Dual Electronics XGPS150A

After doing a lot of research I previously had used a Bad Elf GPS dongle for my flying needs. When I upgraded to an iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, my old 30 pin Bad Elf became an expensive and obsolete key chain. I tried using the 30pin-Lightning adapter, but found it awkward on the yoke and decided it was time for an upgrade. I don't fly enough to justify an expensive ADS-B receiver, and I didn't want to make the mistake of a plug-in unit again, so I set out to do some research. Having been happy with Bad Elf, I considered the Bad Elf Pro because one feature I thought I needed was tracking, something the Dual 150 doesn't have. What changed my mind was the price. Even though the 150 is an "older" model, I was able to pick it up for almost half the price of the Bad Elf Pro and it seems like it's made for flying. The rubber dash grip and small size are great on the glare shield of the plane. I was very impressed with how fast it got a cold signal and the accuracy was also great. The battery life is excellent for even long cross country flights or drives. I love how there's nothing to it, and the free iPad/iPhone application made it fun to see how well it was working. If you're not flying with Foreflight, you're missing out. I'm sure that Wing-X and Garmin Pilot are great too, but I've been using Foreflight for years and have nothing but praise for the application. There was no work to get this working with Foreflight. I use a wireless only iPad mini, so I otherwise didn't have airspeed, altitude etc. All of that shows up the instant you start up Foreflight with the GPS connected. No set up required. The GPS works great on sunny days and in clouds, It also doesn't seem to mind getting hot on the dash. The only big difference between this model and the newer one is the 150 can only connect with one device at a time. For me, this wasn't a deal breaker and it still isn't. For the simple VFR flier like me, I only use the GPS as a back up and wouldn't see a need for more than one device to be connected. Bottom line: If you want to get GPS function on your iPad for a low price, this is the unit for you. If I had the spare $700 laying around, I'd probably go buy a Stratus, but this will do just fine for me in the mean time.

This XGPS150A works well, it allows my non cell enabled iPad Pro to work as a mapping device, such as with Google Maps. I still need to tether the iPad to my cell phone to get the maps. Apple does not allow its phone to send GPS information to a tethered iPad. If an iPad doesn't have the cellular hardware, it lacks the tiny inexpensive chip that would enable GPS reception. There used to be an app that would allow the phone to send GPS location data to an iPad but that app has been removed, rendering non cell enabled devices pretty much useless for GPS. Not only does the XGPS150A restore GPS function, it seems much more accurate than cell phone GPS. There is a disk displayed around the mapped location indicating the uncertainty of the mapped location. That disk is much smaller with this XGPS150A than it is with the iPhone location mapping. This 150A not only places me on the correct side of a divided highway, it follows as we move into an exit lane. I believe location accuracy is claimed within 10 feet and it seems well within that. We used it on a 6 hour trip so I can tell you battery life is longer than that. When I ordered it I had the idea it was much larger than it really is. The unit is small, it weighs 48g and measures 2.2" square and 3/4" thick. It has a molded in loop on the back for a strap and that adds a bit to the thickness, otherwise it would be thinner. It comes with a Velcro type strap and a handy rubbery molded pad so it stays put on top of the dash. Others have noted that the charging cord can't be used while it is in the rubbery pad. That isn't really right because you can put it into the molded pad tilted with one edge up. It is still held well enough that it stays put on the dash but can still be charged. My previous iPad mini was cell enabled and I didn't realize when I bought my current iPad Pro that the non cell enabled iPads were so GPS crippled. It makes little sense to me that a tethered iPhone can't send GPS location to an iPad. Anyway, this XGPS150A restores the GPS function and it seems to markedly improve on the iPhone's location accuracy in the process. The difference on this 150A model and the next higher one is this will connect to just one device at a time. There are just 4 status LEDs on GPS antenna. There is a downloadable app that gives information about which satellites are being used and an indication about position and accuracy, but that accuracy is indicated with a nonspecific word such as "good" but not in the much better way such as an estimate in feet or meters. It comes with a charging cord but no wall charger. It does have a cigarette lighter type plug for 12V charging. I'm happy with this GPS receiver and would purchase it again.

