Sporty's JD-200 transceiver
Surprising may be the operative word when discussing Sporty's latest entry in the crowded handheld transceiver market. Priced lower than most ($395), it nonetheless packs top-of-the-line features. A follow-on to the Sporty's A300, the JD-200 incorporates suggestions from A300 owners.
A course-deviation indicator (CDI) with omni bearing selector (OBS) has been added, including localizer capability. Screen lighting has been improved,as well.
In navigation mode, the JD-200 automatically displays the CDI, OBS setting, frequency, and To/From indications. Duplex operation allows transmitting to a flight service station through a repeater on 122.1 MHz, for example, and listening on a VOR frequency.
The transceiver is made by JAL Data, a division of Japan Airlines, which went to great effort to include simplicity in the final design. Need to scan frequencies? Just hold the Up or Down arrow button until hearing a friendly beep when scanning begins.
Sporty's ships the JD-200 with an alkaline battery holder, but a nicad battery pack is available for $99. (Other leading handhelds come with nicads standard and alkaline packs as an option.) Disposable alkaline batteries last much longer, as a chart in the owner's manual shows, and they have better shelf life than nicads. During a test, eight AA batteries were inserted and the unit was placed in scan mode. The test ended prematurely only because the unit refused to run out of power at the end of the day. The manual promises up to 15 hours of operation when the unit is used primarily to listen, as it was in this case. Expect a much shorter life, of course, when using the 1.5-watt transmitter frequently.
For navigation tests, the JD-200 was flown on both VOR and localizer approaches in VFR conditions and compared to regular on- board equipment. Overall, the JD-200 performed well. There was slight disagreement between the JD-200 and the aircraft's navigation radio from time to time — mostly during the VOR approach — but successful VOR and localizer approaches were made. (A good thing to know in case you have to use the JD-200 for that purpose in a real no-aircraft-radio situation.)
Voice communications were less successful. It's a tough test for a handheld radio when used inside any airframe, but especially so in the small-window, steel-cage Mooney used for testing. The JD- 200, which performed well on the ground, could be heard only from about seven miles away when in the air. Even with cooperative unicom operators on the ground expecting our test transmissions after takeoff from York Airport, Pennsylvania, calls went unanswered. While cruising at 4,500 feet msl, the JD-200 easily received transmissions from approach controllers 40 miles away, but the controllers apparently did not hear the Sporty's radio. Additional calls were attempted on an Arinc frequency but went unanswered until about seven miles out. Even then, the ground station reported the JD-200 signal as "weak but clear." Anyone considering use of the JD-200 as a serious backup should install an antenna splitter that enables the handheld to use one of the aircraft's external antennas.
The handheld seemed bothered by interference that went unnoticed by the panel-mounted communications radio; and at one point during the test, both squelch and volume controls were cranked to maximum. Obviously, the $25 headset adapter is essential to operations in aircraft.
In all, the unit receives 760 com frequencies and 200 nav frequencies — including localizers. There are 20 memory channels which may be scanned sequentially or selected individually. Volume and Squelch controls appear rugged, not likely to break off when the going gets tough.
Sporty's sells a slew of other accessories for the JD-200, including a nicad battery charger in desktop ($99) or wall-socket type ($55), a roof-top antenna with 50 feet of cable ($143), and a suction cup ($26.95) designed to hold the radio firmly to a side window.
No attempt was made to test the ruggedness of the case; case cracking was mentioned by a few owners as a shortcoming of the A300. Suffice it to say that the case appears tough enough to take it, although the battery case could fit more tightly; the one sent for testing had a slight wobble when mounted.
For more information, contact Sporty's Pilot Shop, Clermont County Airport, Batavia, Ohio 45103; telephone 800/ 543-8633, facsimile 513/732-6560. — Alton K. Marsh
MentorPlus FliteMap
In its new FliteMap version 4.1, FliteMap combines two popular MentorPlus programs, the FliteStar flight planner and FliteMap. Perhaps "recombines" is a better word. The two programs were united years ago before MentorPlus began selling them separately; now that they are together again, there are important improvements.
The FliteMap portion of the program allows the user to select an abstract map based on Jeppesen data, an actual WAC chart, or an instrument approach chart. Your copilot can watch the progress of the approach on the plan view of an actual approach plate. (Frankly, we think the pilot in command should be watching the instruments.) WAC charts allow pilots to orient themselves in relation to highways, towers, lakes, and rivers. Additionally, the program can run the AOPA's Aviation USA database, allowing you to find out if restaurants and rental cars are available at your destination.
Using the FliteStar features, you can plan the flight on the ground, ask the IBM-compatible laptop to dial a weather service, make wind corrections to magnetic headings automatically, and then, using the moving map features once in the air, watch an aircraft icon move along the planned route.
