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

UngaWunga said:
So, ADSB IN to Garmin pilot... what weather information does it give you?
Does it give you local METARs? Winds? Radar summary of precipitation?

Never used it. Curious. Thanks.
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Yes, METARs, TAFs, etc. Download the app for the 30 day free trial.
 
Marauder said:
Yes, METARs, TAFs, etc. Download the app for the 30 day free trial.
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That's assuming you have GDL-39 to receive the ADSB-IN. When you buy the GDL-39, you typically get 6 months or a year's worth of Garmin Pilot app subscription. So the 30 day free trial of the GP app is not so relevant if you are interested in the ADS-B features (although it can be added on top of whatever you get with the GDL-39).
Edit: You can get the weather products on the ground without GDL-39 via the internet from Garmin's own server(s), assuming you have connectivity.
 
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RotorDude said:
That's assuming you have GDL-39 to receive the ADSB-IN. When you buy the GDL-39, you typically get 6 months or a year's worth of Garmin Pilot app subscription. So the 30 day free trial of the GP app is not so relevant if you are interested in the ADS-B features (although it can be added on top of whatever you get with the GDL-39).
Edit: You can get the weather products on the ground without GDL-39 via the internet from Garmin's own server(s), assuming you have connectivity.
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Yes, I understand what the app has when you have a connection to the ground. I'm curious what it can display when you don't, and all you have is the updates via ADSb through something like the GDL39.
 
RotorDude said:
I just got back from a ~6 hr trip with the latest Android 5.0.2, GP 4.2.2, running on my dual 2013 N7 setup, and all was well. Traffic, weather, charting and overall stability and response all seemed fine.
If I had to guess, based on my experience, that glitch that you encountered may be related to the Android OS itself. I have had some cases in the past where the map refused to refresh for prolonged periods, but that was a few revs back (of both Android OS and GP), and since that time the "frozen refresh" issue seems to have been fixed.
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Had the opportunity to test this also this week. Android 5.0.2, GP 4.2.2, running on the 'new' refurb 2013 N7 setup coming in thru a GDL39. Traffic and wx matched what we saw on the 650 that was talking to the GDL88.

Trip was from South of Cleveland to the Rockford, IL area and back, and ADS-B (ground) was with us all but about 5 minutes. The longest the 650 showed the wx to be delayed was 6 minutes. Got to use it to skirt some wx.

It's truly amazing to already be watching converging traffic (including N-number) on the screens before ATC calls it out!

Gotta love toys!

Jim
 
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UngaWunga said:
Yes, I understand what the app has when you have a connection to the ground. I'm curious what it can display when you don't, and all you have is the updates via ADSb through something like the GDL39.
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Nobody else is, so I'll take a shot at this. As I understand it, the towers transmit data for a block of airspace that has an ADS-B out equipped airplane in it. IF you are in the same block of airspace as that aircraft, you will piggy-back on that, and get the wx and traffic. I believe the traffic display will center on the ADS-B-equipped aircraft, not yours.

If there's no ADS-B out eqipped airplane in your chunk of airspace...you don't get bupkus.

Jim
 
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Jim Rosenow said:
Nobody else is, so I'll take a shot at this. As I understand it, the towers transmit data for a block of airspace that has an ADS-B out equipped airplane in it. IF you are in the same block of airspace as that aircraft, you will piggy-back on that, and get the wx and traffic. I believe the traffic display will center on the ADS-B-equipped aircraft, not yours.

If there's no ADS-B out eqipped airplane in your chunk of airspace...you don't get bupkus.

Jim
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Thanks. What information do you get for weather from ADSb?
 
With the GDL-39, almost everything you can get on the ground is available in the air. Two major limitations -- 1) NEXRAD resolution is lower,particularly a distant sites and 2) METARS and other text products are often only available for 400 miles or so.

It is also possible to receive XM satellite weather on your tablet. There is a subscription charge of at least $400 per year, plus hardware complexity, but quality is equal to that of a ground connection
 
Paul is right. I got the GDL39 literature out...

