End of I Fly 740b

Also note ... you cannot use Wi-Fi to update your iFly 740b if you have 5G. iFly Connect still works well for updates ...
 
Daleandee said:
Also note ... you cannot use Wi-Fi to update your iFly 740b if you have 5G. iFly Connect still works well for updates ...
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Why would the 5G matter if you hotpsot from a phone or a....uh...hotpsot?
 
EdFred said:
Why would the 5G matter if you hotpsot from a phone or a....uh...hotpsot?
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I think he means if you have a 5GHz wifi network, not a 5G phone. The 740 hardware is old enough that 5GHz was too new to be supported.
 
midlifeflyer said:
How old is the 740b? Are they still making dedicated hardware?
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The 740 was released in 2015. I don't remember when the 740b came out, but it was essentially the same innards with a different screen, because I think the vendor changed the design.

No, they're no longer making dedicated hardware. A small but vocal minority of users who use the hardware devices to drive experimental autopilots are strongly affected by this decision (at least, if their current 720/740(b) dies). However, the majority of iFly users run the iFly app on an Android, iOS, or Windows device today. Adventure Pilot didn't see the business case for identifying a new dedicated hardware device to sell.
 
Jim_R said:
The 740 was released in 2015. I don't remember when the 740b came out, but it was essentially the same innards with a different screen, because I think the vendor changed the design.

No, they're no longer making dedicated hardware. A small but vocal minority of users who use the hardware devices to drive experimental autopilots are strongly affected by this decision (at least, if their current 720/740(b) dies). However, the majority of iFly users run the iFly app on an Android, iOS, or Windows device today. Adventure Pilot didn't see the business case for identifying a new dedicated hardware device to sell.
Click to expand...
Sounds like related to the name change from iFlyGPS to iFlyEFB. No doubt that there will be a group of users affected - and likely their longest users since iFly was originally a competitor of the Garmin x96 handheld. I can definitely understand the decision when the app works exactly the same way on the three other platforms. Fortunately it won't take much more than an Android phone or tablet (less expensive than moving to iOS) to be up and running once their 740s are no longer reparable.
 
I use IFly software on my own tablet, so I don’t have a dog in this either way.

Business wise I can see the rational for the decision. Now they can focus more on making the app better.
 
I never understood how IFly could market hardware. The numbers sold were far to low. Their IFly app is the the best one one the market IMO because it is so self intuitive to use.
 
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Jim_R said:
The 740 was released in 2015. I don't remember when the 740b came out, but it was essentially the same innards with a different screen, because I think the vendor changed the design.

No, they're no longer making dedicated hardware. A small but vocal minority of users who use the hardware devices to drive experimental autopilots are strongly affected by this decision (at least, if their current 720/740(b) dies). However, the majority of iFly users run the iFly app on an Android, iOS, or Windows device today. Adventure Pilot didn't see the business case for identifying a new dedicated hardware device to sell.
Click to expand...

And for me, I went specifically with iFly because of the 740b. A tablet won't fit where the 740b does.


1196101a47ab7b97.jpg


A phone is too small in that space, and a tablet too big. However, as I only got it 2 years ago, I expect the hardware to last for while. And if/when it does die, that's gonna suck. I don't want to have to look down and can't stand anything on the yoke.
 
Looks like an Apple mini would fit
 
Clip4 said:
I never understood how IFly could market hardware.
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I think just because, as I recall, when they started out it was the only real option. I remember looking at it as an alternative purchase to a GPSMap 296. I did a mountain flight with a friend who used an early iFly in 2003. iPhone (let alone tablet) EFB had not yet been born.
 
WDD said:
Looks like an Apple mini would fit
Click to expand...

I refuse to do Apple until, well, never.

Since I always have my phone, a Samsung Fold could probably work, of course they will probably stop making them around the time the 740 dies too.
 
Clip4 said:
I never understood how IFly could market hardware. The numbers sold were far too low.
Click to expand...

They were rebadging and selling an inexpensive tablet. It wasn’t like they were making a unique piece of hardware.

It was an inexpensive way to serve a niche market.
 
EdFred said:
Why would the 5G matter if you hotpsot from a phone or a....uh...hotpsot?
Click to expand...

I don't know the answer but I tried Wi-Fi from my home network and a hotspot to my iPhone and it wouldn't work. It wouldn't even see the home network. It would see the iPhone but wouldn't connect. I emailed Adventure Pilot about it and was told that they won't work on a 5G system ... :dunno:

They are still easily updated using iFly Connect which requires removing the 32 gb SD card and updating it on the home computer.
 
