Dual releases new portable ADS-B receiver

Most pilots know the Dual Electronics company for their small, red, wireless GPS receiver – one of the first Bluetooth GPS accessories to hit the market after the introduction of the iPad. They followed up this product with a low-cost ADS-B receiver, the Dual XGPS170, that delivered ADS-B weather and single-band (978 MHz) traffic to apps like WingX Pro and FltPlan Go.

Fast forward to today, where pilots are looking to get more out of their ADS-B receivers to keep up with the advanced features available in the popular EFB apps. To meet this expectation, Dual recently released an upgraded model of their ADS-B receiver, the Dual XGPS190, that does a lot more than GPS and weather.

What’s new in the Dual XGPS 190

The Dual XGPS190 has the same size and shape as the original XGPS170.

The new Dual XGPS190 is very similar in size and shape to its predecessor, and the only way you can tell them apart is the labeling on the case. It features the same reliable internal GPS antenna and ADS-B weather receiver, delivering the entire suite of weather imagery and text weather products to compatible apps. Of note, the GPS can be used for non-aviation apps.

The first hardware upgrade in the box improves ADS-B traffic reception, since it now features a dual band (978 and 1090 MHz) antenna. Aircraft flying either internationally or above 18,000′ are required to have a 1090 MHz ADS-B out transponder, so the ability to see airplanes with both types of transponders will be especially noticeable when flying at higher atltitudes, in busy terminal airspace and outside the U.S.

Next, the Dual XGPS190 adds an integrated attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) that automatically senses pitch, bank and magnetic heading. This will be useful in apps like WingX Pro that offer a backup attitude display and synthetic vision.

Specifications

Like the other Dual wireless iPad accessories, the XGPS190 uses Bluetooth to connect up to 2 devices simultaneously. The internal battery lasts for 5 hours of continuous operation, and the receiver can be charged with the included 12–30V cigarette lighter adapter or wall charger. Included with the receiver is a non-slip dash pad to keep it secure on the glareshield. It is compatible with WingX Pro, FltPlan Go, AerovieReports, FlyQ and WSI Pilot Brief Optima for iOS, and Avare, AvNav EFB, FlightPro, iFlyGPS and Naviator for Android.

The Dual XGPS190 is shipping now and available for order here.