Mobile Broadband?

[Guest Mad Dave]

Does anyone use mobile broadband when flying around the place (to get weather etc). What providers have good coverage, plans etc?

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

 

[Captain]

I use the Tesltra modem (the little blue one) with my laptop and take it with me on all trips to get Weather, Notams, Sigmets, Forum access etc and it appears to work well wherever my Telstra Next G/3G mobile works and I am pretty happy with the result.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

I have all the AWIS phone numbers programmed in under WEATHER and then alpha.

 

Telsta 3G coverage is good and blue tooth through headset gives exl reception.

 

This only gives aerodrome conditions which is what I want mostly for qnh/wind direction etc.

 

Will be interested to see what is available later this year with iphone for pilots.

 

Phil.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Yep. Telstra NextG gives the best coverage by far outside the cities.

 

I use my NextG smartphone all the time for AWIS and weather - especially the radar loops if there's rain about.

 

Then when I get where I'm going I can browse the forum on it.

 

I often carry a work laptop with a NextG card for the possibility of getting a callout while away. I have also used that in the air (going back from Narromine this year when there was weather everywhere) to watch the radar loops.

 

I'm about to get a new phone - HTC Touch Pro 2 I think.

 

 

The iPhones are just too damn limited.

 

They are a great tool for flying, but you do need good coverage. Nothing will come close to Telstra for years as far as that goes (unfortunately).

 

 

[Captain]

I have all the AWIS phone numbers programmed in under WEATHER and then alpha.Telsta 3G coverage is good and blue tooth through headset gives exl reception.

This only gives aerodrome conditions which is what I want mostly for qnh/wind direction etc.

 

Will be interested to see what is available later this year with iphone for pilots.

 

Phil.

Phil,

 

Your AWIS trick is great. Are those numbers all listed & available somewhere in one spot or did you have to extract them from the ERSA, strip by strip?

 

I should add to my post below that I can also browse the radar while in the air, if needed, on B'Berry. Having the Berry connected into the headset by bluetooth makes in much easier to use in the cockpit, than when it had a cable attached.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[GraemeK]

AWIS numbers are listed together in ERSA MET .....

 

 

[Guest Mad Dave]

Thanks for the answers guys, it seems (as i thought) that Telstra is probably the go.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

 

[Captain]

Hey Geoff... How are you Bluetoothing to headset? Do you have an adaptor or is BT part of your headset? If so what brand Headset?Cheers

Dexter

Dexter,

 

My B.Berry communicates via bluetooth to a small Motorola Bluetooth device that is cabled into a FlightCell ToGo which feeds into by Bose headsets.

 

Works great & has never given a problem.

 

I have posted the details of the units here somewhere about 12 - 18 months ago as part of a similar discussion (maybe do a word search for Motorola or bluetooth). Let me know if you need me to dig out the link and I'll post again here.

 

GraemeK - Thanks for your advice re AWIS. And I thought I had read that book from Cover to Cover. Will now go and find 'em and use those numbers like Phil does.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[jetjr]

Flight Cell in NZ used make the FlightCell "to go", they lost money on them so stopped. There are still some in shops and they are great.

 

There is also a similar one which is bluetooth which would be easier to use BUT the main feature of any of the flightcell gear is the supurb noise filtering. On mine callers have no idea you arent in the office. I run music through mine too from the phone.

 

They do a larger one too and still make them, but much dearer, it can handle multiple inputs at once. Military use them apparantly.

 

You will need sometimes special adapter to link with smartphones like Nokia E51/6120.

 

JR

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

The iPhones are just too damn limited. They are a great tool for flying, but you do need good coverage. Nothing will come close to Telstra for years as far as that goes (unfortunately).

Isn't that the same for any phone? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense comparing a phone to a network! If you want an iPhone and the coverage, you can get it on Telstra, you know. :)

Or are you trying to imply that even on NextG, the iPhones doesn't have the same receiption as other phones on that network?

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Here's another one: http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/blulink.php

 

 

[slartibartfast]

I think you mixed up my statements. The "iPhone too limited" statement was made in isolation and not related to the rest. "They are a great tool for flying" does indeed apply to all smartphones.

 

If you'd like me to expand on the reasons I won't get an iPhone - mainly around the battery not able to be taken out (no spare, no replacement), no external storage (can't stick an SD card in so you have to pay up front for the storage you think you might need), proprietary tricks around Apple's business model (which I don't like) and a few other things.

 

I did seriously consider an iPhone this time. The apps and interface nearly swayed me. I have been against them because I've been using smartphones for nearly a decade - a lot longer than the iPhone has been around - and I resent the market share they instantly got because of the brand (emotional response), not to mention that many other phones were way more capable.

 

There is no issue with reception being worse on the iPhone than anything else.

 

Once I saw the Touch Pro 2 (which has all the features of the iPhone 3GS and more), I was sold. Picking one up today.

 

iPhones certainly fit their market extremely well with the latest models - at last they have cut and paste, proper bluetooth, MMS, and a bunch of other things they were seriously lacking.

 

Here endeth the clarification.

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Fair enough. The way the sentences were together it didn't make a whole lot of sense!

 

I am the opposite of you: I tried smartphones in the past and got rid of them quickly because, well, the software sucked. That is until I got the iPhone! All the things you list you don't like about it, I have no issue with. I never missed cut and paste or MMS and have never used them since they became available months ago. Also remember that "more capable" doesn't automatically translate into "more usuable" or "more fit for purpose"! Everyone is different and you are obviously a power user with different requirements and more patience getting everything working. As indicated by your excelent home brew GPS solution!

