Seattle Avionics .....normal monthly frustration....

[steve m]

Just finished updating my two thumb drives with Seattle Avionics.

A typical update today.....1st thumb drive updated easy peasy and second one had taken about 4 tries, several reformats and almost done....

...dam what a painful process. This application has to be updated soon.......to make the whole process more enjoyable, I am running Windows via Parallels on a Mac....really there is a Windows only application......

Love my Dynon HDx but absolutely hate the monthly data update process with Seattle Avionics app...... argh

Am I the only one struggling with this update process?

Steve

 

[-Bob]

Mine goes easily each month. Running Windows 8 or 10, and Sandisk stubby 32GB USB drives.
I just insert the drives, start Seattle Avionics ChartData Manager 6.6.0.2. Then go do something else for a while.

 

[steve m]

I just checked, I am also running Seattle Avionics ChartData manager 6.6.0.2 and also am using the stubby SanDisks but mine are 16GB. Maybe it is the Windows via Parallel that is making this issue so hard.....

 

[airguy]

Perhaps the Parallel is getting to you. I have been one of the most vocal critics of the SA app and I still don't like it much - but I will give them credit for the recent software overhaul. It did make most of my heartburn go away and my last few updates have been a non-issue.

 

[wilkersk]

I run Parallels/Win10 on a MacBookPro/MacOS12.6.3. I have 4 Sandisk stuby 32G thumb drives.

My routine is this:

-Reboot Comcast broadband gateway (the longer you go without doing this, the slower it gets)
-Update Parallels (Its a given)
-Update Windows (Its a given, and it will be painful!)
-Verify and/or update SA Datamanager
-Reformat to blank state 2 thumbdrives
-Use SA DataManager to initialize thumb drives
-Download new data to Macbook Hard drive
-Copy data to thumbdrive 1 overnight
-Copy data to thumbdrive 2 overnight
-Take updated thumbdrives to airport and exchange for the 2 that are in the aircraft

I don't fight the process.

Windows SUX! SA DataManager SUX!

 

[wilkersk]

One thing I just remembered that can mess up the process is Win10's default powersave mode. Window will suspend after a set time if no activity is detected. For some reason, I don't think Win10 on my computer detects SA's DataManager downloading files in the background.

I disabled the Win10 powersave mode and also the "Sleep" mode in the power management feature native in MacBooks.

If you're worried about screen "burn-in" you can turn the monitor off or turn brightness all the way down. I keep my Macbook plugged in so I'm not worried about draining the battery.

 

[Rhino]

Or you can just tell Windows to turn the display off after a specified time, while the computer keeps running.

 

[wilkersk]

Or you can just tell Windows to turn the display off after a specified time, while the computer keeps running.

I don't trust it. I don't even trust to screen saver not to F-up the DataManager downloads. I disable all that stuff when I'm running DataManager.

The number of times I've pick up my laptop only to discover that "the program is not responding" have born out my mistrust.

 

[Rhino]

I used to have those problems too. Never had them with Windows 10 though, at least not since I created my own power scheme.

 

[WorkingWarbirds]

What kind of Mac are you running. I have a a couple of Intel I7 Macbook Pro's. Instead of running an emulation software, I run a dual boot setup. I find that it is a much smoother process overall. Turn off automatic updates on everything so you can take control of when Windows updates. I have a lot fewer problems running dual boot then I did when I ran emulation. That said, if you are using a ARM processor mac (M1, M2 and up) you are stuck with Parallels for now. Maybe someday Microsoft will publicly release windows for ARM that they have for some OEM's.

 

[swatson999]

Or, and I know this would be a miracle, but I'm just spit-balling here...SA could develop and release a version of their software for Mac.

I don't even own a Mac, but it mystifies me that a business wouldn't develop software for both platforms.

 

[Rhino]

...I don't even own a Mac, but it mystifies me that a business wouldn't develop software for both platforms.

I wonder the same thing about apps like Foreflight. Android has many more time market share than Apple, yet they only develop many aviation apps for Apple. Makes no sense whatsoever.