I just used the Dual XGPS150 on a recent trip, and found that it worked very well indeed. The only issue I have encountered is potential incompatibility with specific applications that, by the express intent of the provider of the application, are not compatible with external GPS receivers. This is the sort of thing that many people would not anticipate, because it is counter to common sense, but it is real. I recommend that prior to purchasing any external GPS receiver, that you start by identifying the particular application that you expect to use, and that you confirm with the supplier of that application that the application is compatible with external GPS receivers. I'll discuss this further in a bit. I did not encounter any issues with the Bluetooth connection between the iPad2 WiFi and the Dual XGPS150a. The XGPS150a did not exhibit any problems with maintaining continuity of satellite reception or continuity of its knowing its precise location. It was highly accurate. I am particularly pleased with how quickly it figures out its location after having been powered off for a while. It does this within just a few seconds, which is a small fraction of the time that my high-end Garmin Nuvi needs to figure out where it is. There is a competing device that hangs directly from the docking port, and I just think that this is a very dumb idea. Yeah, there is nothing about the docking port that prevents this sort of thing, but it is suitable only for cables and cradles. Nothing should be attached there in the way that that thing does. It is only a question of when, not whether, you snap it off, ruining the accessory at least and possibly even damaging the port on the iPad or iPhone, which I expect would be a costly repair. For owners of WiFi-only devices, there are generally two issues that you have to sort through when it comes to applications. The first issue is the issue of off-line maps. As most people quickly figure out, Google Maps on the iPhone/Pod/Pad relies on continual Internet connectivity to download pieces of the map on the fly, as you travel or even as you scroll around the map without moving. The same behavior applies to most of the map apps that you can buy at the app store. This is obviously an issue for mobile use of WiFi-only devices, but it is even an issue for devices enabled with cellular-based data communications (3G, etc.), because in rural areas, loss of data connectivity is even more prevalent than loss of voice service. (And as has been reported elsewhere, it is all too common for 4G services to revert to 3G, in which case the data rate plummets from something remarkably fast to something more like a very slow DSL connection, which could adversely affect the ability for the map application to update the map as you are moving.) When you evaluate specific applications relative to this need, you need to pay close attention to the particulars of how you select the map segments that get stored in the device. And ignore all the misinformation that you find on web forums, telling you about some trick for forcing Google Maps and similar apps to cache maps in the device. Categorically, those tricks do not work. The other issue is with forced incompatibility. Fundamentally, there is no apparent reason why an application that works with internal GPS receiver would not work with an external GPS receiver. In fact, it might not even be possible for the application to detect the difference. Nevertheless, the provider of the application can flag the application such that you cannot even download the application into the device if the device does not have an internal GPS receiver. In particular, I discovered that this is what MotionX, the supplier of several navigation applications, does. If your device does not have an internal GPS receiver, you cannot buy MotionX GPS applications directly from the device (via the app store application), and if you go the iTunes route, you can buy the app but then during the app synching phase, iTunes will give you a message saying that the app could not be downloaded into the device because the application is not compatible with that device. This is not some sort of oversight or snafu or whatever. It seems counterintuitive, but MotionX's concern is presumably that without this restriction, some people (cheaters) who use external GPS devices would purchase the app and then demand a refund, claiming that the app is not compatible with the device. It remains to be seen whether MotionX and Apple will figure out a better way to address this concern, but for the time being at least, you cannot download MotionX GPS applications into devices that lack internal GPS receivers. This concern is potentially an issue for GPS applications in general, which is why I recommend that you start by selecting the application that you intend to use, and make certain that there is no compatibility issue of this sort, before you purchase any external GPS receiver. I had hoped to use MotionX GPS HD, mainly because it is so much less expensive than TomTom, which is a very expensive application at around $50. Before buying the TomTom application and then finding out that I had wasted my money, I attempted to get confirmation from TomTom that there were no issues similar to the situation with MotionX. I called their tech support number and then waited on hold for a long time and eventually spoke to someone in Mexico who absolutely assured me that TomTom would work only with either the internal GPS receiver or else their own docking cradle (for the iPod/iPhone - not sure if they even have anything for the iPad). Then I sent an email asking for clarification, and I got a response that was confusing but that seemed to corroborate what I was told over the phone. I sent a reply to that email, and a day or two later I got another reply correcting the earlier reply, stating definitively that TomTom GPS app is compatible with all external GPS devices. That second reply even included a link for a page on their web site that indicated the same thing, although not as definitively as I would have liked. I have not decided whether to purchase TomTom, but I am confident at this point that should I choose to do so, I would not encounter an issue similar to the issue with MotionX, and in the unlikely event of such an issue, there should be no difficulty in getting a refund through the app store. Garmin also makes a car navigation app, but presently it is an iPhone-only app. Presumably it would run on the iPAd, but either using only a small part of the screen or else blown up with lousy resolution. I only really wanted a good map application anyway, as opposed to full-blown turn-by-turn navigation with route planning and so forth. I found two good applications: PocketEarth, and MapsWithMe. Of the two, I like PocketEarth better, because the graphical representation of the maps was easier to read and interpret, particularly with respect to freeway ramps, which sometimes are incredibly complex. PocketEarth even shows bypasses and roads that are presently under construction but not yet completed. They were indicated using dashed lines to distinguish them from existing roads, but even the ramps were indicated. This was impressive to say the least. My final observation is for the benefit of anyone who has not purchased an iPad and who is debating whether to get the WiFi-only version or the version enabled with mobile data capability (3G, etc.). I recently had a discussion on this question with a friend who is considering buying an iPad. Notwithstanding the availability of external GPS receivers, and notwithstanding that you can get those little devices that translate 3G (or whatever) to WiFi, and notwithstanding that the offline maps issue is an issue even for devices that are enabled with mobile data communications, we agreed that for anyone wanting to use an iPad for navigation purposes, it is wise to spend the extra money on the iPad with the data capability (3G, etc.) and then purchase service for it on a monthly basis as needed, which is a nice thing that you can do with the iPad.

