IPAD on order

[luv2fli]

Palm Pre Plus on Verizon has mobile hotspot now.  For Sprint and the Pre there is a hack to get the mobil hotspot working as well.  Gotta be cheaper than AT & T...

Both are 3G though.

[Barry]

 

Scott ... Boy!! That EVO 4G IS nice!! It seems to have every connectivity known to modern man!! I may wait for that. The device I was using from work is the Sierra Wireless Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile hot spot. I carry it around in my shirt pocket and use "Skype" in my little Acer notebook P/C to make calls. Amazing what is capable with technology now.

I’ve attached a photo of the Sierra for general information … It IS very handy, but the EVO (if it is affordable) will be even cooler. The Sierra is ~$80.

[Earl]

Quote: DaV8or

So, to get the GPS you need to get the 3G version. Does that mean that you need to sign up for the AT&T service to make use of the GPS, or will it work without a subscription? It looks like you are into this device for this much:

iPad  64GB 3G  $830

Kneeboard       $150

ForeFlight         $75   (Annual)

AT&T??            $360  (Annual)

$1415 for the first year and then $435 a year after that. Does this sound right?

If I don't need AT&T, I might go for this, otherwise I think that's a deal breaker for me.

[KSMooniac]

Latest rumor I read for the Evo is June 6th launch, $200 cost w/contract renewal if you're eligible for a new phone.  Very reasonable IMO!  I'm pretty sure I'll get it if I can convince myself the lack of a real keyboard is OK. 

[Barry]

$200 ... that IS a good price for what it does!! I guess I will wait a bit for it to arrive on the market so I can play with it.

As for the 3G built into the I-pad ... the problem with that is that the 3G is only usable for the device it is built into ... unless it can also act as a "hot spot". With the external 3G/4G, you can use that connectivity with any device that has Wifi capabilities. This makes your 3G/4G more flexible and gives you a higher ROI.

[Jeff_S]

Just to confirm, I am able to get GPS signal and position location on maps, at altitude, and above the AT&T coverage, so I would suspect this means that you do NOT need the data plan to get GPS. The only reason I qualify that statement is that I haven't actually tried this with the data mode turned off. I don't know if this activates the GPS antenna, although I would doubt it.

Note also that the only maps this works for are the Sectional and IFR maps that you can store in the device. All the other maps require a data connection to update. My fervent hope is that ForeFlight will geo-reference the taxi charts so you can track location on those as well...we shall see.

[Barry]

Yes, the GPS is derived by satellites specifically for that service. The rest are terrestrial services from the "phone companies" and other "Ground based" providers. 3G and 4G are high speed data services offered by the moble phone vendors. "Hotspots" and WAP's (wireless access points) are local wireless services put up by airports, merchants (to bring in customers) and people who want to setup computer networks in their home without running wires. Some companies also uses WAP's to eliminate wiring costs. Bluetooth is an RF connectivity used between an individual and their various electronic devices to eliminate wiring.

It would be really nice if Internet access were availble in flight. I suppose that it could be had by something like Hughes satellite but not too practical.

[N6784N]

I have been looking for a long time about these iphones and apps to go along with them but i just dont see the benefit yet. why not just buy the cheatah or bendix/av8tor which was actually built from the ground up as a aviation device. can somebody please explain to me the benefits?

[piperpainter]

Can you listen to music while flying, look at charts all over the USA (IFR/VFR/TAC Etc), Approach plates, airport diaghrams, weather charts. Do weight and balance, find density altitude, TAS, GS (several other things), maybe you get bored, or your co pilot wants to play a game while you fly, lets play monopoly! Can they do that with the "Normal aviation" gps? I don't think so! And what if you land and want to know the closest food location, oh well lets just pull that iPad out and take it with us. Oh did I mention it weighs less than 2lbs and has a really long batter life. Plus it'll have new awesome programs as the times pass. So you can easily update that thing as apposed to the "Normal aviation GPS!" I can't wait to get one....when i get home Im tickled pink haha!

