Using iPhone, iPad as a gps in jet

[ILblog]

Hi

During long flight over Europe, in FL300, I have tried to use iPad and run GPS. Just to test it. What a surprise, that GPS did not worked (no matter if the device was in airplane mode or not). I jave tried the same with iPhone 4 but with same result. It happemed in cockpit of CJ2, and handheld garmon gpsmap, that I carry worked perfect.

Does anyone have a clue, why GPS does not work in this enviroment?

[lear60fellow]

you need phone wave signal from any net, if not it doesn´t work, GPS is useless

[Gulfstreamaviator]

There is a small GPS blocker installed in all CJ1-2-3 tht is designed to only permit apprived GPS receivers to operate in the EU airspace.

It is a different version of SA, that we was controlled by the USA, this is controlld by EU.

Hope this is helpful.

Full details at: www.wtf.aero.com.net (http://www.wtf.aero.com.net)

sorry for the delay but been away since 1st April.

glf

[Trim Stab]

There is a small GPS blocker installed in all CJ1-2-3 tht is designed to only permit apprived GPS receivers to operate in the EU airspace.



The GPS in my mobile phone (admittedly not an idiotPhone) works perfectly in all the CJs I fly (CJ1, CJ2 and CJ3).

My understanding is that idiotPhones and their cousins use 3G network for localisation, not the satellite network.

[S-Works]

The iPhone does not use 3G for GPS. It has a built in GPS receiver. What it does is use A-GPS to aid the standard GPS chip. A-GPS allows it to fix its position from cold in a matter of seconds by using triangulation from cell sites to establish the correct almanac to use.

If the phone is out of range of a cell site such as in the air then the chip operates as a conventional chip and has to search the sky for the satellites, secure the almanac download and the fix position. It does this the same as you cold starting a garmin out of the box and can take several minutes in order to gain a lock this way. If the phone goes into screensaver mode and you are not using an application that prevents it then the GPS is shut down again to save power. You then end up in a cycle of cold starts that never allow a lock to be made.

The iPad comes in two flavours. The Wifi and Wifi plus 3G. Only the 3G version has a GPS chip installed. So if you are trying to use a non 3G version airborne you will never get a fix as there is no GPS in it!

You can buy an external GPS receiver that will mate to the phone and the iPad that works really well, stick to the windscreen and off you go. There is even an XM enabled version now.

[epsum]

I have tried phone GPS(in Xperia X2) in Lear 60 and it worked perfectly.

[EMB170]

Isn't it easier to use the FMS for accurate location ?
just a thought :rolleyes:

[F33A]

Believe or not, but there are some guys, that just don't believe how fast there going, until iPhone tells them in km/h. Pointing out to use the groundspeed indication doesn't convince them. :sad:

In my car, it takes the sensor much longer to establish the satellites position while driving, so it might be even more difficult at 450kts, just be patient.

[Ptimat31]

Hi,

For the Ipad, an external GPS chip like Bad Elf is much more efficient. The built in GPS is not that good.

I tried it in cruise in a CRJ with WingX and other soft and it did work fine. It takes a while to catch position in flight, but is much faster on the ground.

Cheers,
Mat