are no accommodations yet for other locations on your PC. This is a "me' problem. They are working to fix my problem. When I limited my data requests to a size that my C drive can handle, it worked just fine.

I have other drives with tons of space and once the data location can be set, I will be set for running full downloads.

Today, the workaround is just downloading the data to your appropriate hard drive and that works just fine also.

 

[Rhino]

Their site only shows iOS and Android apps. Am I to assume the PC application isn't finished enough to put it on the site yet?

Any idea what installer software they're using? I might be able to fix that myself.

 

[RV8JD]

Just realized they don't have anything for PC. I really don't want to use a mobile device, so I guess I'll still be stuck with SA.

They have a Windows Data Manager:

From http://www.airmate.aero//?page=airmate_navigation_database :

"Airmate Data Manager
We sent at every Airac cycle (every 28 days) download links for Airmate data and their detailed manual installation instructions.

To make installation easier and smoother, subscribers can use the Airmate Data Manager app. Available on both Windows and MacOS, this free app will automatically check available data for your subscription, allow you to select the desired charts and plates, and then download and program your USB stick with the selected data.

You can download Airmate Data Manager below:

• Windows version (Windows 10 version or higher required): https://www.airmate.aero/download/apps/AirmateDataManager/Windows/setup.exe (after downloading, when opening the setup.exe installer, you may have to state you want to keep it; then during installation if you are shown a warning by Microsoft Defender, click on More Information to authorize installation).
• MacOS version (MacOS 10.14 or higher required): https://www.airmate.aero/download/apps/AirmateDataManager.dmg.

Once installed, you can connect using your Airmate credentials."

 

[Rhino]

That's funny. They have a Commodore 64 emulator in that install file for Windows.

 

[Rhino]

It's using ClickOnce, which is a Visual Studio installer from Microsoft. I might be able to figure that out, but I don't have any experience with it.

I probably could have figured out the Commodore 64 Emulator install. It uses a tried and true Microsoft msi installer. Unfortunately, that's not what you need. Still can't figure out why that's in the download package though.

 

[d3mac123]

I have pulled the plug and subscribed to Airmate as well. Downloaded and installed both Data Manager (Windows AND Mac) and tried to download the files. On Windows, it took a few minutes. On the Mac, well, it is still downloading (it has been a few hours so far). I honestly do not understand why the differences - btw, I only installed and ran the Windows version after one hour or so after the Mac.

 

[Rhino]

{insert Apple insults here}

 

[Dynon]

Does anyone at Dynon or other know why Nav Canada seem to not allow their charts to be available on Airmate?
There are 195 countries on earth, (Airmate claim providing charts for over 200 countries ;-) ), and most of them, if not all, available except Canada...
It's very frustrating having a super HDX system on board but not having charts that goes along that would arguably enhance situation awarness and safety...

NavCanada's licensing model isn't super-compatible with the volumes in our market is the short answer. We (and our data partners) are continuously trying to find a way to solve it, to no avail yet.

 

[Dynon]

So, this came at an interesting time for me. I have yet to get the updated data since the Dynon upgrade. Still learning it. Was just about to get a Seattle avionics subscription but this came out and thought maybe they would be better. Generally not a fan of doing something like this with a company overseas, when there's an issue or question timing can be difficult. Perhaps not the case here.

In the email announcement Dynon says they're Raster charts...but then in this thread Dynon says,"essentially a vector-based chart, of course with limitations". Clear as mud. Am I misunderstanding something?

For those that have gaven it a shot... Stick with Seattle? Id put up with some wonkiness for a foreflight style vector vfr sectional. But if it's missing that many airport diagrams vs Seattle avionics... Stick with Seattle avionics? Not part of the apple cult so the Mac os isn't an issue

The digital data - IE, the free data on our website - which paints the airports and airspaces and has the info that you can "look up" on SkyView are vector. The sectionals and plates are raster whether they come from Airmate or Seattle Avionics

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I subbed to the Airmate North America data package. I would do just about anything to avoid Seattle Avionics Chart Data Manager software, considering I have a Mac and have to run a windows emulator to get it to work, which is super buggy and slow. So I had high hopes for Airmate. I downloaded and used Airmate's data manager application. There is a lot missing from this bare bones piece of software- just basic simple things like some kind of text that lets you know when the last cycle you've downloaded expires...The software was also very slow to download and very slow to install the data on my new, high speed, properly formatted USB drive. You also can't select state by state like you can with SA...it's all or nothing I guess. This would be forgivable (I guess) because at least I would not have to run the buggy windows emulation software....but I discovered a couple things that are making me think I'll have to go back to SA...

Apparently, the taxi diagrams (or at least The 3 Southern California airports I landed at while using Airmate data) are not geo referenced. A little crossed out pink airplane icon appears over the taxi diagrams for the airports I landed at. I fly into larger airports often enough that I really like to have geo-reffed taxi diagrams in front of me.

I also noticed that on the instrument approach into Santa Monica, my CDI driven from Avidyne IFD was showing me left of the course, but Airmate's geo-reffed approach plate depicted me right of the course. Obviously, I use guidance from the IFD and CDI but the visual on the approach plate being off was enough to make me think for a second. Maybe it's just this one plate? I've not flown this IAP with SA plates before either to compare.