[Immelman]

Quote: DaV8or

So you guys with the iPad, how are you securing/holding it in the cockpit? Does it strap to your knee like a kneeboard? Yoke mount? How do you power it, just battery or cigarette lighter?

[donshapansky]

I bought a Samsumg Q1 with lots storage and solid state hard drive, I put Voyager (Seattle Avionics.com) IFR software in it with all charts with all approach plates geo referenced.

 My updates are paid for the rest of my life as a pilot for $699.00 on a Black Friday sale, Zappos sold the tablet for $1399.00. my 8 hr. battery pack with a Bluetooth WAAS Geosat (10 hrs battery life) means no cords and all the VFR charts are included.You only download the charts you need and the approach plates needed as you go that way the update times are reduced each month.

 I still like the WAC's on certain flights, XM is an option, with XM in the 530 I haven't bothered with it in the Q1 but the info is superior to anything yet I have looked at. 100LL downloads 2200 + airports every time I fire it up in range of the internet, all TFR's, W & Balance is included, range of the aircraft is known in the aircarft profiles you set-up, fuel stops are suggested at the lowest price, the routings can be automated, I prefer to do my own.

I have the trip card for the 530 with adaptor (at hideous garmin prices) and the Samsung downloads my flight through USB to the card, get in the airplane slip the terrain card out and download my trip or trips in a few seconds, reinstall the terrain card and all the flightplans are ready to cue up.

I still carry Aircharts as a back up with the paper charts.  

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: donshapansky

I bought a....

[donshapansky]

Hi Parker, are you going to Burnet?

[Magnum]

Quote: donshapansky

I have the trip card for the 530 with adaptor (at hideous garmin prices) and the Samsung downloads my flight through USB to the card, get in the airplane slip the terrain card out and download my trip or trips in a few seconds, reinstall the terrain card and all the flightplans are ready to cue up.

[Jeff_S]

Quote: N6784N

I have been looking for a long time about these iphones and apps to go along with them but i just dont see the benefit yet. why not just buy the cheatah or bendix/av8tor which was actually built from the ground up as a aviation device. can somebody please explain to me the benefits?

[donshapansky]

You can switch cards at any time before or after starting the avionics up, you transfer the flight plans in then pull the flight plan card out, reinstall the terrain card the 530 will enter a restart mode in 30 seconds by hitting 'enter' the 530 restarts immediately. 

[mooneygirl]

What is the thinking on the capacity of the IPad...  16 32 64.  And if I have an Iphone do I still need the 3G. 

[MB_M20F]

So, my iPad arrived, I loaded ForeFlight on it, and it looks gorgeous. I already have GPSs and WX in the cockpit so I realy just want/need it for charts and the approach plates. Looking forward to taking it flying. I probably will need to get that knee-board thingy, though, to keep the thing in place. M

[Parker_Woodruff]

Quote: donshapansky

Hi Parker, are you going to Burnet?

[mooneygirl]

I am thinking of getting: 16GB, WiFi+3G version

[Earl]

Quote: mooneygirl

I am thinking of getting: 16GB, WiFi+3G version

[piperpainter]

Quote: ehscott

Jolie:  I would look at the size of files that you will want to store on the ipad.  16gig is not a lot of storage.  If that amount of memory does the trick its the way to go.

[Jeff_S]

Quote: mooneygirl

What is the thinking on the capacity of the IPad...  16 32 64.  And if I have an Iphone do I still need the 3G. 

[Earl]

Got my ipad yesterday just when we got hired to work on the oil spill in the gulf......sigh......  I did charge it and download a couple of aviation apps including ForeFlight's Mobile3D which is a very nice tool.  I still need to get used to it and look forward to getting it in the plane.  Am still debating how I want to use it.  My inclination is to still yoke mount my 696 for the XM weather and flightplan functions and use the ipad for charts and plates.

My daughters both played with it for a while with no appreciable drop in battery.  I hope I can get home before its too late so I can play with it!

[231Pilot]

My wonderful wife surprised me with a 64GB WiFi/3G iPad today!  From what I cna gather, the consensus is ForeFlight is the way to go.  Can't wait.    ;-D