"The ADS-B weather is continuously broadcast on the 978 Mhz UAT receiver frequency and is similar to basic services offered by leading commercial satellite weather providers. For example, you can access animated NEXRAD imagery, METARs, TAFs, winds and temperatures aloft, PIREPS, NOTAMS, and more."

I amend my statement to "bupkus on traffic" :)

Jim
 
Jim Rosenow said:
Nobody else is, so I'll take a shot at this. As I understand it, the towers transmit data for a block of airspace that has an ADS-B out equipped airplane in it. IF you are in the same block of airspace as that aircraft, you will piggy-back on that, and get the wx and traffic. I believe the traffic display will center on the ADS-B-equipped aircraft, not yours.

If there's no ADS-B out eqipped airplane in your chunk of airspace...you don't get bupkus.

Jim
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This might be misleading.
You do get all weather-related products whether or not you have ADS-B OUT on board.
You need OUT only to receive the traffic information reliably.
If you have no OUT then you'll only receive traffic info from the ground stations when another OUT aircraft is nearby, i.e. you'll be piggy-backing on his data feed. If there is nobody near you transmitting an OUT signal, then you'll only get air-to-air traffic info, which might be a small subset of the actual traffic out there (but even then, not quite "bupkus").
But you'll keep getting weather data regardless, since that's broadcast by the ground stations independent of any OUT signals received by them.
That means you'll see the NEXRAD radar weather depiction, the TAFs and METARs, etc., just as well as anyone else, with or without OUT.
 
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RotorDude said:
This might be misleading.
You do get all weather-related products whether or not you have ADS-B OUT on board.
You need OUT only to receive the traffic information reliably.
If you have no OUT then you'll only receive traffic info from the ground stations when another OUT aircraft is nearby, i.e. you'll be piggy-backing on his data feed. If there is nobody near you transmitting an OUT signal, then you'll only get air-to-air traffic info, which might be a small subset of the actual traffic out there.
But you'll keep getting weather data regardless, since that's broadcast by the ground stations independent of any OUT signals received by them.
That means you'll see the NEXRAD radar weather depiction, the TAFs and METARs, etc., just as well as anyone else, with or without OUT.
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Yup! :)
 
Jim Rosenow said:
Paul is right. I got the GDL39 literature out...

"The ADS-B weather is continuously broadcast on the 978 Mhz UAT receiver frequency and is similar to basic services offered by leading commercial satellite weather providers. For example, you can access animated NEXRAD imagery, METARs, TAFs, winds and temperatures aloft, PIREPS, NOTAMS, and more."

I amend my statement to "bupkus on traffic" :)

Jim
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Thanks. That's the info I was looking for.
 
UngaWunga said:
Thanks. That's the info I was looking for.
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Note that as I added in my edited post, you do get some traffic (not "bupkus") even without ADSB-OUT. So briefly, without OUT, you get all weather and some traffic.
 
RotorDude said:
Note that as I added in my edited post, you do get some traffic (not "bupkus") even without ADSB-OUT. So briefly, without OUT, you get all weather and some traffic.
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I've flown it both ways, but I'm bupkus if not trainable....how about I opine 'bupkus compared to full ADS-B'? LMAO!

Jim
 
Jim Rosenow said:
I've flown it both ways, but I'm bupkus if not trainable....how about I opine 'bupkus compared to full ADS-B'? LMAO!

Jim
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Bupkus (bupkis) means "absolutely nothing."
Stating that a half-full (or half empty) glass of water has "bupkis" compared to a full glass is misinformation, for both optimists and pessimists.
 
RotorDude said:
Bupkus (bupkis) means "absolutely nothing."
Stating that a half-full (or half empty) glass of water has "bupkis" compared to a full glass is misinformation, for both optimists and pessimists.
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:lol:

capture.jpg
 
I'll just leave the glasses half-full. We now return you to your regularly scheduled 'Garmin Pilot for Android' post....

