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

Okay, it looks like the new Nexus 7's GPS problem is widespread and has hit the major Android news outlets.

I hope this problem doesn't impact the unit when connected to the remote GDL-39 GPS. That would kill Garmin Pilot for me.

I bet the Google/Asus software geeks are burning the midnight oil on this.

Word is it has no affect on external GPSes. I just got a email follow up from Google. It's comical in the level of cluelessness about this problem. The quintessential "script monkey" response. Scary.
 
Well, crap, go figure THIS out.

We flew for an hour today with the new N7. The screen is AWESOME -- easily sunlight readable -- but we could never get Garmin Pilot to connect to the GDL-39.

It said it was paired, but we received no data at all. Strangely, the internal N7 GPS -- which is supposedly so bad -- worked fine. WTF?

Anyone else have problems connecting their GDL-39 to the N7 2013 model?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3...
 
Well, crap, go figure THIS out.

We flew for an hour today with the new N7. The screen is AWESOME -- easily sunlight readable -- but we could never get Garmin Pilot to connect to the GDL-39.

It said it was paired, but we received no data at all. Strangely, the internal N7 GPS -- which is supposedly so bad -- worked fine. WTF?

Anyone else have problems connecting their GDL-39 to the N7 2013 model?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3...

What did the GDL status screen say in GP? I paired my test unit up with the new 7 last night and it seemed to work fine, but I was on the ground so very limited reception. I meant to fly with it today, but got busy teaching and didn't mess with it.

There's a new option in the latest firmware that let's you reset the remembered pairings on the GDL-39. Once powered up you press and hold until the Bluetooth pairing flashes....then press and hold again the same amount of time to wipe out the pairings. I had to do that to get the new one working the first time.
 
In other news, my new Nexus 7 FHD has finally shipped from Amazon as of last Saturday. I'll post a PIREP when it arrives. Crossing my fingers for a GPS fix.... not exactly the way I want to feel about a new $269 purchase though. :rolleyes:
 
In other news, my new Nexus 7 FHD has finally shipped from Amazon as of last Saturday. I'll post a PIREP when it arrives. Crossing my fingers for a GPS fix.... not exactly the way I want to feel about a new $269 purchase though. :rolleyes:

I hear you. But the display is awesome! :D
 
What did the GDL status screen say in GP? I paired my test unit up with the new 7 last night and it seemed to work fine, but I was on the ground so very limited reception. I meant to fly with it today, but got busy teaching and didn't mess with it.

There's a new option in the latest firmware that let's you reset the remembered pairings on the GDL-39. Once powered up you press and hold until the Bluetooth pairing flashes....then press and hold again the same amount of time to wipe out the pairings. I had to do that to get the new one working the first time.

I will try that next time. I've got the GDL-39 mounted in a difficult to access position in the -8A, which makes seeing the blinky light difficult.

In the GDL status page, it just continually said "connecting", but no data was ever received. In the Bluetooth status page, it showed that the N7 was paired with the GDL-39.
 
Hey, Jay?

Does the new Nexus retain the four pins and fit in the same dock as the old one?

Nope, but the trade off is worth it -- the new N7 supports WIRELESS charging. Just lay it on a plate, and it charges!

I've got this on my Samsung Galaxy S3, and love it. No more fumbling for the micro-USB port in the dark! And I often had difficulty getting the four "pogo pins" to make proper contact in the stand.

I just ordered a charging plate on Amazon. Should be here in a day or three.
 
Nope, but the trade off is worth it -- the new N7 supports WIRELESS charging. Just lay it on a plate, and it charges!

I've got this on my Samsung Galaxy S3, and love it. No more fumbling for the micro-USB port in the dark! And I often had difficulty getting the four "pogo pins" to make proper contact in the stand.

I just ordered a charging plate on Amazon. Should be here in a day or three.

too bad. I use it as a music source in my garage and the dock makes it easy.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
 
Over at Android Central there is a thread about the new Nexus 7's GPS flaking out. It's up to 177 posts.

Google has a major software glitch. I hope they fix it soon.
 
I can't get the GDL-39 to pair with the new Nexus 7. It keeps saying (after seeing it) "Make sure the GDL-39 is showing this passkey: 172272."

This number changes each time I try to pair.

Since there is no way of making the GDL-39 show a passkey number, I am dead in the water.

Any ideas?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3...
 
What is interesting is that I THINK I am trapped in the following Catch-22 situation:

1. The GDL-39 can only be paired with up to two devices.

2. I now have a third device. No pair, even though it SAYS it's paired. The previous two devices have been factory reset, so the GDL-39 doesn't recognize them.

3. I don't have the latest firmware on the GDL-39 that now has the ability to "forget" those two devices simply by holding down the button.

4. I am only able to update that firmware if the GDL-39 is connected to the internet -- which I cannot do unless I am bluetoothed to it!

