Garmin Pilot - a sweet app that has one little 'hidden trick' required!

[Robert McDonald 167]

Five hours of pain because I suffered a senior moment when I blew out all my USB port assignments using USBDeview.exe.

 

First:  Garmin Pilot (For Android or iPad) is a solid tool that will bring your immersion to even greater heights.  It's free for 30 days, but if you want to try "SAFE TAXI" (Highly recommended) you will need to buy a year of that service even if you choose not to subscribe to the underlying Garmin Pilot.

You can connect FSX to your tablet and use this app, but several little kinks:

 

IN FSX:  Start FSUIPC (paid version 4.5 or higher by Pete Dowson), and find the GPSOut settings.  YOU MUST enable GPSOut to make the Garmin Pilot Work, and YOU MUST choose the correct com port which is assigned when you pair your tablet to your FSX PC via BLUETOOTH.  If you do not do this, you will never ever be able to make Garmin Pilot work, period.

 

In FSUIPC click AutoSave/GPSout tab.  Right side of window, put tickmark in box says "Check to enable this GPSout (which means GPS Output

 

In the next section click the drop down window and select the com port your tablet is using via Bluetooth to connect to your PC.  (Mine was Com16)

 

put tickmarks in the following boxes:

 

RMC, VTG, GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, PgmZ and click OK

 

Then, on your Android tablet:

 

LOCATION SERVICES put tickbox in Use GPS Satellites

 

and important!  In DEVELOPER OPTIONS, debugging, put tick box in "Allow mock locations"

 

Install Garmin Pilot.

 

Under settings you would see "External Bluetooth GPS" and you should see your FSX PC listed.  Be sure you have 'discover my pc' enabled on your FSX PC.  On your Android SETTINGS area, turn on BLUETOOTH.  You should see your FSX machine listed.  Double tap it.  A dialog box will open on your FSX machine asking if you want to enable communications and verifying the pairing code on both your FSX box and your Android.  Say OK or YES on both devices.  Wait for the drivers to install.

 

Press the connect button and you should then be connected to your FSX machine.  Remember FSX must be RUNNING before Garmin Pilot will work.