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GRT Avionics Aircraft Mounted Heads-Up Display

Just a quick post to point out that GRT Avionics now has an aircraft mounted Heads-Up Display. It is based on the Hudly aftermarket automotive HUD, available for only $300.

It will be on display at Airventure. I absolutely love it. For me, it is much more practical than the android glasses. I simply do not want to fly without it.

You can read about it here:

http://www.grtavionics.com/hud2.html

Apparently something we did took our website down, but it is back up now. Some portions of it might be loading unit 3:30 pm EDT.

Thanks, and fly safely to Oshkosh. I will see you there.

Greg Toman
President
GRT Avionics/Grand Rapids Technologies
 
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Hud Communication

The video for the HUD is generated by our android app. The android app receives the data it needs via Bluetooth from a GRT EFIS. We recommend using an used android phone for this purpose. If you don't have one, you can buy one on Ebay for well under $100. Phone service is not required, but MHL connectivity is required.

I expect a HUD will change everything that we will come to expect in our airplane's instrumentation.


Greg Toman
 
Now that's cool!

I know GRT wants to bring customers in to its own in-house products, but I wonder how the projector communicates, and whether some kind of Raspberry Pi or Arduino device could pick air data off the bus from other EFIS models and transmit it...
 
List of MHL phones from gethudly site and a tester url.
https://hudly.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003409128-List-of-MHL-Enabled-Phones?mobile_site=true
Hudly
Phone & App Compatibility
List of MHL-Enabled Phones

Hudly Support March 27, 2017 17:05
If you are on mobile, you can check if your phone has MHL here http://www.mhltech.org/DoIHaveMHL.aspx



