Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827806
Rather than hi-jack someone else's SE thread, I've done a search but can't find the answer to my theoretical questions so would appreciate some advice or else a pointer to a thread I may have missed:

Suppose , in the dying days of the CAA refund freebie bonanza I were to dive in and order a Sky Echo:?

I have a total aversion to any extra cables festooned around the cabin: I have enough already, with my back up Garmin 296 , my iPad mini and GoPro

So (and I appreciate I would need a Flarm sub obtained via SD ) if I were to shove a Sky echo on the cabin window I understand it would talk to my iPad mini4 running Skydemon by bluetooth and give traffic warnings as a screen image:

Could the audible warnings be sent by bluetooth to mini bluetooth ear bud(s) shoved in my ears under my Dcs? Or would that be too many bluetooths (teeth?) for my iPad to cope with?

Would a suitable alternative be to run a second copy of SD on my backup iphone and get the warnings, visual and audible, sent to the iPhone and thence blue- toothed to some earbuds?

I realise that the iPhone would have a pretty small screen and I would rather have all the info (SD route and SE warnings ) on my iPad mini if possible.

Perhaps by connecting the apple (wired-urgh1) earphones to the iPad mini and shoving them under my DCs and saving myself the cost of bluetooth earbuds, this might get over the bluetooth problem.

I realise I haven't got long till CAA shut off the offfer and I have already taken the step of registering an account with the CAA in the first instance.

Then if I do jump (still undecided) I understand they have to see an order form or receipt before agreeing to consider a rebate.

Hope that makes sense and any pointers gratefully received :wink:
Oh and presumably the Hex code published alongside the G-INFO entry is reliable-or where else would I get it?
TIA
Peter
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827807
SkyDemon and SE2 communicate via Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, so there is no reason why your tablet can't provide traffic and other warnings into your earbuds, or any other Bluetooth device.

I also think using a phone as a second device purely for traffic warnings is an excellent approach, as the traffic display on a phone is full-screen, and not just a square in the bottom right hand corner of the chart.

It's what I do, with an old iPhone 6S mounted via a Ram sucker mount on the side of the AA5 windscreen, just below eye-line, but not blocking my visual scan. I also connect the headset to it via Bluetooth.
Last edited by GrahamB on Sat Feb 20, 2021 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827810
In no particular order:

Your iPad will connect to the SE2 via wifi and use the SE2 GPS
AIUI blue tooth audible warnings will come from Skydemon on the iPad which will tell you about traffic as well as other things..
The hex code is indeed the one on GINFO.
FLARM needs a sub £30 inc VAT
#1827813
In addition to what Graham wrote; yes, the HEX code in G-INFO is correct.

Both SkyEcho and PAW talk to SkyDemon over WIFI, leaving the iPad's Bluetooth free for use with some other device. Until I fitted a mixer (wires hidden) I used Bluetooth to give me traffic and airspace audible warnings from SkyDemon to my DC One X headset (which have Bluetooth fitted to them).

Edited to add: sorry for the repetition, I obviously type slower than these chaps above :D
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827820
Thank very much chaps for the speed and clarity of your answers which have straightened my thoughts and reassured me on all counts .

I particularly like @GrahamB ‘s solution and will be ordering a SE. this weekend .

Thanks again forumites, you are true saviours of old farts ,

Peter :wink:
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827832
@Miscellaneous

Nice idea, but I need to see if I'm happy with the SE/SD notion in action first before embarking on another quest for the right 'phones out of the dozens available.....Especially as my ANRman modded DC's are still going strong......

l'embarras du choix and all that :roll:
#1827835
PeteSpencer wrote:Especially as my ANRman modded DC's are still going strong......

l'embarras du choix and all that :roll:

I had a similar situation, I kept the modified DCs, sold the std DCs and swithered about whether I should have the BT A20, or not. The way technology has gone I am sincerely glad I opted for the BT model. When reading your post my gut feel was the buds are messy in terms of practicality/comfort/ convenience, but more importantly I would be concerned the BT audio to the buds would conflict with radio transmissions? The conflict could be enough to make it unworkable, maybe sufficiently for you to conclude it doesn't work, but for the wrong reasons?
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827840
I’m very happy with the (later*) Bluetooth A20’s, but other brands may be equally suitable for you.

* the original A20s would only allow phone calls via Bluetooth, not full audio, so you had to use a cable from the tablet to the headset to pipe in SD warnings.
#1827848
I certainly wouldn't want anything other than Bluetooth enabled headset (Lightspeed - other brands are available)

The thought of being heads-in looking for traffic on a tablet/phone doesn't appeal at all.

SD 'intelligent' voice alerts are the DBs

Rob P
#1827856
I agree @Rob P, I would imagine down your way it wouldn't be long before an ATC broadcast was drowned out by an SD warning and the SE/iPhone would be switched off. I can't see how two independent audio sources can work long term.

@PeteSpencer how do you presently receive the SD audio warnings? Or is this something you presently don't have the benefit of?
User avatar
By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1827862
Miscellaneous wrote:
@PeteSpencer how do you presently receive the SD audio warnings? Or is this something you presently don't have the benefit of?


Don’t have any SD audio warnings

Very late in the (aviation) day I’m dragging myself into the 21st century .

So if ear-buds don’t work or are too uncomfortable , I’ve got a birthday coming up in two months so I’ll treat myself to a new BT headset :roll:
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