GLO -- GPS ?

[Tom-D]

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/av/gps_ipadcompatible/garminglo.php

Some one explain this?

IS this really GPS on your iPAD?

Yes I have read this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GLONASS

I guess this says it all,
Manufacturers of GPS devices say that adding GLONASS made more satellites available to them, meaning positions can be fixed more quickly and accurately, especially in built-up areas where the view to some GPS satellites is obscured by buildings. Smartphones generally tend to use the same chipsets and since the versions used since 2015 receive GLONASS signals, smartphones using such chips receive GLONASS positioning information along with GPS. Since 2012, GLONASS was the second most used positioning system in mobile phones after GPS. The system has the advantage that smartphone users receive a more accurate reception identifying location to within 2 meters.[1]


but anything to add

 

[Cap'n Jack]

This works with an iPhone in a similar fashion as a Bad Elf or a Stratux with a GPS added. It uses blue tooth to connect to the iPad (Stratux would use wifi). If you have an iPad that can use cellular data, there is a GPS built-in and there is little need for an external GPS unless the iPad has a poor view of the satellites when it is used.

An iOS update has the possibility of rendering these external GPS useless (it actually happened on the iOS 8 update). The GLO is supposed to work with Android devices as well.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I'm not sure I understand the question. So this might not answer it

"GPS" is a US based satellite navigation system. GLONASS, a Russian based one. The GLO, a consumer product for tablets, picks up both.

There have been external products like this at least as long as there have been EFB apps for tablets. Some have only accessed one system (GPS in the US market); some both.

I've always used one with my iPad since I never had one with the internal GPS capability.

 

[bnt83]

IS this really GPS on your iPAD?


but anything to add

Did you know that the cellular versions of the ipads have a GPS receiver in them? They run pilot apps including GPS data without any external devices.


The WiFi only iPads cannot do the same without an external GPS receiver sending the iPad the GPS data.

I need a new ipad but not willing to spend the extra $130 for the cellular model since I plan on installing a GTX-345 which will provide GPS data via wireless Bluetooth to two portable devices, and more such as AHRS & ADS-B weather/traffic to ipad and any other compatible wired display.

 

[GeorgeC]

$130 is about the cheapest redundancy money can buy.

 

[midlifeflyer]

$130 is about the cheapest redundancy money can buy.

For the rare times you might need it, you can get more redundancy for less than that.

3 iPads in 5-6 years, none with internal GPS. I can count on half of one hand the number of times I've missed it. YRMV.

 

[bnt83]

$130 is about the cheapest redundancy money can buy.

For whatever reason the ipad 2 celluar/gps tends to drop out too much for my taste. I have a panel mounted portable GPS with internal battery and a real external mounted antenna that is more reliable.

I have iphone 6 that seems to work flawless that will do the same as the ipad with a GPS

 

[midlifeflyer]

For whatever reason the ipad 2 celluar/gps tends to drop out too much for my taste. I have a panel mounted portable GPS with internal battery and a real external mounted antenna that is more reliable.

I have iphone 6 that seems to work flawless that will do the same as the ipad with a GPS

Pilot experience with the continuity and reliability of the internal GPS varies.

 

[Velocity173]

I've got a cheap Ellipsis 8 with an internal GPS antenna and it works fine. It does take about 5-6 mins to acquire the satellites but haven't had it drop a signal yet. Free Avare with moving map works great. 75 % of my flights are local though so I usually don't even turn it on.

 

[Jumpmaster]

I have a Garmin GLO and it is a reasonably affordable option for VFR pilots. Mine is about 3 years old and it is fairly quick to pick up the sats and keeps a decent lock. I've noticed the battery's performance is beginning to decline. I keep it in my flight bag as a backup to my 530W and Garmin GDL39D and try to exercise it every now and again. Thought about selling it to just get ride of it along with all of the other crap I've accumulated (IPad yoke mount, cradle, knee board, etc.) but I never seem to get to it.

 

[mscard88]

Thought about selling it to just get ride of it along with all of the other crap I've accumulated (IPad yoke mount, cradle, knee board, etc.) but I never seem to get to it.

Just list your crap on POA classifieds and you'll rid yourself of them!

 

[Tom-D]

So.. If you have a stratus antenna you don't need this ?? ??

 

[James331]

I'm not sure I understand the question. So this might not answer it

"GPS" is a US based satellite navigation system. GLONASS, a Russian based one. The GLO, a consumer product for tablets, picks up both.

There have been external products like this at least as long as there have been EFB apps for tablets. Some have only accessed one system (GPS in the US market); some both.

