New DUAT Voyager

[ChrisS]

Dump FlightPrep and download this FREE software from Seattle Avionics instead.

 

[Jim Logajan]

It has several weaknesses over FlightPrep, as well as several strengths. The routing wizard does not allow a VOR-to-VOR routing, so if you are still using an older plane, this software won't help with your routing like Golden Eagle.

Perhaps it is because I am using the VFR payware version rather than the freeware version, but the routing wizard in my copy of DUAT Voyager does provide options to do VOR-to-VOR routing, and can be told to route around MOAs as shown in this snapshot:

routingwiz.png

It would also be nice if both programs had an option to route people around restricted airspace like MOAs, e.g., give me the fastest route around a MOA, class B airspace, etc. It should be programmable. Also, if you are on a broadband connection that limits your throughput (e.g., limitations on uploads and downloads like a 3G tablet or Hughes.net satellite hookup, this program randomly, and several times a week, tries to download several gigabytes of data and the download times are not programmable. You can quickly rack up hundreds of dollars in download charges at $10 per megabyte from Verizon. Downloading sectionals, WACs and approach plates and the AF/D involved between 40 and 100 GB depending on what you want. On a system with 1GB per month included, that's pretty much a system killer.

Hmmm - I'm afraid your numbers don't make sense to me unless you accidentally swapped "giga" and "mega". I have a Verizon 3G modem and mobile plan costing $35/month with a 3GB/month limit, with, as I recall, about $10/GB when exceeding that limit. I have not tracked how much data DUAT Voyager pulls down when I start it up, but I believe it is in the tens of megabytes, not gigabytes (I'd be waiting hours for the latter!) Even if the download were 100 MB, that is a modest cost of about $1.