Aside from the non geo-reffed taxi diagrams, one of my biggest complaints is that I was not able to push and hold the right button to call up a previously selected plate, or an automatically chosen taxi diagram on landing. This was one of my favorite features of the HDX and it worked with SA plates and taxi diagrams. I'm not sure why it's not working now but the only thing that has changed is I am using Airmate data/plates.

One nice thing is having airport info in the database, taxi diagrams, and IAPs for Mexican airports which I fly to once or twice a year. But this isn't enough to keep me around since the rest of the experience has been a step back.

I'm pretty bummed about this. I hope Airmate can continue to work on improving their app design and functionality, and geo-reference the taxi diagrams for all airports (if any even are I don't know). If the one button push is an issue with Airmate plates I'd love them to fix that too. Until then, I may have to begrudgingly put up with SA's horrible app for awhile longer.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Quick update. I contacted AirMate with the issues I mentioned in the post above and they said that The taxi diagrams SHOULD be georeferenced and they are looking into the issue, along with the issue of the quick call up of the plates by holding the right button. They think the latter is some kind of small configuration issue on their end.

hopefully these things will be resolved and AirMate will be a decent alternative for my HDX chart and data needs…

 

[Silver]

I switched from SA to Airmate and I'm also bummed at losing geo-referenced taxi charts. I've checked everything and been to multiple airports and the moving plane on the taxi chart does not exist. Just a chart and the X'd out airplane in the bottom right corner. This is a major fail and needs to be fixed before I stay with Airmate. I also can't get the raster charts to show up in the Map layers view of my HDX. I've double checked how they were loaded both on my flash drive and then to the unit and I can't view them at all. Again, for me to stay with Airmate, I expect some of this basic stuff to get fixed.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Airmate has been extremely communicative during this process and I believe they are going to fix the geo-ref issues on the next data cycle. I will report back my experience! The download manager worked better for me on the most recent data and transferring to my USB drive didn't take too long. So the experience is definitely improving!

 

[Silver]

Airmate has been extremely communicative during this process and I believe they are going to fix the geo-ref issues on the next data cycle. I will report back my experience! The download manager worked better for me on the most recent data and transferring to my USB drive didn't take too long. So the experience is definitely improving!

I agree. I have a couple of issues that matter, but after the very prompt comm I've received from Airmate, I'm fine with giving them time to work through some of this stuff. Having prompt support replies will carry the day.

 

[tedbain]

I had moved to Canada and gave up my SA subscription. Bought the North American data from Airmate and had an initial glitch downloading but Airmate was very responsive and fixed it within a day. The download for all of the North American data took about as long as SA downloading for 1/2 of the USA data. Airmate is bringing out Canadian VFR sectionals soon. The cost for Airmate to get the Canadian IFR charts and approach plates from Nav Canada is cost prohibitive. I can only guess as to Nav Canada's reasoning.

 

[Silver]

I've been working with Airmate the last couple of days to work through a few issues getting it working on my dual HDX screens. They responded very quickly and I suspect that I somehow didn't get my flash drives loaded correctly. They helped me resolve the issue and I like the product and the support is excellent.

The geo-reference on some taxi charts should be resolved soon and there will be an update to the PC Data Manager product that lets you load all that data on the hard drive or SSD of your choice instead of the boot drive.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Just a follow up. I have noticed that the load times onto a USB flash drive can vary widely depending on the ACTUAL speed of the USB flash drive. I was having some issues where loading charts onto the USB drive was taking exceptionally long. I researched fast compact USB drives and found the ones linked here tested very well in speed tests. I ordered a pair and indeed the data loads quickly onto them. So far the best I have found and I'm happy with the speeds and am going to stop looking for something faster! As of the time of this post I was able to buy TWO for $16.99 with free shipping.

Lexar LJDS47-32GABBKNA JumpDrive S47 USB 3.1 Flash Drive 32GB 2 Pack​

https://a.co/d/eMCHRzG

 

[uri43]

interesting developments
for European database they are asking twice the price of US subscription

I can't speak for the USA or Europe, but for Southern Africa the only other alternative is getting my data from
the crowd that brought us the 737-Max.

Their data for my Dynon HDX equipped Jabiru J430 is dissapointing and expensive. The Airmate subscription for
Africa is 99 Euro which is much cheaper and so far seems to offer better coverage and includes the published plates
and procedures for most of Africa.

In South Africa, however, we ran out of the Mandelas, and the current Regime is too busy enriching themselves to
properly maintain and calibrate previously installed ILS and VOR so, apparently, recently, some SA ground based
Nav Aids were condemned and suspended following an ICAO inspection. One of the VOR's that went off the air
is RIV (Robben Island VOR - that's where Mandela was jailed). It's just a few miles from my home. The unwarry
remain complacent, because there are now many locations in South Africa and the rest of Africa where there are
available normally reliable GNSS VLAN procedures, however, there are no reasonably affordable GNSS for smaller
and non type certified aircraft, and even for the bigger guys GPS constellations can be switched off instantly by a
flick of a switch during conflict, or, deliberately downgraded and made less accurate.

 

[RV8JD]

Please skip the politics (including the 737 Max comment). We get enough of that nonsense on the daily news and don't need it here.