Ipad 3 GPS Issues?

[BushCaddy]

Finally bit the bullet and purchased an Ipad 3. I got the 16 GB version and I did not sign up for the 4G service (yet). I also purchased and installed Foreflight. Love Foreflight.

I'm aching to get a flight in to check everything out but the weather hasn't been cooperating.

Right now I'm a little bummed out that the gps within the ipad is not going to be up to snuff...I have had trouble keeping a fix driving around in my car, even with the ipad on top of my dash with a clear view of the sky. Ditto at home leaving it on a window sill. It hasn't been sunny so the device is not overheating or anything like that.

I'm hoping it will be different in flight but I'm not sure how??

Has anyone with the ipad 3 also added one of the external gps devices that are available? Is this even possible with the ipad 3 since it already has a gps?

Any advice?

I have ordered the invisishiled by Zagg as recommended in some other ipad threads.

thanks.

[danielfindling]

I have both an iPad 1 and 3. The internal gps is at times not accurate at altitudes above 2000 agl in my area. I use the the dual external gps. I favor the iPad 1 battery life over the 3. The iPad 3 battery takes a long time to charge and the battery life is significantly less than the iPad 1. I was instructed at the apple store to turn the brightness down to improve the battery life on the iPad 3 and it worked. When I researched the external gps at oshkosh last year, the dual GPS seemed to be preferred by vendors selling both the dual and elf (and a foreflight rep) but I have not used the Bad elf. A clear advantage of the elf appears that it does not require charging (I have forgotten to charge the dual GPS on more than one occasion), but i would guess it degrades battery life of the Ipad. I also fly with foreflight and prefer it over the competitors I have tried. With the dual gps, foreflight is laser accurate at altitude. Hope this helps.

Daniel

[BushCaddy]

Daniel...great info.

Amazingly after I read your post I was at the airport and ran into another pilot and gave him my tale of woe regading the ipad 3 on board gps chip. He said hold on, I have an extra gps you can try to see if you like it...he came back out of his hangar with the Dual XGPS 150!!!. I brought it home, turned on my ipad, they mated and then I got the free APP that gives satellite status and I'll fly with it tomorrow!! GPS fix is locked in from anywhere in the house!! SWEET.

Thanks for the heads up...I already ordered my own from Aircraft Spruce.

[Larry Lyons]

Is there an app to use a smart phone or a Kindle Fire instead of the iPad. I will not be flying IFR or even going any place crowed just dinking around in rural parts of the mid-west. Larry

[Jim Hann]

Larry,

Just saw this. The XGPS 150 will bluetooth with a computer or android product but I don't know if they have a program for Android like the Apple version. It does not appear they do from their website http://xgps150.dualav.com/ but that won't affect your ability to use the GPS, you just won't be able to see the "raw" data, i.e. what satellites it is using, speed, altitude, etc. I have a freebie map program on my iPad I use with it for driving around, works great!

Jim

[Jim Rosenow]

Is there an app to use a smart phone or a Kindle Fire instead of the iPad. I will not be flying IFR or even going any place crowed just dinking around in rural parts of the mid-west. Larry

Larry if your smart phone is Android based, the GaminPilot app will work on it. Works great on my Droid X (also the Xoom and one subscription for both).

[redbarron55]

Anywhere maps works on iPad, Android, and PC. I have used it on an win & tablet and laptop.
I just bought a used ATC ( IPAQ w/ GPS ) as an add on.
I don't know how it compares with any of the others, but it has worked OK for me in the short time I have used the system.

[Jim Hann]

Want to be an early adopter and try the GLO by Garmin? It came out just after I bought my XGPS 150. (Tongue is firmly in cheek.)