Jim
 
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Sigh, looks like they broke lower case route entry... again, I know it worked for a while, now it's insisting that anything lower case isn't valid. The iPad version just makes all the letters upper case right after you enter them.
 
chartbundle said:
Sigh, looks like they broke lower case route entry... again, I know it worked for a while, now it's insisting that anything lower case isn't valid. The iPad version just makes all the letters upper case right after you enter them.
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I just bought a tablet and installed Garmin Pilot... this is the first bug I noticed and it's really annoying when using a hardware keyboard.
 
I'm interested in how you have integrated GP, ADS-B and your Android device into your cockpit. Have you ditched your dedicated GPS and gone strictly tablet-based? I have an Aera 510 on the yoke, a GDL-39, and a Samsung tablet in a cradle on the pax yoke running Garmin Pilot. The XM puck is used for radio now (they will convert you from Aviator lite to radio if you want).

For GPS nav, I prefer the Aera interface, though WX presentation has been buggy. The routine I have fallen into is to have the moving map presentation on the Aera, and the big traffic display on the tablet. The tablet's presentation of traffic is better due to the sheer size of the display. When I need AFD info, I use the tablet because the data is more current.

So, how are you making the most/best use of the new stuff?
 
iflyvfr said:
So, how are you making the most/best use of the new stuff?
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In my case, the tablet is in the back cockpit of my RV-8A. There, it serves as a primary flight display (by Bluetoothing to our awesome GRT Avionics Horizon HXR EFIS) and, when running Garmin Pilot, as supplemental navigation and traffic information for the second pilot.

It is amazing. For the cost of a Samsung S tablet, I have exactly the same info in the back cockpit that I do in the front -- for 5% of the cost.
 
Jim Rosenow said:
I amend my statement to "bupkus on traffic" :)
Click to expand...

In practice, however, it's exactly the opposite: ADS-B signals are broadcast continuously by the aircraft equipped with OUT function, and the ground station broadcasts FIS-B only sporadically, and when ADS-B equipped aircraft pings it. Ground station transmits its own ADS-B message continuously, but nothing else.

I don't intend to contest the statements that Garmin made in the documentation on GDL-39. I am sure they had a good reason to write what they wrote. However, if you have an actual receiver for UAT and look at what actually is transmitted, it's like I outlined above, at least around my station.
 
Jay Honeck said:
In my case, the tablet is in the back cockpit of my RV-8A. There, it serves as a primary flight display (by Bluetoothing to our awesome GRT Avionics Horizon HXR EFIS) and, when running Garmin Pilot, as supplemental navigation and traffic information for the second pilot.

It is amazing. For the cost of a Samsung S tablet, I have exactly the same info in the back cockpit that I do in the front -- for 5% of the cost.
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That IS amazing. I am very new to ADS-B and the setup I outlined in my post. But the first time I saw that traffic while in flight, I had the same "aha" as when I saw XM Weather on my Aera.

But I worry that I'm about to get t-boned in Class G while I'm all googlie-eyed over the new toy instead of looking outside. And because it isn't mandated for all aircraft, I can never trust it to a high degree of certainty. Know what I mean?
 
iflyvfr said:
That IS amazing. I am very new to ADS-B and the setup I outlined in my post. But the first time I saw that traffic while in flight, I had the same "aha" as when I saw XM Weather on my Aera.

But I worry that I'm about to get t-boned in Class G while I'm all googlie-eyed over the new toy instead of looking outside. And because it isn't mandated for all aircraft, I can never trust it to a high degree of certainty. Know what I mean?
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Yep. But in 5 years, you'll be able to trust it totally, 100%.

Bwahahahahaha!

Oh, I'm sorry...did I say that out loud? ;)
 
Version 4.2.3 is out. All changes appear to be harmless and it fixes the "Groundhog Day" bug, in which it forgets you have an account and forces you to sign in again every day.
 
Just curious - I've been using Pilot on my Android tablet for a while without a GDL-39 and am thinking about getting one. If the system detects traffic that may be a threat, is there any kind of audio alert, like Skywatch or other similar systems (i.e. "Traffic Traffic" or even better "Traffic 3 o'clock, high, 2 miles")? Or only a visual display?

Just trying to understand what I will get if I add the GDL-39. (Yes, I understand the traffic limitations associated with not transmitting ADS-B out.)