Brand Model
Acer CloudMobile
Alcatel ONE TOUCH 997
Alcatel ONE TOUCH 997A
Alcatel ONE TOUCH 997D
Alcatel ONE TOUCH 998
Alcatel S800
Asus Padfone 2
Fujitsu 201F
Fujitsu A 301F
Fujitsu ARROWS A 101F
Fujitsu ARROWS X F-10D
Fujitsu ARROWS Z F-10D
Fujitsu ARROWS Z ISW13F
Fujitsu EM01F
Fujitsu F-01F
Fujitsu F-02F
Fujitsu F-02H
Fujitsu F-03F
Fujitsu F-03G
Fujitsu F-04G
Fujitsu F-04H
Fujitsu F-06E
Fujitsu FJL22
Fujitsu FJT21
Fujitsu M702
Fujitsu REGZA Phone T-02D
HTC 0P6B100
HTC 0PJA300
HTC 0PK7110
HTC 0PL2100
HTC 0PL2200
HTC Amaze 4G
HTC Butterfly
HTC Butterfly S
HTC Droid DNA
HTC EVO 3D
HTC EVO 4G LTE
HTC EVO View 4G
HTC Flyer
HTC HTC M8
HTC HTC One M8
HTC HTC One Max
HTC J ISW13HT
HTC Jetstream
HTC One
HTC One S
HTC One X
HTC One X+
HTC One XL
HTC Raider
HTC Rezound
HTC Sensation
HTC Sensation 4G
HTC Sensation XE
HTC Velocity
HTC Vivid
Huawei 403HW
Huawei Ascend D Quad
Huawei Ascend D1
Huawei Ascend D1 Quad
Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL
Huawei Ascend D2
Huawei Ascend P1
Huawei Ascend P1 S
Huawei Ascend P2
Huawei D2-6114
Huawei Huawei MediaPad 7 (S10-102L, S10-103L) Lite Android Tablet
Huawei HW-03E
Huawei Mediapad M1 8.0 (403HW)
Huawei P6 S-L01
Huawei P6 S-U06
Huawei S10-231L
Huawei S10-231W
Huawei S7-951wd
Huawei S7-961w
Huawei S8-303LY
Huawei U9200
ITE Tech. Inc. IT6681
ITE Tech. Inc. IT6682
ITE Tech. Inc. IT6683
ITE Tech. Inc. MHLTX IC
Kyocera KLY22
Kyocera KYL21
Kyocera KYV31
Kyocera KYY21
Kyocera KYY22
Kyocera KYY23
Kyocera WX10K
LG Nitro HD
LG Optimus 3D Max
LG Optimus 4X HD
LG Optimus G (LG-F180L)
LG Optimus GJ (LG-E975W)
LG Optimus LTE II
LG Optimus LTE Tag
LG Optimus Vu
LG Prada
LG Verizon Spectrum
Meizu MX
Meizu MX 2
NEC E1920-01
NEC E1921-01
NEC E1921-02
NEC E1921-03
NEC Casio Media X N-06E
OPPO Find 3
Panasonic Eluga P P-03E
Pantech Vega LTE
Samsung AT&T Galaxy Note LTE 5.3"
Samsung AT&T Galaxy S II *
Samsung AT&T Galaxy S II Skyrocket*
Samsung AT&T Galaxy S III *
Samsung Captivate Glide *
Samsung Cricket Galaxy S III *
Samsung Epic 4G Touch
Samsung Galaxy Express *
Samsung Galaxy K Zoom *
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 and 5.8*
Samsung Galaxy Nexus *
Samsung Galaxy Nexus 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 *
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo *
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 *
Samsung Galaxy Note 5.3"
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 *
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge *
Samsung Galaxy Note II *
Samsung Galaxy Note Pro *
Samsung Galaxy S II *
Samsung Galaxy S III *
Samsung Galaxy S4 *
Samsung Galaxy S4 TD-LTE *
Samsung Galaxy S5 *
Samsung Galaxy S5 Dual Sim *
Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom *
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8", 10.1" *
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5" *
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4" *
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 10.1" *
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4" *
Samsung S4 Active *
Samsung S4 Zoom *
Samsung SC-01F
Samsung SC-02F
Samsung SCL22
Samsung SGH-M819N
Samsung SHV-E470S
Samsung SM-G900T3
Samsung SM-G906S
Samsung SM-G910S
Samsung SM-N9002
Samsung SM-N9005
Samsung SM-N9006
Samsung SM-N9008
Samsung SM-N9009
Samsung SM-N900A
Samsung SM-N900D
Samsung SM-N900DSM-N900J
Samsung SM-N900J
Samsung SM-N900K
Samsung SM-N900L
Samsung SM-N900P
Samsung SM-N900R4
Samsung SM-N900S
Samsung SM-N900T
Samsung SM-N900V
Samsung SM-N900W8
Samsung SM-N900W9
Samsung SM-N900X
Samsung SM-N910A
Samsung SM-N916S
Samsung SM-P600
Samsung SM-P601
Samsung SM-P605
Samsung SM-P605K
Samsung SM-P605L
Samsung SM-P605M
Samsung SM-P605S
Samsung SM-S902L
Samsung SM-T320NU
Samsung SM-T707D
Samsung SM-T807
Samsung SM-T815
Samsung SM-T817
Samsung SM-T817A
Samsung SM-T817P
Samsung SM-T817R4
Samsung SM-T817T
Samsung SM-T817V
Samsung SM-T817W
Samsung SPH-L720T
Samsung Sprint Galaxy Nexus
Samsung Sprint Galaxy S III *
Samsung Straight Talk Galaxy S III*
Samsung T-Mobile Galaxy S II *
Samsung T-Mobile Galaxy S III *
Samsung U.S. Cellular Galaxy S III *
Samsung Verizon Galaxy Nexus LTE
Samsung Verizon Galaxy S III *
Sharp AQUOS PAD SHT21
Sharp AQUOS Phone SERIE ISW16SH
Sharp AQUOS Phone Sv SH-10D
Sharp AQUOS Phone Zeta SH-09D
Sharp AQUOS Xx 106SH
Sharp SH-08E
Sharp SH-930W
Sony 401SO
Sony 501SO
Sony C6802
Sony C6902
Sony C6903
Sony C6906
Sony C6916
Sony C6943
Sony D5503
Sony D5803
Sony D5833
Sony D6503
Sony D6603
Sony D6616
Sony D6633
Sony D6643
Sony D6653
Sony E5803
Sony E5823
Sony E6508
Sony E6533
Sony E6553
Sony E6603
Sony E6633
Sony E6643
Sony E6653
Sony E6683
Sony E6833
Sony E6883 & E6853
Sony L39h
Sony L39t
Sony L55t
Sony L55u
Sony M55w & SO-02G
Sony SGP412
Sony SGP712
Sony SGP771
Sony SO-01F
Sony SO-01G & SOL26
Sony SO‐01H
Sony SO-02F
Sony SO‐02H
Sony SO-03G
Sony SO‐03H
Sony SO-04D
Sony SO-05G
Sony SOL23
Sony SOL24
Sony Sony Xperia Z5
Sony Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Sony Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
Sony SOT31
Sony SOV31 & 402SO
Sony SOV32
Sony Xperia A
Sony Xperia A2
Sony Xperia GX
Sony Xperia J1 Compact
Sony Xperia SP
Sony Xperia SX
Sony Xperia T
Sony Xperia Tablet Z
Sony Xperia Tablet Z4
Sony Xperia TL
Sony Xperia TX
Sony Xperia UL
Sony Xperia V
Sony Xperia Z
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Sony Xperia Z1
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Sony Xperia Z1 f
Sony Xperia Z1S
Sony Xperia Z2
Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Tablet
Sony Xperia Z3+
Sony Xperia Z3v
Sony Xperia Z4
Sony Xperia Z4v
Sony Xperia ZL
Sony Xperia ZR
Xiaomi Xiaomi Phone 2
ZTE Era
ZTE Grand Era LTE
ZTE Grand Memo
ZTE Grand S
ZTE Grand S LTE
ZTE Nubia Z5
ZTE PF120
ZTE PF200
ZTE U970


