SkyPad² Commonly Asked Questions

What's new in the SkyPad² compared to the original SkyPad?

The original SkyPad was incredibly successful so we've had lots of great feedback from customers.  Everything we learned went into making the new SkyPad² the best EFB ever made. 

First and foremost, it means a radically better screen.  The new screen is much brighter (for better daylight cockpit use) and yet also gets much darker (for better night flying).  It also uses a state-of-the-art multi-touch screen instead of the old-style touch screen used in the original SkyPad.  A multi-touch screen means that you use your finger to click places on the screen.  With the older technology, while it was technically called "touch," it was more like "use a stylus" because it wouldn't accurately respond (if respond at all), unless the screen detected just one click such as from a stylus, tip of pen, or a finger-nail.  Using your "large" finger, seldom worked.  In addition, unlike some other EFBs, we include the Home Premium version of Windows 7 rather than the more common Windows 7 Starter Edition.  Even if the hardware is multi-touch, Windows only supports multi-touch with the upgraded version of the operating system (Home Premium).

The keyboard in the original SkyPad was typical for most netbook-class devices in that it was about 80% the size of a full-sized keyboard.  For those of us with full-sized fingers, that made typing possible but tricky.  The new SkyPad² has a full-sized laptop keyboard so it's as easy to type on as your favorite laptop.

The hard-disk in the original SkyPad was a bit small by current standards at just 60 GB.  That was large enough for aviation and general use but not large enough to replace a full-sized business laptop.  The new SkyPad² includes a generous 250 GB spinning hard drive instead.  In addition, the original SkyPad had an uncommon type of disk drive and connector (1.8 inch, PATA ZIF) which made it difficult and expensive to find a solid-state drive replacement for it.  The new SkyPad² has a much more common 2.5 inch SATA drive.  This means we're able to deliver an optional solid-state drive for the SkyPad² that is twice as large and nearly 3 times faster than the one in the original SkyPad.

The digital "guts" of the original SkyPad were getting a little long in the teeth.  The new SkyPad² has a faster but less power-hungry 1.67 Ghz Atom processor with an integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics chip, Wi-Fi that includes not just B and G but the newer N standard, faster RAM, etc.

The original SkyPad came with Windows XP because we didn't feel the hardware was up to running Windows 7 well.  The new SkyPad², with upgraded hardware, is much better suited to the task so we were able to use Windows 7.  In addition, while most machines of this class and price include the least powerful version of Windows 7 (called Windows 7 Starter), we felt that version was much too limited for general purpose use (which we encourage people to do with the SkyPad²).  Moreover, and this is subtle but important, Windows 7 Starter doesn't include support for multi-touch displays like the one in the SkyPad².  Thus, without Windows 7 Home Premium, a crucial improvement to the SkyPad² would have been rendered useless.

The SkyPad Controller software is also improved due to changes in the hardware and the operating system.  This key piece of software is part of what turns a standard tablet PC into a SkyPad.  The new SkyPad Controller is able to automatically stop screen rotation when Voyager is running and instantly restore it when Voyager closes.  This means no more accidental screen rotates (which Voyager doesn't handle well) and no more need for a Lock button on the SkyPad Controller since it's now 100% automatic.

Is there an trade-in or upgrade program for owners of the original SkyPad?

Please contact Sales@SeattleAvionics.com for information.

How has Seattle Avionics customized Windows?  Can it run other Windows applications?

Each SkyPad² has been carefully tuned by Seattle Avionics engineers to, as they put it, "remove the garbage" from Windows 7.  That means no pre-installed trial versions of anything, faster start up time, fewer annoying Windows messages, cleaner Windows Desktop, larger icons and an overall streamlined experience specifically designed for cockpit use.  We also created a SkyPad Controller application (see below) that makes it especially easy to change screen brightness, rotate the screen or shut-down the SkyPad².  Finally, each SkyPad² comes with Voyager and all current data, customized and pre-installed for you.  That is, when you get it, it's ready to go with your pilot profile, your plane profile and all the default settings you like.

Of course, none of the streamlining we've done affect its' ability to run other Windows applications.  While the device isn't made for high-intensity computing applications such as CAD or video production, it can certainly run Microsoft Office and all other general applications.

The SkyPad² comes with a detailed Help document (the life preserver icon on the Windows Desktop) that answers common usage questions.

