Garmin Pilot for Android -- Tech Support, Tips, Tricks

Chip Sylverne said:
... Don't particularly care for all the mail apps shanghaied to gmail, but the rest is fine for me.
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That's not Lollipop, it's just the new Mail app. I loaded it on my 4.4.4 N7 machine and it did the same thing.

If you dig around in Settings, under Accounts/Google IIRC, you can un-hijack the mail accounts you don't want Google spying on. PITA, but it's a good reminder of whose side Google is actually on.
 
airdale said:
That's not Lollipop, it's just the new Mail app. I loaded it on my 4.4.4 N7 machine and it did the same thing.

If you dig around in Settings, under Accounts/Google IIRC, you can un-hijack the mail accounts you don't want Google spying on. PITA, but it's a good reminder of whose side Google is actually on.
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Yeah - I had to do that a couple weeks ago.

If you go to Settings > System > About tablet you can find your Android version.
 
I've just installed the new update, and it works with Lollipop now, at least on my new Nexus 6 (it was crashing before). Nexus 9 is still not compatible, according to the changelog.
 
EugeneR said:
I've just installed the new update, and it works with Lollipop now, at least on my new Nexus 6 (it was crashing before). Nexus 9 is still not compatible, according to the changelog.
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Just downloaded it. Still don't have lollipop, yet, but it seems okay with "old" Android.

I wonder what is unique about the Nexus 9?
 
N9 must have some different graphics or GPS chip, something in the hardware. Probably Garmin ran with whatever simulator they had until the real N9 came out.
 
Downloaded and installed 4.1.0 and while no new features of interest, it does seem to be legitimately faster, and importantly more stable than last version (for me).

Running about half-an-hour so far. Operating temp on the Galaxy Note 8.0 also seems better though battery temp still around 91 F, warm to touch.

No improvement in map quality for me but the screen lag, funny recenter on MSP Sectional and touch ring delay from last version seem, so far, to be gone which is all good.

X-Ctry to Las Vegas tomorrow morning (KMYF-KHND), so the tablet, GP and the GDL-39 3D will get a 2 hour workout.

'Gimp
 
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Geico266 said:
I dumped the Garmin app. It was basically useless in the air, and even !ESS on the ground. Went back to the old school flight planning until something better comes along. A waste of time and money IMHO.
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Foreflight works. Come to the dark side. We have cookies.
 
That's so funny. Garmin Pilot works flawlessly, for now, same as ForeFlight works flawlessly, for now. Until the next OS update messes something up.

In ten years, we will look back at these early days of tablet apps and chuckle at how primitive they were, and how manly we were to fly with "only" Garmin Pilot on board!
 
I'm giving GP on Android another year -- my subscription needed to be renewed today. For what I've needed the app for, it's done a great job. Never loses GPS signal in the airplane, and this is just using the Nexus 7's internal GPS. I'm used to the interface by now and think it works well. I love the VFR dynamic maps. Garmin keeps adding new features, even if it is at a slower rate and with less enthusiasm than on the iOS side. Again, most every feature I really want, I already have on the Android side. But I think most importantly, the options I have to choose from in the Android hardware world, from the Nexus line to the Samsung tablets, etc., that tend to be more affordable for what you get than the iPad mini's, and all without locking me into Apple's frustrating proprietary iOS world, will keep me on this side for 365 more days at least. We all are so spoiled tho -- GP and ForeFlight are so incredibly capable and we pay $75/yr ... unimaginable technology and capability that would have been unrecognizable 10 yrs ago for the price of GA hamburger. I'm still stoked. :D
 
Well said.

Imagine walking into the FBO in 1994. Remember dot matrix printers? IBM 286s, if there was any computer at all? Black and white CRTs, showing a single line of METAR text?

Hopping in the plane and tuning a KX-170B to a VOR? Following your flight with a finger on a chart full of scribbled notes?

Straining your eyes for uniquely shaped lakes and power lines as "landmarks"?

Garmin Pilot is absolutely wonderful -- teething pains be damned.
 
Garmin Pilot has become a very nice app, SVT and all, plus the architecture is the same as the 650/750, plus, and here is the huge plus, with the new Bluetooth link, you can control/program your 4xx/5xx series Nav boxes through the GP interface on your device, so no more spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push spin push
to program in your Victor Airway clearance amendment assigned just as you come into the terminal area.

