Cannot connect to Stratus v1 - ADS-B Discussions - iFly EFB

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HomeHomeDiscussionsDiscussionsADS-B Discussio...ADS-B Discussio...Cannot connect to Stratus v1Cannot connect to Stratus v1
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4/25/2022 10:51 PM
 

I'm currently evaluating iFly to purchase, as I'm working on my instrument rating right now.  I really like the simple interface--it's much easier and fewer clicks to bring up plates, etc.  Tonight I attempted to use iFly for the first time on a flight, but I was unable to because I couldn't connect to the Stratus in our plane.  It's behind the panel so I'm not sure what model it is (installed before I joined the flight club).  iFly was unable to automatically connect to it.  I went through all of the manual options, and the only one that appeared to work was Stratus V1, but I couldn't see weather or traffic, so I don't think it was communicating properly.  Note that the club has an iPad with Foreflight, and it works just fine.  And yes, I was able to connect to the Stratus wifi.

Any ideas?  I really hope to get this working, because I'd rather use iFly than Foreflight.

 
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4/26/2022 7:08 AM
 

Kinda hard to play detective across the internet with so few clues, but I'll try to contribute what I can.

Some background:  Foreflight has historically tried to thwart interoperability.  The original Stratus device was intended to only wotk with Foreflight, and vice versa.  There were even several Stratus firmware updates and Foreflight software changes that intentionally broke compatibility with 3rd-party software trying to use the original Stratus.  (The open-source "Stratux" project was designed to reverse-engineer the Stratus and provide a similar-functionality device that would work with any EFB app, not just Foreflight.)

All that is just to say that there's a history there of them intentionally making things difficult for non-Foreflight users to use Stratus.  (And I'm not an expert in the multiple Stratus v1 firmware versions, so I don't know what the capabilities/limitations are of a Stratus v1 to work with iFly, and whether it depends on what firmware version it runs.  Nor do I know how likely an original Stratus v1 might still be in use...they're pretty old now.)

The Stratus 3 was a pretty popular (and relatively recent) device, and just playing the odds, if you're saying there's a "Stratus" in your club plane, my guess (and it's just a guess!) is that's what it is.  While the Stratus 3 *can* and *does* play with iFly, there's an internal setting that must be configured to allow it to do so...and I think it will toggle back to the "doesn't work with iFly" setting the next time someone with Foreflight connects to it, so if you're dealing with a club plane then it's probably something you have to deal with almost every time you fly.

You have to set the Stratus 3 to "Open ADS-B" mode.

Unfortunately, you need to have software to do that.  One app that can do it is Stratus' "Horizon Pro" software...but that only runs on iPads.  If you're using an Android device, it's trickier...I'm pretty sure there's software that can do it, but someone else who has done it will need to pipe up.

tl;dr:  *IF* the ADS-B device in the plane is a Stratus 3, you'll need to figure out how to switch it to "Open ADS-B" mode before iFly will connect.  You can use the Stratus Horizon Pro app if you have an iPad, or hopefully someone else can suggest a different app if you use Android.  (If the ADS-B device is something other than a Stratus 3, then talk to your club officers and get more details on it, then come back and let us know.)

 
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4/26/2022 12:23 PM
 

Once IFLYGPS is started, did you try Menu>About>Connected Devices>Auto-Detect.     I've got several ADSB devices and that setting seems to work when all else fails.

 

Steve

 
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4/26/2022 7:50 PM
 

I have a Stratus 3 in my plane and most of what Cobra said is correct.  AFAIK only the Stratus 3 will connect to iFly, or anything other than ForeFlight. 

 

My Stratus 3 is mounted under the right side of thepanel, it's a "hand held" device that is clipped into the mount. 

Stratus 3 Stratus Mounting Cradle (Stratus 2, 1S, 2S, 2i, 3, 3i)

I have an  iPad with the Horizon Pro app installed, as well as the 740, so I have no problem switching the Stratus 3 to "Open ADSB" mode.  Looking on the Appareo https://stratusbyappareo.com/products...orizon-pro-app/ site I see no indication that the "Horizon Pro" app works on anything other than Apple devices. 

In my experience, whether or not the Stratus 3 has the "Open ADSB" switch to "On",  a device will connect to the WiFi, however you won't be able to get any of the data. 

Quite a while ago, I thought that iFly was working on giving the iFly software the ability to switch the "Open ADSB" to the on position automatically, but I"ve heard no more about it. 

Once you get the Stratus 3 "Open ADSB" mode switched to "On" it will remain that way until either you switch it "Off", or someone used ForeFlight to connect.  For some reason they have the device conifgured such that if ForeFlight is accessing the Stratus 3, no other software programs can connect.  Perhaps that will be changed in a future update, but I haven't heard about it. 

Another thing not mentioned is that you need the "Horizon Pro" app in order to download and install firmware/software updates to the Stratus 3.  Mine has been updated a couple of times. 

 
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4/26/2022 10:00 PM
 

Thank you all for the replies.  We had a club meeting tonight and I was able to confirm that we indeed have a Stratus V1, so I may be out of luck.  The device is installed behind the panel so I can't get to it (at least not without contorting my body and lying on the passenger side floor).

To answer Steve's question, I originally did have it set up with Auto Detect, but it was unable to select a device.  So I went through manually and selected each one from the list.  The only one that started to connect and show some stats was the Stratus V1, but none of the data came across.  I am using an iPad, so I'll try to install Horizon Pro to it in the off chance that I can get it to work.  I'm under the impression though that it may not work with the V1, or maybe I'm mistaken.  I'll give it a try either way.

 
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