(Updated November 2008 to add NA Database and January 2007 to delete receive by disk option)
Applicability: All Argus owners who subscribe to or plan to update their international database
Issue
The size of the international database has been increasing from month to
month, due largely to increased surveying of airports, which requires more
information for each airport in the database. Recently the database size
has increased beyond the memory limitation of the Argus hardware. In order
to allow owners to retain the full utility of their Argus, we are making three
versions of the database available. There will be no increase in cost,
and in most cases no inconvenience to users.
The Database Divisions
We have arranged the overlap between East and West so that small aircraft (that might use runways shorter than 3200 feet) can change databases on the ground! Larger aircraft should use the full database, which will still be effective worldwide.
Implementation
We will be adding two databases to our web site, -27 (Western) and -28 (Eastern). If you subscribe to or purchase international database updates, you will receive authorization codes for all three databases. You can download any or all, and use them as circumstances dictate. We are hopeful that no one is inconvenienced by this change. Unfortunately it was made due to circumstances beyond our control.
Special Note for floppy disk subscribers (January 2007 - We are no longer supplying Disk or CD)
For obvious reasons in this networked world, the number of people electing to receive databases via floppy disk has been declining rapidly. Due to the changes above, we have moved up our plan to eliminate distribution by floppy disk and will begin distribution by CD ROM. The CD ROM will contain all versions of the database in uncompressed form, which will eliminate several steps in the installation procedure, and allow us to make only one version of the disk, permitting faster service. If this new distribution medium will pose a problem for you, we will attempt to make special arrangements for the next two database cycles. After September 2003, CD-ROM will be the only non-returnable medium we will provide.
Special Note for Argus 3000 owners (January 2007 - Argus 3000 must be upgraded to Argus 5000 to obtain updated databases)
If you have an Argus 3000 with version 4.x software and the full international database, you will need to downgrade the Argus 3000 software to version 3.x for the database to be upgraded. This is a return-to-factory modification.
Future database changes
Making these changes in the database seems to be sufficient for the foreseeable future. While we cannot guarantee there won't be a worldwide spasm of surveying activity, it seems likely that the worst possibility is that we may have to lengthen the available runways in the full database some day. The two hemispheric databases are comfortably compact.
We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause, and trust it will be minimal.
The international (-29)
database for the Argus 5000/CE and 7000/CE and the Enhanced 5000/7000 units
is a world wide database which contains airports with runway lengths of 3200
feet and longer, as well as navaids, airspace fixes (intersections), special
use airspace, CTAs and TMAs for the world as well as all U.S. data listed above.
CTRs and CTZs are also included. These
control zones are classified as Class D airspace. Since the Argus does not
include Class D airspace, they will be displayed as Class C airspace.
The North American (-26) database for the Argus 5000, 7000, 5000/CE, 7000/CE, 5000 Enhanced and 7000 Enhanced units contain public, private, and military (both public and restricted areas) airports with runways of 2,000 feet and longer for all of Canada, the Continental US, District of Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. Jeppesen data is used for the non-US areas.
The Western Hemisphere
(-27) database contains “airports between West 10º and
180º with a minimum runway length of 2000 feet, as well as navaids, airspace
fixes (intersections), and special use airspace. CTAs and TMAs for this
geographical area, as well as all U.S. data listed above.
CTRs and CTZs are also included. These
control zones are classified as Class D airspace. Since the Argus does not
include Class D airspace, they will be displayed as Class C airspace.
The Eastern Hemisphere (-28) database contains “airports between West 135º and 55º (including East 0º-180º) with a minimum runway length of 2000 feet, as well as navaids, airspace fixes (intersections), and special use airspace. CTAs and TMAs for this geographical area. There is no U.S. data in this database. CTRs and CTZs are also included. These control zones are classified as Class D airspace. Since the Argus does not include Class D airspace, they will be displayed as Class C airspace.