iFLY EFB, ADS-B and XPlane

[dpdurst]

I flew for about 34 years before I had to stop in 2017 due to medical issues. I've been using iFLY the last few years with XPlane (and MSFS) and its works just fine. I also have it setup to get live traffic via XP or MSFS via real traffic for both sims. However I've noticed since I've upgraded that I can no longer get internet weather updates. The ADS-B info does use WiFi to connect to both simulators, I suspect that might be the reason I also can't get internet weather? I just a small popup that says Internet weather is disabled and I've noticed that if I don't have ADS-B enabled then Internet weather seems to work. Any way to get the weather to work? Thanks

 

[Air_n_water]

I flew for about 34 years before I had to stop in 2017 due to medical issues. I've been using iFLY the last few years with XPlane (and MSFS) and its works just fine. I also have it setup to get live traffic via XP or MSFS via real traffic for both sims. However I've noticed since I've upgraded that I can no longer get internet weather updates. The ADS-B info does use WiFi to connect to both simulators, I suspect that might be the reason I also can't get internet weather? I just a small popup that says Internet weather is disabled and I've noticed that if I don't have ADS-B enabled then Internet weather seems to work. Any way to get the weather to work? Thanks

View attachment 248

I use Xplane with iFly EFB on an android tablet. I’ll check to se if it gets internet weather.

 

[Brian]

I flew for about 34 years before I had to stop in 2017 due to medical issues. I've been using iFLY the last few years with XPlane (and MSFS) and its works just fine. I also have it setup to get live traffic via XP or MSFS via real traffic for both sims. However I've noticed since I've upgraded that I can no longer get internet weather updates. The ADS-B info does use WiFi to connect to both simulators, I suspect that might be the reason I also can't get internet weather? I just a small popup that says Internet weather is disabled and I've noticed that if I don't have ADS-B enabled then Internet weather seems to work. Any way to get the weather to work? Thanks

View attachment 248

Not sure if this is helpful advice, but you could delay starting your ADSB device until 15 secs after iFly EFB starts up -- giving iFly a chance to get weather. From then on, your Wx updates should come THROUGH the ADSB feed.

Since devices tend to only be connected to one WiFi router at a time, if you are connected to the ADSB router, which is not connected to Internet, then you can't get anything from the internet. There might be alternative solutions out there, and maybe some pilots have figured something out to work around this (e.g. like having a 2nd router that IS internet connected, and finding a way to make your ADSB device broadcast ADSB through that router. I don't know if your ADSB device is capable of that...)

Please forgive me if I'm way off base with anything -- this is just my off-the-cuff thoughts on this matter.

 

[dpdurst]

Not sure if this is helpful advice, but you could delay starting your ADSB device until 15 secs after iFly EFB starts up -- giving iFly a chance to get weather. From then on, your Wx updates should come THROUGH the ADSB feed.

Thanks Brian for the reply, so I think a few things here are stopping this. While I get real weather via XPlane fine, its not through the ADS-B source and I don't believe that the ADS-B source (XPlane) has a way to feed weather through it. I do know that the weather update works 100% fine as long as I don't have any ADS-B source enabled but as soon as I do it just says Internet Weather Disabled.

So this tells me the only way to get weather updates via iFLY is to not use ADS-B in my setup as weather does not come through that or have ADS-B and don't worry about weather in iFLY.

I guess what I'm trying to understand is why can't you have ADS-B working and weather through the internet connection in iFLY via a single WiFi connection?

Thanks, David

 

[Cobra]

I guess what I'm trying to understand is why can't you have ADS-B working and weather through the internet connection in iFLY via a single WiFi connection?

There are two answers to your question: 1) You can, and 2) You can't.

I don't fully understand your sim setup, so I don't know which answer applies for sure. However, if your internet connection is intact at the same time you're receiving simulated ADSB data from your simulator, then you should be able to get internet weather updates. Make sure your iFly settings allow fhis: Menu > Setup, then at the top of the list, make sure "Attempt internet weather download in flight" is checked. This may be all you need to do, and if it works, then #1 was the correct answer.

#2 applies if you're connected to a wifi source that simply doesn't have access to the internet. For example, in the cockpit your iFly device might be on a wifi network generated by an ADSB-in receiver, so ADSB data is available, but there's simply no connection to the internet and so no internet data can be received. Depending on your simulator config, this may also be a correct answer, but hopefully the paragraph above will get you going.

 

[dpdurst]

There are two answers to your question: 1) You can, and 2) You can't.

So what log(s) do I need to supply for this?

1. I have in the Menu|Setup area Attempt internet weather download in flight checked
2. I must have internet access via WiFi as

A) I'm connected to the WiFi for ADS-B connection to Xplane simulator which in turn is getting realtime ADS_B from the internet and realtime weather and that ADS-B information is going to the tablet as well (I can easily access email via the tablet during this time so I know the internet connection is working)

B) I changed in setup my ADS-B from flightbox to no connection and at the menu press update weather and it downloads fine. Then I turn back on ADS-B to get traffic from Xplane and select update weather and I get a display that says Internet weather update is unavailable.

I've included screenshots showing that I'm downloading map updates, here is what I did
- Got iFLY running and started updating maps and selected to download internet weather which it did fine
- Started Xplane and let it connect to iFLY
- Then made sure ADS-B was disabled in iFLY and selected get internet weather and it did can see on the screen
- Enabled ADS-B and then tried to get internet weather says its disabled (this was hard to capture in 2 seconds)

Now maybe I'm missing something here, even though I can't manually update the weather should it still update every 20 mins or 1 minute or ?

Not connected yet to Xplane internet weather in flight is checked


Selected the cog wheel where Nexrad is and perfomed weather update, worked fine


Here I'm connected to xplane but not ADS-B I selected again weather update via internet and it updated fine



Not connected to ADS-B in Xplane


Connected to ADS-B in Xplane still downloading map updates


Still doing map updates open up menu and select to update weather from internet


Opened up menu and where nexrad cog wheel is selected that and update internet weather
and get Internet weather updates disabled. Still downloading map updates so internet connection is there

 

[dpdurst]

After this last update and the maps download I did some further testing. It seems even though I can't manually update the weather, I've noticed a new area in the menu called Nexrad weather update internet (there used to be only ADS before this update?) Either way if I grab the weather before getting Xplane setup and connected it seems that weather will update automatically even though I can't update manually. Testing at KCHD weather is clear, then moving to KPWM where its raining and overcast it did update that weather once I moved to that airport. So it would appear that even though I can't update manually it is updating in the background fine.

 

[Don Maxwell]

Not sure if this is helpful advice, but you could delay starting your ADSB device until 15 secs after iFly EFB starts up -- giving iFly a chance to get weather. From then on, your Wx updates should come THROUGH the ADSB feed.

Since devices tend to only be connected to one WiFi router at a time, if you are connected to the ADSB router, which is not connected to Internet, then you can't get anything from the internet. There might be alternative solutions out there, and maybe some pilots have figured something out to work around this (e.g. like having a 2nd router that IS internet connected, and finding a way to make your ADSB device broadcast ADSB through that router. I don't know if your ADSB device is capable of that...)

Please forgive me if I'm way off base with anything -- this is just my off-the-cuff thoughts on this matter.

You can also use the ADSB Status instrument > Options >Change Selected Device > None (ADS-B Off) to disconnect iFly until it gets the internet weather, then go back and select AUTO-DETECT or another option to re-connect to ADSB.