Whoever dreamed up the GNS interface and architecture must have been hired to develop the Common Core Math program as well, because they both pick the most complicated, least intuitive way of doing things.
 
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I wonder how many of us would move to Android tablets if ForeFlight was available on them? I only have one Apple device, an iPad mini, for one app only, FF.
 
GP performed flawlessly on trip into Vegas today and showed incredible flexibility, due to the Presidential TFR my clearance was amended 3 times enroute and all I had to do was open the Flight Plan tab, add the new fix, select Direct-To and bam, very easy - all the chair flying with the Flight Sim paid off, helps to know the capabilities of your system(s).

Traffic on the GDL-39 3D was mediocre today, had specific calls from Center/Approach and never showed on the fish finder but the rental is not ADS-B out so I know it is hit and miss with respect to the TIS-B data.

Battery consumption remains high enough to be an issue in planes without 12VDC power outlets (2 hrs burned 42% of the battery), but not a single hiccup while in flight today and I used the IFR Low, VFR Vector and Sectional base maps throughout the flight with no issue and not a single delay issue like I had with previous release.

Now for SVT and Terrain!!

'Gimp
 
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GP 4.1.0. looks to be running fine on my S5 smartphone. No in flight testing and pairing yet, weather outside is cruddy.

I really want to like GP. I keep wishing in one hand but my other hand keeps filling up faster. :lol: The vector maps and the interface are very slick however. Awareness is great with GP vector maps.

SVT, terrain, and all the bell's and whistles wrapped in a stable version would go a long way towards loving the product totally, instead of this love/hate relationship that Garmin has fostered haphazardly with the android platform. C'mon! Garmin if you read this thread, bump it up a notch or two! Give us AHRS and all the goodies like the big boys! :wink2:
 
Took GP 4.1.0 (N7 2013, GDL-39, no OUT) for practice approaches today, and all seemed fine, not a single glitch.
Could be psychological, but I felt traffic display was somehow more robust than before. For some reason many more targets than normal were showing.
I was wearing a hood, and at some point I saw converging traffic turning to Yellow, which I have learned to respect. My safety pilot saw nothing, despite my pointing out the traffic location, and ATC was mum (maybe busy). So I raised the hood and looked where the yellow was showing, and sure enough saw the traffic passing 300' below me, exactly where the blue predictor line said it would.
I also have Zaon XRX, but I can't recall what it was showing/saying, since I was so focused on that yellow target on GP.
Also, before this version, I would leave GP running on my desk at home, and without exception it would crash within a few hours. So far I have not had a single crash with 4.1.0, so that's a clear improvement.
Bottom line: this version definitely feels more solid, but more testing is needed for a definitive verdict.
 
Has anyone tried 4.1.0 with Baron (XM) MobileLink yet? I think there's a big problem here...

In GP, I shut off the MobileLink switch at home during flight planning (you need to do this in order to get the weather, fuel prices, etc. from the internet). Then I went for a flight -- typically you just have to re-enable MobileLink in the plane in order to use the XM weather.

But this time, whenever I clicked to enable Mobile Link, GP crashed. Every single time (in other words, I'd restart, click to enable mobile link, crash. Restart, try again, crash.) Tried rebooting my tablet, no joy.

Luckily on my phone I had not previously disabled it, and it still seemed to work.

But if you use MobileLink, you may want to hold off on the upgrade. It might be just me or just my tablet (Samsung Note 10.1 [2012 version]), but maybe not!
 
DrMack said:
I wonder how many of us would move to Android tablets if ForeFlight was available on them? I only have one Apple device, an iPad mini, for one app only, FF.
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The bigger question for me is - can foreflight survive as the dominant player in the industry by only focusing on IOS long term? It seems like it today, but lots of things "seem" like it for a time.
 
retailguy said:
The bigger question for me is - can foreflight survive as the dominant player in the industry by only focusing on IOS long term? It seems like it today, but lots of things "seem" like it for a time.
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If they had an Android version, I'd probably stayed with them instead of going Garmin Pilot route...
 
DrMack said:
I wonder how many of us would move to Android tablets if ForeFlight was available on them? I only have one Apple device, an iPad mini, for one app only, FF.
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Have you looked at Garmin Pilot lately? It's a lot better than the beginning, even has SVT. The best thing about it though is if you know how to use it, you can step in any 650/750 equipped plane and have no problem finding your way through them, they use the same software architecture.
 
