Reading in Ipad in sunlight

Lawson Laslo

Lawson Laslo

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jan 18, 2019
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403
Location
Sundance airport Oklahoma
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N2005H
Hello
Ive got a Ipad mini 4 with an anti glare screen protector, Yet its still very hard to see during the day in the clear top Ercoupe...
Foreflights my main navigation source, next to IFR (i follow roads)

Anyone have any tip on how to make the screen brighter or prevent the glares etc?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Daleandee said:
It's about the nits. The iPad Mini 4 has about 450 nits. I have an iFly 740b which has 1100 nits and is very readable in bright sunlight.
Click to expand...
Definitely want to check the i fly gps units out at sun n fun this year., Can it connect to a stratus?
Definitely would rather be able to use foreflight though...
 
Lawson Laslo said:
Definitely want to check the i fly gps units out at sun n fun this year., Can it connect to a stratus?
Definitely would rather be able to use foreflight though...
Click to expand...

I used a Stratux unit with my iFly before I installed the uAvionix EchoUAT (ASDB in & out). I updated my earlier post with a link to explain "nits" and what is recommended for sunlight readability.
 
Stupid question, but is the brightness turned all the way up? By the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like it is.
 
I can see where it would be more difficult to see in something like aYankee or an Ercoupe. In my little high wing 140 there is hardly an angle where the Sun can shine directly on the pad. In my Mooney, it’s a more common problem, but not insurmountable. The Ercoupe is pretty much a green house, so it probably is indeed a challenge sometimes.

I think it works for me because I don’t have a fixed position Mount. Tried several and never were happy with them. I finally got a $10 sticky rubber cover for the pad and just set it in my lap. I can move it out of the Sun when I am in the rare situation where I have to.
 
As previously mentioned mini 4 has a max brightness of 450 nits, by comparison the max pro 12 iPhone is 800 typical, 1200 maximum.
This is one reason why I’ve switch from mini to max.
 
I have a 4 Mini and it has never been an issue in the club Tiger. I guess you could take me along for a ride and I could help you troubleshoot this issue? :D
 
The answer is there is no good answer. Even the new I pad mini 5 has less than the needed nits. An expensive and very clunky work around is to get a Garmin Aero that is sunlight readable. Use your I pad on your lap and Garmin on a ram mount to show traffic and moving map - assuming you have a Garmin GTX 345
 
iPad Air Gen 3. Zero issues at all in direct sunlight at max brightness. Just don't forget to turn it down as it gets darker or it will trash your night vision.
 
I always thought the MAC screens got way too much credit. They're remarkably difficult to read in any kind of light. My old Toshiba, et al, computers all read much better in direct sunlight

Outside of that, I don't have advice for you. Sorry. The only reason I have any apple products is because Foreflight makes me use the iPad.
 
Just wait until it says it's powering off because it's too hot, right when you're pulling up an approach plate

Foreflight is nice, but the iPad has it's limitations

Maybe craft some kind of shade around it like the old Soviet aircraft radar screens used to have?
 
An anti glare screen protector helps a lot. But it’s always going to have to be out of direct sunlight
 
Wow, that's terrible. I would try removing that screen protector, I use a mini with no protector and it's far brighter than that.

Also, wear a black (or other dark colored) shirt.
 
Cheap fix: cut up a cereal box to make a "visor". Paint it black or don't waste time painting it. Pricey Fix: If it works, have someone (or yourself) model it in CAD and send the drawing to a local sheet metal shop. Paint it, put some rubber and/or velcro to mount. Get some of the rubber strip material used on the edge of car doors to prevent scratching from auto parts store to cover the sharp edges.
 
A few suggestions.

1) set to dark mode
2) manually turn the brightness up and turn off Auto Brightness
3) get an anti glare screen shield
4) polarized sunglasses are reported to help

be sure to cool it or it will shut down from an overheat.
 
It does have the Dayvue anti glare screen protector,
Have tried several sunshades with no luck, a lot of the sunlight gets in from the rear “turtledeck” windows
 
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