This is a good discussion. I have been wanting to streamline my cockpit choices for what works best, and been considering the options.

A few questions: Does the 696/796 have better mapping options than the 496? I have flown down the wrong canyon several times trying to avoid climbing above the highest terrain to get where i was going and just fly the canyons. The "maps" on the 496 are pretty worthless IMO.
The iPad with foreflight changed all that. The sectionals are great and give a pretty good idea of what the canyons and high points really look like, or pull up a topo app on the iPad and get really detailed mapping, All while showing where you are on the map.

XM vs. ADS-B
My XM has worked great (had those challenging customer service calls also) but it is reliable. I have woken up several times on Sunday morning deep in the backcountry to the sound of unexpected rain/low ceilings, with nobody around and no wifi/cell service to check weather. The XM is a lifesaver in these cases, to get a current TAF and start making a game plan for getting home. I "have" to have winds aloft, so the XM is pretty expensive each year all up. The "one time" equipment cost of the ADS-B is attractive, but you would be out of luck sitting on the ground stuck under weather trying to get a forecast/outlook. So, I have considered adding a sat phone, then I could call weather........or connect to the internet with the phone and my ipad to check weather. But, I hear the internet may be to slow to browse a weather site online? So, I have continued paying the xm subscription and using the ipad in the cockpit along with the 496 for navigation/weather.

I have been considering the ipad mini as of late. The full size ipad blocks the gear lights in one airplane I fly if mounted on it's Angerole mount, and gets hot if sitting on my lap and in the sun. I lost the ipad to overheating while navigating the same LAX VFR airspace emflys was in a couple of months ago......but, getting it out of the sun and inline with an air vent and it was back on line in a minute or two. Only happened to me twice in about 500hrs flying with an ipad, but you still need a backup (vor tuned in, etc) if you are in busy airspace.
Anyway, the mini should fit in the cockpit more easily.

Brent - the terrain mapping and alerts are fantastic on the 696. But, you can't see actual sectionals. But was always helpful for me in making sure I was in the right canyon.

lancef53 wrote:Thanks for the replies--I will borrow a friends ipad mini and see if I can find space for it in the RV8.

Lance - where I put mine in our RV8 was to get one of these http://www.amazon.com/AP020-Adapter-Circular-Adhesive-Console/dp/B001DAT0XE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1373126151&sr=8-5&keywords=suction+cup+mount+plate and stick it to the flat section reinforcement of the pilot canopy frame, just in front the actual tube. I have a good suction cup mount and it holds great there, can be put on either side, and is close yet out of the way. Many mount/holder systems have a suction cup option too.

So are you sticking it to the fuselage or right to the sliding canopy? I will have to run and look at the plane to see exactly what you are talking about.

Thanks!!

Its a flat lighting-holed section that gussets the forward canopy frame/roll bar. on the front side of the role bar. I put it on the right hand side as I believe the left interferes with the latch.

Whatever you buy look closely at the box/unit they bring out to you. I went with the Chief Pilot to the fruit store in Long Beach about 3 weeks ago to buy him a unit. We talked to the nice young salesman for at least 15 minutes about GPS, aviation, aviation apps, GPS with aviation apps etc. We went back to the hotel and he loaded foreflite and Jeppesen for the international flights, then it was back to school on the new airplane with no time to play with it.....
fast forward 3 weeks.....
We are in the middle of this trip.( https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N70 ... /KLNK/LFMN ) trying to figure out why the GPS won't work. After quite a few minutes our mechanic came up front so the CP handed it to him and asked him to look at it. He immediately came back up front with his mini and we tried it. no problemo. The GPS worked just fine through the heated windshield. A few minutes later he came back up front and said "you don't have a GPS". stunned silence.

I was doing some checking into the mini also. you have to buy the WIFI& cellular version to have the built in GPS. You dont have to activate the cell feature, but the GPC is built into the same chip as the cell service so you have to get that version. I think you can also get an external GPS module that will plug into it, but then your dealing with more wires and clutter.

I am looking at upgrading my panel to a mini efis and perhaps an IPAD mini, but I am not sure how the ipad will like the cold temps I fly in. It is not uncommon to have -30 temps in the cockpit when parked and I am lucky to get it above +30 while in the air at those temps.

Only the 3G/4G cellular radio equipped models have a GPS. However, you can get Bluetooth GPS receivers for all iPads.