Just wanted to let folks know that this product does indeed work with the newest iPad, the one that came out (in the USA) in March, 2012. I have a wifi-only iPad version, and the Dual Electronics works great with it. This device pairs easily and quickly with the iPad. It also has great battery life. The Dual Electronics device works with my iPad's navigation software. In specific, a Navigon North America navigation application. (Its great having a huge screen to view your map - the screen of the iPhone just can't compare and nor can dedicated GPS devices.) I downloaded the free app "Dual GPS Status Tool" onto my iPad and it gives all sorts of detailed information about the GPS device (e.g., battery life) as well as about the satellites to which its connected. To test the Dual Electronics device, I drove my 52 mile-roundtrip daily commute in the Washington, DC area. During these drives, the Dual Electronics device had no problems maintaining a connection to the satellites, to my iPad, and as a result the Navigon app on the iPad worked great. Its great not to have to worry about holding the iPad a certain way in order to get GPS - this external GPS always sits on your dash. I use, in addition to this Dual Electronics device, the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Modem, Refurbished (Verizon Wireless) so that I can connect the iPad to the internet and get the latest traffic reports while using the Navigon app. Note that in order to test whether this GPS device is truly working properly, I tested without the WiFi connected (because the iPad has a feature where it can determine approximate location if connected to WiFi, even without a GPS connection). So, in sum, I can report that this external GPS works, as does its software and the software of 3rd parties such as Navigon, with a WiFi-only device such as the iPad. P.S.: Not to get too technical here, but its adorable - a little cute guy with its own form-fitting dashboard mount.

