XGPS150 & Garmin Pilot

3 in the green

3 in the green

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I have both an iPad 2 and an iPhone 7. Both have the most updated version of Garmin Pilot installed, and the iPhone 7 is also running the latest iOS software. The XGPS150 has the latest firmware update. In the XGPS app, I can tell I'm paired fine and getting good signal.

However, I'm not sure Pilot is using the XGPS unit at all. It's been awhile since I've used Pilot (I just re-downloaded it this afternoon), and in the Connext > Situational Data menu, the GPS shows:

Status: Receiving GPS
Source: iOS
Update Frequency: 1 Hz

There is zero indication that the GPS is coming from the XGPS150 unit. It seems to me that it's coming from the internal phone GPS. When I shut off the XGPS150, nothing changes. I don't see the XGPS150 available in the "Devices" section, either.

I've searched for the last while here and on the internet for others that have this issue, and the only thing I've found is an issue back with iOS 8 where the software prevented bluetooth GPS accessibility for awhile until it was fixed with an update. This doesn't apply here.

Any ideas?
 
Your post is not clear if your problem is on the iPad or the iPhone. Sounds like you want to use the XGPS with both, so one question that comes to mind is whether or not the XGPS will pair to two devices simultaneously. A second thought is that the XGPS doesn't give you anything more than GPS on your phone does, so don't believe you're missing any capability.
 
The problem is with both devices. And I'm not trying to pair them at the same time (it can't do that). I'll shut bluetooth off on the other device to make sure there isn't a problem there. It's a problem with Garmin Pilot not utilizing the XGPS150.

An externally-paired GPS is far better than the internal one (which is spotty especially when up in the air).
 
Maybe try turning on airplane mode, and then turn just BT back on, and then try again and see what happens. I think airplane mode turns off the internal GPS. Also try telling each device to forget the 150, and then re-pair.
 
So, I think it's actually working, but the "new" UI in Pilot isn't clear to me that it's using the XGPS or the internal GPS. However, in the XGPS manual, it says the green GPS light will only show if an app is requesting its data. If I have nothing else running, turn on the XGPS, it will pair with either device but the GPS light won't illuminate.

As soon as I open the Pilot app though, it starts illuminating - so I think it's working. It's just weird that the Pilot interface doesn't say anything about it. I would be curious to hear if any Pilot users know this definitively. There doesn't appear to be anything about it in the Pilot support docs.
 
Well, to be certain, I ended up e-mailing Garmin Support. They got back to me this morning, stating that if Pilot is using a device, it will say it under "Devices" - furthermore, the only external GPS receivers compatible with Garmin Pilot are the GLO and GDL39!

I can't believe this to be true. I used to have Pilot a few years ago, before re-newing it just now, and the XGPS150 worked fine.

Additionally, as some of you mentioned above, it states in the manual (latest revision Oct '16) that the XGPS150 is a known compatible device:

"Alternative or thirdparty GPS sources known to work with Garmin Pilot are: Bad Elf, Dual Electronics XGPS150 Universal Bluetooth® GPS, and GNS 5870 MFI Bluetooth® GPS receiver. Other iPad-compatible portable GPS sources may also work with Garmin Pilot."

Either the customer support note is incorrect - or, perhaps of more concern, they axed the third party connectivity in a recent update. I just have a hard time imagining that. I wrote them back...
 
May want to ask them if their statement is specific to GPS, ADS-b, or both.

I have used GP exclusively with a GDL 39, but my son has a 150 somewhere. I will try to dig it out and see what it looks like on mine. I'm on an iPad Air 2 tho.

There was an iOS update awhile back that broke external GPS for everybody. You don't say what iOS your iPad is on. Of course, that doesn't explain the issue on the phone.
 
Ok, so here's the final outcome from my situation with Garmin Pilot and XGPS150:

1) Garmin Pilot is apparently NO LONGER compatible with the XGPS150. Unlike as stated in the latest revision of the manual (Oct '16), now there is a far more limited set of compatible external devices (all Garmin products).

Compatible devices are listed here: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/115856#devices

To further aggravate, it seems Garmin has not widely communicated this. Many third-party device manufacturers, such as Bad Elf, still list Garmin Pilot as a compatible device. I told Garmin this.

2) To their credit, their responses were not canned - it was nice discussing this through with a real human being, and they were fairly prompt in responding (same business day). In the end, I'm not ready to buy one of their devices yet, so I asked for a refund, to which they totally had no problem with and apologized for the troubles.

I am still disappointed, since I really liked the Garmin Pilot interface / functionality from a few years ago before I had to stop flying for a bit.

Oh well, off to Foreflight...
 
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