ADS-B IN

your choice of efb will influence things a bit, personally, I love my gdl50, rock solid.
 
For me, with Avare, a Dynon DRX has been 100% reliable for many years. It's an elegant and compact solution. Only issue with the DRX is Dynon stopped making them so you'll have to find one second hand on ebay, VAF or similar.

Some, perhaps many, have had success with Stratux. I tried a couple Stratux boxes. For me the Stratux was a waste of time and money. Both Stratux boxes I had were unreliable POS.
 
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I like my GDL 39 a lot more than the Scout or Stratux.

In my experience, it's not completely bulletproof with ForeFlight; it occasionally loses its mind and I need to give it the three finger salute to restore functionality.

I should fly with my Aera 660 more to see if that is a more solid combination.
 
I had a GDL-50 that I used extensively before I got my GNX-375 installed. Still use it as needed for other aircraft. A bit pricy, but I've never had a single issue with it and works flawlessly with GP. I'm not a Foreflight user, so others may have opinions there.
 
Depends on what you’re using it with. Some use WiFi, Bluetooth and some only connect a certain number of devices. Do you want to hardwire it to aircraft power. Do you want a built in CO detector as well? Couple things to consider before buying one.
 
AvNavCom said:
I had a GDL-50 that I used extensively before I got my GNX-375 installed. Still use it as needed for other aircraft. A bit pricy, but I've never had a single issue with it and works flawlessly with GP. I'm not a Foreflight user, so others may have opinions there.
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100% I think the GDL50 is better even than the Skysensor. Like you, I am moving to a GNX375 as part of a larger upgrade so I'll probably end up selling the GDL50
 
FORANE said:
For me, with Avare, a Dynon DRX has been 100% reliable for many years. It's an elegant and compact solution. Only issue with the DRX is Dynon stopped making them so you'll have to find one second hand on ebay, VAF or similar.

Some, perhaps many, have had success with Stratux. I tried a couple Stratux boxes. For me the Stratux was a waste of time and money. Both Stratux boxes I had were unreliable POS.
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My status has been running for many years. Cable to ship power, I don’t depend on a battery. Only upgrade was a better box last year when my original printed box started cracking.
 
MIFlyer said:
100% I think the GDL50 is better even than the Skysensor. Like you, I am moving to a GNX375 as part of a larger upgrade so I'll probably end up selling the GDL50
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I thought about selling mine, but decided that it was nice to have in the event that I decide to rent something without ADSB-in or back-up AHRS capability.
 
Stratux works well for me. I have it wired to ships power and mounted under the panel in a spot that is well ventilated, with remote antennas and puck.

They can be a bit finicky. The trick is to reflash the software to a new data card annually.
 
MountainDude said:
Stratus 3 has been great for many years.
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One cautionary note: with the Stratus 3, if someone connects to its Wi-Fi using ForeFlight, the device switches into a proprietary communication mode. If your app relies on the GDL-90 protocol (as most apps do), you will lose access to the data stream. This can be problematic in a shared aircraft, where another pilot may unknowingly trigger the mode change. I ultimately had to write a small utility app just to switch the Stratus3 back to GDL-90 mode.
 
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TFL said:
I am using AvareX and Avare ADSB (Android play store: "ADSB Receiver"). It's a $50 setup using a USB Dongle.
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Wow, never heard of that before. Brilliant!

Only downside I can see is inability to charge the phone on long flights. Is there a workaround for that?
 
Ed Haywood said:
Wow, never heard of that before. Brilliant!

Only downside I can see is inability to charge the phone on long flights. Is there a workaround for that?
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Yes there is. I'm not yet allowed to post links, so search for "AreMe 2-in-1 USB C to USB 3.2 Adapter with 100W Charging Port" on Amazon. This will charge the dongle and tablet while in use.
 
TFL said:
I am using AvareX and Avare ADSB (Android play store: "ADSB Receiver"). It's a $50 setup using a USB Dongle.
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I looked it up.
play.google.com

ADSB Receiver Pro - Apps on Google Play

Enables your device to receive live aircraft ADSB data (traffic and weather)
play.google.com play.google.com
Page does mention, "You need additional hardware to use this app." To understand this click on the "About this app --->" link.
 
