Hi all,

 

After a little bit of searching and a few things I didn't quite understand regarding FSUIPC ;) I just figured I'd ask:

 

Is there a way to get reliable GPS position data out of FSX via Bluetooth?

 

The idea here is to use a commercial app on an iPad using its Bluetooth receiver just as I would with a Dual GPS or Bad Elf.

 

Thanks,

Andrew

yes, it's possible. i used to do it years ago with FSX and a GPS app that i ran on an old HP PDA. the gps app could use an external bluetooth GPS, and FSX could emulate a bluetooth gps. i don't remember exactly how it did it, but it didn't involve FSUIPC. i think it was a free app i got somewhere. i'll see if i can find it.

I believe the trick is to get FSUIPC to reliably "see" the bluetooth dongle.

yes, it's possible. i used to do it years ago with FSX and a GPS app that i ran on an old HP PDA. the gps app could use an external bluetooth GPS, and FSX could emulate a bluetooth gps. i don't remember exactly how it did it, but it didn't involve FSUIPC. i think it was a free app i got somewhere. i'll see if i can find it.

 

well, couldn't find it, but i found this. it's not free, but there's a demo

 

http://www.xmapsy.com

I got this working over the weekend using Naviator and Avilution with an Asus Transformer and a (very old) bluetooth dongle plugged into my PC configured with an inbound COM3 port. The key was then using an app called Bluetooth GPS Mouse (note, Bluetooth will heretofore be abbreviated as "BT") and selecting "Alt. BT Connect Method" in its settings - I'm not really sure what BT GPS Mouse does other than picks up the FSUIPC GPS-out signal and interprets it as a legit BT GPS device. Once you have that installed and paired with your FS machine, run BT GPS Mouse, then open Naviator or Avilution and you're all set.

 

The registered version of BT GPS Mouse was $2.82 for me on the Google Play store = not bad at all!

 

Oddly enough (or perhaps not) I was not able to get this working with my iPad.

 

There are some good references out there to help:

http://www.studentpilot.com/interact/forum/showthread.php?40711-FSX-GPSout-feed-into-Android

http://forum.naviatorapp.com/viewtopic.php?id=190

Like V1VrV2 above, I had this working a few times with Naviator. Naviator for Andriod is fantastic! I was very happy to have it working with FSX with a spoofed GPS signal from FSUIPC GPSOUT. But sadly the success does not stick for me. For you sim jocks, this is akin to having Plan-G but with the functionality of Skyvector charts and plates right on a tablet. Coolest trick ever. I am envious of the previous poster for getting it to work!

 

If I remove all traces of my USB Bluetooth and reboot and then get back to Windows and plug it in, Win7 finds it and assigns a COM port to it. Say COM3. Great. I start up FSX and it will auto locate GPSOUT COM3 and make it available in the COM Port drop down. Then Start my Tablet (I have Asus TF300 now) and run Bluetooth GPS app and bingo. I have fake GPS signal comming in from the plane loaded in FSX. Naviator or any other real world pilot app for Andriod assumes FSX is me flying in real time.

 

However. One reboot of the computer later and Win7 (at least on mine) changes the COM port to something else. Say... COM7. For whatever reason I do not know. From then on it does not work. If I go into FSX FSUIPC GPSOUT screen, and hit the drop down, the USB dongle com port is not listed at all. FSUIPC can no longer see the COM port. If I uninstall it all and start over, it will work the first time again. Until a reboot causes Win7 to shuffle some things. Very agravating.

 

What version of Windows you using V1VrV2?

 

And what Brand USB Bluetooth Dongle?

 

On a side note, if NAVIATOR devs wanted to ultimately double thier business, all they would have to do is build in NETWORK mode. That way people would not have to fiddle with Bluetooth and unreliable connectivity like some seem to have. Just use the SIMCONNECT feature of FSX. Who would not buy this NAVIATOR product? It's like $15 and only $5 per month for unlimited Sectionals, IFR charts , Flight Planning, Moving Map and touch screen instant waypoint info. Also terrain mode and approach plates at the arrival instantly come up. If you want to pay a few bucks to Seattle Avionics (third party partner to Naviator) I think it is, you get Geo-referenced Approach plates. This is where you see your plane position on the plate same as you do on the sectional.

 

http://www.naviatorapp.com/

 

If there are people interrested in this and have an Andriod product (Naviator works on all the Andriod and Phones out there), head over to Naviators Forum and ask them to add direct network functionality to FSX via SIMCONNECT. *wink*. Ok well. Dont bug them. But it sure would be nice.

 

I bet there are more Andriod owning Sim pilots than real pilots that would buy this product that are eventually going to be real pilots anyway and if they own Andriod pilot apps in the sim, would likely stick with it in real aviation once they get there as opposed to going to Apple when the time came.

 

Charles.

However. One reboot of the computer later and Win7 (at least on mine) changes the COM port to something else. Say... COM7. For whatever reason I do not know. From then on it does not work. If I go into FSX FSUIPC GPSOUT screen, and hit the drop down, the USB dongle com port is not listed at all. FSUIPC can no longer see the COM port. If I uninstall it all and start over, it will work the first time again. Until a reboot causes Win7 to shuffle some things. Very agravating.

Very strange - I haven't seemed to have have that problem [yet]. One would think there'd be some degree of permanence to the ports once you have set them up... guess not. Very strange.

 

What version of Windows you using V1VrV2?

Win 7 64 Bit

 

And what Brand USB Bluetooth Dongle?

It's an ancient, Linksys USB BT100V2 - so old, in fact, that Windows Vista drivers didn't even exist for it so I had to find a 3rd party Vista driver set and port it to Win 7.

 

On a side note, if NAVIATOR devs wanted to ultimately double thier business, all they would have to do is build in NETWORK mode. That way people would not have to fiddle with Bluetooth and unreliable connectivity like some seem to have. Just use the SIMCONNECT feature of FSX. Who would not buy this NAVIATOR product? It's like $15 and only $5 per month for unlimited Sectionals, IFR charts , Flight Planning, Moving Map and touch screen instant waypoint info. Also terrain mode and approach plates at the arrival instantly come up.

I definitely agree, Charles. As fuel prices get more and more expensive, I think people are going to want to spend more time practicing with their technology and becoming proficient while NOT flying - I know that's the reason I went down this road and was pleasantly surprised when I got it to work!