 

That said: I also have a cheap Telstra T6 on "long life" pre-pay in my bag for if I end up somewhere with no Optus coverage or the iPhone runs out of batteries. Which like any smartphone it often does!

 

 

[turboplanner]

Thanks Reverend, think I'll follow your advice.

 

 

[perthjay85]

different types of phones will make a big difference on any network. For Telstra use you want a phone that can transmit on 850 or 900. iphone works on 900 i am pretty sure so it is good but not the best on telstra

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Next G is UMTS on 850, which the iPhone does.

 

900 is the standard frequency for GSM. What you are refering to is that you can use any old GSM phone on the telstra network on 900, but if you want the extra coverage of NextG, or use high-speed data, you must be on 850.

 

Even Telstra still sells phones that are not actually NextG. So always check carefully if you want a phone specifically to use rural! (Telstra T6 at $99 on pre-pay is the cheapest one, none of the cheap Nokias they sell are on 850)

 

 

[perthjay85]

yeah thats what i was referring to. the original iphone didnt work on 850 that was what i was thinking of.

 

Telstra also sell blue tick phones which are recommended by them for rural usage.

 

whirlpool has a massive thread on this subject both phones and internet

 

 

[Captain]

Hey Geoff... How are you Bluetoothing to headset? Do you have an adaptor or is BT part of your headset? If so what brand Headset?Cheers

Dexter

Dexter,

 

See the photos in post #34 of What phone for Next G operation

 

My bluetooth is a Motorola HF820.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

AWIS on your mobile

 

Soon there will be an easier way to get the AWIS sites in your iPhone. I have just submitted Dial-A-Wis to the App Store and it does just what you would expect: select an AWIS site and the phone will dial the number for you.

 

Great way to waste a sunday night... Should probably take a week or more before it's there, but I'll post it as news when it is there.

 

Obviously, it will be a free app.

 

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

Captain,

 

Yes Dexter is correct.

 

I do like the option of Radar for rain areas when flying to SE QLD a few times a year. I have yet to decide what device to buy for this, any suggestions as I am due for a new phone soon?

 

Not very ofay with this technology (showing my age) I seem to be locked into Telsta phones and am a bit confused as to what I need to get radar coverage, which is what I need.

 

My current Samsung 3G links to blue tooth automatically through Zulu headset. There is a radar site on weather, but useless other than an overview.

 

Posts here are confusing to me. perhaps someone can recommend a device that suits me for the above.

 

Phil.

 

 

[Captain]

Captain,Yes Dexter is correct.

I do like the option of Radar for rain areas when flying to SE QLD a few times a year. I have yet to decide what device to buy for this, any suggestions as I am due for a new phone soon?

 

Not very ofay with this technology (showing my age) I seem to be locked into Telsta phones and am a bit confused as to what I need to get radar coverage, which is what I need.

 

My current Samsung 3G links to blue tooth automatically through Zulu headset. There is a radar site on weather, but useless other than an overview.

 

Posts here are confusing to me. perhaps someone can recommend a device that suits me for the above.

 

Phil.

Phil,

 

There are others here, like Ross, who are computer gurus, so listen to them, but I think all you need is a phone with good internet access and a good screen, so that you can program the BOM or Weatherzone or similar radar pages that are relevant to your area, into the memory, and be able to call them up through your mobile connection.

 

My B.berry bold does that Ok, in my humble, but some of the bigger screen phones would probably be better.

 

What is your view and preference, RossBartfast?

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Jabiru Phil]

Thanks Geoff,

 

I will take all onboard. What you have sounds good. needs to be user friendly which seems like it is.

 

I will keep a look out here.

 

Phil.

 

 

[Captain]

Thanks Geoff,I will take all onboard. What you have sounds good. needs to be user friendly which seems like it is.

I will keep a look out here.

 

Phil.

Phil,

 

If you and a few other interested parties will be coming to the Recreational Flying Cowra Fly-In in Sept, maybe we can have a show-and-tell (I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours) on phones, blue-tooth & related communication devices while flying, weather accessing while in the air, and examples for all to see and Ross can also dazzle us with his advice.

 

Ross ..... do you reckon that Telstra would be interested in giving us a presentation on this at that Fly-In?

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

Well, you can't argue with the ever growing amount of aviation apps for the iPhone, nor its ease of use. Planner, log books, weight and balance, calculators, checklists are all just a click away from running on your phone. Some cost a few dollars, many are free. There are also several (non-aviation) Australian weather applications, so no messing about with web browsers to get the radars up, they are right there in the app and load a lot faster.

 

There's also a NAIPs application to get the official weather and NOTAM briefing.

 

And one of the best things about the iPhone is that the applications just work. Any fool can download and install them and they work because all screen sizes are the same. The same can't be said for any other platform, I am afraid.

 

Unless you like tinkering with technology, you should be wary of that with other devices. I am sure Slarti has an ace setup on his phone, but you have to be realistic about how easy it would be for you to achieve that!

 

Coverage on NextG will be the same as any other phone.

 

That's my opinion anyway!

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Sorry - been busy playing basketball.

 

For ease of use and intuitive interface where you don't have to be a guru to set it up, you can't beat the iPhone. Get one of those Phil. Get it through Telstra so you can be sure you get the right one for their NextG network and you can't go wrong. NextG provides the maximum coverage while travelling around the country.

 

Geoff, a show 'n' tell at Cowra sounds like a great idea if anyone is interested. I doubt we could interest Telstra in it though, plus they wouldn't have anything interesting to say.

 

Happy to show off the GPS setup and take orders too.