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Opinions on iPad Air wifi only

RV6_OKLA

RV6_OKLA

Well Known Member
Looking at getting an iPad Air with wifi only. I don't see the need to pay $120 extra for cell add-on just to get the built in gps(reliable??). Plan on using WingXPro7 with ads-b through the Skyguard TWX which will provide gps to the iPad. Also, rumor is that my gps provider(ifly 720) is working on an update to connect to iPads.

I can tether to my iphone via a hot spot if wifi connectivity on the iPad is an issue away from home. Just need to turn off automatic updates and watch usage.

I would not activate the cell service on the iPad.

Any other reasons why I should consider the cell feature?
 
That is pretty much what I'm doing with my iPad Mini using Foreflight and iPhone 5 for connectivity. Works well!
 
I too use WingX, but I do have cell service on my iPad. There are still lots of airports, including my home field, that don't have accessible wifi. The cell service lets me file flight plans, check wx, TFRs, etc., from the airport.
Also I have the original iPad, and its internal gps seems to work just fine. I cannot recall ever having lost gps in flight.

Edit: Oh, maybe you have a work around for no wifi. I'm too technologically in the dark to know what "tether to my iPhone" means!
 
Tethering

Question...

My new iPhone 5S with Verizon has tethering included.

Will my wifi iPad 4 with Foreflight get the iPhone's GPS data through the tethering?

I don't expect to receive much data while flying, just wondering about internal GPS data on the iPhone making it to the iPad.
 
Jerry
I have a wifi only ipad mini, and frequently regret not having the cellular model.
I would personally never go without the cellular model in the future when I buy the next ipad.
I am overseas from you so use a different nav program.
I sometimes use my ipad for non aviation navigation, and it is a nuisance to have to take the bluetooth gps - much easier just to grab the ipad with its internal gps and go.
John
 
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RV6_OKLA said:
Looking at getting an iPad Air with wifi only. I don't see the need to pay $120 extra for cell add-on just to get the built in gps(reliable??). Plan on using WingXPro7 with ads-b through the Skyguard TWX which will provide gps to the iPad. Also, rumor is that my gps provider(ifly 720) is working on an update to connect to iPads.

I can tether to my iphone via a hot spot if wifi connectivity on the iPad is an issue away from home. Just need to turn off automatic updates and watch usage.

I would not activate the cell service on the iPad.

Any other reasons why I should consider the cell feature?
Click to expand...

I have got the exact setup and have been using it for about a couple of weeks now. I am using Skyradar D2 for GPS and it has worked flawlessly each time, so good that I am now in the process of getting ADSB-out added to my system. First time user of Wingx pro and I think it has a lot of great futures, down loads are a bit slow and not as good as Foreflight but I am switching anyway.

My pervious IPAD had the cell option which I never used it. Like many others I can teether off my IPHONE so, no need for paying for that.

Hope this helps.
 
Jerry,
I have been using the wifi only iPad gen3 for 2 years with the DUAL 150 GPS. It has worked fine for our travels while in the airplane to have the Dual sending the GPS signal to the iPad. The built in GPS may turn out to be ok in the cockpit but I have found there is not that much of a problem with using an external GPS either.

The pros to using an external GPS setup:
  • The wifi only is less expensive to purchase
  • You do not have to concern yourself with any cell contracts to have access to flight planning apps while on the ground. If you have a smartphone that can serve as a hotspot you can have easy access to the internet through that hotspot.

The cons
  • Dealing with another cord and charger to manage and making sure the Dual is charged before going flying. Charging is not that big of an issue though as the Dual has a very good battery life. I have even accidentally left it on and sitting on the glare shield overnight after flying. The next day it still had plenty of battery life to use on the return trip.
  • Making sure the hardware communicates well with the flight planning apps.
The next time we are flying together remind me to show you my setup.
 
+1 on the tethering

I have the iPhone 5 with ATT and the 5GB data package that includes tethering, phone passes the GPS data to the ipad. Works with Foreflight and the Garmin package. iPad also gets GPS from the GDL39 and I assume the competing systems would do that as well.
 
If you are concerned about the built in GPS, I was receiving signal, sitting in coach on a 737 under all that aluminum, getting live WingX map 34000 ft 537 MPH
 
bret said:
If you are concerned about the built in GPS, I was receiving signal, sitting in coach on a 737 under all that aluminum, getting live WingX map 34000 ft 537 MPH
Click to expand...

