Do I need this WiFi adapter?

[RNB]

Dynon sv system, Avidyne 440 gps, dynon com radios, dual afs 6600 screens

The EFIS screens have dual usb ports. One has charts, the other has a WiFi adapter.

My read of this adapter is that it is used to transfer flight plans from stuff like a phone, perhaps share traffic and position data.

I think my phone pairs with the Avidyne.
I do not transfer flight plans and only use the avidyne for such.
For long trips I fly with a portable Adsb receiver as back up paired to an iPad.

Am I safe to unplug the usb WiFi adapter? Will I lose other functions I have not mentioned? Isn’t everything else likely hardwired?

Thank you.

 

[RVDan]

The wifi adapter allows the Skyview system to talk to ForeFlight, upload and download Skyview flight plans and provide certain ADS-B in data to ForeFlight.
You can still upload flight plans to the IFD from ForeFlight. Foreflight will give you a choice of devices to upload to.

 

[MacCool]

That wifi network has some other somewhat more esoteric functions, but its main function is transferring flight plans. I use an IFD440 with an AFS EFIS....both have a wifi network. I've found that it works most conveniently for me to upload Foreflight flight plans to the IFD440 rather than the AFS EFIS, just part of my workflow. The only advantage for one vs the other that I can think of is interfacing with the autopilot. In my case, both the AFS and the Avidyne address the 429, the actual source being selectable with a switch on the panel. No flight plan in the EFIS does leave me without the ability to control the AP from the EFIS. Not a big deal for my particular flying. Back when I was using a 430W (before the Avidyne), uploading to the EFIS was the only option. Now, I can upload to both navigation devices but need to only rarely. Naturally, I can enter flight plans directly on either or both devices, and don't really need a wifi network on either, it's just more convenient.

Bottom line, if you're not uploading flight plans to your Dynon, you don't need the wifi adapter. In my case, I dont have any other used for the USB port on the back of the EFIS so I just leave it plugged in and select the AFS network only if and when I need it, which is rarely these days.

 

[RNB]

That wifi network has some other somewhat more esoteric functions, but its main function is transferring flight plans. I use an IFD440 with an AFS EFIS....both have a wifi network. I've found that it works most conveniently for me to upload Foreflight flight plans to the IFD440 rather than the AFS EFIS, just part of my workflow. The only advantage for one vs the other that I can think of is interfacing with the autopilot. In my case, both the AFS and the Avidyne address the 429, the actual source being selectable with a switch on the panel. No flight plan in the EFIS does leave me without the ability to control the AP from the EFIS. Not a big deal for my particular flying. Back when I was using a 430W (before the Avidyne), uploading to the EFIS was the only option. Now, I can upload to both navigation devices but need to only rarely. Naturally, I can enter flight plans directly on either or both devices, and don't really need a wifi network on either, it's just more convenient.

Bottom line, if you're not uploading flight plans to your Dynon, you don't need the wifi adapter. In my case, I dont have any other used for the USB port on the back of the EFIS so I just leave it plugged in and select the AFS network only if and when I need it, which is rarely these days.

What do you mean by select it? Can I turn it off but leave the wifi adapter in?

 

[rolivi]

What do you mean by select it? Can I turn it off but leave the wifi adapter in?

I'm reading this as: Both wifi networks will be available and you SELECT which one to connect to with your partable.

But I'm often wrong.

There was a question as to wether you need the port for something else. Thoughts on that?

 

[MacCool]

What do you mean by select it? Can I turn it off but leave the wifi adapter in?

You can have several wifi networks running in your cockpit at any given time, you just have to select which one you want your iPad/iPhone to connect to. I have four running at the same time...my 5400 EFIS, my EchoUAT, my IFD440, and my Sentry.

If you want to disable wifi on your 6600, you can just pull the wifi adapter or you can disable that option in the 6600's settings (go to SET > WiFi or enter calibration mode via SET > Hold CAL and navigate to the Wi-Fi setup page). There's no compelling reason to do that, IMHO, you can just let them all run.