Last updated 2/20/2017
 
So for those of us who already own GRT EFIS products (like my HX and Mini-X) what's the cost going to be for the GRT portion of product (GRT Remote App with HUD support)?

I'm not yet flying but will be soon. I looked hard at the GRT Vision glasses and would have gone that route but really wanted a HUD. Now I'll have to do some measuring in our aircraft to see how this HUD might mount. The necessity for proximity between the glass and projector is the primary challenge that I see.

This could really be a huge step forward for our cockpit - very exciting. And, as usual, GRT brings it to market ahead of everybody else. Well done Greg and team!
 
Hud Details

The GRT Remote app, with the HUD support, is no charge, but the HUD part only works for the first 5 hours of HUD use. After 5 hours, if you like the HUD, it will cost $150 to enable the HUD functionality, permanently. This will include all updates to the HUD. The idea is to make it no-risk to give it a try.

As for the spacing of the projector, combiner glass, windscreen, etc...it is not a challenge. It will fit in just perfectly with no effort. I stuck mine right in front of me, and love it there. You will find it does an amazing job...far beyond your expectations. Even the projector, that I thought might block some of my forward vision, turned out to be a non-issue.

I was a bit torn on charging for this at all, as I feel the benefit of a HUD is substantial, and I want to see as many as possible make use of it. I am convinced the heads-down display is a compromise, and a heads-up display is a much more effective way to get that data into the pilots head, in a way that is natural.

Greg Toman
GRT Avionics/Grand Rapids Technologies
 
What is the weight of the projector / how does it need to be mounted? IOW, is it going to be usable with my tip up canopy?
 
Projector Orientation

Can the Projector be mounted in an area down low pointing up, say in front of the stick , with the combiner glass on the edge of the glare shield?

OR

Can the projector be neslted into a notch in the top of the glare sheild aimed upward at the combiner on the canopy?
 
Mounting options

The projector only weights a few ounces. It mounts using double-sided foam tape. It would mount equally as well on a tip up as a slider. On a slider, the projector mounts on the very top of the windscreen. It seems to be designed to have the combiner glass about 7.3 inches from the base of the project. I experimented, and I found I liked it about 8 inches away...maybe even a little more. It makes the image a little larger.

The app will have an option to invert the image. This will allow mounting the projector from below. The projector will still need to be 7-8 inches from the combiner glass, so I am not sure how well that will work. The angle of the combiner glass would be more parallel to the windscreen, allowing it to be positioned further forward, which might help.

We are also going to see if it is practical for the app to reverse (mirror) the image. This would allow the use of a mirror to possibly allow for a compact, built-in type installation. Don't count on this yet though.

Thanks
Greg
 
Cudos

Half of my flying career has been behind a HUD.....and I am convinced it's the optimal cockpit instrument for safety and situational awareness....way to go Greg and GRT!

Now if you could just get us an Apple based OS.....! :)
 
This is a specific request to Greg and the GRT team...

Would it be possible for you to post on the GRT web page scans of the cardboard templates which HUDley provides with the unit? Ideally these scans would include a dimensional reference so we can print them out and fabricate our own cardboard templates. This would facilitate installation brainstorming / fit checking for those of us who might not be flying an RV6 and have other fit-related concerns.

In case you can't tell, I'm really excited about the prospect of having a HUD in our airplane!
 
hudly

This is a specific request to Greg and the GRT team...

Would it be possible for you to post on the GRT web page scans of the cardboard templates which HUDley provides with the unit? Ideally these scans would include a dimensional reference so we can print them out and fabricate our own cardboard templates. This would facilitate installation brainstorming / fit checking for those of us who might not be flying an RV6 and have other fit-related concerns.

