Bluetooth GPS in B787 cockpit?
 

I had the same problem with my sextant when they blocked the two upper windows on my B737!

Place securely on glare shield before departure and acquire a signal, then let it rest there while required

Sidestick
Well, I need a sextant as much as anyone need a private GPS in a Boeing.
Mind you I have one.
As maritime and aviation goes you only need to correct for altitude and voila , you have an accurate position.
Very popular as sole navigation aid for the likes of Roald Amundsen Umberto Nobile et al.
Dependent on horizon indeed! And satellites, err , sun , moon or stars .
Hence some hefty debates of who did reached the Northpole by air.
We did! BTW.

Ever heard of an atlas?

Look for Bad Elf. Work in 787 and ipad compatible.

S2

Garmin GLO works for me as a passenger in the back of 787! To get initial capture I sometimes have to wedge it in behind a window blind, thereafter it usually keeps a lock easily enough eg on a tray table. So I'm surprised you are having trouble in the front!

The window seem to be extra thick and block the signal ( maybe to handle the higher cabin diff?), I saw lots of folks try, but they all gave up, maybe this Bad Elf will work.

Sidestick
 

I have a million projects in the annex and one of them is basic navigation.
( Did xCounty Orienteering from i was 10 years, and maps and stuff always fascinated me.)
With regards to the sextant in aviation , I shall consult with my old Navigator friend in Canada that used to work on the P3 (CF140)Aurora and before that Argus ( Britannia)
He did some interesting work up north in the late 70s and early 80s.
Now, Cod hunting at sea level ca 1/2 knot.
Regards
Cpt B

Hi CRJO,
I think you will find the Cockpit Windscreens and side Screens, although transparent, have some material in them that nicely shields them from GPS Signals. I don't have experience on the 787 but in the 747 and other series, the Window Heat operates by passing electrical current through a super thin rolled gold film to heat the Perspex/Glass to make it more malleable. I think this is enough to shield portable GPS from signals with W/H on or off from experience.
Most likely this is why previous posts have suggested escape hatch areas etc. are a better place to try getting a signal for a portable GPS.

On your lovely machine, you have external, powered GPS Antennae that do a great job.

Even on some lighter Aircraft and Heli's that don't have Window Heat, it is still sometimes difficult to gain a reliable GPS Signal for portable GPS, where it isn't possible to see vertically up to the sky, or only a partial view.

Hope that helps

There are no window blinds on a 787.

I have had a staggering lack of success with an iPad GPS on a 787. Assume it's because there are no window blinds and the glass has something in it to allow its light transmittance to be varied that not only blocks light but also blocks GPS signals.

I would agree. It is far harder to get a cell phone signal (which use frequencies similar to GPS) inside a 787 (while waiting at the gate) than on any other plane. I assume it is because of the electroluminescent windows.

Window blind? In back of 787?
Not in any that I've flown in. Just a dimmer switch.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-10A-Air...e/322437635103

This bloke says he has a few ready to go. $800 US.

You might need the tripod he is offering too, no idea if they can be hand held. I once saw one in use in a darkened aircraft interior and it appeared to be mounted in the dome.

Search for bubble sextants.

There are loads of cheap ones but the sellers probably have no way to figure out if they are working.

Not unlike the phones in all the passengers pockets!

Anyhow the Bad Elf units work well in the 787 when placed in the overhead doorway, where there is less shielding.
The following is from the Bad ELf website:-

"For Part 121 and Part 135 operators, our Bluetooth GPS receivers have been successfully tested, approved, and deployed under FAA AC120-76C for own-ship AMM display during taxi operations. At this time, the FAA does not allow own-ship display on portable devices while en-route. However, EFB apps can display range rings and provide map-centering features using Bad Elf GPS receivers while in-flight.

For Part 91 pilots and operators, Bad Elf GPS units can be used during all phases of flight.

For military pilots, all Bad Elf GPS units successfully passed EMI certification and are listed on the USAF Approved Carry-on Equipment List (as of October 6, 2014) for portable electronics. Our receivers are used worldwide by pilots and ground personnel from every branch of the military."

and if you take a look their site...
https://bad-elf.com/pages/airlines#airlineexplore
You will see they are in use in about 50 airlines and by the US military.

Blutooth through the IFE system.

I have always found this rule bizarre.

Initially, that was the case. I don't believe it's so any longer. At least not for all companies.

Still no answer!

Atlas! Shows you where you are on your mapping app.

I hope the pro's won't mind an SLF question here. Sorry if I'm being a dolt but I'm still not clear why a professional airline pilot would buy a GPS to use in his/her company's 787 flight deck. Don't 787's come with lots of super-duper state of the art nav equipment already fitted as standard?

Midland, read my post (#28).

Thanks for reply Bloggs but I don't understand that post. Something to with the fact EFB apps don't show your position on the ground movement charts so you buy your own GPS to add that functionality??? Just answer yes or no and I'll take it up elsewhere if necessary as I don't want to hog the thread.

EDIT - think S n R answered my question as I was typing. Thanks.

You need the GPS to orient with the weather and wind features of the EFB apps.

I haven't been in the cockpit of a 787 yet, but back in the self-loading freight hold the windows are thoroughly GPS-opaque. Yet they are never thoroughly sun-opaque, so they have two deficiencies. Going back to the passenger cabin for a break to let the GPS sync up is probably not an option.

No, and the latency would be far from acceptable.

Either: the GPS in the ipad is not strong enough to get a signal through the 787 windows, but a dedicated GPS receiver like a Bad Elf is (that is the case with me), or the ipad doesn't have GPS (eg it's a wifi ipad).

I don't think these aeroplanes have topo maps (mine certainly doesn't) so I use(d) the external GPS for positioning for my tablet so I can see where I am on Memory Map/Maps.me etc. Good for when the pax ask "what's that lake over there?".

Thanks Bloggs. In my SLF ignorance, it never occurred to me that a 787 wouldn't have all that sort of functionality built in as standard.

Other iPad apps
 

These are good, even have ADS-B receiver versions https://gps.dualav.com/