EFB bashing whiners

[midlifeflyer]

One current inconvenience that will be simplified in about a month is for initial flight plan loading and in-flight reroutes. This requires entering things both in FF (easy) and the GNS530W. With the pending installation of the Flighstream that will be somewhat simplified. This task, like everything else, is a specific skill that needs to be learned so it becomes second nature. I have found that certain inflight changes are easier to make in FF and some easier in the GNS. Fortunately, the integration can be driven in either direction.

You betcha. Since the GNS was never updated to be able to load airways, longer flights on airways are a pain since every waypoint (or at least eery waypoint with a course change) needed to be loaded. A FlightStream setup makes that super easy.

[Tom-B]

Rich ... I have really enjoyed having the FlightStream 210, it has enhanced the functionality of both the Garmin 530W and the EFB itself. I hope you see as much value with your own installation.

[Rich]

Rich ... I have really enjoyed having the FlightStream 210, it has enhanced the functionality of both the Garmin 530W and the EFB itself. I hope you see as much value with your own installation.

As it happens, I completed 2 IFR round trips to Victoria, BC in late August. So it was fresh in my mind the duplication, especially the in-progress activities. This is things like loading arrival and approach procedures, departure procedures, and inflight reroutes (appreciated, BTW, every one was a bit shortening of flight path).

A few days later I caught a video demonstrating the use of the FS 210 with FF. Oooh, me want this . And the unit itself is pretty inexpensive. We'll probably have to mount a small shelf on the back of the instrument panel for proper installation, but no big deal.

[Rich]

Rich ... I have really enjoyed having the FlightStream 210, it has enhanced the functionality of both the Garmin 530W and the EFB itself. I hope you see as much value with your own installation.

I should get the plane back today or tomorrow with the FS. It looks like what I want to do is set the Stratus "Use as GPS" OFF and after pairing with the FS with FF position and AHARS driving by the GSN530W/FS and ADS-B from the Stratus. Is there anything else I should know?

I've got a flight plan ready to transfer as an initial test: KDBN->S39 via RNAV 28 approach.

[Rich]

Rich ... I have really enjoyed having the FlightStream 210, it has enhanced the functionality of both the Garmin 530W and the EFB itself. I hope you see as much value with your own installation.

I should get the plane back today or tomorrow with the FS. It looks like what I want to do is set the Stratus "Use as GPS" OFF and after pairing with the FS with FF position and AHARS driving by the GSN530W/FS and ADS-B from the Stratus. Is there anything else I should know?

I've got a flight plan ready to transfer as an initial test: KDBN->S39 via RNAV 28 approach.

I picked up the plane today. It being Saturday I really couldn't get with the shop to deal with the big problem. I just thought I'd ask here if someone else has run into this. The GNS530W configuration page comes up and it sees the unit OK. But the iPad can't see it, nor can my iPhone, so I can't pair. I tried several reboots - no go.

The FS210 is mounted up behind the panel on the right side, so the aluminum panel does lie between it and my i-thingees. Is that enough to screw this up? Clearly the shop had paired an iPhone with it, as it shows as paired, but I can't add mine. Blocking by the panel is a possibility, but kind of a show-stopper. Any ideas?

[chili4way]

No doubt you've done the steps beginning 0:38 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-zWyCt1tv4. But just in case.

The only thing I can suggest is putting the FS 210 into pairing mode and then go hunting: see if you get a Bluetooth signal on top of the glare shield or even from outside the airplane.

[Rich]

No doubt you've done the steps beginning 0:38 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-zWyCt1tv4. But just in case.

The only thing I can suggest is putting the FS 210 into pairing mode and then go hunting: see if you get a Bluetooth signal on top of the glare shield or even from outside the airplane.

It was a case of RTFM. I hadn't picked up on the extra ceremony to get the FS into pairing mode. It's clear in the installation manual so all on me. Anyway, all good. I did have to rework the crossfill setting on the 530W, which the technician had changed. Now the flightplan will load to the 530W and crossfill to the 430W.

[Rich]

An entertaining aspect to the FS 210 installation is the shop recomputed the W&B, so I lost 4 ounces of useful load.

[Rich]

With the new gizmo comes some self-training on how to use these new capabilities. The initial step of using Foreflight to construct, file and copy into the GNS unit(s) is a piece of cake. But then comes the inevitable reality of the route changes in flight. Other than vectors, most commonly what happens is I get an along-the-route shortcut. In the past I'd tweak the flight plan on the 530 direct to the appropriate fix. That gets me conforming to the clearance right away. But then copying back to the FF plan scrubs all airways from the flightplan, replacing with all the underlying fixes, since GNS's know nothing about airways. This is not really a big deal. Or I can use FF to remove the no-longer-relevant fixes in FF and copy to the panel. This is OK, but does delay by a few seconds getting the "real" route in the GNS's. There are variants to this, such getting an amendment that's not along the previously cleared route, and the later-in-the-game insertion of the arrival and approach procedures.

There really is no simulator environment for these activities. So what I do is pull the plane out of the hangar (so the magic does not get all excited by not having GPS signals) and work through my personal lesson scenarios. This is OK, as this doesn't put me in anyone's taxi path.

There are some things best tested in flight (like how the GNS/NAV mode and FF behaves for certain in-flight changes originating in the other environment), so I'll tackle that later in VMC without any ATC involvement. There's lots of airspace around here to do that.

The totally dumb approach would be to try to figure this all out in a real IFR environment .

[CBeak]

An entertaining aspect to the FS 210 installation is the shop recomputed the W&B, so I lost 4 ounces of useful load.

Time to upgrade to a DA42? Sounds like the DA40 won't be suited to your mission anymore.