I recently started flying an aircraft which is equipped with a PowerFLARM device and an Air connect. SD on my iPad, PowerFLARM and airconnect together seem to work.
My WLAN on iPad connects automatically to the Air connect and SD then can see FLARM and ADS-B targets.Also it seems to get its position from the FLARM-device.
So far it is working. But only if I have plenty of time and do not start using SD too early
In  real life , I have  Problems with the connection:
- Normally it takes time to connect to the speciifc WLAN of the air connect-device.
- If  I wait  with starting SD until the iPad has connected, then it works
- If I start SD  before the WLAN connection is etsablished, then SD fails to connect to the FLARM device‌. I see a message box that the connection has failed.
‌And it keeps failing! This does not change even when the WLAN-connection is established later on. I see that box again and again. I have to kill SD and start it again. The it works.

The next problem is probably related to the behaviour above:
I have my iPad in a protective case with  a magnetic cover. Closing the cover sends the iPad‌ to sleep.
When opening the case, SD complains that the connection to the FLARM device has been lost.
I guess, the iPad loses the WLAN connection when sleeping which causes the above problem.

Did someone else ffind this problem or has a solution for this?
If there is no good solution, I would love to see a kind of recovery-mechanism in the next SD-version.
I am thinking of a mechanism which keeps trying‌‌‌ to (re)connect to the FLARm device (or anything else) even when the WLAN-connection has been lost and or restored.

Hi all,

Just in case this helps; I’ve just re-visited this thread again and would like to add that despite me fully understanding the PF -SD connection foibles and having written some comprehensive notes on connecting them earlier in this thread, I should add that I’m currently on my 3rd Air Connect wi-fi device!!!

I’ve had PF for about 6 years now and whenever I get to the stage that no matter what I do, it just doesn’t seem to connect to SD, I go to LK Avionics and purchase a new Air Connect device and all is immediately well again. They’re not cheap and the dud one is invariably out of warranty but the new one always connects and works seemlessly ....... for however long!

I did send an email to Butterfly (or whoever it is that makes these devices now) and had a moan to them. Maybe the newer ones are a bit more robust? I guess what I’m trying to say is that it might not be a SD problem but an Air Connect hardware issue.

+x

 

Grila - 8/25/2018 6:23:30 PM

Hi all,

Just in case this helps; I’ve just re-visited this thread again and would like to add that despite me fully understanding the PF -SD connection foibles and having written some comprehensive notes on connecting them earlier in this thread, I should add that I’m currently on my 3rd Air Connect wi-fi device!!!

I’ve had PF for about 6 years now and whenever I get to the stage that no matter what I do, it just doesn’t seem to connect to SD, I go to LK Avionics and purchase a new Air Connect device and all is immediately well again. They’re not cheap and the dud one is invariably out of warranty but the new one always connects and works seemlessly ....... for however long!

I did send an email to Butterfly (or whoever it is that makes these devices now) and had a moan to them. Maybe the newer ones are a bit more robust? I guess what I’m trying to say is that it might not be a SD problem but an Air Connect hardware issue.