I'm a 747 Captain flying international cargo. I'd seen several of my colleagues using a Dual XGPS 150A with their iPads so, not knowing better, I bought one, too. I was VERY disappointed. It will basically show a solid signal lock with 10+ satellites and working fine near the ground, but then it loses all calculated tracking data at either high speed or altitude, not sure which is the cause. It's not the iPad or the apps I'm running, the problem even exists when running only their app and no others. Returned twice, waiting on third attempt which they say will be the E model. Okay, we'll see, but I'm not hopeful. I've now spent $30 on return shipping for a device that cost $100. I'm effectively paying for the privilege of being their beta tester. So I splurged and tried again with a different product, the Bad Elf 2200. It works very well. No glitches so far and performs as advertised. I like the backlit screen and that it can synch with up to five devices, pretty handy stuff. The only complaint that I could possibly think of is that it would be nice if it could be a little more of a stand-alone GPS, with lat/long waypoints, time-distance calculations, etc., but I don't think that's what it was intended to do. A sticky pad mount like Dual's would be a nice option in addition to their lanyard. That said, though, until I see how the E-model works I'd absolutely recommend the Bad Elf 2200 over the XGPS 150A. >UPDATE< I got the AXXERA XGPS150E from the manufacturer. I don't know but I'm guessing that DUAL was bought, usurped, seized, altered, expropriated, converted, overrun or some how replaced by AXXERA. In any case, I stand by my original review (A-model not recommended) but clarify that on it's maiden flight yesterday the AXXERA XGPS150E worked as advertised. It looks almost identical to the A-model, uses the same iOS app, same firmware, etc. The battery lasted for about 6 hours in cruise flight over the Pacific and recharged in about 2 hours. It's cheaper than the Bad Elf and the sticky mounting pad is well designed. The Bad Elf has a LONG lasting battery and it's own backlit screen with basic data. So my suggestion, based on how I use it, is don't buy DUAL'S A-model, but instead consider the E-model from AXXERA or the Bad Elf GPS Pro 2200.

Tried all of the following and will not pass GPS information to ANY APPS on 4G/LTE iPads with IOS6. It does however work fine on None-3/4G/LTE WiFi ONLY iPads. This is most likely an iOS 6 induced issue, which Apple tells us will be fixed, but have not yet been given a timeframe. This issue affects all apps using an external GPS, except the vendor apps (the DUAL or Bad Elf app). The vendor apps "talk" directly to the GPS, not through the Apple iOS. More about this and a workaround on our Blog here: [...] Also, please go to your main iPad Settings, tap General > Date & Time > Set Automatically, and make sure it's set to OFF. Then, confirm that Location Services for ForeFlight is turned ON (you can find this under iPad Settings > Privacy > Location Services). And confirm that Disable Ownship is set to OFF (you can find this in ForeFlight, under More > Settings, near the bottom of the right column. If the above does not get your GPS going, then try fully closing and then re-opening the ForeFlight Mobile app: 1. Exit ForeFlight and go to the main iPhone or iPad home screen 2. Press the button at the bottom of the iPhone/iPad twice in a row. A list of the last apps you've used should show slide up at the bottom of the screen, and the top part of the screen will go dark. If they don't slide up - please try again until they do. 3. Find the ForeFlight icon on that list at the bottom of the screen. Tap and hold the icon until it starts to wiggle, then tap the - sign in the top-left corner of the icon. This will stop ForeFlight Give that a try and let us know if any other questions arise -- we're happy to help! Adrian Tegler ForeFlight Pilot Support ForeFlight LLC UPDATED:OK HOLD THE PRESS! THIS WORKED - * Go to the main iPad Settings app. * Tap on "Privacy". * Tap on "Location Services". * Toggle the top row to "Off". This will turn off location services for all of your apps. * Reboot your iPad (press-and-hold the top button for 5 seconds, slide the red slider to power off, wait 5 seconds, then press the top button to turn your iPad back on). * Go back to Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services and turn location services to "On" for your iPad. Also make sure that location services are set to "On" for ForeFlight Mobile. * Leave your iPad connected the Internet for a few hours (the screen can be off). This might not be necessary, but we have encountered a few rare cases where this fixed the problem. NOTE: Current iPad 4G/LTE IOS6 configuration is: Airplane Mode= ON a) WiFi=OFF b) BlueTooth= Manually ON ( Connected to DUAL XGPS 150A) c) Cellular Data=OFF Location Services=ON Auto Set Date & Time= ON Ignore Warning message- " TURN OF AIRPLANE MODE or USE Wi-Fi to ACCESS DATA" click OK. ForeFlight - MORE- DEVICES- Showing DUAL XGPS Connected with green checked. Sub Note: All other Location APPS that do not require data connection and obtaining GPS location working ok.