You are doing better than me! I can't get my iPad3 to log on with GPS when it is sitting right on the glare shield of the A330. Sometimes works on the ground, but airborne it rarely works. Interested to see how the new mini works. I will be getting the cellular, as tethering is just one more problem to worry about and one more unwanted distraction from flying the aircraft.

Oh, if you were in a 737, it is KNOTS, not MPH ;)
 
simplicity

wifi+cellular every time for me.

Its worth $120 to know I will not forget the gps puck, or the wire, or to charge it. I might even want to get a temporary data package sometime while on a trip.

As a data point I have always found my early Ipad 1 and latest Ipad (bought this year) had plenty adequate gps positioning unless I had it tucked away in a side pocket of the RV-10.

Even on those occasions when I tuck it away and lose signal it will still almost always "lock on" when taken out. If it did not it, it still functions fine as a map, which is its primary purpose for me. I mainly navigate with the panel gps anyway.

YMMV
 
chrish said:
You are doing better than me! I can't get my iPad3 to log on with GPS when it is sitting right on the glare shield of the A330. Sometimes works on the ground, but airborne it rarely works. Interested to see how the new mini works. I will be getting the cellular, as tethering is just one more problem to worry about and one more unwanted distraction from flying the aircraft.

Oh, if you were in a 737, it is KNOTS, not MPH ;)
Click to expand...

Yes yes I know, but I was sitting next to my wife, It was easier to explain, by the way she was not impressed:cool:
 
n981ms said:
wifi+cellular every time for me.
Click to expand...

I was struggling with the same question/idea and as a previous user of an IPAD with cellular, which was only used for the GPS part of it, I knew its performance, limitations and simplicity.

I end up going the route of using the GPS that is provided with Skyradar and here is what I have found,
The accuracy is far greater than the built-in GPS
The simplicity is just the same
I pay Apple $130 less (always a plus for me) and I can use that for Avgas or other toys

The negative is that there is no GPS info if I am not in the plane
 
You were wasting money apparently. The IPAD GPS is free, no need to pay Apple 130 a year.
I have found the built in GPS is an accurate and simple as any, works every time with no additional stuff to worry about. As has been said, if you got a cell with a hotspot anyway, it is darned handy as a computer you can carry along..
Bavafa said:
I was struggling with the same question/idea and as a previous user of an IPAD with cellular, which was only used for the GPS part of it, I knew its performance, limitations and simplicity.

I end up going the route of using the GPS that is provided with Skyradar and here is what I have found,
The accuracy is far greater than the built-in GPS
The simplicity is just the same
I pay Apple $130 less (always a plus for me) and I can use that for Avgas or other toys

The negative is that there is no GPS info if I am not in the plane
Click to expand...
 
I believe the $130 Mehrdad refers to is in the purchase price not per year.

I can see the argument against if you are using Skyradar or other which has the gps any way. I have not gone the ADSB route yet but I still think I would miss the internal GPS and ability to activate a cellular plan occasionally.
 
Info on new iPad mini

I'm only an occasional iPad user - my wife has a Mini that we share. I keep thinking about getting my own - mostly for flight planning, not to use while flying.

There was a good article in the paper today (WSJ) that reviewed the new Mini that was released last week. The reviewer thought the mini was just as good as the Air if you are OK with the smaller screen size. In fact, the Mini has better resolution than the Air because they both have the same pixel count.

Availabilty of the new Mini is limited right now. I was checking out the Air at Walmart last night and they did not know that the new Mini had been released.
 
Yeah I think you are correct, I read it too fast, sorry.
n981ms said:
I believe the $130 Mehrdad refers to is in the purchase price not per year.

I can see the argument against if you are using Skyradar or other which has the gps any way. I have not gone the ADSB route yet but I still think I would miss the internal GPS and ability to activate a cellular plan occasionally.
Click to expand...
 
That is sort of how I use mine. For instance at Oshkosh, I activated the cell phone for a month, so I could do email and computer stuff easily, more easily than taking the laptop along. With WingX it also is convenient to have it as a stand alone unit.

Rick_A said:
I'm only an occasional iPad user - my wife has a Mini that we share. I keep thinking about getting my own - mostly for flight planning, not to use while flying.

There was a good article in the paper today (WSJ) that reviewed the new Mini that was released last week. The reviewer thought the mini was just as good as the Air if you are OK with the smaller screen size. In fact, the Mini has better resolution than the Air because they both have the same pixel count.

