A very affordable EFIS (Talos)

After the Garmin G5 and the Dynon's something that's truly affordable, 600 bucks plus an iPad or similar for a full-blown basic EFIS. Sounds like a great deal.

 

This is one of the few times I'm actually happy to have a bunch of my spare time work rendered wasted. I can't justify working on my own version any longer given this very reasonable price. They also have a data/flight logger option which might be handy for phase one - and for those unfortunate times when the flight didn't end as planned.

Now all I need to find is a tablet that has a true daylight readable screen...?

 

Yup, you could add a Android tablet and a basic engine monitor and have a capable system for not much over $1,000.

Pretty soon whiskey compasses and steam gauges will be something for those that like to be old school just for fun. ;-)

 

Use an anti-glare screen protector and an overhanging black foam glare shield and I bet you'll be fine for a puddlejumper type plane.

 

I like it, just need to talk to my 2 computer engineer grandsons to tell me what tablet to buy. I'm dumber about these things than a hog is in the posterior end.

 

Darn it, it will not run on an older IOS device. I have an older Gen 2 Ipad and am looking for an app to use it for flight. Will try it on one of my old Android devices. Sounds like a GREAT system...anyone using one, I (and many others I would imagine) would LOVE a flight review. Glass panel an ultralight or a small LSA.

Derswede

 

600 sounded a bit rich for an app, one quick Google later: the android version is 53.47...
Even better: "If you would like to test A-EFIS before purchasing, please download the free version which has exactly the same functionality as the full version but it is in black and white."

Yep, sounds good to me. I'm guessing that 600 is with sensors that many pads have built in...

 

The $600 is for the box with all the sensors and pitot/static/gps inputs.. You can trust your tablets internal sensors, but they are usually not as accurate, nor can you hook up a pitot system Good news is that if for some reason the tablet loses communication with the sensor box, the app will revert to using the tablets sensors. So backup for the backup.. add a smartphone and have another backup in case the tablet fails.

 

With the sensors already built into most tablets I think what's really needed is just a pitot-static box and an engine monitor box (separate so folks can choose just flight functions, just engine functions, or both). That would bring down the cost even more for low and slow VFR applications.

Hot Wings, if you were looking for a smaller-scale project, a simple Arduino-based, open source pitot-static module that could feed air data to existing EFIS software on an inexpensive tablet would be a great contribution to affordable flying.

 

I've got more than enough little projects rattling around in my head. I'm really kind of glad this put an end to one of them.

As for the Arduino/pitot system it's probably already been done and the hardware/software/directions on the internet. Look up Arduino and blood pressure cuff and you will find some projects using fairly accurate pressure sensors and WiFi as a link to smart phones. A couple of tweaks to get the pressures in the range needed and: job done.....aside from the software for the display on the tablet/phone.

 

Easier said than done for an Arduino rookie, Hot Wings. That's the kind of project that seems too easy for those who already know how to do it and awfully hard for those who don't. A project like that including how to get the sensor box to talk to the tablet and a detailed parts breakdown with step by step instructions would make a great magazine article, maybe even make a little money on the side selling component kits like Jim Weir.

 

The magic word... but with the adjective little attached:ermm:

I'm comfortable with the Arduino side of the project but the tablet/smart phone side I still find intimidating.

What we homebuilders really need to make some of these kind of projects easier, and more universal, is a standard for the file format sent to the display devices. Something like a CAN bus standard would let us send and receive data from multiple devices even if they only provided a portion of the total data stream. Maybe a simple CSV file would be good enough?

 

Follow the manual and you'll be fine. Frankly, this might be one of the easier aerospace-related things that you've done.



I don't follow the "LSA/burger-run" comments. Unless you need IFR certified, what else would one possibly need? A full blown Dynon Skyview or G3 could certainly be nice, but for the money saved I could fly into Oshkosh a few times and feed myself for a week... and you guys know where I live and what our fuel prices are...

 

Burger run or $100 hamburger run is spending $100 in gas and flying your plane over to another airport for a $5 lunch.

 

Now with this device, it becomes a $700 hamburger. :gig:

 

I emailed then and they sent a lot of good information.

Dan

 

The problem is that any iPad worth its salt costs the same or *much* more than this box, then add in the cost of software.. $600 plus a $80-$100 Android tablet, or the phone you already have. Not very much when you think about it.. And you dont need a separate compass and pitot/static system and accompanying gauges.

 

Maybe Talos would consider an entry-level model with just the pitot-static, OAT and WiFi but otherwise using the tablet's internal sensors?

 

You just need to eat more burgers to amortize the investment over a larger base. :ban: