ForeFlight GPS accuracy

nibake

nibake

Powder hound
I'm well familiar with how RAIM and WAAS work, and while doing my CFI renewal, I started to wonder how actual RAIM compares to the accuracy shown on ForeFlight.

In order to make the comparison I would need to know how the iPad/ForeFlight is calculating the accuracy and whether there is any integrity monitoring going on, regardless of actual approval. (For example, even a RAIM and/or WAAS capable panel mounted unit should not be IFR approved if antenna placement was not I/A/W AC 20-138B).
 
I have an iPad with a bluetooth GPS puck. I also fly an airplane that continuously displays my horizontal and vertical error. The jet's horizontal error is generally zero feet. The jet's vertical error hangs out in the 5-10 foot range. It does not have WAAS. When I'm nice and stable, the lat/longs match up incredibly closely (I can't remember to what digit, but it is in the decimal of seconds). When I'm making hard turns, it is pretty obvious that the updates on the iPad are lagging a few seconds simply based on the ground track being a bunch of straight lines between updates instead of curves.
 
nibake said:
I'm well familiar with how RAIM and WAAS work, and while doing my CFI renewal, I started to wonder how actual RAIM compares to the accuracy shown on ForeFlight.

In order to make the comparison I would need to know how the iPad/ForeFlight is calculating the accuracy and whether there is any integrity monitoring going on, regardless of actual approval. (For example, even a RAIM and/or WAAS capable panel mounted unit should not be IFR approved if antenna placement was not I/A/W AC 20-138B).
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Don't use it if you're in the vicinity of Vlad. He's jimmy jacking it.
 
What does everybody recommend as far as GPS pucks? Pairing off my phone is wholly inadequate for what I’m trying to do.
 
Roger Roger said:
I think these days for aviation most are skipping the pure GPS and using a combination GPS/ADSBin like Stratus or Scout.
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I’m looking for minimum 10 hours battery life and usability both here and abroad.

Anybody has any ideas of what’s worked well for them, particular with the remote operation guys out in the bush I’m all ears.
 
Lawman said:
I’m looking for minimum 10 hours battery life and usability both here and abroad.

Anybody has any ideas of what’s worked well for them, particular with the remote operation guys out in the bush I’m all ears.
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Not sure about the stratux, but if you treat the battery right, the stratus 2S will go eight hours easy on its own. Carry a supplemental batt and you’re gtg. Also has AHRS.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
For a Stratux you buy the battery pack, along with the other components, so it's whatever you decide you want.
 
Build a Stratux and pair it with an Anker 26800mAh battery pack (has three USB outs for charging multiple devices at once and dual input charging ports). I torture tested mine one day. Stratux ran continuously for 12 hours, charged my 9.7 iPad Pro from 20% to 85%, and then charged my phone from the 20s to the 80s. The battery pack died at something like 12+5.
 
Lawman said:
What does everybody recommend as far as GPS pucks? Pairing off my phone is wholly inadequate for what I’m trying to do.
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Which app(s) are you using on the iPad? As far as I know the basic GPS pucks will work with most apps, but the advanced pucks with more features (ADS-B & AHRS) can be app specific. For example, Stratus & Stratux does everything for ForeFlight but limited functions on other platforms.
 
CFI A&P said:
Which app(s) are you using on the iPad? As far as I know the basic GPS pucks will work with most apps, but the advanced pucks with more features (ADS-B & AHRS) can be app specific. For example, Stratus & Stratux does everything for ForeFlight but limited functions on other platforms.
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ForeFlight and IflyGPS seem to be the most popular
 
Lawman said:
ForeFlight and IflyGPS seem to be the most popular
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For the price, and ability to further modify/ update: you can't beat the Stratux. The components are around $150 on Amazon, and takes 20 minutes to build. Bare basic unit is ADS-B traffic and weather which should be less than $150. Additional components such as AHRS chip, GPS chip, cooling fan, fan controller, and more are an option which brings it up to $150 or more. It does not have a self contained battery, so a USB battery or ship's DC power would be required.

http://stratux.me/
 
CFI A&P said:
For the price, and ability to further modify/ update: you can't beat the Stratux. The components are around $150 on Amazon, and takes 20 minutes to build. Bare basic unit is ADS-B traffic and weather which should be less than $150. Additional components such as AHRS chip, GPS chip, cooling fan, fan controller, and more are an option which brings it up to $150 or more. It does not have a self contained battery, so a USB battery or ship's DC power would be required.

http://stratux.me/
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I designed, built, and programmed my own cooling fan and circuit for mine. That was fun. I miss having time for that sort of thing.
 
Roger Roger said:
You work Medevac how do you not have time?
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I know, right? I have more "not on duty" time than ever. Somehow I don't have free time. I think the decision to homeschool might have contributed to that. Looking forward to summer break for me!
 
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