[hharney]

If you look at the real benefits of on-board weather and all the information that one can have at your fingertips with these new portable GPS weather it be a 496 or the newer 696 it is the best bang for your buck that is out there. With XM you can subscribe to their basic service for the $15 a month and then add the weather for $50 a month. If you don't fly for 2 or 3 months just suspend it. You still have to pay the $15 but the weather is off until you start it back up.

Once you have this option while flying, especially the long cross countries, you will see the value. The other nice option is that it is portable so it can go from one aircraft to another. Partner up on it. How often could there be a conflict? Just another thought on this terrific system.

Even if ADS-B does materialize it's like 6 years away. By that time the portable you buy today will be obsolete to other new technology anyway.