We flew for 45 minutes today with Version 4.1. Everything seemed perfect, with lots of traffic displayed and nice, crisp map redraws when pinch zooming.

We are happy (and relieved) with this update!
 
Question for Garmin:

If I have a S5 smartphone and a Nexus 7 running GP android. What's to stop me from ditching the N7 and buying an ipad dedicated to GP? Can I migrate and run both the ipad version with its AHRS along with my S5 android using my current subscription?

O.k., that's two questions. :wink2:
 
txflyer said:
Question for Garmin:

If I have a S5 smartphone and a Nexus 7 running GP android. What's to stop me from ditching the N7 and buying an ipad dedicated to GP? Can I migrate and run both the ipad version with its AHRS along with my S5 android using my current subscription?

O.k., that's two questions. :wink2:
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I think the answer from Garmin will be - you buy one subscription from the Google store and the other from the Apple store, they are different subscriptions for different products and are not interchangeable.
 
PIREP for part two of Vegas Anniversary trip - KHND to KMYF.

Again, GP performed very well, and this time TIS-B traffic was displayed extremely well. This was nice since the San Diego airspace was very busy when we came back in and it was dusk so I had the sun in my eyes (note to self, leave an hour later next time and enjoy some night flying). Fish finder was a nice aid in figuring out where to look for traffic.

Only issue is battery performance and operating temp (which could easily be device specific). On the 2.4 hr trip to Vegas it consumed 42% and averaged high 90's F. Yesterday it consumed 58%, in 1.7 hrs, and temp averaged 102 F. I actually keep a 15000mah external battery/charger now - although if the plane had a 12V outlet it would be unnecessary.

Will be looking for a nice clip-on yoke mount since the heads-down to my kneeboard was getting old during the recent flights - my car windshield suction cup mount works OK in some planes but the Cutlass windshield is too curved even on the sides to get a good mount.

All in all, this weekend was 4.1 total and a really good workout across multiple map types in direct and reflected sunlight, into and out of complex and busy airspace and GP worked great, as did the GDL-39 3D.

KHND-3_zpsa2270009.jpg


Now about that SVT and Terrain/Obstacles......

'Gimp
 
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stevenclin said:
Has anyone tried 4.1.0 with Baron (XM) MobileLink yet? I think there's a big problem here...
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Bueller? Bueller? Anybody? Just curious if anyone else is having XM / MobileLink problems with the latest Android GP 4.1.0. I sent an email request to Garmin on Saturday but haven't heard anything back yet except for the immediate auto-response.

Thanks!
Steve
 
txflyer said:
Question for Garmin:

If I have a S5 smartphone and a Nexus 7 running GP android. What's to stop me from ditching the N7 and buying an ipad dedicated to GP? Can I migrate and run both the ipad version with its AHRS along with my S5 android using my current subscription?

O.k., that's two questions. :wink2:
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Yes. I was running a single subscription on both iPad and Nexus 7, no problem.
 
Matthew said:
I think the answer from Garmin will be - you buy one subscription from the Google store and the other from the Apple store, they are different subscriptions for different products and are not interchangeable.
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The subscription is fully interchangeable and it's bound to your Garmin account, not the device type.
 
EugeneR said:
Yes. I was running a single subscription on both iPad and Nexus 7, no problem.
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EugeneR said:
The subscription is fully interchangeable and it's bound to your Garmin account, not the device type.
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That's good to know. I have an N7, but was very close to swapping over to an iSomething and wasn't sure how that subscription would work.

I was this on their GP FAQ:
http://support.garmin.com/support/s...db0-a085-11e2-65d0-000000000000}&locale=en_US

And figured you couldn't do it that way.
 
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Henning said:
Have you looked at Garmin Pilot lately? It's a lot better than the beginning, even has SVT. The best thing about it though is if you know how to use it, you can step in any 650/750 equipped plane and have no problem finding your way through them, they use the same software architecture.
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You mean the use similar icons. The "software architecture" is about as similar as Windows vs. OS X.
 