I've always used one with my iPad since I never had one with the internal GPS capability.

That.

And, at least for my cellular iPad mini, it has GPS built in which works with BOTH the US and Russian systems.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

So.. If you have a stratus antenna you don't need this ?? ??

The Stratus has a GPS in it and so it works the same. It probably won't pick up the GLONASS system, but it will get ADS-B weather and 1 or 2 channels of ADS-B traffic (depending on the model).

Stratus is iOS only, to the best of my knowledge. Stratus also only claims that they only work with ForeFlight; other apps are "unsupported".

 

[midlifeflyer]

So.. If you have a stratus antenna you don't need this ?? ??

No, you don't.

To continue a bit on what Cap't Jack said, a Stratus unit contains equipment for 2 or 3 different things.

• All contain an ADS-B In feed;
• All contain a WAAS GPS feed;
• Some contain an AHRS unit.

 

[GRG55]

I have a Garmin GLO and it is a reasonably affordable option for VFR pilots. Mine is about 3 years old and it is fairly quick to pick up the sats and keeps a decent lock. I've noticed the battery's performance is beginning to decline. I keep it in my flight bag as a backup to my 530W and Garmin GDL39D and try to exercise it every now and again. Thought about selling it to just get ride of it along with all of the other crap I've accumulated (IPad yoke mount, cradle, knee board, etc.) but I never seem to get to it.

I also use a GLO, with an iPad running Foreflight. It's an excellent GPS receiver; so good it does not need to be on the glare shield. I drop it into the pocket behind my seat and it has never had any difficulty sending position to the iPad. Mine is also about 3 years old and also noticed some battery capacity degredation, but it just pops out and not difficult to change it.

I didn't want to buy an iPad with the cell phone system, which was the only way to get the built in GPS. The form factor of an iPad makes a ridiculous phone imo. My now ancient iPhone 4S fits in my pocket and still makes phone calls just fine

 

[midlifeflyer]

I didn't want to buy an iPad with the cell phone system, which was the only way to get the built in GPS. The form factor of an iPad makes a ridiculous phone imo. My now ancient iPhone 4S fits in my pocket and still makes phone calls just fine

Just so you know, it's not a cell phone system. You don't make calls on it*. The cellular chip is for your 3G/4G/whatever Internet data plan access, not phone calls. And you don't have to get a dataplan in order to use the GPS capability.


(* well, yeah, technically you can make calls on it if you want to use Google Voice or some other internet-based phone system, but you can do that without the chip on any device, including a PC, that is attached to the internet)

 

[GRG55]

Just so you know, it's not a cell phone system. You don't make calls on it*. The cellular chip is for your 3G/4G/whatever Internet data plan access, not phone calls. And you don't have to get a dataplan in order to use the GPS capability.


(* well, yeah, technically you can make calls on it if you want to use Google Voice or some other internet-based phone system, but you can do that without the chip on any device, including a PC, that is attached to the internet)

As you noted one doesn't need a cellular version of the iPad to use VOIP. And if I need to access data through the cell system for my non-cellular iPad I just use my cell phone hot spot capability.

 

[midlifeflyer]

As you noted one doesn't need a cellular version of the iPad to use VOIP. And if I need to access data through the cell system for my non-cellular iPad I just use my cell phone hot spot capability.

You and I do exactly the same thing, except my hotspot is from an Android phone.

 

[Sinistar]

We've been using the GLO with Garmin Pilot, one copy on a iPad mini and one copy on a Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4.

The GLO locks on very fast, always seems to have lock and seems more accurate than the built in tablet GPS (Android in our case). Our crude test was using a trial version of CloudAhoy. The tablet's GPS track had missing data here and there. The GLO as the source tracked the entire flight. We now mount the tablet under the glare shield, when window mounted it was better but still not as reliable as the GLO. We clip the GLO to the visor so its right up against the windshield.

GLO on Android vs iPad is interesting.

Since all Android's have GPS, using a external one can be tricky. Actually Garmin Pilot seems to use it directly without any workarounds...with one hitch. If there are previously paired devices on the Android its like it wants to use those instead...like headphones! Our solution has been to remove all other pairings and now it passes the wife test (turn it all on and it just works, not other apps required).

Since the iPad does not have GPS, once paired up it just works. We are transitioning to the iPad version with GLO. The iPad version of Garmin Flight is way farther along than the Android version (weight and balance, Glide Range rings, tallies touch and goes, etc, etc, etc). The Android will be our backup and since it has workable GPS can cover for a primary tablet down or a GLO going down or both.