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.

FMI: www.garmin.com