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TestimonialLetter to the Editor: I just read the article entitled “The Pain of Datalink” by Ian Blair Fries in the February 2004 issue of the Aviation Consumer where Mr. Fries had all kinds of trouble getting the WSI datalink weather system to work with a Fujitsu tablet computer. Like Mr. Fries I did a considerable amount of research and decided that this exact system was most suitable for my 1980 excessively instrumentated Duke. I had previously installed the non-TSOd WSI AV-100 system using a HP Ipaq and found the screen to be to small for my 58 year old eyes. However, the local FSDO did not give my electronics shop any grief. When I decided to go with the tablet computer my research determined that Advanced Data Research were the suppliers of the fully customized Fujitsu tablet called the ADR FG 3600 which is specially modified for airplane, Jeppesen and WSI use. A simple call to ADR explaining that I wanted to use the tablet for WSI weather, Jeppesen Flight Deck, Jepp View, Flitestar (moving map) and a portable GPS, I found a very knowledgeable staff ready, willing and able to help me out. I explained that I was not tech savvy and needed to have them set up everything so I just had to get the unit and “plug and play.” I sent them all the software I wanted to install and 5 days later I received the unit. Unlike the author’s, everything was included and installed- the keyboard, the Socket card, power supplies, etc. The GPS ADR provided used the USB plug rather than the Socket card serial card but the WSI used one of the leads from the dual Socket card. The entire cost of the tablet, socket card, GPS, and other accessories was $6723. Customer support from ADR was amazing- fast, simple and correct. When dealing with this level of technology, I find it pays to go with someone who will supply the entire package instead of putting together the individual components yourself. Steve Rushmore This letter was written by Steve Rushmore and is published with his permission. |