Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1841165
Hi flyers

I am looking to upgrade my tablet hardware and then purchase software for VFR flying.

I appreciate these topics have been covered before at various times, however I am seeking advice from fellow VFR flyers re: the latest information and your advice based on your recent experience.

Please advise me re: for VFR flying:

- the best tablet device make/model e.g. Apple or Android?
- do I need the SIM card version of the above or is the built in GPS good enough?
- the best tablet device size for the GA cockpit environment?
- the best tablet software e.g. in terms of features, price, performance, updates etc?

Thanks.
#1841169
captainbluesky wrote:I appreciate these topics have been covered before at various times.


Indeed they have and you are very brave asking again!

But seriously, you have to define what you mean by 'best' and by 'VFR flying' to get any sort of useful answer. Do you have any budget constraints?

If you look at your questions and try to narrow down what you mean you'll be most of the way to the answer.

A flippant answer, but one with a grain of truth, would be, "The one that is easiest for you to use in your circumstances."
kanga liked this
#1841178
I had good experience with two Nexus 7", eventually upgrading to a Huawei 8.5". All on SkyDemon.

No GPS drop outs, no shutting down from overheating.

It just works (to borrow a phrase)

Rob P
JAFO, kanga liked this
#1841180
I favour the ipad mini with Skydemon. Apple products put the gps chip with the sim, so you need the cellular version of hardware but don’t need to use a sim card.
The mini is small enough to sit neatly on my thigh, leaving space for an A5 kneeboard on the other leg. I haven’t had hardware problems with this setup in years.
Skydemon has a brilliant graphical presentation with the “vertical slice” being particularly useful. It will file flightplans for you, store everything in the cloud and Tim is accessible here for questions, pointers to training and ideas for upgrades. Did I mention that it is also stupendous value when compared to Garmin, Jeppesen and Foreflight? It also works for IFR when you are ready to v3nture into that sort of thing.
#1841187
I was in 2 minds about the tablet, but after 2 Nexus 7s I'm using the Samsung Tab 8. I looked at the iPad, but when flying with friends found the iThings are too sensitive to heat.

Add to that the purchase price, and, for me, Android is the better option.

Goes without saying that SD is preferable for my flying.
JAFO liked this
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1841188
As an Apple aficionado I have used a variety of iPads before (all with the Cellular Module so they contain the GPS receiver) and as I have an iPhone the UI is very easy.

However the iPad as form factor finds no other use in this household so to spend the best part of half a grand on another iPad was too much to bear and bought a SamSung Tablet A 8" and that has been fine too.

Long battery life
Crisp display
Mahusive Saving compared to iPad.

Can recommend

PS the iPad 'heat issue' is not an issue but a user issue.
Rob P liked this
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1841189
I looked for one of those popcorn eating GIFs when I saw this, but refrained... :wink:

Someone will be along in a minute to tell you that Tim (The SkyDemon man) says they recommend an Ipad. Then someone else will be along to say they overheat. And someone else will say they havent ever had that problem. No doubt others will tell you that other software is better/ cheaper/ easier to use etc.

I would suggest that whatever you buy, first figure out what size of tablet you can fit in the aeroplanes you will be flying without getting in the way of you using controls & instruments, or passengers. Now you have that sorted and presumably know what you can afford, make a shortlist and take each outside in the midday sun and see if you can read various screens on each OK.

I did the above and decided I wouldnt spend more than 250 Euros so that ruled out the I-thingies. I have a Samsung 8in Tab somthing or other that was 100 Euros when I bought it in 2017. Still works Im using it to write this.

For software choice, download the various apps trial versions and use them repeatedly for planning a specific route and at least once in the air on a route and see which works for you.

BUT...I didnt own a tablet before and literally wanted it 1st for SkyDemon, second for internet browsing. I have since discovered I use it more for browsing the internet than flying... You sound like you want to "get a better tablet" rather than "get a tablet for VFR nav software"...?

Regards, SD..

Edit : voila 3x I- thingy posts while I wrote this... :wink:
lobstaboy, T6Harvard liked this
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1841193
If you plan to have a tablet that you use for general stuff as well as VFR planning and NAV then get the tablet you need for general purposes and if it's Android or Apple you can load Skydemon which is far and away the most popular app.

I use an iPad mini for all my apps including Skydemon as it happens and as to cost these guys do a great range of refurbished phones and tablets and they are excellent
PeteSpencer liked this
#1841198
I truly now don't believe there is a 'best' option anymore.
Tablets are now very much a muchness. You need to match the tablet to whatever App you decide to go with. Some Apps need more Memory or a Faster processing speed than others.
The actual VFR Apps, SD, Runway HD, EasyVfr, again are whatever personally suits you and your likes/dislikes.
On here most are brainwashed into SD but that doesn't mean it is the best, the others are equally as good if they suit your purpose. I think they all will give you a months free trial, so try a couple of different ones and see what you think.
Is the Tablet/App going to be standalone or will it have to mate and feed/upload/coexist with say a glass panel which most aircraft now have? This alone may reduce your options and determine which App you need to go with. Not all will feed data to the make of Glass panel you have in your aircraft.

So you see..You will need to do some homework and find what will work best for you and your aircraft...Only you can decide that!
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By townleyc
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1841283
I have an original iPad mini (without GPS) with a BT GPS

The only thing it will run now is SkyDemon, which it does well.

However I bought a cheap Chinese android tablet that seems stunning for the price:

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08B3D5P8Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't yet tried it with SD, but I imagine it will work well. I see the price is even lower than when I bought it recently. Stunning value!

KE
#1841287
IPad mini with SkyDemon. Has worked flawlessly for years, never overheated once. Updates are seamless. Other nav apps are fine, but for sheer capability vs price SkyDemon can’t be beaten and the SkyEcho2 integration is amazing.

Android users can normally be seen around repeatedly stabbing at their screen, waiting for stuff to happen and saying ‘what’s it doing now’ and suchlike.
gaznav, PeteSpencer, carlmeek and 1 others liked this
#1841329
If you want to rely on it, get a dedicated device for your nav app.
That way you wont suddenly lose its use due to contention with any other apps you install or malware inadvertently picked up browsing the internet or email or installing apps from outside the official App/Play Store etc etc.

Whichever device you consider, read the manual to find out where inside the device the gps antenna is as you want that upper most when you mount the device so the antenna has a better view of the sky to and not on the lower edge with more airframe/engine metal to blank the weak gps signal leading to more dropouts.

Similarly choose a case for the device that does not excessively shield the gps antenna of the device.
Choice of case affects whether the device overheats or can dissipate heat. (I flew with an ipad mini 2 in 34 degrees last summer and it was fine)

Get one with a good battery life... aircraft charging sockets dont always work.

Consider which nav apps are compatible with any panel mount Garmin/Avidyne units in your aircraft as that will increase the capability but watch out for pricey subscriptions/limitations for the panel mount kit database use on other devices.