Audible Alerts?

[Kitfox]

Are various alerts able to be audible as well as on-screen? I have tried various configurations of bluetooth paired for 2 different headsets (a Bose A20 and Lightspeed Zulu 3) using 2 different Android devices (Asus Zenpad and Samsung Galaxy 9). I can play music, etc. to the headsets, but never get audible alerts for traffic, terrain, airspace or obstacles. I have scoured all of the settings on EFB and GPS both, but can find nothing that would enable/disable the audio.

Are the alerts meant to be audible at all? Am I missing something obvious?

 

[Cobra]

Yes, there are numerous audible alerts, ranging from "zzzZING!" alarms to let you know an important notification has popped up on the screen requiring your attention, to more specific vocal alerts like, "Terrain! Terrain!" if you're heading towards the ground.

Make sure you have alerts properly enabled: Go to Menu > Setup > Alerts and Warnings, then check all the submenu items there (Airspace, Terrain, Traffic, and AHRS):


Reference the iFlyEFB Pilot's Guide pp. 36-40 for details on the various settings.

You might want to disable Bluetooth on your tablet/phone and set all the tablet/phone volume settings to maximum, then try to intentionally trigger some of the alerts to make sure that iFly is outputting audio when you expect it to. Once you know iFly is making the sounds you expect, then you can make the BT connection to your headsets and confirm you hear it there, too. That approach will help you figure out whether it's an iFly settings issue or a BT connectivity issue.

 

[botbswco]

I'm having the same issue. In addition. the PG merely states that a "tone will be heard" or a "loud sound". There is now way to "learn" what different (if there are different) tones mean on the ground. To solve both issues, I'd like to suggest adding a button on the set up page to play the various alerts, with an explanation for different tones, in a continuous loop until stopped by the user. This would provide a means to hear all the tones and set up/trouble shoot and balance the volume levels of all the involved devices (tablet, phones, audio panel, radio, panel GPS). I thought I would post this here due to the open topic. I have also posted this as a feature request.

 

[Cobra]

I would recommend posting you suggestion in the Feature Request section, then edit your post here to include a link to that feature request post.

 

[Kitfox]

I'm having the same issue. In addition. the PG merely states that a "tone will be heard" or a "loud sound". There is now way to "learn" what different (if there are different) tones mean on the ground. To solve both issues, I'd like to suggest adding a button on the set up page to play the various alerts, with an explanation for different tones, in a continuous loop until stopped by the user. This would provide a means to hear all the tones and set up/trouble shoot and balance the volume levels of all the involved devices (tablet, phones, audio panel, radio, panel GPS). I thought I would post this here due to the open topic. I have also posted this as a feature request.

I agree wholeheartedly. I have already tried to get something to trigger an alert on the ground, but it's just unreliable. I like you suggestion.

 

[Gatormyk]

I don't know if all of the alerts are the same, but enabling and testing the AHRS alert is super easy with a connected Stratus or Stratux (and I guess any other device that includes AHRS data feed).

 

[Regrant79]

I there any way to integrate the sounds into the headset if I only have a normal headset, ie no bluetooth?

At one point I had audio the that I hear in my headset also going into a gopro when I was using that for training (so I could hear us talking). I no longer use that but it got me thinking maybe there is a way to hear the alerts. I end up missing many of them because my tablet isn't my main device (and never will be in this plane) - as such is mounted to the side - very useful but not practical to use as my main nav device. An audible alert would be great so that I would be signaled to look over.

 

[Cobra]

I there any way to integrate the sounds into the headset if I only have a normal headset, ie no bluetooth?

That's between your device's capabilities and whatever options you plane has to accept audio, and is not unique to or dependent on the iFly software.

In general, you need to match an output on your tablet device with an input on your plane's audio panel that will feed your headset. If your plane's audio panel doesn't have a way to input audio from external sources (like via Bluetooth, or via a 3.5mm audio plug, or via ???), then you're sunk.

If your audio panel can accept an external source but the interface doesn't directly match up to any of your tablet device's output options, there is a world of interface adapters that might allow you to close the gap. Whether or not you can find a solution to close that gap in a way that is practical is a question you'll have to answer for yourself.

I would suggest starting by Googling "how do I output audio from (whatever your device is)" and/or reading the manuals for your plane's audio panel to understand what external inputs it can support (if any).

 

[Regrant79]

That's between your device's capabilities and whatever options you plane has to accept audio, and is not unique to or dependent on the iFly software.

In general, you need to match an output on your tablet device with an input on your plane's audio panel that will feed your headset. If your plane's audio panel doesn't have a way to input audio from external sources (like via Bluetooth, or via a 3.5mm audio plug, or via ???), then you're sunk.

If your audio panel can accept an external source but the interface doesn't directly match up to any of your tablet device's output options, there is a world of interface adapters that might allow you to close the gap. Whether or not you can find a solution to close that gap in a way that is practical is a question you'll have to answer for yourself.

I would suggest starting by Googling "how do I output audio from (whatever your device is)" and/or reading the manuals for your plane's audio panel to understand what external inputs it can support (if any).

Thanks for the reply that makes sense. For the go pro setup I was using, it was in the other direction, i.e. record plane audio into the go pro, with that I used a custom cable, perhaps there is something similar to mix aux audio. I'll keep going down that path and see what I can come up with. Most of the time when I'm flying I look over and happen to see traffic alerts, but the sound would be very helpful here. Hopefully I can find a solution. I'd rather not cough up the $$$ for a new headset, plus if integrated it at the top level then my CFI would be able to hear them as well which would be nice.