In case you can't tell, I'm really excited about the prospect of having a HUD in our airplane!
There is a lot of good info here, but I can't be sure it's 100% current. Could help. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hudly-a-heads-up-display-for-all-cars-phones-mobile-technology#/

https://hudly.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003197687-What-are-the-dimensions-of-Hudly-
 
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I saw this unit at OSH. It's amazing. The projection is extremely bright, and I don't doubt Greg at all when he says it does great in sunlight.

I'm hooked!


If you were to tell me 20 years ago when I started building my 6A that I would someday be flying behind a HUD in it I would have told you were crazy.

Wowzers.
 
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Hud Planning

When I get back home I will update the HUD manual I created with some details about the size of the projector, and the position of the combiner glass relative to the projector. I can tell you a bit now to get you started.

The projector is probably less than 3" x 3" x 2" tall. It is small enough that it is not really a factor when it comes to its position on the windshield. It does not really block your view enough to be significant in the RV-6. In my RV-10 it looks like it will be even less of a factor. So basically, don't worry too much about this part.

The part that I need to learn more about is how far to place the combiner from the projector. The trade off here seems to be that you get a bigger image when the combiner is further from the projector, and up to a point this seems good. It might make the image distorted if you get too far apart, or maybe not...maybe it makes the positioning of your head more critical. In any event, Hudly says to position combiner 7.3" from the projector. I mistakenly had it too close, it worked, but when I moved it to about 7.5-8" from the projector, I definitely liked it better. The image was bigger, and still very clear, and my head position was not critical.

I am also going to make some EFIS softkey controls for the HUD. I expect that I will end up with a softkey for the HUD that will allow you to turn off all symbology on the HUD. This will actually cause the android app to clear its screen, so the HUD will be displaying a blank screen. (If you turn off the video to the HUDLY, it puts up an image "Please connect your device", which I don't want up there.) I will probably allow you to wire to a discrete input, or an EIS aux input, to turn the symbology on/off with a toggle switch. I expect that some IFR pilots will want the HUD on when IFR, but might want the freedom to easily turn it off once the runway environment is in sight. Personally I would leave it up, but my guess is that some might not. I remember the test pilots at Boeing always asked, "How do I turn it off" when it came to any new automation.

I might also have other controls for the HUD, based on my judgement of what we need. For example, I might have a de-clutter, or maybe two different line width modes. Time will tell. These are candidates for softkey control via the EFIS.

That should get you started.

Thanks
Greg Toman
GRT Avionics/Grand Rapids Technologies, inc.
 
A post at midnight... In the middle of the busiest aviation show on earth. THAT says something about how excited Greg is about this product!

Thanks, Greg, for posting these details. In off-forum discussions I heard a question about "what's being done for that $150 fee, when the Hudly will already mirror the screen of the phone, just have the phone running the GRT app and showing the EFIS display." Your note above goes a long way toward letting us know there's a quite a bit more to this than meets the eye.

Another question for you... Some of us, particularly in the non-RV world, would benefit from having greater distance between the projector and glass. In our Glasair Sportsman, for example, mounting the projector on the glare shield would allow a nearly straight shot to the glass, but when I measured it last night 10" would be far easier to work with than 7-8" between the devices. When I asked the question of Hudly support they indicated this was do-able, provided the raw image being fed to the Hudly wasn't so large that it spilled off the edge of the screen.

From a GRT perspective, would it be possible to provide some "sizing" adjustment of the output image to facilitate the glass being a bit further from the projector?

I like the improvements you're considering, especially the on/off toggle, whether it's on the EFIS or a discrete switch input. Please don't make it solely an EIS input - some of us don't run EIS devices so for us a discrete into the EIS would become a limitation rather than a feature.

From my personal perspective the things I want to see on the HUD, in order of precedence, are:
- altitude airspeed & heading tapes
- horizon line & skid/slip ball
- AOA - with variable scaling to make it more visible in approach mode
- aircraft energy indicator (that funny little thing that tells us where the aircraft is actually going, using its current energy vector)
- winds aloft indicator
- obstacle warnings
- lateral/vertical guidance cues
- master caution (for those using an EIS)
- nav and autopilot modes

Thanks for all the effort you're putting into making an affordable HUD a reality.
 
Excited?

Yes, I have to say that I am a bit excited about the HUD. I had to remove the HUD from my airplane to put it in our demo at the booth before I flew to OSH. Bummer!

Good feedback on what you are looking for. I agree with your list of things we need on the HUD. I already have most of them, but not all. I would add to your list with autopilot engaged indicator (something small...I don't want to clutter it too much), and pitch servo trim required indicator.

