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HomeHomeDiscussionsDiscussionsiFly Owners Q&AiFly Owners Q&AiFly 740 Updates for Macintosh and iPhone Users, Even In The FieldiFly 740 Updates for Macintosh and iPhone Users, Even In The Field
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7/16/2017 9:09 AM
 

I've found an easy way for Apple users to update the iFly 740 (and maybe the others) using the iFlyUpdatePackage.zip method to download new weather and TFR data.

Sandisk sells a double-ended gizmo called iXpand Flash Drive that has both a USB 3.0 plug and a Lightning connector that plugs into an iPhone or iPad.

It allows you to download the iFlyUpdatePackage.zip to an iPhone, save it to the iXpand Flash Drive, and from there load it into the 740.

You can do this anywhere you have a cell signal or a wifi connection to the internet. So you can do it just before takeoff at an airport or even out in the bush. (I've done it while floating on a river in my Searey.)

The one caveat is that I've done this successfully only with a 32 GB iXpand. My 740 won't read a 128 GB iXpand. I haven't tried the other versions of the iXpand. Nor have I tried any of the competing brands of Lightning+USB flash drives.

I paid about 30 bucks for the 32 GB iXpand at an OfficeMax store, but you can probably get one cheaper online.

(I imagine that this method will work on an Android phone, but haven't tried it. Also, it should work for bigger upgrades--charts, etc.--although I haven't tried that yet.)

 
New Post
7/16/2017 6:15 PM
 

Does the iFly update package work with a Mac now? It used to be Windows only.

Tom Murrell

 
New Post
7/16/2017 9:07 PM
 
Tom Murrell wrote:

Does the iFly update package work with a Mac now? It used to be Windows only.

 

Yes, the USB method does, Tom. Here's the page:  https://www.iflygps.com/UPDATES/CreateUpdatePackage

I found the instructions somewhat misleading, though because they begin with a link to take you to a Windows-only update. Just ignore that and select the items you want to download. "Weather, TFRs, Fuel Prices" is already checked and is the one you'd want just before a flight. It's a fairly small file and downloads quickly. Installs in the 740 fairly quickly, too, if you don't count the time needed to back out of iFly and select the USB update.

 
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7/20/2017 11:49 AM
 

Have you updated everything or just weather and tfr with this method? I am trying a siimlar Lexar USB/Lightning device (32gb) with my iPhone and iPad and I find that for anything other than just weather and tfr it never seems to download the package. I'm on a huge internet pipe so I'm not bandwidth limited.

 
New Post
7/20/2017 3:01 PM
 

I've just downloaded the update zip file containing weather, aviation databases, and airport diagrams, 123.7 MB total. the download went fairly quickly--about 1 or 2 minutes, I think.

It appears to have downloaded properly, but I haven't tried updating the 740 yet, as it's some distance from here today.

 
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HomeHomeDiscussionsDiscussionsiFly Owners Q&AiFly Owners Q&AiFly 740 Updates for Macintosh and iPhone Users, Even In The FieldiFly 740 Updates for Macintosh and iPhone Users, Even In The Field