Checkmate.
 
What is interesting is that I THINK I am trapped in the following Catch-22 situation:

1. The GDL-39 can only be paired with up to two devices.

2. I now have a third device. No pair, even though it SAYS it's paired. The previous two devices have been factory reset, so the GDL-39 doesn't recognize them.

3. I don't have the latest firmware on the GDL-39 that now has the ability to "forget" those two devices simply by holding down the button.

4. I am only able to update that firmware if the GDL-39 is connected to the internet -- which I cannot do unless I am bluetoothed to it!

Checkmate.

Jay,

Can you put the GDL-39 in pairing mode before trying to pair on the N7? Does it go to that mode?

Do you have the serial cable for the GDL-39 and something to connect it to? This might be an alternative way to upgrade to the latest release.

I don't have one, but I'm just going through the manual online.

Roddie
 
I haven't read whether you contacted Garmin on this issue. I haven't used their tech support often, but I usually got 24 hour replies. There's also a Garmin forum (https://forums.garmin.com ) and the some of the Garmin people post replies there; may already be listed there.
 
I haven't read whether you contacted Garmin on this issue. I haven't used their tech support often, but I usually got 24 hour replies. There's also a Garmin forum (https://forums.garmin.com ) and the some of the Garmin people post replies there; may already be listed there.

Ah, Garmin. A search of their forum for "GDL-39" returns this error message: "Please add more constraints to your search. Searches that return all or most of the database are a bad idea."

Why a search for an entirely unique combination letters and numbers like "GDL-39" returns THE ENTIRE DATABASE is a question some programmer needs to address... :rolleyes:
 
Jay,

Can you put the GDL-39 in pairing mode before trying to pair on the N7? Does it go to that mode?

Do you have the serial cable for the GDL-39 and something to connect it to? This might be an alternative way to upgrade to the latest release.

I don't have one, but I'm just going through the manual online.

Roddie

Yup, I can put the GDL-39 in pairing mode all day, and the Nexus 7 will ask it to display a unique key code in order to pair with it.

If you ignore that request, and hit the "pair" button (the only other choice is "cancel" ) the N7 appears to pair with it. It even displays as a "paired device" -- but no data is transferred, and Garmin Pilot shows the GSL-39 as "connecting".

A serial cable would solve everything, since I could clear the GDL-39's memory of my two previous devices. Sadly, like Apple, Garmin used a proprietary cable.
 
If you ignore that request, and hit the "pair" button (the only other choice is "cancel" ) the N7 appears to pair with it. It even displays as a "paired device" -- but no data is transferred, and Garmin Pilot shows the GSL-39 as "connecting".

Do you have something else you can try pairing it with to see if you get a different result? Phone, laptop, older N7?

Sorry if you've tried stuff stuff already, just trying to help troubleshoot.

Roddie
 
Do you have something else you can try pairing it with to see if you get a different result? Phone, laptop, older N7?

Sorry if you've tried stuff stuff already, just trying to help troubleshoot.

Roddie

Yup, same result. The GDL-39 can be paired with up to two devices. Apparently, after that, it is done. Since I am unable to clear it's memory of the old devices, I am at a dead-end.

I'm gonna try accessing the Garmin site with a peecee, in case their database issue is something to do with not being tablet compatible -- which would be TRULY ironic. :lol:
 
I'm gonna try accessing the Garmin site with a peecee, in case their database issue is something to do with not being tablet compatible -- which would be TRULY ironic. :lol:

It's not -- The forum search function appears to be broken right now.
 
I'm gonna try accessing the Garmin site with a peecee, in case their database issue is something to do with not being tablet compatible -- which would be TRULY ironic. :lol:

Nope, Garmin's site is unsearchable. You can search for ANYTHING, and get the same stupid response.

Unforgivable, for a technology company, to have a broken forum. :mad2:
 
And now, after working my way through a Garmin phonemail tree that ends with "if you're calling about aviation products (unspoken: "that represent an insignificantly small part of our revenue" ) call this OTHER phone number".

And when you call THAT number, the wait time is estimated at 15 - 20 minutes.

When did Garmin get bought by a cable company?
 
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And now, after working my way through a Garmin phonemail tree that ends with "if you're calling about aviation products (unspoken: "that represent an insignificantly small part of our revenue" ) call this OTHER phone number".

And when you call THAT number, the wait time is estimated at 15 - 20 minutes.

When did Garmin get bought by a cable company?
Also consider sending them an e-mail.

As for the forums, I don't see any aviation products listed there, sorry for sending you in that direction.
 
Also consider sending them an e-mail.

As for the forums, I don't see any aviation products listed there, sorry for sending you in that direction.

I'm on hold now, working with "Bob". Nice guy, but not sure if what we're doing (basically deleting other old authorized devices on my account, which IMHO won't help pair with the GDL-39) will help.
 