I think the highway-in-the-sky would be nice as a user selectable option, and a representation of the runway...probably just outline the corners.

I don't have tons of control over the mounting distance between the projector and the combiner glass, so for now I think we will be limited 7-8...maybe up to 10 inches apart. I will experiment with this more when I get home. It might work up to 10", but the image will get so big it will fill the combiner glass and might make your head/eye position more critical.

I do have some control over correcting the optical distortions (using software), so that will allow more flexibility in the angles between projector to combiner, combiner to eyes. I also am including the ability to mount the projector upside down or rightside up.

I am having second thoughts about allows for use of a first-surface mirror. The mirror would probably end up blocking your view out the window, unless you positioned the combiner low on the windscreen. I do not want my combiner low. I want it positioned so the outside world horizon passes through the middle of it when in cruise flight. Note that in order to allow for use of a mirror, out software would have to mirror the image, which could be to time consuming for the software/processor. So for now, don't consider using a mirror.

When planning your installation, think about what part of the view out your window is most important to you. In my RV-6A, the area just above the glareshield/just over the cowl is important to me, so I will not put things that block my view there. When I flare, I noticed this is where my eyes go to sense the ground. In my RV-10 I sit up much higher, looking more down on the cowl, so maybe it will be different. Looking up, through projector, is easy (strange) and I didn't care in the least with its impact when mounted on the windscreen, against the roll over bar in my slider.

Ok...back to the show!

Greg Toman
GRT Avionics.

PS. Hudly emailed me! They are interested in what we are doing. Could lead to more good things. I have my ideas for them!
 
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smaller projector

...PS. Hudly emailed me! They are interested in what we are doing. Could lead to more good things. I have my ideas for them!
See if they can make the projector smaller/more powerful/different locations - struggling to see how it would work in my RV8 without blocking visibility, but if it were small, on the glarescreen, off to the right, that might work.
 
When planning your installation, think about what part of the view out your window is most important to you. In my RV-6A, the area just above the glareshield/just over the cowl is important to me, so I will not put things that block my view there. When I flare, I noticed this is where my eyes go to sense the ground. In my RV-10 I sit up much higher, looking more down on the cowl, so maybe it will be different. Looking up, through projector, is easy (strange) and I didn't care in the least with its impact when mounted on the windscreen, against the roll over bar in my slider.

Ok...back to the show!

Greg Toman

Aha! Greg - your comments here perfectly encapsulate the reasoning behind my questions about mounting variability.

In the 2-seat RV's the windshield isn't very tall so there's little distance between the glare shield and canopy bow, thus your comment about "sighting down the cowl" for landing references. By contrast, in our Sportsman the windshield is quite tall and one tends to sit up high in the saddle, thus one would use a different set of visual cues/references when flying. Getting the HUD in the right position to help a pilot while not hindering his/her critical visual cuing is not an easy task. Ultimately the end product will benefit from maximizing the product's capacity to accommodate variations in installations.

I'll second your comments about autopilot status annunciation - that was kind of what I was hinting at with my previous comment on nav and autopilot modes. I failed to provide precision in my comment and you caught what is most certainly THE most important A/P annunciation - A/P engaged.

WRT showing the synthetic vision runway, I've seen this done previously and it left me at 6s and 7s as to its usefulness. The real concern is the runway position on the glass will appear to move with head movement; if one is flying an approach in low weather there's a concern that the relative motion between the real runway and the HUD representation might overwhelm a pilot and cause their attention to be drawn away from the lat/vert guidance indications. Still, having this feature available through a software toggle switch would, I'm sure, make it easier to pick out a runway in the distance.

As for excitement, yeah, I'm kind of excited about this development, too! Our "project" came to us with a GRT WS EFIS in the panel. As a dyed-in-the-wool Dynon guy I wasn't too keen on the WS, then I started doing some reading which caused me to upgrade it to an HS, then an HX and then to be one of the earliest adopters of the Mini-X for my backup instrument. It's because you keep pushing and innovating that I'm so very pleased I stuck with the GRT equipment. Now all I have to do is get the airplane flying... :)
 
Hud projector position

As for the position of the projector...it end up in front and above you. If you look at the photos of it mounted in my RV-6 slider, it is on the windshield, in front of the rollover structure. This positions the combiner in the middle of the windshield. I doubt there would be any problem mounting it in any Vans airplane, even an rv-3 or rv-4, and definitely bright enough.

I expect, like me, you will eventually be surprised how different it is from your initial expectations.