Thanks!
Steve
 
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stevenclin said:
Just curious - I've been using Pilot on my Android tablet for a while without a GDL-39 and am thinking about getting one. If the system detects traffic that may be a threat, is there any kind of audio alert, like Skywatch or other similar systems (i.e. "Traffic Traffic" or even better "Traffic 3 o'clock, high, 2 miles")? Or only a visual display?

Just trying to understand what I will get it I add the GDL-39. (Yes, I understand the traffic limitations associated with not transmitting ADS-B out.)

Thanks!
Steve
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I am not aware of any audio alert, though that would be a great improvement. The only "alert" I see is the target becoming yellow (from normal cyan), which attracts the eye if it's looking at the screen.
 
stevenclin said:
Just curious - I've been using Pilot on my Android tablet for a while without a GDL-39 and am thinking about getting one. If the system detects traffic that may be a threat, is there any kind of audio alert, like Skywatch or other similar systems (i.e. "Traffic Traffic" or even better "Traffic 3 o'clock, high, 2 miles")? Or only a visual display?



Just trying to understand what I will get it I add the GDL-39. (Yes, I understand the traffic limitations associated with not transmitting ADS-B out.)



Thanks!

Steve
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Can't say what the Droid version will do, but on my iPad I have the GDL-39 paired through Bluetooth and my Lightspeed Bluetooth headset paired too. When I do this, I get an audio announcement of traffic.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Marauder said:
Can't say what the Droid version will do, but on my iPad I have the GDL-39 paired through Bluetooth and my Lightspeed Bluetooth headset paired too. When I do this, I get an audio announcement of traffic.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Yes, I had seen this blog post from 2013 indicating that audio alerts were in the iOS version. I just didn't know if this was (yet another!) feature not yet available on the Android version even 18 months later, or whether it was present on Android. Sounds like it's missing based on RotorDude's post, but if anyone else wants to chime in, I'd appreciate it.
 
I got one Saturday (audio alert) but it was a ghost echo as it was right on top of me. There were KC135s doing TNGs a couple miles away and I suspect they painted me but am not sure. She yelled Traffic! one time and it sure got my attention. But I don't know if it was my Garmin Aera or my GLD39/Tablet w/ Garmin Pilot over Bluetooth that squawked at me.

What's really annoying is the Droid drops the BT at least once every flight now. I haven't seen any updates come out. I'm cruising along FD&H and I look at the tablet to see it's dropped the Connext link.
 
Marauder said:
Can't say what the Droid version will do, but on my iPad I have the GDL-39 paired through Bluetooth and my Lightspeed Bluetooth headset paired too. When I do this, I get an audio announcement of traffic.
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Do you have a Garmin GPS tied into the GDL also or is it strictly the iPad/GDL combo?
 
It is iPad with the GDL.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Marauder said:
It is iPad with the GDL.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Thanks, I'm trying to figure out the best way to exploit this technology. So far the droid seems unreliable compared to my Aera 510. I have been keeping it in the dedicated traffic display most of the time and except for the flakiness, it seems useful that way.
 
iflyvfr said:
Thanks, I'm trying to figure out the best way to exploit this technology. So far the droid seems unreliable compared to my Aera 510. I have been keeping it in the dedicated traffic display most of the time and except for the flakiness, it seems useful that way.
Click to expand...


I had a Nexus 7 running Pilot but I didn't have the GDL or even attempted the audio on it. If you have an audio panel that can accept an audio in, you might be able to run a wire up to the panel and get it that way.

I like the way I have it setup, it will play through my Lightspeed only. I have a PSE 8000BT that can accept multiple Bluetooth inputs. I might give that a try as well.

One of the reasons I gave up on Pilot on the Droids was the constant always behind versions over the iOS. Does the Droid version even have a voice setting capability in the setup screens?

63b1af8ee22682b4dc1e6b8ce6b9e693.jpg



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I don't have my headphones connected to my tablet (via bluetooth), but I'm fairly sure GP gives you that warning, if desired.

I can say I've got my headphones connected to my GRT Avionics EFIS, and the audio warnings of traffic (and other anomalies) can be more annoying than they are worth.
 
