Garmin expands StormOptix weather radar tech to thousands of more displays
OLATHE, Kan., - Garmin in Olathe, Kan. announced the expansion of its GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar with auto mode for display and control via GTN Xi navigators and TXi flight displays. This approval broadens the interface potential beyond previously authorized Garmin-integrated flight decks. The GWX 8000 eliminates manual radar adjustments, providing simplified operation. With 3D volumetric scanning capability, it reduces pilot workload and enhances weather visualization with four times the colors of traditional weather radars. Additionally, it offers hail and lightning prediction, turbulence detection, and advanced ground clutter suppression.
The GWX 8000 features StormOptix, an advanced automation technology allowing in-flight activation of the weather radar without the need for manual configuration. StormOptix Auto Mode combines 3D volumetric scanning with advanced ground clutter suppression to automatically adjust radar tilt and gain for the most representative weather depiction near the aircraft's flight path.
The enhanced color palette offers greater contouring with 16 colors, four times more than typical weather radars, aiding pilots in interpreting the severity of storm cells. This palette enhances safety by providing a clearer picture of intense weather, simplifying navigation through challenging conditions.
Other features of the GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar include turbulence detection and hail/lightning prediction and identifies shadowing effects with Weather Attenuated Color Highlight (WATCH) technology, which helps pilots identify shadowing effects and highlights weakened radar returns due to intense precipitation, boosting confidence in navigating weather threats. Garmin's offering has multiple antenna array sizes as it is available in 10-, 12-, and 14-inch models to accommodate various aircraft configurations.
The GWX 8000 StormOptix weather radar with auto mode is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2024 for aircraft equipped with GTN Xi navigators and/or TXi flight displays. Aircraft equipped with the GWX 75 weather radar can upgrade their systems to GWX 8000 with a software enhancement for their GTN Xi and/or TXi series systems.
