Ipad/foreflight, gtx 345 and gps chip need

[Brian A Johns]

Quick simple question. I am wanting to buy a new ipad mini 4 for a yoke mount. I just wondered with the GTN650/GTX345 radio/transponder set up bluetoothed to an ipad with foreflight, if the gps position is obtained from the transponder. Short version, do i need an ipad with cellular (and hence gps chip) capability or not?

I suspect I just need a simple wifi only ipad to work fine here but haven't found a clear enough answer to risk buying the wrong thing.

 

[Lachlan]

Wi-Fi only should work for you, but why not buy the cellular version as a handy backup for that (never gonna happen, ever) time when everything else fails?

 

[James331]

It would be silly to NOT GET the chip.

I know zero people with iPads with cellular/GPS who wished they didn't get it.

I know more than a couple people who didn't get, or didn't know to get GPS, who wished THEY GOT IT.

For a backup, to use the Russian network too, if you ever fly a different plane, if you use the iPad for boating or anything else, seems really penny wise and pound foolish not to get a GPS enabled iPad IMO

 

[PilotRocker]

I have an older 2nd generation iPad Mini without the Cellular Data capability. I use it every time with with the Garmin GTX345 in our Tiger over the Bluetooth connection. It works very well. In fact better than my other newer iPad with a built in GPS as that seems to run the battery down much much quicker. I also carry a a leftover Bad Elf GPS Pro portable GPS that I can use in aircraft without the GTX-345 or GDL-39. Again it works fine and the battery life of the iPad is much longer than using the built in GPS.

 

[denverpilot]

A note. You can get the cellular version and not put cellular service on it. That’s what I do and use the tethering to the phone if I need mobile data on it. Yeah, I’m cheap. Why spend $10/mo ($120/year) plus taxes to add it to my cellular account?

I do have one of my carrier’s SIM cards in it though which would allow me to hit a button on the cellular data settings page and buy a gig of data on the thing in a pinch in about three minutes.

Some carriers don’t allow tethering or only on some devices or whatever so YMMV.

 

[C-1 PILOT]

Sorry for the Hi Jack, but I’d think twice about purchasing a Mini. Apple has said it will soon drop the Mini and at some point the ability to get current iOS updates will cease. The unit will get R E A L slow. I had an iPad 2 that Apple stopped supporting with iOS updates around iOS 9.? It was all down hill from there, with APPS not running properly. Got a new iPad Pro and I’m back in business.

 

[James331]

Sorry for the Hi Jack, but I’d think twice about purchasing a Mini. Apple has said it will soon drop the Mini and at some point the ability to get current iOS updates will cease. The unit will get R E A L slow. I had an iPad 2 that Apple stopped supporting with iOS updates around iOS 9.? It was all down hill from there, with APPS not running properly. Got a new iPad Pro and I’m back in business.

Except the mini is the perfect sized for aircraft.

And who cares about iOS updates, why would I want to downgrade my device with their bloat ware?

I had my old mini until I got a new mini for free from FSI, head to head my non updated mini 2 or whatever was just as fast as the new one, infact I wouldn't have got a new device if it wasn't free.

 

[C-1 PILOT]

Except the mini is the perfect sized for aircraft.

And who cares about iOS updates, why would I want to downgrade my device with their bloat ware?

I had my old mini until I got a new mini for free from FSI, head to head my non updated mini 2 or whatever was just as fast as the new one, infact I wouldn't have got a new device if it wasn't free.

It is the perfect size. And, your Mini 2 was/is still supported.

My argument is, at some point the apps we use, whether for flying or other things depend on or need the latest operating system. At some point Apple won’t let you upload the latest iOS. My iPad 2, stopped at 9 and went downhill after that. Some apps need the latest iOS to work properly. By iOS 10+, ForeFlight and other apps got really slow. Got the new iPad Pro and everything works great.

Good luck, I hope they continue updates for the Mini.

 

[James331]

It is the perfect size. And, your Mini 2 was/is still supported.

My argument is, at some point the apps we use, whether for flying or other things depend on or need the latest operating system. At some point Apple won’t let you upload the latest iOS. My iPad 2, stopped at 9 and went downhill after that. Some apps need the latest iOS to work properly. By iOS 10+, ForeFlight and other apps got really slow. Got the new iPad Pro and everything works great.

Good luck, I hope they continue updates for the Mini.

That's the thing, I NEVER update my iOS, I'll update foreflight as long as I can on my stock iOS, even running forflight on iOS 9 and foreflight 7.something on my iPhone, everything is still plenty quick and works great.

 

[denverpilot]

Can re-use that cartoon for when you have to put that unpatched security nightmare on any network with a bunch of other unpatched security nightmares. It’s pretty much like walking into a TB ward with an immunodeficiency. LOL.