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Daleandee said:
I don't know the answer but I tried Wi-Fi from my home network and a hotspot to my iPhone and it wouldn't work. It wouldn't even see the home network. I would see the iPhone but wouldn't connect. I emailed Adventure Pilot about it and was told that they won't work of a 5G system ... :dunno:

They are still easily updated using iFly Connect which requires removing the 32 gb SD card and updating it on the home computer.
Click to expand...

That makes 0 sense. I'm gonna have to try it. Updating via wifi seemed slow AF. As it is my iFly stays in the plane, and I just bought a second SD card which copied from the first card, do the iFlyConnect, and just do the card swap like I do with 430W cards.
 
EdFred said:
I refuse to do Apple until, well, never.

Since I always have my phone, a Samsung Fold could probably work, of course they will probably stop making them around the time the 740 dies too.
Click to expand...

Yowza, strong sentiment there. Over 2500 hours IFR using EFBs - Motion tablet (don't go above FL180, mechanical hard drives really do fail there), a Samsung SSD tablet (both these were running early kludgey Jepps SW), and then all iPads w/FF since about 2012. Never have had one fail, and today you get seamless charts, wx, and plates. Mini fits perfectly in a Bose headset bag and used previous generation ones are in the few hundreds of dollars online. Not sure what's not to like.

If you are flying in interesting weather or for any reason, two button press takes a screenshot that magically appears in your Photos next time iPad is online. Push flight plans to/from a Garmin navigator with ease. Set it up with no email, no texts, no FaceTime for privacy when you lose it (and set it to wipe remotely if you do lose it the first time it tries to connect to the net).
 
I’m just hoping ours lives a long time. I bought it to replace a GPS 496, so we could have a MUCH bigger and better screen with ADSB traffic and weather displayed. The critical part was NMEA GPS output, which we do use for the AP as well as the Dynon D180 - which uses it for things like ground speed, wind speed and direction, etc.

Apple products won’t work since Apple won’t allow NMEA output. I tried using an Android tablet and the required cables and converters to power the tablet and get serial data out are just not suitable for airborne use. Garmin makes some nice portable if overpriced GPS units, like the Aera, but you are stuck with Garmin ADSB which we don’t have and aren’t buying. Plus there’s the ridiculous cost of updates.

So… the iFly GPS was and is the right solution for us. I expect we’ll eventually pick up a second one as a spare. Once it’s no longer viable, assuming we’ve still got the plane, we’ll need to figure out something else. Maybe a similarly sized generic Android unit with separate power and USB or even a serial port.

People who aren’t using the GPS output will have an easier time dealing with the transition.
 
DaleB said:
So… the iFly GPS was and is the right solution for us. I expect we’ll eventually pick up a second one as a spare. Once it’s no longer viable, assuming we’ve still got the plane, we’ll need to figure out something else. Maybe a similarly sized generic Android unit with separate power and USB or even a serial port.
Click to expand...

I'm in a similar situation. Not sure why Adventure Pilot made this decision but hopefully someone comes along to offer a solution. For the most part my iPad will do most of what the 740b does. But the iPad has no NEMA output, not enough nits for screen brightness in direct sunlight, and they are known to overheat and shutdown. Agree with you on the Garmin not playing well with others and I'd like to avoid getting into that trap.

I believe there maybe an opportunity for a company to step forward and fill this gap ...
 
Just buy a hi NIT sunlight readable tablet and install I Fly app.
 
Daleandee said:
I'm in a similar situation. Not sure why Adventure Pilot made this decision but hopefully someone comes along to offer a solution. For the most part my iPad will do most of what the 740b does. But the iPad has no NEMA output, not enough nits for screen brightness in direct sunlight, and they are known to overheat and shutdown. Agree with you on the Garmin not playing well with others and I'd like to avoid getting into that trap.

I believe there maybe an opportunity for a company to step forward and fill this gap ...
Click to expand...

I was in the anti-garmin camp for a couple of decades. Then I bought my first Garmin (a 695), which impressed the heck out of me with its brightness and functionality. Let's just say I no longer avoid Garmin products. My experience is they work well, are reliable, and last a long time.
 
kyleb said:
I was in the anti-garmin camp for a couple of decades. Then I bought my first Garmin (a 695), which impressed the heck out of me with its brightness and functionality. Let's just say I no longer avoid Garmin products. My experience is they work well, are reliable, and last a long time.
Click to expand...

I've looked at Garmin but I need NEMA and I'd have to have a Garmin ADSB solution (as they won't play with mine) so I'd need to ask you about a loan ... :D
 
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I’m not a Garmin hater. Just not a Garmin customer. That’s unlikely to change, for several reasons.
 
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