Why might I need a solid state drive?

There are many advantages to using a solid state drive but it's not essential for all pilots.  See this detailed document for more information.

How does the SkyPad²  compare to a Samsung Q1, a Fujitsu 1630, a Motion Computing LS 800, or a Netbook

We've prepared a very detailed comparison document that gives the advantages and disadvantages of each of these devices relative to the SkyPad².

Can I see the screen in the cockpit?

The SkyPad²  has a screen that is brighter than most laptops and much brighter than the original SkyPad.  It can easily be read in the cockpit, even in sunlight, and each SkyPad² comes with simple tips for using it in very bright situations.  It also has a special Night mode that turns the screen brightness down very low (much, much darker than the original SkyPad).

Does it fit on a yoke?

The device is 10.3" x 6.5" by 1" and fits on most yokes. RAM Mount makes a yoke mount for the SkyPad².  You'll need to buy two distinct pieces, one a mounting bracket for the device (RAM part # 234-6) and one a connector to the yoke (RAM # 121-202U).  They sell this as a package for about $75 and as individual parts.  Please contact RAM for more information as each plane is different.  See http://www.ram-mount.com.

How do I power it in the plane?

The SkyPad² runs for about 2-3 hours on the standard 4-cell battery.  It runs for about 4-5 hours on the 6-cell optional battery (click here to buy from Amazon).  If you want to plug it into your plane's power, you can use either a DC power adapter if your plane's power jack outputs 12-16 V or 22-26 V (click here to buy for less than $20 from Amazon) or a standard DC to AC inverter. 

With an inverter, you plug the SkyPad's AC adapter into the standard AC outlets that the inverter provides.  Most Cessnas and Pipers have a 12 volt lighter adapter but some planes require 24 or 28 volts.  Sporty's sells a number of adapters, some with one plug, some with two plugs.  The 24 V adapter (which also works with 12 V systems), is about $50 (click here for this adapter).

You can also use a power adapter that converts the DC voltage in your plane to the voltage required by the SkyPad², bypassing the need to plug the SkyPad's AC power into anything.  That is, this type of adapter has a plug that goes directly from the power adapter to the SkyPad's power jack.

What do I need to see weather?

This depends on your needs.  The SkyPad² is a full Tablet PC with both Ethernet (wired) and Wi-Fi (wireless) Internet capabilities.  Therefore, while a standalone GPS device needs an XM receiver to show weather in the cockpit, the SkyPad² simply needs an Internet connection.  While you can't currently connect to the Internet while flying, whenever you pre-flight plan or even turn the device on at an FBO while refueling, the SkyPad² will quickly download updated weather and store it on its hard disk for use in flight.  Thus, you can see radar and satellite images, see wind arrows, read METARs and TAFs, etc. for no additional cost simply by using the SkyPad's inherent Internet connectivity.  Of course, this weather could be a few hours old by the time you use it while in flight so you won't be able to "thread the needle" through storm cells, but for general weather information, it generally suffices. 

If you need up-to-the-minute weather, you can purchase an XM receiver from us and subscribe to the data from WxWorx (about $50 per month).  The receiver is available from us, complete with the necessary connectivity software, for either $589 for a USB version or $695 for a Bluetooth version.  We suggest the USB version for easier, more reliable connectivity but you should speak with a Seattle Avionics sales representative for more information.

Tell me more about the GPS.  Is it WAAS?  How does it work with the SkyPad?

The SkyPad2 comes bundled with a great portable GPS that we've been selling for years.  It's tiny (about the size of a business card and a quarter of an inch thick), WAAS-enabled for high accuracy and runs on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that last about 12 hours per charge.  Not only that, like many headphones, it has an auto shutoff feature that turns itself off when it hasn't been connected to a computer for about 5 minutes so you don't have to worry about accidentally leaving it on. It can be recharged by plugging it into your computer via the included USB cable or from the included DC lighter adapter.

What is the ongoing annual cost?

The SkyPad² generally comes with three months of updates at our EFB (top-of-the-line) subscription level.  This provides all IFR approach plates geo-referenced to show your position on the plate, geo-referenced enroute charts (both Low and High altitude), digital data, fuel prices updated daily, weather, TFRs, geo-referenced VFR Sectionals and all updates to the Voyager application itself.

Most customers have chosen to purchase either an additional 12 month subscription or a lifetime data subscription.  More info...