How can ForeFlight display Sentry Plus traffic data and ADL weather data at the same time?

This article explains how to set ForeFlight Mobile up to supplement the traffic data provided by Sentry Plus with satellite weather data from an ADL device.

Background

Weather data provided by the Sentry Plus depends on ADS-B ground stations that do not exist in all regions outside of the USA. However, Golze Engineering’s ADL product line provides satellite-based weather data worldwide. For non-US pilots, it might be advantageous to use Sentry Plus’s traffic data alongside an ADL device’s satellite weather.

Task Overview

Connecting ForeFlight Mobile to Sentry Plus and ADL devices simultaneously requires a two-step configuration process:

Joining the Sentry Plus and ADL WiFi networks: The iPad or iPhone running ForeFlight can only connect to one Wi-Fi network at a time. So, either the Sentry Plus or ADL device must be configured as a client on the other device’s Wi-Fi network.
Configuring ADL to send only weather data: If the ADL device transmits additional data already provided by the Sentry Plus (such as GPS, altitude, or traffic), that data may not display correctly in ForeFlight. The ADL device must be configured to provide only weather data so that the Sentry Plus can provide the rest.

Joining the Sentry Plus and ADL WiFi Networks

This section explains how to configure the ADL device to run on the Sentry Plus’s Wi-Fi network so that both can transmit data simultaneously to ForeFlight. Using the ADL device’s built-in Wi-Fi network is possible but outside the scope of this article.

First, gather Wi-Fi data from your Sentry Plus:

STEP 1. Turn on your iPad or iPhone and Sentry Plus.

STEP 2. Connect your iPad or iPhone to the Sentry Plus Wi-Fi network.

STEP 3. Tap the lower-cased i to access the network's detail view.

STEP 4. In the details view, copy down the following information:

WiFi SSID (the name of the Wifi) Sentry Plus_xxxx
WiFi Password (or none)
Subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0, but could be different)

Next, configure the ADL device to use the Sentry Plus Wi-Fi network:

STEP 1. Turn on your ADL device.

STEP 2. Switch your iPad or iPhone's Wi-Fi network from Sentry Plus to ADL Connect.

STEP 3. On your iPad or iPhone, open the ADLConnect app.

STEP 4. When the connection is established, navigate to the ADLConnect Config page.

STEP 5. On the Config page, enter the following data into the fields:

WiFi Mode: Set this field to “Client.”
WiFi SSID: Enter the Sentry Plus SSID.
WiFi Password: Enter the Sentry Plus password if one exists.
WiFi Subnet Mask: Enter the Sentry Plus subnet mask value from above.

STEP 6. At the bottom of the Config page, select Save and Reboot ADL.

NOTE: Whatever changes are made to the Wi-Fi configuration, as a fallback the ADL device will always boot up with the ADL Connect Wi-Fi active. Then after 90 seconds, it will switch over to the custom configuration. This way, a configuration mistake can be fixed, and you are not locked out. If the 90 seconds cycle was missed, simply power cycle the ADL device.

NOTE: The ADL device reboots and starts the 90-second cycle. Status messages can be verified in the Update WX page of the ADL Connect app when connected to the ADL WiFi during the cycle.

Finally, verify that the ADL device is using the Sentry Plus Wi-Fi network:

STEP 1. After the ADL device reboots and completes a 90-second cycle, reconnect your iPad or iPhone to the Sentry Plus Wi-Fi network.

STEP 2. Open the ADLConnect app and wait 90 seconds for the ADL device to be detected.

STEP 3. Navigate to the ADLConnect Status page and verify the ADL device is using the Sentry Plus Wi-Fi network.

Configuring ADL to Send Only Weather Data

This section explains how to turn off additional data streams from the ADL device so that it is only sending weather data to ForeFlight, allowing Sentry Plus to provide the rest.

STEP 1. On the ADLConnect app Config page, scroll down to the Wi-Fi GDL90 section and make the following selections:

For the WiFi GDL90 setting, select Custom.
For the data settings, turn on the WX (weather) data type and turn all other data types off.
Set the data stream value to ForeFlight.

STEP 2. At the bottom of the Config page, select Save and Reboot ADL.

Conclusion

With ForeFlight still connected to the Sentry Plus Wi-Fi network, ForeFlight should display weather data (and, in some cases, traffic data) from the ADL device alongside traffic data from the Sentry Plus.