Sky Demon and I pad
Join Date: Mar 2014
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@A and C: I have to comment ;-). I used Skydemon with internal and external GPS sources for quite some time now. In the beginning (up to iOS6) I had almost no GPS dropouts whatsoever, independent of external or internal GPS. Starting with iOS7 and much more prominent in iOS8, there are a lot more dropouts in the Skydemon tracks, BUT this is not related to the GPS source - as neither BadElf nor Garmin GLO nor GNS2000 nor connection to certified GPS via AIRconnect show a different result. These outages appear to occur from the way multitasking was implemented in iOS and they are in other navigational apps like ANP as well. With an app disabling the multitasking there are no dropouts, still.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
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In my last two flights this is what happened, midlands to Oxford area the position lost four times, Oxford area to LeTouquet position lost five times.
Join Date: Oct 2000
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My problem in the summer ,using SD on an iPad with integral GPS was complete shutdown due to overheating on four occasions.
This has made me reluctant to bank on SD/iPad combo anymore and I have other GPS running now.
The overheating is sorted easily by shoving iPad by footwell fresh air vent but doesn't instil confidence
Cusco
This has made me reluctant to bank on SD/iPad combo anymore and I have other GPS running now.
The overheating is sorted easily by shoving iPad by footwell fresh air vent but doesn't instil confidence
Cusco
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If your iPad overheats in summer, you should make sure two things - first, get it out of direct sunlight (advantage highwings) and second, switch OFF cellular data, as the constant scanning for mobile connection towers draws a lot of heat.
Avoid imitations
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A&C, Probably not wing masking then!
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Shytorque
I don't think it is a wing masking issue, some above have indicated that it might be an issue with the iPad multi tasking.
I think the next move is to shut the iPad down before I use the skydemon and only open the skydemon app.
The other thing I need to look as is the skydemon reliability compared to the Jepp FD, I will run one on the iPad and the other on the iPad mini, if it is a GPS signal issue they shoud both have the same problems.
I think the next move is to shut the iPad down before I use the skydemon and only open the skydemon app.
The other thing I need to look as is the skydemon reliability compared to the Jepp FD, I will run one on the iPad and the other on the iPad mini, if it is a GPS signal issue they shoud both have the same problems.
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I bought my 3G iPad2 and installed SkyDemon on it a couple of months before flying my new Cabri G2 helicopter back to the UK from the factory at Aix les Milles. Approx 600 nm with no position drops during the journey.
Previously I have used the Skymap IIIC which was generally reliable but did on one occasion near Reims indicate that I was flying to the left of an Autoroute when I was in fact on the right.
On two occasions, out and return, in Belgium I did pass through a GPS dead spot where both the Skymap and Garmin GNC 250 dropped out. Both came back online a few minutes later.
Helicopters do have a very good view of the sky which may contribute to GPS performance.
On the odd occasion where I needed a little assistance I have found SkyDemon support very helpful.
It works for me.
Previously I have used the Skymap IIIC which was generally reliable but did on one occasion near Reims indicate that I was flying to the left of an Autoroute when I was in fact on the right.
On two occasions, out and return, in Belgium I did pass through a GPS dead spot where both the Skymap and Garmin GNC 250 dropped out. Both came back online a few minutes later.
Helicopters do have a very good view of the sky which may contribute to GPS performance.
On the odd occasion where I needed a little assistance I have found SkyDemon support very helpful.
It works for me.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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I've tried both iPad and iPad mini with a GNS 2000. I have had drop outs on several occassions, I fly a mixture of high and low wing aircraft. The worst problem to me though was getting the GNS and iPad to talk to each other in the first place. Other people at the club I fly from have had the same problem. It could take ten minutes or so sometimes using various switching on procedures to get the thing linked up. It's not a problem with Skydemon or the 2000, it seems to be an iPad thing.
I then about a year ago just for the sake of it tried my iPhone 5 suckered to the perspex so that in line of sight it's just to the left of the left most instrument on the panel. It works a treat. I've never had any problems with it at all. It's convenient, doesn't hang on the yoke with builders scaffolding and I just unclip it and shove it in my pocket at the end of the flight. I know it's a smaller screen but once the newness of faffing around with SD on the iPad wears off you find out that 99% of the time you just need it for the magenta line. It's plenty big enough to read the geo ref plates that come with the Pooleys subscription for when you are taxiing around at an unfamiliar airfield. I haven't used anything else since. You can of course charge it in flight as well for the longer trips.
I then about a year ago just for the sake of it tried my iPhone 5 suckered to the perspex so that in line of sight it's just to the left of the left most instrument on the panel. It works a treat. I've never had any problems with it at all. It's convenient, doesn't hang on the yoke with builders scaffolding and I just unclip it and shove it in my pocket at the end of the flight. I know it's a smaller screen but once the newness of faffing around with SD on the iPad wears off you find out that 99% of the time you just need it for the magenta line. It's plenty big enough to read the geo ref plates that come with the Pooleys subscription for when you are taxiing around at an unfamiliar airfield. I haven't used anything else since. You can of course charge it in flight as well for the longer trips.
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Previously I have used the Skymap IIIC which was generally reliable but did on one occasion near Reims indicate that I was flying to the left of an Autoroute when I was in fact on the right.
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Working for SkyDemon, I see the split of guys who use "Wifi-only iPad + Bluetooth GPS" and "Cellular iPad + internal GPS" as being roughly equal.
Having a data SIM installed is not essential for the internal GPS to work, but you might find it nice to have if you need to get a quick briefing but are away from a wifi hotspot. Also, when you are in the air you will notice that SkyDemon can occasionally pick-up updated METARS and similar small data items when it gets a sniff of 3G coverage.
Having a data SIM installed is not essential for the internal GPS to work, but you might find it nice to have if you need to get a quick briefing but are away from a wifi hotspot. Also, when you are in the air you will notice that SkyDemon can occasionally pick-up updated METARS and similar small data items when it gets a sniff of 3G coverage.
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The issue with SIM vs no-Sim in a cellular iPad is not only about connectivity. An installed SIM allows the GPS to launch the assisted, A, Part of the A-GPS and gives a much quicker first fix. This is even more pronounced when dropouts appear - if there is a SIM installed and you are in an area with mobile coverage, the position recovery is much quicker. Many times I only see the dropouts on my iPad cell only in retrospective, because recovery was so fast I did not noticed them in flight (BTW: this is another point towards internal GPS, as I think the external GPS boxes are non-A-GPS).
Join Date: Nov 2005
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One advantage of an external are the dual units, that receive both the US & Russian GPS signals. Maybe in the future we will see an all system unit for the 5 GPS systems. I think the latest Ipads use the Russian Glasnoss system as Nokia's do, does anyone know. Actualy more accurate at high northern latitudes than US Navstar.
Join Date: Jul 2001
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I use a Nexus7 with internal GPS and now a GNS2000 Bluetooth external GPS. The precision and reliability of signal is like day and night. GNS2000 is WAAS and GLONASS as well as US GPS so more satellites are available at any time. I think the GNS2000 was about 73€. It is smaller than a calling card and fits easily in a shirt pocket.
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It's more than up to the job. I have used it for thousands of hours in everything from Cessnas to my work turboprops and have never had an issue with the GPS.