Probably a separate issue but I also use iFly with my flight sim rig for training (attempt to have training and actual flight be as similar as possible) I never hear any sounds from either of my tablets (both Samsung Android based, one 7" another 10"). The volume settings in iFly are max at the tablet volume is up as well. I can definitely test this some more though. In the sim I never get traffic alerts as there are no other planes around, are the other alerts (Airspace, Terrain, Vertical Speed to Target, AHRS) supposed to make a sound as well? If so that would be easy for me to test.

 

[Cobra]

Probably a separate issue but I also use iFly with my flight sim rig for training (attempt to have training and actual flight be as similar as possible) I never hear any sounds from either of my tablets (both Samsung Android based, one 7" another 10"). The volume settings in iFly are max at the tablet volume is up as well. I can definitely test this some more though. In the sim I never get traffic alerts as there are no other planes around, are the other alerts (Airspace, Terrain, Vertical Speed to Target, AHRS) supposed to make a sound as well? If so that would be easy for me to test.

Actually, this solution to this one might be good enough for your first question, too. I was going to suggest, "Can you just get by with turning up the volume on your tablet?" Even with a noise-canceling headset, that might provide enough of an audible cue to address your concern.

But for that to be an option, you need volume out of your tablet device! I gather you're familiar with iFly's "Sound Volume" setting (Menu > Setup > Screen / Audio Settings > Sound Volume). If that's already 100% and your tablet's device volume is up, and you're still not getting sound...then I wonder if your sound might be going somewhere else.

What Samsung devices are you using, and what version of Android and OneUI do they run? Assuming they're running a "modern" version, try pulling down from the top of the screen to expose your Notifications list and Quick Settings. In between the Quick Settings at the top and the Notifications, you might see buttons for "Device control" and "Media output". Tap "Media output", and you might see multiple options for sound output, depending on whether your device is paired to Bluetooth headphones or other output devices.

If you have these options, then the next time you run iFly, try opening up that Media output window and make sure "This tablet" is selected for output, and make sure its volume is turned up.

 

[Regrant79]

I will double check to verify but I'm pretty sure audio in both iFly and the tablet are all the way up - youtube videos etc... play fine.

The 2 Samsu tablets are Galaxy Tab S4 (Android 10, One UI 2.1, I use this one in the sim, as a backup in the plane) and Galaxy Tab A7 Lite (Android 13, One UI 2.1 I use this one in the plane).

In the plane (Cessna 182P) there is no chance to hear this, pretty loud in there.

I will test in the sim tonight, that should provide a good baseline. If I can hear it there, then if I solve the audio routing I think I should be able to hear it in the plane. If I can't hear it in the sim then I'd say that would be the first problem to solve.

Thanks again for all the info!

 

[Regrant79]

Okay, I figured out the sound issue, it turns out that system sound volume has to be up (which comes with the unintended consequence of all notification sounds now are audible, vibrate for notifications is no longer on the table). Media volume has no effect which is why I was hearing no sounds for any alert. In fact I can turn media volume all the way off and still get alert sounds. So, this solves the problem for me, the audio routing I can figure out one way or the other, worst case I could put earbuds in under my headset, but I'm pretty sure there's an option to be able to route these sounds so that both of us hear them in the headset.

That being said tying this to system sound volume instead of media volume is not the best choice. Now I have to set my tablet up so I get annoying notification sounds across all applications, I cannot have notifications set to vibrate, so in order to hear iFly alerts I must also hear sounds for every other notification that might happen, and that would be distracting if I get them while flying. If media volume were used instead, this would be no factor as iFly wouldn't be tightly coupled to notifications/system events.

 

[Cobra]

That being said tying this to system sound volume instead of media volume is not the best choice. Now I have to set my tablet up so I get annoying notification sounds across all applications, I cannot have notifications set to vibrate, so in order to hear iFly alerts I must also hear sounds for every other notification that might happen, and that would be distracting if I get them while flying. If media volume were used instead, this would be no factor as iFly wouldn't be tightly coupled to notifications/system events.

Different users will have different preferences here. For instance, I sometimes listen to music piped to my headphones by the same device that is running iFly. I have the notification volume set to max, but the media volume set relatively low, so that iFly tones always come in loud and clear and aren't drowned out by the music.

What notifications do you think you'll be receiving during flight that could be a distraction? Your onboard wifi will not be connected to the Internet and your tablets do not have a cellular connection. Thus, you're not going to be getting alerts for incoming texts, emails, Facebook updates, Google News, etc. What sort of notifications are you concerned about receiving while airborne?

Even if you did get other non-iFly notifications, you can set those to have a distinctive tone that is different from anything iFly produces so that it is easy to recognize and choose to ignore during flight.

It seems to me like this might be an unwarranted concern.

 

[Regrant79]

Different users will have different preferences here. For instance, I sometimes listen to music piped to my headphones by the same device that is running iFly. I have the notification volume set to max, but the media volume set relatively low, so that iFly tones always come in loud and clear and aren't drowned out by the music.

What notifications do you think you'll be receiving during flight that could be a distraction? Your onboard wifi will not be connected to the Internet and your tablets do not have a cellular connection. Thus, you're not going to be getting alerts for incoming texts, emails, Facebook updates, Google News, etc. What sort of notifications are you concerned about receiving while airborne?

Even if you did get other non-iFly notifications, you can set those to have a distinctive tone that is different from anything iFly produces so that it is easy to recognize and choose to ignore during flight.

It seems to me like this might be an unwarranted concern.

Definitely some great points.