This is the coolest thing for my iPad. I wish I had purchased the 3G iPad that comes with a GPS Receiver, but since I didn't, this device makes it possible for me to use many GPS enabled iPad apps. Some apps will not install on the iPad if it is not 3G even if you have this device so use caution when buying the apps. I do experience an issue when switching between apps while I am using this device. The iPad seems to lose the GPS even though the utility with this device shows that it is clearly working. I DO NOT believe that the issue is with this device, I believe it is a software issue, but it's something to be aware of if you use this. The remedy is to shut down both applications (if you can figure out how to do that on an iPad) or shut the iPad off and then back on which is what I do. It doesn't take very long, but if you are in the city and using this for navigation and your turn is coming up, watch out!! Again, I don't think it's the device's issue. I use this with the CoPilot navigation app and the What's Next app and a few others. 8/7/2012 - I took this device on a 2400 mile trip and it worked great with my iPad 2 and CoPilot and other apps. One thing I learned about my iPad is how to actually shut apps down without rebooting the thing. I'm a pretty tech savvy guy so when someone asked me about shutting the app down and restarting it I had to say I didn't know how and eat a bit of crow. Shoot, for all of you who have iPads and don't know, double-tap the center button and little window at the bottom opens/raises up and shows you all the apps that are running. Hold your finger down on one of the app icons until they start shaking and have a red minus sign on them. Touch the minus sign of the ones you want to shut down and viola, you are done. Click the button once to get them to stop shaking, click again to exit. I thought I was shutting down all my apps when I rebooted the darn thing, but no. When I double-tapped that button the first time, EVERY app on my iPad was running because at one time or another I had opened it and never closed them. I guess you learn something new all the time even when you thought you knew it ALL already.

Just received the XGPS150A about 21 hours after I ordered it. Can't beat Amazon Prime shipping! I was concerned, as others were that this unit would operate with my WiFi only iPad and MotionX-GPS HD. I emailed MotionX and received a positive answer in less than an hour. Using my new iPad (3) the following apps work fine, Maps, MotionX-GPS HD, Google Earth, ArcGis, iGIS and EasyTrails GPS. I did not try the Dual GPS with MotionX GPS Drive, because I have it on my iPhone 4s and don't use it much. Also, you can preload maps with GPS Drive, but you need WiFi if you need to recalculate your course. I downloaded satellite maps of my area into MotionX-GPS on the iPad, and took a short walk and created a track and three waypoints with the Dual/iPad and my iPhone 4s. One of the waypoints was much closer with the Dual unit and the other two were different, but equally off by about 15 feet. The track was much closer with the Dual than with the iPhone. With the Dual, both coming and going pretty much overlapped and were mostly within the path I was walking on. With the iPhone, the coming and going did not overlap at all and were on both sides of the path, sometimes by quite a lot. To be fair to the iPhone, it was in my pants pocket and the Dual GPS was on my arm with the handy but somewhat difficult to use arm strap. One of my planned uses for the Dual GPS and iPad combo is to map the locations of trees and plants in a GIS database. The ability to download satellite maps into the WiFi only iPad (don't need a WiFi or cell phone connection) and now have GPS is theoretically an improvement over using the iPhone because the iPad screen is much larger. One thing that I did not count on is that the iPad screen is almost impossible to see in sunlight. This diminishes the advantage of using the satellite maps in the background to make sure you have the exact location. The Dual XGPS150 Status App is pretty cool and gives more information on the satellites than you would get from the iPhone. I think this is a fantastic product and I am very glad to have it. I have not tried it with my laptop, but assume it will work well with it also.