Greg Toman
 
A friend showed me the HUD in his new Prius last weekend, and after seeing Greg's announcement and the 30 day return policy from Hudly, I decided to order one for my truck (2011 Ford Ranger). I ordered the OBD2 powered unit with the iPhone interface.

I installed it yesterday, so this is more of a first impression review rather than one with much experience.

I now have an OAT display in my truck, which is something I've wanted for awhile. :)

Hudly has two recommended mounting positions for the projector, both of which placed the projector in my line of site looking out the window. This will vary depending on how high the seats are in your vehicle, and how tall you are, but in my case I determined that it presented a safety hazard. After placing the projector and screen in a variety of places to test, I ended up mounting it behind the left side of the rear view mirror with about half of the projector visible below the mirror. I was careful to preserve the angles and distances between the projector and screen as laid out by the paper template they provide.

The display is bright, and I had no trouble seeing it in the bright sunlight this morning. I have not yet tried it at night.

Due to the curved nature of the projection screen, it is hard to get a perfect image. However, with large icons/numbers, the display is very usable. My default is the OBD2 info with speed, rpms, and OAT. Running an app on the iPhone like Google Maps is usable viewing the map, although reading the small text is more difficult, but bear in mind that the Google Maps app is not optimized for a HUD display. I'm hoping to test more apps over the next few days.

It has a somewhat limited field of view. I could move my head about 2 inches in either direction before the edges of the image became distorted/fuzzy or started to get cut off. This will likely vary depending on the distance between your head and the projection screen, and possibly the mounting location.

My wife came out and asked me what I was tinkering with, so I let her try it. She is shorter than I am and could not see much of the display without boosting herself up a bit in the seat, so the screen will have to be adjusted for each driver. On the positive side the adjustment of the projection screen is easy to do, but on the negative you can't reach the screen when sitting in a normal driving position so it takes a few attempts to get it adjusted properly.

There is a difference in focal distance between the outside world and the HUD display. My wife wears bifocals, and was having a hard time seeing it. I wear single prescription glasses and did not have that problem, but did note my eyes changing focus when moving back and forth between looking at a vehicle in front of me and the HUD. I found that quick glances worked better than trying to focus on it, especially when you have large numbers being displayed like the speed or temperature.

I also noticed that each eye was seeing a slightly different image, again presuming this has something to do with the curved screen. What I mean by this is that closing one eye then opening it and closing the other to compare the images, you could see slight differences in the edges of the image. This made it harder to focus directly on the screen, but using the quick glance method seems to work well.

Another observation is that it is a "floating" display, which means that when you move your head, the image appears to move slightly. It is a bit disorienting at first but I suspect that with more use this will not be an issue.

Since it has speakers built in I was hoping that I could use it as a hands-free device for phone calls, but this does not seem to be the case (and nowhere does Hudly claim it will do this). The projector speakers do work for playing music, voice from turn by turn directions, etc, but they are of poor quality. The speakers in the iPhone are better, IMHO.

The iPhone does get charged when plugged into the HUD.

Overall I think a lot of people will like it, and others will not. I haven't yet decided if I want one in my Glastar tied to the GRT HX, and am hoping that more experience with it in the truck will help with that decision.

-Dj
 
Thanks for providing this feedback, Dj.

At this stage in our build I've had to enforce a "no more changes" rule so I won't be jumping on this bandwagon immediately - getting the airplane flying is of utmost importance. In the meantime I'm going to be paying very close attention to the experiences of others.

Thanks again for posting the feedback.
 
My wish list has one major item. Eliminate the need for a droid device and have the projector communicate directly with the EFIS. This will require a hardware upgrade by Hudly, but Greg has their attention, so I'm holding off purchase until the dust settles.
 
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They wouldnt bite on the glasses stuff, even tho GRT did. My guess is they'll wait a long time before they do this. For sure, the HUD is way better than the glasses ever were.

Now if Garmin goes for it, everyone will have them in an instant.
 
They wouldnt bite on the glasses stuff, even tho GRT did. My guess is they'll wait a long time before they do this. For sure, the HUD is way better than the glasses ever were.

Now if Garmin goes for it, everyone will have them in an instant.
I'm not sure...Without actually trying them on to see if there are any downsides, I reckon would prefer the glasses, that way you have PFD information anywhere you are looking, rather than just through the HUD. I'm somewhat disappointed that Dynon's 'only' announcement at Oshkosh was they're moving into the certified market - not that that is a bad thing, but I was hoping for something for us too. Like maybe AR glasses or something...
 
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The proper term is Head (singular) Up Display, meaning that the pilot can see it with the head up. "Heads Up!" means "look out!"

