Moving Map on Android Tablet

[ehunyadi 0]

Since I'm getting back into sim flying, I decided to check out what was available on the market that would allow me to use my Android tablet (Viewsonic gTablet running Android 2.2) as a moving map. The only option I could find was GMap by a company called FSWidgets (fswidgets.com). I purchased it for $9.95 US and installed the requisite software on my computer running FSX and through a download from the Android Marketplace (oddly, you can only get a free demo version from the Marketplace; you have to purchase the app from the FSWidgets website and then enter your email address into the app as a form of registration).

I then configured the host on the computer and the client app, and VOILA!

The first question I had was: does it work? In a word, yes. However, it's rather rudimentary and somewhat buggy.

I used it for about 4 hours solid, and for the first few hours, things seemed pretty smooth. However, the last hour was filled with reconnection issues, lost connection, and then a weird warping bug that caused the map to shake all over.

As for features, there is the ability to load FSX flight plans files onto the tablet and then GMap will use it, but I didn't test this feature out. The zooming in and out is handled with buttons, and there are different mapping options including sectional and TAC, and WAC views (among others).

I had pretty high hopes for this app and while the cool factor is pretty high (using my Android tablet as a moving map), the features are lacking in what I'd like to see in a moving map app.

Here is a photo of my setup: main PC on the right, Android tab on the left (in a plate holder that works well to hold the tablet up).

In the end, I probably should have saved the $10, but I was anxious and optimistic.

I'm still trying to get FSXGet to work with my netbook and notebook without any success, but I'm sure I'll get it figured out... and it's free.

[Aidan 1]

I got this last week as a review copy for AVSIM, for iPhone and iPad. I just finished my first flight with it just now, its a bit hard to work at first, but then you get use to it.

[rob16584 42]

I used the freeware version for a while and didn't have any problems that I can recall, but after getting FSXGet I stopped using it.

FSXGet can be a bit tricky to start up and get going, but once you have done it's great