REFLECTOR: Foreflight and ADS-B

[Andrew Ellzey]

Terry,

I also have been considering the Status ADS-B receiver to use with my Foreflight iPhone, and gen II iPad. Since I am only in phase one testing on my aircraft, I haven’t used the Foreflight on my iPad yet, but I have used it on my iPhone which worked really well as long as I was in an area that had a cell tower reception for my iPhone to receive data to display the weather imagery. My iPad is a Wi-Fi only iPad. I have been using my personal hotspot option on my iPhone to share 3G data from my ATT iPhone when my iPad doesn’t have a Wi-Fi connection available. I didn’t know when I purchased my iPad, that a Wi-Fi only iPad doesn’t have an internal GPS chip. The GPS chip is installed with the addition of the Cellular 3 G service option hardware.  It is my understanding, that this is where the Status is supposed to take over and provide continuous GPS reception for my WIFI only iPad and ADS-B data which will include weather imagery. I agree that Foreflight running on my iPhone zaps the battery really fast. Already planning for this, I installed a standard cigarette lighter plug in my aircraft. I plan then to use my USB charger to keep everything alive.

So if you have an iPhone, install Foreflight app on both your iPad and your iPhone, then you can check weather and file a flight plan on the ground with your iPhone, then when you get airborne your Status ADS-B will be able to take over on your iPad. If you didn’t already know, your one subscription to Foreflight will allow you to use your subscription on either or both devices at the same time.

-----------------------------------------
Andrew Ellzey
479-631-2851 (Office)
479-531-5139 (iPhone)

From: Terry Miles 
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 8:51 PM
To: Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list 
Subject: REFLECTOR: Foreflight and ADS-B





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Foreflight and the Stratus2 for ADS-B Rec'r
  Hi all,
  I think I did already, but here's my thanks for everyone who helped put together and run this years OSH cookout.

  While at OSH, I bit the bullet and bought that Status ADS-B receiver. They sell for $900. Currently I use a Sirius aviation subscription that is $55 per month into a GRT. My hope is to drop the Sirius and save some operational costs. I have already dropped my $550 per yr Garmin GNS480 Jepp subscription, and use instead the Foreflight subscription at $175.

  I hope it's OK to raise this question since it is not so much a build question and more a panel design and operation question. Anyway I just wanted to pass along my observations so far, and ask how others might be using the Foreflight stuff and/or this latest Status box.

  Regards ForeFlight map thing: It requires a cockpit mounted iPad and it is really nice, and works great both for preflight planning and for enroute chart and approach plate depictions in the cockpit. One downside, of course, is during the arrival stage, updating the iPad becomes a burden when updating your in-panel navigation gear keeps you busy enough. Your experiences might be different.

  Here is what I think of my $900 Status so far: The weather radar service cannot be ground checked. I have only flown with it once, and I am trying to see how fast or slow it is to present storm cells immediately after takeoff. I know it cannot be used to pick your way between cells due time between updates, but this weather depic feature is why I bought it, and it is a big loss not to see stuff on taxiout. 

  I have also found it eats battery life pretty fast on less powerful apple devices like the iPod touch, or first generation iPads. The other thing essential to its eventual usefulness is finding a rock solid iPad mount that will articulate some, but not come so loose with re-positioning and inflight vibrations such that the damn thing gets loose in its swivel socket right when you need it in view. My bracket is from Mount Boys and not RAM. 

  Right now, I say the Foreflight is great, but the jury is still out on if the Stratus2 receiver is a good substitute for Sirius. I will keep you posted. Again, I'd be happy to hear what others are doing.

  Terry


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
To change your email address, visit http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector

Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/private/reflector/attachments/20130821/2684749d/attachment.html>