Common error, but worth fixing.

Ed
 
... not sure about that.

Agree. It's too late, heads up display is already ingrained in our speech. Reminds me of a few years back when we first started seeing all the nice big tv screens. The correct term was flat panel TV; flat screen TV was something else. Didn't make any difference, people kept saying flat screen and it stuck.

Erich
 
Android "stick" Computer

My wish list has one major item. Eliminate the need for a droid device and have the projector communicate directly with the EFIS. This will require a hardware upgrade by Hudly, but Greg has their attention, so I'm holding off purchase until the dust settles.

I recall the attendant at the GRT booth mentioning this possibility as well; however, I currently don't see this functionality mentioned anywhere in the description of the newest wireless Hudly:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericshun/hudly-wireless-focus-on-the-road?ref=1eqcrl

Incidentally, I did pledge at the $199 ($209 shipped) level on Kickstarter to receive the new version of Hudly in March. Worst case is it doesn't cooperate with Android/GRT and I put it in the car.

That being said, the GRT documentation does specifically detail the option of using an Android "stick" computer that could be had for less than $100 thereby negating the need for a handset. With a little configuring the GRT HUD app would launch on power-up, and permit stowing the stick out of sight. I found this one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/RKM-Android-Ethernet-Bluetooth4-0-Streaming/dp/B00RGMI3TU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514413036&sr=8-1&keywords=RKM+android

I'm building a Panther (gasp!) and plan to install the GRT-Mini + Hudly if for no other reason than to keep my head out of the cockpit.
 
I recall the attendant at the GRT booth mentioning this possibility as well; however, I currently don't see this functionality mentioned anywhere in the description of the newest wireless Hudly:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericshun/hudly-wireless-focus-on-the-road?ref=1eqcrl

Incidentally, I did pledge at the $199 ($209 shipped) level on Kickstarter to receive the new version of Hudly in March. Worst case is it doesn't cooperate with Android/GRT and I put it in the car.

That being said, the GRT documentation does specifically detail the option of using an Android "stick" computer that could be had for less than $100 thereby negating the need for a handset. With a little configuring the GRT HUD app would launch on power-up, and permit stowing the stick out of sight. I found this one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/RKM-Android-Ethernet-Bluetooth4-0-Streaming/dp/B00RGMI3TU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514413036&sr=8-1&keywords=RKM+android

I'm building a Panther (gasp!) and plan to install the GRT-Mini + Hudly if for no other reason than to keep my head out of the cockpit.

Wow! Would this talk to an iPad with FF and syn vis? If so, it would seem to be an incredible safety tool. The iPhone version of FF is a little more limited but still would be a significant addition, I would think.

You say that the worst thing that could happen would be that you'd put it in your car but is there any assurance that it will actually be delivered?

Thanks,
John
 
Worst case...

When you back the Kickstart for the nextgen Hudly in the link provided in my previous post, they indicate that credit cards aren't charged until the unit ships. Also, based on the following link the new unit does appear to be wirelessly compatible with IOS mirroring:

https://gethudly.com/pages/wireless-setup
 
When you back the Kickstart for the nextgen Hudly in the link provided in my previous post, they indicate that credit cards aren't charged until the unit ships. Also, based on the following link the new unit does appear to be wirelessly compatible with IOS mirroring:

https://gethudly.com/pages/wireless-setup

I signed up. We'll see! I am comforted that they have a primary audience in the auto industry-more volume and influence than aviation alone.

Thanks.
 
Thanks for the link, Brian. At that discounted price point I am ready to play with this now, having missed a HUD for a long time.

Now if someone could just come up with a nice experimental RADALT . . .
 
Hudly

Thanks for the link, Brian. At that discounted price point I am ready to play with this now, having missed a HUD for a long time.

Now if someone could just come up with a nice experimental RADALT . . .
can't find it now, but I believe someone has been testing one...

I was encouraged that GRT has said that they will support the wireless Hudly, so I also signed up for the kickstarter.

http://grtavionics.com/grt-avionics-support-hudly-wireless-heads-display/

DECEMBER 18, 2017 BY GRTADMIN
GRT Avionics to support Hudly Wireless Heads-Up Display
The latest Heads-Up Display by Hudly, the Hudly Wireless, will be directly supported by GRT Avionics. Our approach to driving after-market Heads-Up Displays(HUD) allows for full functionality of this HUD as well as display optimization using existing user settings. We will evaluate this display when it becomes available for possible optimizations and recommendations to our customers.
 