Availabilty of the new Mini is limited right now. I was checking out the Air at Walmart last night and they did not know that the new Mini had been released.
Click to expand...
 
[email protected] said:
Yes Tethering will pass the GPS data. Use it all the time with SkyCharts on my iPad 2 WiFi
Click to expand...

I guess I must be doing something wrong because I couldn't get it to work today while flying.

iPhone 5S on and tethered to my iPad. Even though no cellular coverage Foreflight on the iPhone worked great. (Little airplane flying through the sectional chart)

No luck on the iPad, open up the Foreflight sectional and no airplane and it wasn't able to locate where I was. (It was definitely tethered cause I saw the little chain link thing in the corner and my iPhone said 1 device connected)

Is there something else I need to turn on? I looked in Foreflight settings under devices but it said none available. (I suspect that might be for connecting a Stratus of other device.)

What am I doing wrong?
 
Just to follow up on my last post...

This morning I emailed Foreflight with my same question.

Here was their response...

Thanks for your email. Unfortunately there's no way for an iPhone5s to 'share' it's GPS data with another device.

Only the cellular model iPad contains the GPS chip that can be used to activate the moving map capabilities of ForeFlight Mobile. Please note, you do not require an active cellular data plan to use the internal GPS on these models. The WiFi-only model iPad can be paired with an external GPS like the Dual XGPS150 (http://goo.gl/ivJQ3M) or the Bad Elf Pro (http://goo.gl/coex1S) to provide location fixes in flight.

Let us know if you have any further questions, we're happy to help.


Not what I really wanted to hear, but hey at least I know why I couldn't get it to work.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by [email protected]
Yes Tethering will pass the GPS data. Use it all the time with SkyCharts on my iPad 2 WiFi

Iphone5s and iPad Air wifi only, attempted to tether using WingX app but the app keeps switching between "No GPS"
 
boom3 said:
Just to follow up on my last post...

This morning I emailed Foreflight with my same question.

Here was their response...

Thanks for your email. Unfortunately there's no way for an iPhone5s to 'share' it's GPS data with another device.

Only the cellular model iPad contains the GPS chip that can be used to activate the moving map capabilities of ForeFlight Mobile. Please note, you do not require an active cellular data plan to use the internal GPS on these models. The WiFi-only model iPad can be paired with an external GPS like the Dual XGPS150 (http://goo.gl/ivJQ3M) or the Bad Elf Pro (http://goo.gl/coex1S) to provide location fixes in flight.

Let us know if you have any further questions, we're happy to help.


Not what I really wanted to hear, but hey at least I know why I couldn't get it to work.
Click to expand...

I real do not understand this and all the other post that WiFi only iPads do not have internal gps. I get location fixes all the time with my old iPad 1 and now with my new iPad Air and Both are WiFi only. Can anyone explain this? Is it getting it through WiFi or ISP data? When I fly I use a Dual GPS but pretty sure I have tried it without and it still works. Maybe I do a few more flight tests.
 
fix is from known wifi location...

plehrke said:
I real do not understand this and all the other post that WiFi only iPads do not have internal gps. I get location fixes all the time with my old iPad 1 and now with my new iPad Air and Both are WiFi only. Can anyone explain this? Is it getting it through WiFi or ISP data? When I fly I use a Dual GPS but pretty sure I have tried it without and it still works. Maybe I do a few more flight tests.
Click to expand...

The fix provided for a wifi only iPad is from collecting the list of wifi signals and indexing them with known signals... pretty good for a location fix where you have wifi coverage but it will not work like a gps signal providing vector derived detail.
 
OK Here is the good news! I just bought the Ipad Mini with Retina,32GB and cellular/GPS based on my readigs at Foreflight.com... As previous threads you don't need the SERVICE. GUESS WHAT T-MOBILE JUST DID! They are offering FREE 200 MB of data to your Ipad Mini cellular as long as the T-MOBILE company is in business! Can't beat that! FREE! Canceled my order for the Verizon cellular and reordered with T-MOBILE cellular. I know 200 MB might not work for you but Iam lucky to use 40MB of data on my cell phone a month. Go to Apple .comm to check data service plans offered by the other carries. OH HAPPY DAYS! Money saved will help in your decision to buy the GPS/cellular pad.

Ron in Oregon
 
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