Concurrently with FliteMap, MentorPlus introduced two new six-channel GPS receivers that connect directly to a laptop computer. The R100 GPS receiver is contained on a card and plugs into the computer PCMCIA slot; the only thing emerging from the computer is the antenna cable. It would be nice if the card disappeared completely within the computer; instead, an inch or so protrudes. The battery-powered T100, a computer-mouse-sized external GPS receiver, is intended to be placed in the aircraft's window and plugs into an existing port on the laptop. If purchased with FliteMap, the R100 costs $495, while the T100 costs $695. Also, available for $395 is a Garmin MentorPlus G100, similar to the T100. The R100 and T100 worked extremely well in testing; the G100 was not available for evaluation.
Loading the software from 3.5-inch disks is simple, but loading the WAC charts and instrument approach procedures from a CD-ROM supplied with the software is another matter. If your laptop has a built-in CD-ROM, your problems are over; if it doesn't, you must transfer the files from a computer that has one. That involves use of the DOS-based Interlink/Interserver commands, not the easiest of tasks. WAC charts require 20 megabytes of storage space each, so the laptop should have plenty of hard drive capacity.
When you finally have FliteMap loaded, you have a system that reduces the pilot's navigation workload to almost nothing. Route planning (including preferred IFR routes), weight and balance, fuel planning, the effect of winds on the route, even fuel-stop planning are all done automatically while you are on the ground. New features added recently to the FliteStar portion of the program even allow for automatic avoidance of special-use airspace.
Once in the aircraft, you can call up the aircraft's checklist that you have previously entered, type out the ATC clearance as it is received and — after takeoff — maintain awareness of your exact location and groundspeed, instantly find the nearest airports, and tell passengers exactly how long it will take to reach the destination.
Critics may suggest that an airplane is no place to be playing with a computer, but the fact remains that FliteMap contributes enormously to better planning, which in turn contributes to safety.
FliteMap defaults to Jeppesen maps when the software is first started. While most of the Jeppesen data does not remain on the screen with the WAC chart selected, airport orientation comes via the Jeppesen data. MentorPlus found that the government data tapes often depict airports in the wrong places.
Instrument approach charts seemed to lack clarity, but that could have been more a fault of the computer screen technology available today than that of the software. The pilot can observe progress toward the outer marker and the runway, but work load during testing allowed only two or three quick glances at FliteMap after that. A track of the aircraft's path can be recorded for review.
The screen clarity problem seen with instrument approach charts — it was improved by lowering screen contrast — brings up an important point: selection of a computer. MentorPlus's software technology has outrun hardware capability, and few if any screens offer good daylight viewing. If you have not bought your laptop yet and intend to run FliteMap or any other moving map software, it is important to test the screen outside the store prior to purchase. Most color laptop screens, whether they be dual-scan or active- matrix, fade in daylight. That was the case with the laptop used during testing. Monochrome screens, not color screens, work best in daylight. The key word among the best monochrome screens is "transflexive," the rare type of screen used on the IBM 730T pen- based computer, for example. Transflexive screens actually gain contrast in sunlight. Night flying is where the laptop-based moving map literally shines, since night offers the greatest navigation challenge and fewest screen-viewing problems for backlighted screens.
Battery life is another important consideration. The first test of FliteMap was canceled 10 minutes after takeoff when the computer battery went dead. Obviously, the answer is to take power from the aircraft's electrical system, but that's often easier said than done.
FliteMap works best on a 486/25-or-better computer with 16 MB of RAM available. Minimum requirements are a 386SX with 4 MB of RAM, but the software will run very slowly.
FliteMap's North America version is available for $495. FliteMap Europe is available for $745, while FliteMap with a worldwide database costs $1,285. Updates for the Jeppesen NavData cost $450 per year for 28-day updates, or $99 for a one-time update. An AOPA's Aviation USA database costs $79. Approach plates can be updated every 56 days for $349 a year, or $149 for a one-time update. WAC charts are updated once a year and cost $139 per update.
For more information, contact MentorPlus Software Inc., 22781 Airport Road Northeast, Aurora, Oregon 97002; telephone 800/628-4640 or 503/678-1431. — AKM
Military pilots get them; so, too, should general aviation pilots, decided U.S. Insignia's John Reep. No, Reep hasn't bought F-16s for all of us, but instead introduced a line of gold and silver enameled General Aviation Pilot Wings suitable for showing off at high- profile soirees and FBO lounges alike. U.S. Insignia's five emblems identify pilots with private, commercial, flight instructor, and instrument flight instructor certificates, and instrument ratings. The pins cost $14 each and can be ordered from U.S. Insignia, 2000-1 Hendricks Avenue, Box 101, Jacksonville, Florida 32207; telephone 904/396-4864. — Marc E. Cook
Unless otherwise stated, products listed herein have not been evaluated by AOPA Pilot editors. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors. However, members unable to get satisfaction regarding products listed should advise AOPA. To submit products for evaluation, contact: New Products Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701; telephone 301/695-2350.
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