That being said, the GRT documentation does specifically detail the option of using an Android "stick" computer that could be had for less than $100 thereby negating the need for a handset. With a little configuring the GRT HUD app would launch on power-up, and permit stowing the stick out of sight. I found this one on Amazon:

Nice. Would this plug into the USB port on the GRT EFIS for power or would you need a separate usb connected to ship?s power?

Seriously considering signing up for the Kickstarter. This stuff is way too cool.
 
AFS connectivity

I wonder if my AFS 5600 or Dynons could be made to BT data (IAS, altitude and command bars for example) to the HUD? That would be a great tool.
 
If it does iPhone mirroring, couldn?t you just use any of the syn vis displays in the EFBs? Like WingX or Aerovie?
 
If it does iPhone mirroring, couldn?t you just use any of the syn vis displays in the EFBs? Like WingX or Aerovie?


You can display anything, including Google Maps if you wanted to. :)

I have the original Hudly in my truck, and it simply displays whatever is on the iPhone screen.

-Dj
 
The GRT HUD is Great!

I finally got a chance to connect with Greg on a demo HUD, and installed in the RV-8 last week. I had a nice long flight into a wicked headwind up to Yakima the Sunday (and an equally delightful flight back with a GREAT tailwind yesterday) to play with the unit, and I am impressed! For those who have flown Boeing (or military) HUD's before, the symbology will be familiar, and I found that I was hardly looking down at the EFIS screens for anything but engine parameters. The velocity vector helped me know where I was going by looking at the REAL world, not the synthetic vision, and he's got some other cool features in the software as well.

It's really a perfect fit in the RV-8, and I'm looking forward to further exploring its capabilities.

I did a brief write-up on the magazine web site the other day about it:

https://newsline.kitplanes.com/2018/02/04/huds-up/

If you've got a GRT EFIS, this thing is a really cool addition to the airplane!

Paul
 
Paul, just curious. Did Greg make any comments on the new wireless hudly that is due out in March? He has posted on GRT?s site that it will be supported, but I?m curious if he has had a chance to evaluate a preproduction example and how it will behave in an aviation environment. It?s a self contained unit that sits on the dash, no separate projector and screen.
 
Paul, just curious. Did Greg make any comments on the new wireless hudly that is due out in March? He has posted on GRT’s site that it will be supported, but I’m curious if he has had a chance to evaluate a preproduction example and how it will behave in an aviation environment. It’s a self contained unit that sits on the dash, no separate projector and screen.
He didn’t mention it to me. I am using a stick pc to run the app and drive the Hudly. Wireless would be nice to clean things up in the cockpit, but frankly, I have so many pieces of stuff I am testing that it’s a rats nest already - so what’s a couple more wires? :rolleyes:

Paul
 
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Quick look at the next generation Hudly Wireless interfacing with my GRT Sport SX in my tipup -6A:


zpUFk2hl.jpg



Still experimenting with mounting geometry and such, hoping to have a single mount capable of adapting to different lines of sight, depending on pilot seated height.

It is taking some effort to wrap my brain around the lack of infinity focus. I am trying not to be like the Boeing test pilots ("How do I turn it off?").

Of note, the MHL requirement no longer limits your hardware options, I am temporarily using a Galaxy S7 Edge and it's Smart View capability to cast the image from the GRT App in HUD mode. $28 compute stick is on the way from China.

More later as I figure things out.
 
Mike

I have a computer stick I?m using with my setup. Trouble I?m having is that every time I reboot the Hudly, it asks for the screen from the Android device be cast to it. I can only do that if a monitor is connected to the computer stick. I?m using an RKM V5. Couldn?t find a default setting to do this either.

Am I missing something? Wouldn?t be the first time...

What I have found that I can do is remove the WiFi dongle on the Hudly and then hardwire the computer stick to the Hudly via a HDMI extension cable.
 
My Hudly arrived last week but i've been too busy lately to spend much time with it yet... I did get out for a drive with it to give a quick test. Two things came to mind after driving with it:

1. The "infinity focus" that was supposed to be "like having a screen 6' away on the hood of the car" is laughable. The focusing distance is about 2-3" behind the half-silvered reflector.

2. Given that there are no special optics to get an "infinity" display, I don't see why this is better than just having the half-silvered mirror on its own, and placing your cell phone below it instead. That way you don't have to pair anything. It would require OS-level support for reversing the screen, which Android has hooks for... Not sure about iOS.

That said, having Google Maps playing while I was driving was quite nice (my car doesn't have satnav, and if it did it would be down out of sight where the radio is). I don't have a GRT so i'm looking for a good HUD app to try in flight.
 
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