Bad Elf GPS

[Sven]

Before Christmas I purchased a Bad Elf GPS through Amazon. I took an airline trip shortly after receiving it and thought that would be a good opportunity to test the GPS. Unfortunately, the unit I received had a bad chip set. I contacted the good folks at Bad Elf on my Denver layover and a new unit was in the mail before I made my next connection. Great customer service.

I've not been able to test it in my Mooney because of maintenance and weather. However, I recently took a non-stop trip from SFO to ORD on United. Here's my humble review.

I'm using the Bad Elf with an iPhone 4. I primarily used SkyCharts (not the pro version). The pro version was released after I purchased the classic version and I'm not updating until I get the new iPad in April. I found that using the VFR version, the track was about 10 miles off. Granted, I was in an airliner but I was sitting next to the window and had a strong signal. It took about 3-5 minutes to acquire but the signal held. I'm not sure if this was a problem with the GPS or SkyCharts.

On the return flight home I was again next to the window. This time the VFR seemed more accurate. When I switched to the high altitude IFR map, we were spot-on the high altitude airways all the way into SFO. I also listened to the cockpit and ATC the entire way and followed our deviations for traffic and turbulence, etc.It did seem to give an accurate ground speed and ETA but it never gave me my altitude. Again, not sure if this is the GPS or SkyCharts not working right.

The iPhone battery with the GPS plugged in lasted the 4 hour entire trip with about 15% reserve left. I had a large backup battery with me just in case but I never needed it. I had to keep the phone near the window. If it were more than 2 feet away it would lose signal but pick it up again within a minute once I brought it back to the window. I imagine that it would behave better inside a Mooney than it did a 767.

I would not count on this combo to keep me clear of a TFR in tight quarters or just outside of a Class B, C or D. I will rely on my Garmin and my maps for that. Once I get it up in the Mooney, I'll let you know how accurate it is.

http://bad-elf.com/products/gps/

 

[BrettAtBadElf]

Hi Sven,

Brett here from Bad Elf.  Thanks for the PIREP.  You will *definitely* see better performance in your plane, the passenger compartment on the 747 is a pretty hostile environment for GPS reception!  It is fun to track the commercial flight you're on, unfortunately I haven't been flying on United much recently and not many airlines make the ATC communications available.

Best regards,

Brett

[Jeff_S]

 

I have tested my BadElf on several different airliner trips and it has worked fairly well. There was a problem that they fixed with a firmware update (Brett can elaborate) where the unit would cut out at higher altitudes. I did experience this once on a trip out west, and after installing the update did not see it again.

I have tried it a few times in the Mooney and it works fine, but I have seen some inconsistencies in how ForeFlight works with the BadElf plugged in, specifically with maps not updating correctly when you zoom in/out and scroll around. The problem was intermittent, though, so I don't know whose code would be responsible. The nice thing about the iPad is that you can rotate the screen fully 360°, so when I have the BadElf plugged in I actually flip the unit upside down so the BadElf is on top, which keeps it out of harm's way at the least, and potentially improves reception.

 

[Wistarmo]

I periodically get a warning "This device not supported by I-Pad" and have to unplug the Bad Elf and then plug it back in.  Other than that, it appears to work as advertised.

[ELT]

Just got the Bad Elf in last week.  Tried it on a flight today up the NC Outter Banks.  The 496 and ipad with Bad Elf were in agreement within 10 feet.  Prior to the Bad Elf the difference was greater.  More testing to follow.

[jkenney]

In case you Foreflight users had not seen it, Foreflight is now offering georeferenced approach and taxi plates. 

I had been holding off on buying a Bad Elf because I have a Garmin Aera + 430W and the GPS on the Ipad did not do much for me incrementally. 

But if the Ipad + Bad Elf + georeferenced plates works well it seems like a game changer.  Hopefully it will lead to some price competition among various providers of data for our various GPS devices.

[LFOD]

Just need to get XM weather onto the iPad and we will be good to go. 

[FlyDave]

Quote: LFOD

Just need to get XM weather onto the iPad and we will be good to go. 

[LFOD]

Thanks, that looks great. I think I am going to hold out for a foreflight XM solution.

[jkenney]

The Skyradar definitely looks like an interesting option as well.  The great thing is that we seem to be moving rapidly towards fairly integrated applications at steadily lowering costs, which of course will be absorbed by the ever increasing cost of Avgas. 

[N6784N]

im not trying to be negative about the ipad but its really not for aviaiton use. when a handheld gps is designed for aviation the map moves under the aircraft while the aircraft stays stationary in the middle of the screen. the software develoment team that integrates the software into the hardware has to tell each pixel that is displaying mapping info where to be at a given time and speed in order to be accurate. and that only on a particular layer if the pilot wantsw to zoom in to 10 miles thats a differnet layer then 30 miles so each pixel on that layer has to be updated as well. thisis why so many pilots are getting dinged for getting into controled airspace because even with a waas gps antenna you dont get the benefit of the accuacy unless the software and hardware is correct. imo the ipad would be good if you want to display a approach plate or vfr/ifr chart but not georeferenced unless your really far away from airspace. the ipad was not built for this use so if you zoom out you are in fact moving the aircraft on the screen to a differnet pixel location and that pixel is just there not on a known long/lat location

[danb35]

Quote: N6784N

im not trying to be negative about the ipad but its really not for aviaiton use.

[LFOD]

Quote: N6784N

im not trying to be negative about the ipad but its really not for aviaiton use. when a handheld gps is designed for aviation the map moves under the aircraft while the aircraft stays stationary in the middle of the screen.