Airbox AWARE: cost to run

[Trevor Harvey]

Rob.
What you are saying is true, Skydemon will provide more. But, the concept of the Aware system was to provide a more affordable alternative to the £500+ job. Perhaps more for the benefit of the cheapskate bimblers like me rather than the wannabe airline pilots. At £150 it does pretty much what it says on the tin, Yer pays yer money & takes yer choice sort of thing. I too am thinking of Skydemon but not at £500+. If I can run the Aware system on a 7" cheap Chinee automotive SatNav (bigger screen) for £80, then that would do for me.

[Bill Scott]

trevor, Robs example illustrates how SkyDemon meets his needs. However, it also meets yours in the same way that I've used it:

£179 will get you the complete SD planning and navigational software for 12 months. Planning, NOTAMS, weather and navigation. Charts for UK, Europe and beyond and always up to date.
Your annual renewal will cost you £89 to continue with the same package.

I bought his package and have SD on a Win7 netbook and a couple of Chinese satnav units that I bought on ebay. I do my planning on the netbook and then sync it to the gps units.

There you have it, all the bells and whistles in an integrated package for a fraction more than the most basic Aware unit.

The charts are excellent and although the underyling topographics appear a little basic at first, I've found them perfectly adequate on cross countries over unfamiliar territory. You can print off sections of SD charts to use in the aircraft too.

SD is a superb product with an enthusiastic community of users. There is an excellent forum which is useful when setting up those chinese satnav units.

[Trevor Harvey]

£179 will get you the complete SD planning and navigational software for 12 months. Planning, NOTAMS, weather and navigation. Charts for UK, Europe and beyond and always up to date.
Your annual renewal will cost you £89 to continue with the same package. :quote

Bill.
I paid £150 for the Airspace Aware basic unit. The warning updates are free for ever, not just for a year.
There is no renewal fee.
If I want the navigation package I can update for a one off fee of £119?.
I am not knocking SkyDemon, but unless I need the Full Monty of Notam, weather, flight planning etc then I see no reason to spend £179 + repeated £89 for something I don't need.
I do most of my flight planning on the tailplane.
I do all of my flying so far over Scotland, mostly class G. The only addition I would like is the bottom of the screen (Sky Demon) terrain / flight path view, As most of Scotland is lying on it's side you are always heading for rising ground. But to spend the afore mentioned for that function alone isn't worth it to me, I hope!

[Rob Swain]

I bought ... SD on a Win7 netbook and a couple of Chinese satnav units that I bought on ebay.

With a bit more enthusiasm and research I might have gone with this option, and that would be an excellent solution if the Chinese satnavs prove reliable.
However, I work in IT all day and these days just can't be bothered to do battle with computer kit in the evenings!

My main reason for posting about my final decision wasn't to promote an argument, merely to report back, and to provide some possibly useful information regarding foreign charting that other people have indicated has proven expensive and problematic on the Airbox Aware.

[Rob Swain]

I know this thread is now very old, but just as one final update...

I've stuck with SkyDemon and moved over to the Android platform, specifically a Mk1 (2012) Google Nexus 7, the preferred SD Andoid platform. They are quite a lot cheaper now the new model has come out!

A little over £300 gets you fantastic airspace awareness (and so much more) for the first year with renewal being £89 per annum.