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uAvionix EchoUAT and Disappearing Targets

Cool, then Wifi iPad it is, thanks !

But I can tell you from personal experience installing several Echos that the iPad can't use that gps data to know where it is. If you buy a wifi only iPad you will need an external gps chip for that.
 
not my experience

Well, my experience is based on running an Android wifi only tablet without internal gps running Avare. It works fine with gps positions shown while flying when connected to the EchoUAT wifi. Have no idea why we have different experiences??

Good luck.
 
It only works if your app can eat ADSB data such as an EFB like Foreflight or iFly. It doesn?t go directly into the iPad. It works for me with iFly. YMMV
 
iPad and Foreflight

Specifically the issue I've seen running ForeFlight on a wifi-only iPad is that traffic is depicted in the correct location on the map background, but ForeFlight (the iPad) doesn't know where your own aircraft is. It was an easy thing to check. My iPad has an internal GPS (wifi + cellular version). The iPads in question did not. I'd go flying with the customers in their airplanes with both iPads along. Mine knew where we were, the others didn't. Plugging a Bad Elf external GPS or similar into the wifi-only iPad would solve the problem.
 
Personally I would spend the extra $100 and then be able to use the iPad in the car when on vacation.

My truck has a really big moving map in the dash that runs off of my iPhone 6s on Sprint (personal) and I also carry an iPhone 6S+ on AT&T (business). On top of that I have a Garmin Nuvi for when I'm out of cellular signal, which happened twice on a drive from Indiana home and once driving north of Houston coming home.

I never use the iPad in my car. Since I retired from commercial flying I only use the iPad in the airplane for fun so why waste an extra $150 for a cellular iPad if I don't need it and I can use that money for something else? On long trips in the truck cross country I always take my Mac Air laptop in case I want to watch movies or rsearch something while tethering off of my iPhones.
 
Or do as I did, buy a $200 ANDROID tablet, use the free FltPlanGo app and escape the whole "I-thingy $$$" stranglehold. :D
 
I have an android tablet laying around too but I'd have to check if the new WingX works the same on it as it does in the iPad. I'll have to go see. Oh and I use the FlghtplanGo app on it and my iphones too.
 
Specifically the issue I've seen running ForeFlight on a wifi-only iPad is that traffic is depicted in the correct location on the map background, but ForeFlight (the iPad) doesn't know where your own aircraft is. It was an easy thing to check. My iPad has an internal GPS (wifi + cellular version). The iPads in question did not. I'd go flying with the customers in their airplanes with both iPads along. Mine knew where we were, the others didn't. Plugging a Bad Elf external GPS or similar into the wifi-only iPad would solve the problem.

I have a WiFi only iPad and use ForeFlight and my echo/safefly gps with no problem, the position data works fine. But remember that the echouat itself has no gps. What position source was the echo using when you had issues?

Chris
 
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I have a WiFi only iPad and use ForeFlight and my echo/safefly gps with no problem, the position data works fine. But remember that the echouat itself has no gps. What position source was the echo using when you had issues?

Chris

The Echo with the SkyFYX GPS is exactly the combo I plan to use so then it seems like wifi only iPad is back on the table?
 
I have a WiFi only iPad and use ForeFlight and my echo/safefly gps with no problem, the position data works fine. But remember that the echouat itself has no gps. What position source was the echo using when you had issues?

Chris

Exactly that combo. 3 different aircraft. iPad didn?t know where it was. External gps chip solved the problem each time. My understanding was/is that the gps info supplied via the WiFi signal to the iPad couldn?t be used by the iPad for self-location. Only reporting what I personally observed.
 
It only works if your app can eat ADSB data such as an EFB like Foreflight or iFly. It doesn?t go directly into the iPad. It works for me with iFly. YMMV

This is the answer, but I'll explain more to clarify:

The application that runs on your ipad is an application that can get it's GPS source from anything it's been designed to. So in the case of ifly or flyq or whatever, they know how to get the GPS position from the ADS-b receiver using the same connection it gets traffic from (wifi).

The ipad itself, and it's built in applications use the internal gps if there is one, or a bluetooth GPS (like a bad elf).

If the ipad is talking to an external GPS over bluetooth, it can export that data to any application.

