Guys

  I'm driving along in middle of nothing in Wyoming. Got to
  thinking. My
  Goggle Maps Navigation on my Droid phone is way better than my Garmin
  GPS on my window. Goggle updates its maps automatically for free and
  also more accurate and talks the directions on Droid (wont talk on
  apple
  phone). You can watch short utubes on each goggle navigation feature.

  So why don't one of you figure out a way to use goggle maps
  inconnectuon
  with ipad type device (Droid or apple) and make a navagation system
  for
  airplanes to replace those expensive Garmins.

  Snowing now so have to stop email.

  Van

  As I recall there is a rule against using a cell phone in an airplane.
  It works of course. The cell transmissions cut down the gain
  on the aircraft radio. I did it years ago when a cell phone weighed
  5 pounds and had a separate hand set :)

  Paul Lamar


  It's GoOgle.. Not GoGgle. Did your Android device do your
  spellchecking? ;)

  Apple can do turn by turn directions, but not for free. Or at least
  not natively.

  There are big swaths of the western US without cell coverage. That
  means you have to store the nav data on board the device. That's one
  of the expenses covered when you buy a Garmin.

  The Google data isn't monitored. For some kinds of things
  (instrument approaches), I'll pay to have someone make sure the data
  isn't wrong. Jeppesen.

  I've used a couple of cell phones in light airplanes. Many times
  they don't work, even if I'm over a relatively populated area. I
  believe it may have something to do with the antenna design on the
  towers. Or with logic on the towers rejecting devices that connect
  to too many towers at once. Or devices that are switching towers too
  quickly. Not sure. But, I know it's not a reliable connection - even
  when I have plenty of bars of signal strength.


  Matt-



  Van,

  In my limited experience, I agree with Matt: just bought an iPad2
  just so I could
  run Foreflight. Luckily my plane also had an aviation GPS because for
  a while I
  seemed to have lost the signal. It slooowwly came back after a while,
  but it was
  very disconcerting. I was only at 3500 feet, and never more than a
  few miles from
  a small town which should have had at least one cell tower in it. I
  was very
  disappointed to say the least. The Garmin ads talk about lost signals
  and I thought
  it was just advertising hype.

  Gene Kahn



Do you need cell phone coverage for the GPS navagation function to work
on the device or just a GPS signal.  If you need cell phone coverage
then my idea is useless.

Van

Gee Van,

Could you have ever been any more remote?  I spent a week in Star Valley back on new years 2008.  Being from the "big city" I didn't know what really remote was. Oh, and in the middle of a mountain pass 30 miles in any direction from any town (Lava Springs I think was the closest), in negative 17 degree and snow weather in the middle of a fight with a crazy, sociopathic, now very EX girlfriend who is now in the Federal Pen who jumps out  of a warm car into the deep snow in her pajamas.....a cell phone does not work.  Uh, don't ask me how I know. sigh.

All the best,

Chris Barber
Velocity N17010
Houston

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