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If the gov decides to require ADSB-IN and allows portable solutions this might be a viable alternative.
 
TFL said:
Yes there is. I'm not yet allowed to post links, so search for "AreMe 2-in-1 USB C to USB 3.2 Adapter with 100W Charging Port" on Amazon. This will charge the dongle and tablet while in use.
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That's fantastic.

About the only way this setup falls short of a Stratux is not having a WAAS feed, but that is not a big deal since it's not for IFR Nav.

Just to confirm, does the ADS-B IN functionality include both traffic and weather?
 
My plane had a GDL 88 providing ADSB in/out for me when I bought it. I added a Flight Stream 210 which provides that data (AHRS, traffic, WX, etc.) to connected mobile devices using Bluetooth. Another great feature is that it allows flight plan data to be exchanged between my navigator (GNS 430W) and Garmin Pilot (or Foreflight). I typically key in an approach on my 430 and a keystroke later have the approach added to the flight plan showing on my iPad. I can also plan a complicated set of waypoints on my phone or tablet and later upload them to the FPL page on my navigator when I get ready to fly.
 
Ed Haywood said:
That's fantastic.

About the only way this setup falls short of a Stratux is not having a WAAS feed, but that is not a big deal since it's not for IFR Nav.

Just to confirm, does the ADS-B IN functionality include both traffic and weather?
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Yes, it supports weather reports and Nexrad via UAT. Those are forwarded to EFBs via GDL90. There is a free version of the app to give it a try.
 
I have been using Stratus since their inception. I now have the model 3 and it’s fine
 
I have the Stratus 3, and it's bullet proof.

The only downside is that Stratus 3 has been replaced by the Stratus 4, which is a little more expensive and has a G meter - which I can't see me ever using. Buying a used Stratus 3 might be a great bargain these days.
 
GDL-50, but I find it maddening that it’s still charged via micro USB. I have to carry a spare cable just for it thst nothing else I have uses.
 
i use the original cigarrette lighter cable from my gdl393d on the gdl50, feels more secure than that little port.

btw, I have a gdl393d for sale if anyone's interested
 
I think “best” probably depends a lot on the rest of the setup.

If someone is mainly in the Garmin ecosystem / Garmin Pilot, the GDL 50 sounds like the safe answer from the comments here. If someone is mostly ForeFlight, Stratus seems hard to argue against, especially since multiple people have had good long-term experience with it.

The thing I’d care about most is reliability and simplicity. ADS-B In is one of those things where I don’t want to troubleshoot Bluetooth/WiFi/power/data-card issues in the airplane. I’d rather pay a bit more for a box that just turns on, connects, and stays connected.

A few good questions before buying seem to be:

- Which EFB are you using?
- Do you need AHRS backup?
- Do you want internal battery only, or ship power?
- How many devices need to connect?
- Do you care about CO detection?
- Is this for your own airplane, rentals, or shared aircraft?

For a budget setup, the Avare/USB dongle option mentioned above is interesting, but for a normal “buy once and use it for years” portable solution, I’d probably narrow it to GDL 50/52 or Stratus depending on the EFB.
 
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I use garmin pilot. I moved to a stratus 3 from GDL-50. Stratus 3 is a "fake" USB-C and can't be charged off of proper USB-C style chargers. As such I'm eyeing the 4 and would love pireps about it.
 
how is the stratus 3, i've been thinking of switching from my gdl50 just to reduce the number of devices i have. my current setup i have the appaero transponder and stratus 2 combo but due to using gp, the current stratus is useless to me. I don't think the stratus 4 fits in the existing stratus cradle does it ?
 
Stratus 3 is bullet proof. I believe it can be mounted under your panel, powered up when you turn on your transponder, etc.
 
WDD said:
Stratus 3 is bullet proof. I believe it can be mounted under your panel, powered up when you turn on your transponder, etc.
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yes but... the actual model you need to do that is a Stratus 3i (I have it, under the panel, 4 years now - ZERO issues)
 
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