As I mentioned, I have the shared 2 Gb data plan with Verizon, so having the iPad mini on it only costs $10/month plus the plan itself. I normally use the home wi-fi system when I use the mini, so I have the cell system shut off entirely and rarely use more than a quarter Gig of the data plan per month, including using it for my smart phone and M's phone. But here's the benefit to having the data plan and being able to use it: If I'm somewhere that doesn't have wi-fi or has really slow wi-fi or has unsecure wi-fi and I want to pay a bill or whatever that requires secure Internet, I can switch on the 3G or 4G cell service. If it comes in as 4G, that's every bit as fast as our home wi-fi, and very secure--even 3G is pretty quick.

If the mini were only used for Foreflight, it wouldn't have to have much capacity. But if you use it for other things, too (which you will--it's every bit as capable as a laptop), you really don't want the lowest capacity model. So far, I'm really happy with the unit I bought, which is the 32Gb, 4G cell version. Incidentally, I also have the Logitech keyboard cover for it, which makes it really easy to use like a laptop--just have to scrunch my fingers together a little to use the keyboard. Just have to remember to turn off the Bluetooth of the keyboard when separating the units to use the mini in the cockpit.

Cary

Zzz wrote:The worst thing about XM weather is the customer service. Otherwise, it's awesome. Much more dependable than cellular data, but XM/Sirius the company sucks.

X2!!

XM/Sirius Customer Service is the worse I ever had to deal with!

All I wanted to do was cancel a subscription on a radio in a truck I no longer drove. XM CS made it the most difficult process ever!

Anyway...... Sorry for the Thread Drift

akavidflyer wrote:I was doing some checking into the mini also. you have to buy the WIFI& cellular version to have the built in GPS. You dont have to activate the cell feature, but the GPC is built into the same chip as the cell service so you have to get that version. I think you can also get an external GPS module that will plug into it, but then your dealing with more wires and clutter.

I am looking at upgrading my panel to a mini efis and perhaps an IPAD mini, but I am not sure how the ipad will like the cold temps I fly in. It is not uncommon to have -30 temps in the cockpit when parked and I am lucky to get it above +30 while in the air at those temps.

Had my mini @ -40 last year in SVS, had to turn it on and let it warm itself up to work, had no problems after that, I do run it hooked up to power, not on Battery only when cold!!

It's a shame, I have FF, Fly Q, and Wing X. All 3 have some great features. The split screens and synthetic vision are great on the Fly Q and the Wing X.
I find tho when it gets kind a ugly I end up on FF!! With the Radar over the sectional, or terrain map?

I do have a 696 for back up?? I used to use it for my primary, but that has switched!

Still trying to find the perfect in panel or on panel mount for the mini!!
I did order that sticky one from on the tv for your cell phone, it works pretty well for the mini, have not tried it when cold tho(-20)
Have a gizmo for the 696.

So is an external GPS better than the internal unit? Or are they both ok? Seems like the cost is similar, but less hassle with the internal?

Thanks again!! There is lots of great info in this thread

I like a cell/GPS equipped iPad, as well as the Stratus 2 with its WAAS GPS.

The reason is mostly weather. Where there is no ADS-B coverage (hence no weather reporting), I can use the iPad's built in cell to get weather, although my cell coverage is generally limited to about 3,500 agl.

lancef53 wrote:So is an external GPS better than the internal unit? Or are they both ok? Seems like the cost is similar, but less hassle with the internal?

Thanks again!! There is lots of great info in this thread

From my experience the external GPSs are better in that they are more accurate and have better signal reception. My Dual GPS150 maintains a good reception even inside my house. It is one more thing to charge, but they are small and really work quite well. Since they are wireless (either bluetooth or wifi) you really don't notice them after you get setup, just turn it on, set it on the dash and go.

lancef53 wrote:So is an external GPS better than the internal unit? Or are they both ok? Seems like the cost is similar, but less hassle with the internal?

Thanks again!! There is lots of great info in this thread

I used the Dual with my Ipad, but have not had a problem with the GPS in the mini.

lancef53 wrote:So is an external GPS better than the internal unit? Or are they both ok? Seems like the cost is similar, but less hassle with the internal?

Thanks again!! There is lots of great info in this thread

I have the Dual GPS and the onboard GPS with my iPad 2. I find that I normally have excellent reception with the onboard unit and my Dual GPS is gathering dust on the shelf.

wagonflyer wrote:

lancef53 wrote:I have the Dual GPS and the onboard GPS with my iPad 2. I find that I normally have excellent reception with the onboard unit and my Dual GPS is gathering dust on the shelf.

Yup.

This is only marginally off topic but I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 6 inch model droid. I use a great little app called AvAre. https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... vare&hl=en

It doesn't do traffic or weather yet but if you just want to know where you are on the sectional it's great. I used it on my trips to Johnson Creek and it worked flawlessly. And it's free!