In 2019, I had a complete avionics stack failure in IMC (it turned out to be a failed avionics master switch). In flight, my portable devices usually take their WAAS GPS info from my GTN 650 via the Bluetooth in my GTX 345 transponder, but it was nice that they both immediately fell back on their internal GPSs — one less hassle at a busy time.
Jack, have you used an iPad with GPS and cellular on dozens of flights across the country(as well as watch others struggle to get cheap external GPS add ons to work?) If so, I say you're correct, your opinion is equally valid.As others have said, definitely save the $150, get a cheap external GPS.
An equally valid opinion
No, not an iPad. However, I've ForeFlight on my iPhone which does have a GPS chip, too. I use it as a back-up to the iPad. Sometimes, a C-172 wing blocks the phone signal, but no issues with the Bad Elf. The iPad works well enough on passenger jets, too, except the 787 (nothing works there when the crew dims the windows).
Right, I wasn't thinking about high-wing planes and GPS reception. If the wings on my Piper PA-28 ever block the GPS signal, that will be the least of my worries at the time. :-|
As long as you have some kind of backup GPS you can use (practically and easily, for air navigation) if you lose your panel-mounted avionics. See my earlier post: How necessary is iPad GPS for ForeFlight?
Or $0 for both if you use FltPlan Go (which includes Canadian as well as US charts).
You can make phone calls with the iPad through your iPhone over FaceTime, but to use it for data requires that it have a cellular plan. The cellular capability is as useful as the GPS. You can't make phone calls from it as a primary device like you can with the Apple Watch, but you can add the iPad to your cellular data plan for like $10/month and use it for text or data (updating weather, filing, Forflight, etc).
I have a 430W, a Dynon SV-GPS-200 on my AFS5400, and a GPS puck on my backup G5. Plus my iPhone and my cellular/GPS iPad Pro. I have ZERO excuses for getting lost.
Orux maps, (free), planning software is Qrouting, one time $5 purchase. Charts, AFD, Approach plates, etc. come from chartbundle, also free.
He's talking about a Dual XGPS 150A which is in the shape of a small puck. Just search the term and you'll get a bunch of hits, including used ones on eBay. It was originally my primary and is still my backup ipad gps for at least 7-8 years.
Yes. Your position on maps and charts is the whole idea of GPS. Of course, when talking about approach charts and taxi diagrams, you have to have the right subscription level of the EFB you use.
I think the point was to have built-in GPS in an iPad as a backup to the Stratux, not instead of the Stratux. Even though I get a WaaS GPS position from my GTN 650, I really appreciate the built-in GPS in all my Android devices.
