"Harley, Ageless Wings" wrote:

Paul...

Small portable LCD color TV's  are cheap.

Less than $200 in most cases.<<

Yes they are, but the display is washed out in just a little bit of bright
light. Not very usable outdoors or in a bubble canopy like the Long-EZ.
That's why many of us have gone to the iPaq pocket computer...it has a fully
readable display in bright sunlight...without the backlight on.

And, as I mentioned before, with an internet capable cell phone, you can
access NexRad weather radar, live, and superimposed right on the moving map
display that Control Vision sells...Anywhere Map, with the Anywhere Weather
option.

The problem, as you mentioned, is the cost...a minimum of $1700 if you
already have the Anywhere Map, and a monthly fee for NexRad...

Would be nice, though...

Harley

You need to buy the active matrix type. There are some that are
outdoor readable. If Compact iPac can do it so can the TV guys.

Hey put a hood around it :-)

Incidentally I had a long talk with the engineer JPI Instruments  at OSH that make,
and have made for years, a very readable in bright sunlight LCD for cockpit PC
compatible moving maps. They tried the new high brightness LEDs as back lights
with less than satisfactory results so they went back to the florescent
tube variety of back light.
http://www.jpinstruments.com/

 " We have developed a
 portable or stationary general purpose Pentium speed computer with the
 highest and brightest resolution currently available; ten times brighter than
 any laptop, and not 1/4 VGA.

 We are confident that our display is not only clearly readable in the brightest
 sunlight, but that no other display in the market and price range compares to
 our innovative design, which is also available as a self-contained unit. The 6.5"
 diagonal display is capable of being tethered 25 ft. from the CPU box. The
 Nav-2000 is also third party developer friendly and comes standard with a
 Garmin GPs It can also run a wide variety of moving map software, including
 Mentor Flitemap and RMS Vista."

BTW Many PC's can view TV stations with a  plug in TV tuner card so the same
PC running your moving map can display real time weather.

Paul Lamar

The unique thing about the iPaq Pocket PC is that it has a transREflective COLOR LCD
screen. Needs no backlight in lighted surroundings. Works just like a transreflective
monochrome LCD screen - the brighter the sunlight the better the contrast.

I know of no other unit that has that kind of screen. Other "sunlight readable" screens
pump vast amounts of power into the backlighting to make the "sunlight readable".

Finn

That may be true but the concept of a transreflective LCD has been around for 
years. I don't think Compact holds the patent. Most certified airplanes have a cigarette
lighter that can power portable equipment so a little power for the back light
is not a real problem. Experimental airplanes of course you can power anything you want.

Don't get hung up on this LCD thing. It is not a show stopper. Focus on the big picture.

Paul Lamar
 
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