Hi, folks! New poster to the forum...reading here for a long time, but til now didn't have anything to say that someone else didn't say faster and more articulately. It seems appropriate that my first post should have us all chuckling at me together. :)

Using GP on an old Motorola Xoom and also a Gen 1 Nexus 7. Usage is for back-up to 650/GDL88 795/GDL39 in the airplane; Nexus on the co-pilot yoke, Xoom charged up in the flight bag. When I saw the screen shots a few posts back, I noticed differences from the screens I see on my devices. The light bulb went off over my head, and I realized I had never updated GP from the original install version on either device. Checked and the N7 was GP version 2.6.3 (geesh!!). Set it aside.

Without bothering to check the GP version on the Xoom, I downloaded V4.1 to it. Opened it up and played with it some, got all the DB's up to date, etc. Then I shut it down, and when I try to open it again, it says something about a one-time 3MB download required with this version of GP, and just sits there. Shows a 'download in progress' bar with no progess for minutes at a time. Checked licenses before updating, so that's not an issue. Sitting on wi-fi at home for internet access.

Anyone have input on what to do with the Xoom issue, and before I start on the N7 GP upgrade? Thanks!

Jim

PS- The GP 2.6.3 version still works great on the N7...shows traffic, wx, etc just as well as the 650.
 
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Jim Rosenow said:
Without bothering to check the GP version on the Xoom, I downloaded V4.1 to it. Opened it up and played with it some, got all the DB's up to date, etc. Then I shut it down, and when I try to open it again, it says something about a one-time 3MB download required with this version of GP, and just sits there. Shows a 'download in progress' bar with no progess for minutes at a time. Checked licenses before updating, so that's not an issue. Sitting on wi-fi at home for internet access.
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Try to uninstall it and re-install again, or alternatively go to Settings / Apps / Garmin Pilot and clear all data to start fresh. I guess they didn't test the upgrade path from the version that old...
 
Jim Rosenow said:
Without bothering to check the GP version on the Xoom, I downloaded V4.1 to it. Opened it up and played with it some, got all the DB's up to date, etc. Then I shut it down, and when I try to open it again, it says something about a one-time 3MB download required with this version of GP, and just sits there. Shows a 'download in progress' bar with no progess for minutes at a time. Checked licenses before updating, so that's not an issue. Sitting on wi-fi at home for internet access.
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Welcome to POA :rockon:

I had this exact same issue last week on my N7, and posted about it on this thread. I uninstalled and then reinstalled the GP app and it fixed the problem for me, so I would try that.
 
Thanks, guys! Worked perfectly on the Xoom, and will save me some time on the N7. I appreciate the input....and so quickly!

Jim

PS- I read this whole thread from the start about a month ago, but I should have checked it again before posting my question....sorry! :)
 
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stevenclin said:
Bueller? Bueller? Anybody? Just curious if anyone else is having XM / MobileLink problems with the latest Android GP 4.1.0. I sent an email request to Garmin on Saturday but haven't heard anything back yet except for the immediate auto-response.

Thanks!
Steve
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I am apparently the only Garmin Pilot / MobileLink user here, so maybe no one cares :dunno: but I just got this response from Garmin:

"We just released an update this afternoon to fix the Baron Mobile link issue."

On the one hand, I'm glad they responded to my request, acknowledged the issue, and pushed a fix within a couple days. On a holiday week, no less. Thanks Garmin!

On the other hand, this is the second time in less than 18 months that an update has broken MobileLink support. And that's one of those things, since the MobileLink stays in the plane, that I normally don't notice until I'm already in the plane, which is kind of late. It is obvious to me that, probably because they make money on the GDL-39, they do little or no testing with MobileLink before releasing an update.

Yesterday I downloaded the free trial of FlightPro. I had demoed it a couple years back when it was still Avilution Maps, and decided to go with Garmin Pilot. But we all know these apps change rapidly. I feel like Pilot has become much slower and buggier in that time. This time around, I have to say that so far, FlightPro really seems to outshine Pilot. So much snappier in terms of responsiveness.

I have a planned flight for Thanksgiving so I'll see how FlightPro's MobileLink support works then. But if it works well, I think I will be signing up and not renewing my Garmin subscription when it's up next month.
 
GP Android 4.1.1 is out with "bug fixes and stability improvements." So what else is new?
 
Heh - I just reported a bug this morning. I'll be waiting for 4.1.2 real soon now.
 
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