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Wish list- ADS-B weather + iPad running Foreflight, at less than a 1K.

nomocom

Well Known Member
Sent an email to Foreflight earlier today asking if they are looking at interfacing with an ADS-B receiver for updating weather while in the air.

The technology exists in the marketplace already. SkyRadar has demonstrated it can be done. They have an iPad system, but at $1160 for the receiver and a user interface that is lightly used and has poor reviews, it offers little attraction. Instead, I'd like the best hardware and software leaders to provide a system that will work together nicely for under 1K.

So my wish list is a iPad running the widely adopted and acclaimed Foreflight HD, connected to an inexpensive ADS-B receiver. IMHO, MGL would be the likely candidate for building a receiver using modern cost saving technology, but they've got the transponder to get out, so could be a while. Below is a link to Rainier's old post. Rainier, I'm just saying, if you build it, we will come! :D

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?p=452391&highlight=ads-b#post452391
 
TruTrak has available in the App store their iMonitor EMS application that with their TS-83 WiFi module allows you to view TruTrak EMS information on your iPhone/iPad. Theoretically, they could this expand this to allow this app to receive information from their EFIS products that somehow has a Navworks or other ADS-B connection.

AFS connects their multiple EFIS/EMS products with Ethernet. When you have just two systems, a simple Ethernet crossover cable can be used to connect them. Some builders using AFS are install four port switches to allow future expansion with other AFS devices that connect via the Ethernet.

Netgear makes an inexpensive Mobile Broadband router that operates on 12 volts and uses a USB uplink rather than Ethernet. With a USB uplink you can connect it to a Sprint MiFi or USB Mobile Broadband device.

The setup in the below picture would provide Internet connectivity while on the ground and since the Sprint MiFi and USB devices include a GPS, position information on the ground and in the air for WiFi only iPad users. I specifically mention Sprint devices because Verizon disables GPS in their MiFi & USB devices.

With this configuration, AFS (or someone else) could write an app that would allow the iPad to view any information from the AFS system?ADS-B, flight information, EMS information, etc.

afs-ads-b.jpg
 
weather info (FIS-B) and iPad

Netgear makes an inexpensive Mobile Broadband router that operates on 12 volts and uses a USB uplink rather than Ethernet. With a USB uplink you can connect it to a Sprint MiFi or USB Mobile Broadband device.

afs-ads-b.jpg

William,
Cool. Setting up network in the airplane would be lots of fun- especially if we could figure out the internet connectivity part during flight. In your above layout, wouldn't the navworx already be supplying one of the EFIS units FIS-B, so the iPad is sorta just an extra screen at that point? I'm heading a bit simpler direction. I'm looking for a vendor that recognizes the iPad is fast becoming the new tool of choice, and therefore supplies a portable, relatively simple standalone system that can move from airplane to airplane along with the iPad. Here's a link reviewing skyradar- it allready does the job of offering ads-b weather (aka FIS-B or FISDL), they don't get positive reviews for their user interface.

http://www.skyradar.net/images/PDFs/EAAArticle/070-074_trendsAUG_v2.pdf

Skyradar 2 stars and 215 ratings.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skyradar/id373247813?mt=8
versus
Foreflight 3.5 stars, 4500+ ratings for all versions of Foreflight, and better ratings more recently for HD- 4.5 stars
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foreflight-mobile-hd-aviation/id333252638?mt=8

If a vendor doesn't pick this up, then a project for a someone with builder and ham skill sets? Here's a link I found on rolling your own ads-b reciever. Don't know if this simple reciever could sort out the weather part, as after searching, I'm not very clear on how the TIS-B and FIS-B are transmitted other than they go out on 978 mhz. I know VAF has some dedicated ham folks that have really run with APRS. I can't help but wonder if FIS-B would also be ripe for a similar effort.

http://www.lll.lu/~edward/edward/adsb/Very Simple ADSB receiver.html

There are two jobs here, the low cost reciever and the other being handling the data so it can show up on the iPad.

I did get an email back from Foreflight and it was confirmed they are working on an in flight weather solution, no published schedule and he didn't specify xm or ads-b, but he said it was a high priority item.

William- I get to enjoy your VAF posts and the CFO posts!

best regards
 
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