Account Renewal

[Allocator]

The AirNav post in Aug 2007 gave what I think was the original Network cost:

The subscription to the network (not the whole software itself) is $240 per year. The first year is free. Not taking a subscription will mean not getting network flights nothing else is affected.

This would have been USD 20 per month which at current exchange rates is 15.47 Euro, so the 5 Euro per month represents quite a saving on the original cost.

I can't find the post where AirNav said that the Network data in return for sharing had been cancelled due to the reduction in the subscription cost.  It's there somewhere, but it was posted a long time ago.

[Allocator]

As a matter of interest, can we access this 'other' data, or is that purely for commercial use?

I presume that all the RB data goes in the "pot", wherever it comes from, so we all have access to it.

Other AirNav Products like AirNav Live Flight Tracker uses FAA data for USA traffic and I'd guess that this comes at a cost?

[tarbat]

I can understand that for many users the Radarbox network is seen as good value for money.  For me, its just not worth the cost or hastle.  I probably use the network for less than an hour each month, yet I have to pay the same as someone using it 24x7.

And with it turned on, every 30 seconds my internet connection has all it's limited bandwidth used up.  If I left the network turned on for too long, my limited bandwidth will soon be consumed.  Not everyone has a high bandwidth internet connection!!!

[Allocator]

Found it - 13 Oct 2008, although I can't be sure that this was the first mention.

The question was:

As I recall, if we share flight data we receive free network download usage, on a 1 hour given 30 mins given back basis. ( as per screenshot) I have been sharing data for 12 months where possible on a more often than not 24/7 basis.

And the answer from AirNav:

Sorry to break the news to you but that was never done. We made it clear from the start the subscription after the 1st year would cost.

Unfortunately due to the fact we heavily cut the price of the network there is no free network via sharing.

We will change that information, which has been left behind incorrectly.

[waddington1]

Well Planeplotter it is

[Allocator]

And with it turned on, every 30 seconds my internet connection has all it's limited bandwidth used up.  If I left the network turned on for too long, my limited bandwidth will soon be consumed.  Not everyone has a high bandwidth internet connection!!!

When I'm using my 3G Mobile Broadband down near Heathrow - limited to 3Gb per month (that's upload and download) - I don't always have Network selected as there is more than enough traffic to see live.  However, I always leave sharing on and I haven't really seen much of a hit from having the sharing upload selected on.  I don't know the exact data upload, but it can't be much.

[Deadcalm]

There was this back in October:

http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=1547.0

At £120 per year for the pleasure of using the network, I suspect, would result in few if any takers - the reduction obviously made it a little more palatable.

As it is, £48 per annum x however many RadarBoxes are out there, potentially subscribing to the network costs is probably a nice little earner on the back of other business.

I'm not completely in disagreement with a nominal fee of, say, £10 to cover costs, but that would be in return for a 100% fully functional product.  And if there were ongoing problems, I would expect concessions.

As it is, I'll not renew for now, and wait to see what (if anything) transpires.  I won't hold my breath...

DC

[tarbat]

However, I always leave sharing on and I haven't really seen much of a hit from having the sharing upload selected on.  I don't know the exact data upload, but it can't be much.

No, its the downloading of >1,000 aircraft every 30 seconds that consumes my bandwidth.  My upload is typically only a couple of aircraft, so not a problem with bandwidth.

If only it could just download the aircraft within range of my map - but Airnav have already said that they won't develop that functionality.

[CoastGuardJon]

Today's a prime example, too cold and windy outside to do anything useful, but standard twig, blows back off the roof and hammers the window, quicker than I can put it up, so no RB today for me............

Had a brainwave (for me, at least, just now), stick an old Peugeot 306/405 brake disc (several kilos in weight, so it won't blow off..........hopefully..........) out of the window, onto flat roof above, stick the twig onto that - I'm now enjoying live data - the brake disc seems to be as good a ground plane as the supplied disc, 43 a/c in 45 minutes.

This is certainly developing into a red hot thread!

[jgrloit]

I consider that the Network access consists of two parts, and should really be seperated.
1.  Networked traffic from RB's and other sources
2.  Photographs and Information data -  again I would like to see this split within the RB so that I can obtain Aircraft data updates, without the Photographs.
 There should be seperate costs for each of these, as Photographs can incurr a royalty payment and are not needed for the working of the RB, and the aircraft and flight information.
I use the RB network'd data rather sparingly, but have the upload set to SHARE.
I would like to have the Aircraft update ONLY, at a small cost, and A lower Network load - I am on Radio Broadband, with the 3Gb a month limit.

[RodBearden]

Do remember that the reception of data and photos of aircraft in MyFlights doesn't depend on a network subscription - that's free.

Rod

[jgrloit]

While Myflights data is free, you shouyld need network access for and photographs that are currently not on your PC.

[Tallyho]

...
If only it could just download the aircraft within range of my map - but Airnav have already said that they won't develop that functionality.

Oh like PlanePlotter does you mean, now you can see why a number of users are swapping over to the PP network when it comes to renewal time.

Maybe things will change now that the first real big batch of renewals are coming due, I am sure Airnav are keeping a close eye on their network subscription income and network upload/coverage figures.

We the RB users are after all their suppliers as well as their customers ;o)

[tarbat]

Oh like PlanePlotter does you mean, now you can see why a number of users are swapping over to the PP network when it comes to renewal time.

Exactly like Planeplotter, which is why I suggested this feature in the first place - http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=507.0

From sharer pQ

[AirNav Development]

Interesting posts from our users.

Our position is, as usual, very simple and transparent: in an utopic world everything would be free. Anyway it is simply impossible to keep it like that, with the quality standards we want and have been delivering.

The network feature has many associated costs and the only way to keep the price it has now it to try to find other ways to generate income the data. The cost is, has mentioned by some users, low (5 EUR per month) and this is the way we found to give users access to something no one has ever seen before we released it: a worldwide ADS-B based flight position network.

Unlike our competition we don´t lie to our customers: we have developed this unique network feature, it works H24 and is growing week after week. We said we had to charge for this feature and would do our best to keep it as cheap as possible. We did it.

AirNav RadarBox 2009 is a very sophisticated and totally integrated software. All in one. No need for one add-on to log aircraft msgs, other to collect aircraft data, another to generate alerts and another one to see network flights.

We have quality and we will continue to work nonstop to add more features.
All we want is to keep our customers happy and we will continue to work to achieve their needs/suggestions.