Installing Garmin Flightstream 210

[RonM]

Fellow Mooney Enthusiasts:  I have dual Garmin 430w's. i just subscribed to Foreflight Pro Plus mobile.  I have the Garmin GTX335 ADS-B transponder with no bluetooth.  My understanding is I must now install Flightstream 210 in order to use Foreflight on my IPad Mini.  I have been using paper charts even up to now, and seek to slowly transition to the electronic charts with Foreflight.  My question is, is this a simple thing for an avionics shop to install?  I see Aircraft Spruce sells the Flightstream 210 for $949 with free shipping.  I have a Mooney Missile and I also have two Aspens - a PFD 1000 and an MFD 500.  Any comment or advice appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[geoffb]

Not a foreflight user, I'm on Garmin Pilot, but I ran it without any bluetooth connection until last month, just used the pad's built in GPS for position.  I believe Foreflight is the same.  You won't get ADS-B in, but the -335 doesn't provide that anyway.  A portable in solution like a Status will bluetooth the ADS-B data to your pad.

So no, you don't need a Flightstream to run Foreflight.

[201Mooniac]

I'm confused, I thought all GTX 335 ADS-B transponders have bluetooth.  The p[ilot's guide I checked online doesn't show it as an option unless I missed that somewhere.

[PeteMc]

15 minutes ago, 201Mooniac said:

I'm confused, I thought all GTX 335 ADS-B transponders have bluetooth.  The p[ilot's guide I checked online doesn't show it as an option unless I missed that somewhere.

The GTX 345 has Bluetooth, ADS-B IN, etc.  But I believe the 335 only has ADS-B OUT.

 

[geoffb]

I don't think it has bluetooth.  It has nothing to share.

[RonM]

50 minutes ago, geoffb said:

Not a foreflight user, I'm on Garmin Pilot, but I ran it without any bluetooth connection until last month, just used the pad's built in GPS for position.  I believe Foreflight is the same.  You won't get ADS-B in, but the -335 doesn't provide that anyway.  A portable in solution like a Status will bluetooth the ADS-B data to your pad.

So no, you don't need a Flightstream to run Foreflight.

Hmmm. I've had my Garmin GTX335 for quite a while too.  I thought it was ADSB In & Out.  I also remembering my avionics installer telling me I had blue-tooth in that unit.  Then the Foreflight Customer service tells me the Garmin GTX335 does NOT have blue-tooth.  So I don't know.  It sounded like the Flightstream 210 would make the Foreflight Mobile work well on my IPad Mini and with the Garmin430w's.  I am certainly quite confused as to all this. I had been flying quite nicely with paper charts, but the electronic maps are so wide-spread I know I am a dinosaur.  The last straw was when the VFR sectional charts are now only good for 56 days!  This is only recently and some of you might not know this.

[geoffb]

The Flightstream's big selling point is you can transfer your flightplans from the pad to your 430s and save the manual input.  That's the big feature.  It's really a question of what are you trying to accomplish?  If you want ADS-B in, the -335 transpoder does not provide that.  The easiest path would be a Stratus talking to the pad via bluetooth. 

If you just want electronic charts, georeferenced approach plates and all that, you don't need any additional hardware assuming you get decent GPS reception on your pad.  I do on mine.

 

[201Mooniac]

2 hours ago, PeteMc said:

The GTX 345 has Bluetooth, ADS-B IN, etc.  But I believe the 335 only has ADS-B OUT.

 

Sorry, I was braindead, I was thinking GTX 345 the entire time.  Guess I need more coffee

[201Steve]

A) you don’t need anything but an iPad and internets before you take off for electronic charts. 
 

B- flightstream won’t do anything for you except allows you to transfer your flight plan in ForeFlight to your your gps box without spinning knobs. The integration between ForeFlight and a 430 however, seems problematic in my assumption. 
 

C) a stratus portable box will give you Bluetooth connectivity to your iPad for traffic, weather, and Ahrs signals. You’re already good to go on the “out” via your 335  

 

[Shiny moose]

You do not need a FS210 to use your Ipad/ foreflight, the 210 will allow your 430 to talk to foreflight, transfering  your routing via wireless, but it must be hard wired to your 430 and powered. You can then transfer routing from 430(panel) to ipad or the other direction, it saves time by only having to put info into 1 item then transfer. 

A few things that were important to me! 

I find foreflight amazing (I was an old paper guy also) 

it will take time to learn 

You need an adsb in system for traffic and weather

Foreflight can be put on 2 ipads and 1 phone, use them for backups

Keep your Ipad powered in the plane with a proper USB charger not a cheap cig lighter charger, mine wont last long on bat. (I got an older Ipad)

Keep your Ipad cool, wintertime with heat on can cause issues depending on Ipad location

hints:

No victor airways/ jet routes in a 430 for routing, put the V/J routes in the Ipad routing then transfer to 430 !!! 

Quick atc reroute or picking route around a thunderstorm on the ipad, then send to 430!(careful with adsb radar as it can be old and not a great depiction of real activity, but its better than blind)

pick your star or sid on a 430 then send to Ipad!

430 approaches will be routed on the Ipad but you will have to choose the approach for the plate to show up on the Ipad