È Un ottimo prodotto, buona qualità prezzo! Lo utilizzo in aereo con ottimi risultati. Lo consiglio per la navigazione aerea.

Trabaja perfectamente

Utilisé hier pour la premiere fois avec Foreflight sur Ipad dans un gyrocoptere, le tout a bien fonctionné. S’est déconnecté a 2 reprises De foreflight, mais probablement un probleme avec foreflight. Si vous voulez utilisé ceci en aviation, je vous recommanded’acjeter plutot le DUAL XGPS170D ADS-B / GPS BLUETOOTH TRAFFIC & WEATHER RECEIVER qui vous donnera Dans Foreflight les cartes météo ainsi que la position des avions équipés de transpondeur.

Lo hemos estado probando en un viaje de 3 semanas por los EEUU, con Sigic como navegador y ha funcionado muy bien, la batería dura tanto como la del iPad y tiene una pulsera por si quieres llevarlo como "reloj" cuando vas por la calle. Muy recomendable para el iPad wifi

Delivery of the Dual XGPS150 was very prompt. I had read there are 2 versions, a 150A (America) and 150E (Europe) My conclusion is that they are the same device. Mine is a 150A and works fine in the UK. I've used this GPS twice and so far I'm very impressed. I'm using it for hiking in the UK with the latest iPod. Unfortunately the iPod doesn't come with GPS, so you either have to buy a plug in GPS like Bad Elf (more expensive) or one that works using bluetooth. The Dual XGPS150 is very small and light, so it fits easily into a jacket or rucksack pocket. There is a small switch on the side of the device which needs setting for Android or Apple devices. The default is set for Apple, so I didn't have to change it. Switching on the Dual at first was a little tricky, as you have to apply pressure to the top of the device for 3 seconds. I found it needed some pressure from my thumb to hold down, but this is probably not a bad idea as it avoids accidently switching on or off the device when it's in your pocket. After I had switched on the XGPS150 I switched on my iPod bluetooth connection. The two devices paired very quickly. I'm using Ordnance Survey maps of the UK National Parks at a scale of 1:25 000, downloaded using the 'Outdoors App'. These are offline maps so scrolling is instantaneous. I have found the XGPS150 to be very accurate and really helpful for navigation. After a full charge (2 and a half hours) the XGPS150 was showing 45% battery left after 5 hours of hiking. I also downloaded the Dual App, though you don't have to do this to use the device. However the App usefully shows you satellites, battery status, latitude, longitude and altitude. So far, so good. I'm very pleased. But a word of warning if you are thinking of buying this product elsewhere. Initially I ordered the XGPS150 from an internet company called 'Proviation'. Do not buy from this company as it appears to be a rogue internet company. I did not receive the device and I'm still trying to get my money back. In contrast Oasis Pilot and Amazon have been great. I'd like to add another warning. If you are using a wifi only iPad or iPod DO NOT upgrade your Apple operating software to OS8.3, released in April 2015. There is a bug which stops the Dual GPS device from working with map Apps when using Bluetooth. I'm hoping Apple are working on a fix as OS8.3 has rendered my Dual GPS as useless. I can now add that since Apple updated their software my Dual GPS works fine again, and I have now upgraded to OS9 and can confirm it works ok.