Gotta love google too.

"GDL-39 passkey" gives posts containing either "GDL-39" OR "passkey" rather than those containing only "GDL-39" AND "passkey". The Google instructions claim it's an "AND" function they perform; someone ought to talk to their programmers too (Bing too).
 
Gotta love google too.

"GDL-39 passkey" gives posts containing either "GDL-39" OR "passkey" rather than those containing only "GDL-39" AND "passkey". The Google instructions claim it's an "AND" function they perform; someone ought to talk to their programmers too (Bing too).

Works for me: https://www.google.com/search?q="GDL-39"+"passkey"
 
And I'm now on a conference call with Garmin Minneapolis. Looks like I've discovered a new glitch.
 
Works for me: https://www.google.com/search?q="GDL-39"+"passkey"
The way you entered it works- using the quotes and the "+" symbol. Thank you for showing this method.

However, reading the Google instructions, indicate that all words are used in a search:
Use only the important words rather than a full sentence or question.

Not ideal: country where bats are an omen of good luck
Better: bats good luck

Why? Generally, all of the words that you include in your search will be used to find matching content. Too many words will limit your results.
Ref: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479?hl=en&ref_topic=3180167

I usually find the opposite- it generates results where one of the words is used in the result.

Again, thank you for helping me to use Google better.
 
Success! For those who may run into this, here's the problem, and the solution:

Problem:
New Nexus 7 2013, running Garmin Pilot, cannot connect to Garmin GDL-39 ADS-B receiver.

Symptoms:
Nexus 7 appears to successfully pair with GDL-39. However, no data is streamed to the Garmin Pilot app. No GPS, or ADS-B data, is received.

In other words, it's paired but not really.

Solution:
1. Go to Google Play store, and download the free Garmin GDL-39 configuration app. IGNORE THE ADVICE THAT SAYS "YOU DON'T NEED THIS APP IF YOU ALREADY HAVE GARMIN PILOT". You need it.

2. Pair the Nexus 7 with the GDL-39. It really IS paired, it just can't communicate with the app, until you...

3. Using the configuration app (which inexplicably CAN communicate with the GDL-39 via Bluetooth, even though the app itself cannot) download and install the latest firmware into the GDL-39. They are at Ver 2.8. Mine was still on Ver 2.2. (Note that you must be connected to WiFi to download the latest firmware with this app.)

4. Once complete, force stop Garmin Pilot, and cycle the power on/off to the GDL-39.

5. Restart both. In a minute or two, it will automatically connect without touching anything at all.

I also had to go to my subscription page (in the Garmin Pilot app) and let it find my account before a connection could be fully established.

Note that you MUST have WiFi to receive/install the firmware update. Since my GDL-39 is semi-permanently installed in my plane, and it requires ship's power to work, that meant setting up a WiFi hotspot at my hangar.

Whew, what an ordeal. Moral of the story: Keep your firmware up to date! Just cuz it worked flawlessly with the old tablet doesn't mean it will work on the new tablet -- unless you've got the newest firmware version installed in the GDL-39.
 
Thanks for posting the solution... I hate when you google a problem, and read thru a thread that just ends with no solution.
 
Google inserted the "+" for me - My search query was simply "GDL-39" "passkey", which resulted in what I pasted above.

Here's a bit more about what happened to the AND functionality, and using quotes to make it work:

http://searchengineland.com/google-sunsets-search-operator-98189

Glad to help!
Honestly- Using Internet Explorer 8, it didn't rearrange the search as it did for you. It doesn't sdo so with Internet Explorer installed with Windows 8 either. Perhaps you were using another browser?
 
Honestly- Using Internet Explorer 8, it didn't rearrange the search as it did for you. It doesn't sdo so with Internet Explorer installed with Windows 8 either. Perhaps you were using another browser?

I use Chrome, but I just tested in Firefox and IE and both behaved the same way. Putting in: "GDL-39" "passkey"

Resulted in the hits I got above. I quoted GDL-39 so that the "-" wouldn't be misinterpreted, and putting quotes around passkey turned it into an AND query per the URL I posted above.
 
I use Chrome, but I just tested in Firefox and IE and both behaved the same way. Putting in: "GDL-39" "passkey"

Resulted in the hits I got above. I quoted GDL-39 so that the "-" wouldn't be misinterpreted, and putting quotes around passkey turned it into an AND query per the URL I posted above.
Didn't work for me:dunno: I had to maually add the '+' symbol.

It doesn't really matter, as you taught me how to make a "real" AND and I really don't mind doing it manually.

Google's instructions I quoted (copied today) really didn't help as they could be interpreted as them doing an AND in a search string.
 
Woot! Test flight tonight, everything works again, no muss, no fuss.

And, man, that HD screen is fantastic.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3...
 
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