Marauder, I don't even recognize that screen as anything resembling the Droid version, but I'm a relative newbie to GP for Droid. With my current config however, I definitely got an aural traffic alert, just not sure from which source.
 
I stopped by the Garmin booth at Sun-n-Fun yesterday and spoke with one of the folks on the floor there. Here are a few of the things we spoke about.

First he personally keeps track of the spreadsheet that keeps tabs on the requests that come in for product enhancement, the more requests received, the higher priority each request is given. So keep your comments coming!

They have the same number of ipad developers working as android developers on Garmin Pilot.

Testing is more difficult on android so it just takes a longer time to develop on that platform. (this has been mentioned a number of times in this forum, he confirmed that is correct)

They have spent the last few months working very hard on syncing up the web accounts with the GP accounts (thus all the new log in issues we've been seeing lately) but as it matures, this will give us much better integration with all of their newer product line including web based planning tools that will seamlessly down load to GP (as long as GP has wireless connection) as well a number of their other products.

They are really trying to add terrain and obstacles to GP android in time for Oshkosh (no promises, but that is their goal) Currently they are working on being able to read the various databases needed to load the terrain and obstacles data into the app.

Synthetic Vision needs the terrain and obstacles functions first, SV won't be available until some time after terrain & obstacles is released.

Anyway, I thought I would pass this info along in case some of you might be interested.
 
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rv_rocket said:
I stopped by the Garmin booth at Sun-n-Fun yesterday and spoke with one of the folks on the floor there. Here are a few of the things we spoke about.

First he personally keeps track of the spreadsheet that keeps tabs on the requests that come in for product enhancement, the more requests received, the higher priority each request is given. So keep your comments coming!

They have the same number of ipad developers working as android developers on Garmin Pilot.

Testing is more difficult on android so it just takes a longer time to develop on that platform. (this has been mentioned a number of times in this forum, he confirmed that is correct)

They have spent the last few months working very hard on syncing up the web accounts with the GP accounts (thus all the new log in issues we've been seeing lately) but as it matures, this will give us much better integration with all of their newer product line including web based planning tools that will seamlessly down load to GP (as long as GP has wireless connection) as well a number of their other products.

They are really trying to add terrain and obstacles to GP android in time for Oshkosh (no promises, but that is their goal) Currently they are working on being able to read the various databases needed to load the terrain and obstacles data into the app.

Synthetic Vision needs the terrain and obstacles functions first, SV won't be available until some time after terrain & obstacles is released.

Anyway, I thought I would pass this info along in case some of you might be interested.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, rv_rocket! :thumbsup:
Gives us something to look forward to, even if not set in stone.
 
rv_rocket said:
I stopped by the Garmin booth at Sun-n-Fun yesterday and spoke with one of the folks on the floor there. Here are a few of the things we spoke about.

First he personally keeps track of the spreadsheet that keeps tabs on the requests that come in for product enhancement, the more requests received, the higher priority each request is given. So keep your comments coming!

They have the same number of ipad developers working as android developers on Garmin Pilot.

Testing is more difficult on android so it just takes a longer time to develop on that platform. (this has been mentioned a number of times in this forum, he confirmed that is correct)

They have spent the last few months working very hard on syncing up the web accounts with the GP accounts (thus all the new log in issues we've been seeing lately) but as it matures, this will give us much better integration with all of their newer product line including web based planning tools that will seamlessly down load to GP (as long as GP has wireless connection) as well a number of their other products.

They are really trying to add terrain and obstacles to GP android in time for Oshkosh (no promises, but that is their goal) Currently they are working on being able to read the various databases needed to load the terrain and obstacles data into the app.

Synthetic Vision needs the terrain and obstacles functions first, SV won't be available until some time after terrain & obstacles is released.

Anyway, I thought I would pass this info along in case some of you might be interested.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update! Nice to know they're working on everything that's missing from the Android version of GP.
 
Do anyone know if you can get Pilot to show you what heading you should have given the winds at altitude for a given course? Just got it, still learning the system.
 
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