So if you are fine with only having the GPS data when you are using a compatible app and ads-b receiver at the same time, then you can get away with a wifi only ipad. If you want GPS for anything else, you need to get the internal gps model or use a iOS supported external GPS.

If I had an airplane dedicated ipad, and the app I was using supported getting gps from the asb-r receiver I was using, I'd probably just get the wifi model.

Right now I'm using flyq and a stratux. When in flight the flyq app ignores the internal GPS and uses the one on the stratux because it's much more sensitive than the internal one on the ipad.

schu
 
This is the answer, but I'll explain more to clarify:

The application that runs on your ipad is an application that can get it's GPS source from anything it's been designed to. So in the case of ifly or flyq or whatever, they know how to get the GPS position from the ADS-b receiver using the same connection it gets traffic from (wifi).

The ipad itself, and it's built in applications use the internal gps if there is one, or a bluetooth GPS (like a bad elf).

If the ipad is talking to an external GPS over bluetooth, it can export that data to any application.

So if you are fine with only having the GPS data when you are using a compatible app and ads-b receiver at the same time, then you can get away with a wifi only ipad. If you want GPS for anything else, you need to get the internal gps model or use a iOS supported external GPS.

If I had an airplane dedicated ipad, and the app I was using supported getting gps from the asb-r receiver I was using, I'd probably just get the wifi model.

Right now I'm using flyq and a stratux. When in flight the flyq app ignores the internal GPS and uses the one on the stratux because it's much more sensitive than the internal one on the ipad.

schu

That's pretty much what WingX replied when I asked them. They can get my GPS position info from the ADS-B traffic signal that's going into the WingX app. If I want to use any other WingX functions like gas prices, ceilings, visibility, etc, then I would need an iPad with cellular service, or my iPhone.
 
And to confirm what WingX told me here's uAvionix' answer:

Hi Carlos,

Thanks for contacting uAvionix about your ADS-B needs for your RV-8. The echoUAT is a prefect solution for your aircraft and tablet. You do not need the Cellular model. The WiFi only ipad will get the GPS location along with the Weather, Traffic, TFR and other data via the WiFi connection from the echoUAT.

WingX is compatible with the echoUAT and I've personally used this setup extensively with a WiFi only iPad Mini.

I hope this helps. Please check our our echoUAT / skyFYX GPS bundle here https://uavionix.com/products/echo-uat/ . Order yours today and put the 2020 Mandate behind you. Please let me know if you have any questions or need assistance with getting your echoUAT on the way.

Thanks,

Shane Woodson
uAvionix Corp.
 
New software

I got new EchoUAT transceiver software recently , 2.4.43, and have made 6 flights in the DFW area since with no disappearing targets yet. Certainly not an exhaustive sample, but a positive sign. Contact support and request it.
 
As info the EchoUAT transceiver software, 2.4.43 update is now on the UAvionics website. If you haven?t already asked for it (like me). Bob
 
I installed the v2.4.43 update; it showed the update progress to 100% and the Update success, device 2 restarting message, but when I rebooted to the status page, the ADS-B Version was blank. I flew and traffic and weather was working. Anyone else have this indication. Thanks Barry
 
The EchoUAT transceiver needs to be power cycled, not just re-booted, before the updated install version is shown correctly.

Updated mine today, but have not had a chance to fly the new software.
 
About to pull the trigger on one of these units.

Did the firmware upgrade sort out the disappearing target issues?
 
I'm torn. On one side I want to buy the EchoUAT even though I have IN with a Stratux because it's all in one unit and I could get rid of the Stratux.

On the other side I want to wait for their "skyBeaconX" https://uavionix.com/testing-sbx/ which would give me 1090 OUT at an affordable price and be able to fly to Canada or Mexico or anywhere outside of UAT constraints.

Then I'm also betting on Canada and other countries bordering us like Mexico and the Bahamas to let American planes with UAT to fly into their countries (at least to places close to the borders). American tourist money is a great incentive for them to make exceptions for this to happen.

For now since I don't fly into or through any airspace where I need ADS-B I'll just have to stay under 10,000 MSL until I make up my mind.
 
UAvionix Echo and Garmin Pilot

On their website they make reference to foreflight and others. Will the Echo communicate with Garmin Pilot and show weather and traffic on my tablet? If so then I could get rid of the GDL-39.

Thanks
 
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