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Looking for GPS device for use on aircraft?

 
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Glyn
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 29

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 7:52 am    Post subject: Looking for GPS device for use on aircraft? Reply with quote

Hi there,

I do a lot of travelling mostly across East & West Europe and most of the time I spend wondering what/where our flight track is taking us, what town/city I am staring at out of the window and how high fast/high we are flying.

It would be great to have a GPS device to answer all those questions and more so I thought I'd ask you guys if it would be allowed on a plane (it is only a receiver after all) and is there any one device that might be a better choice than than others?

Some features that seem important to me (although if I have missed anything please feel free to remind me) are;

Must be capable of receiving GPS signal in aircraft cabin!

Decent size display.

Thin not bulky for storage in pocket etc. if possible.

Can work without Internet or GPRS access nag screens.

Ability to manually zoom maps.

Will not try to follow roads to prevent 'jumping' etc.

Speed & altitude indication.

Ability to add POI's if needed.

Ability to store West Europe & East Europe maps internally on same storage card.

Some other things that might be useful but not vital might be;

Ability to add US/Canada & rest of World maps if needed?

Ability for map to stay North facing while cursor can traverse in direction of travel?

Internal GPS antenna?

Flight safe mode i.e. ability to disable radio/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth transmitters etc?

Decent battery life?

Not sure if I might have missed anything out(!) but can anyone recommend a GPS device that might fit most of the above criteria please?

Cost is not really the deciding factor here as I would like the right tool for the job.

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-
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M8TJT
The Other Tired Old Man
The Other Tired Old Man


Joined: Apr 04, 2006
Posts: 10118
Location: Bexhill, South Sussex, UK

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I suspect that getting a GPS that will pick up the satellites in the Faraday cage that is the aircraft will be the first challenge. Anyone tried? Do they?
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Glyn
Occasional Visitor


Joined: Jan 29, 2004
Posts: 29

PostPosted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well I know if I don't switch my iPhone into flight mode before take-off (tried it once to see) it will maintain a GPS signal and most iOS devices I have had seem 'deaf' compared to most other devices especially when it comes to Wi-Fi.

Was hoping a dedicated GPS device dedicated to this specific purpose would perform better?

Interested to hear anyone else's experience?

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-
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exportman
Frequent Visitor


Joined: Mar 26, 2006
Posts: 261
Location: United Kingdom

PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I you have a window seat then you have a chance Have done it with a tomtom device when flying back from Europe. but that kept locking to the roads. Guess if you disabled everything on your smart phone apart from the GPS and had the map tiles of the area you expected to travel over stored it would work too.

As the GPS function is only a receiver not a transmitter there should be no area of potential upset with the cabin crew.

( On more than one occasion I have forgotten to turn my phone off during a flight and still the pilot managed to land the aircraft safely :-) )
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jolly47roger
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Joined: Jan 11, 2008
Posts: 116

PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 9:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have tracked a flight from Fuerteventura to Bristol with an old HP IPAQ - but almost any Smartphone will do it. The important thing is to sit by a window -preferably hold your phone by the window - and get a GPS fix before you take off. Switching a phone to airplane mode usually leaves GPS active and most apps allow you to save battery by tracking with the display off.

There are plenty of Smartphone apps that use offline maps - think Back Country Navigator, Locus or MyTrails for Android and Multiplans or Maps n Trax for iOS.

Get maps from Open Street Map onto your phone with Mobile Atlas Creator (mobac.sourceforge.net).

If you are in the States or Canada you can download pukka Pilots maps for free and use a tool like MAPC2MAPC to convert them.
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/vfr/
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Andy_P
Pocket GPS Moderator
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Joined: Jun 04, 2005
Posts: 19991
Location: West and Southwest London

PostPosted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have also managed to get a lock in a commercial flight in Europe using a TomTom held up close to the window (it didn't work when it was in my lap).

As exportman has said, a car model will keep trying to snap to any nearby roads, but it is fun to see it trying to "drive" at 500 mph+!

So I think you'd be better off using one of the Garmin models designed for walking.
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