Sentry FAQs

 

Is Sentry a "dual-band" ADS-B receiver?

Yes, Sentry has internal antennas for both UAT (978 MHz) and 1090ES (1090 MHz) frequency bands.

What capabilities does Sentry provide?

Sentry receives traffic information on both UAT (978 MHz) and 1090ES (1090 MHz). When in proximity to a ground station, Sentry also receives FIS-B weather, NOTAMS, and TFR information. ADS-B ground station reception will usually not be available until airborne. Sentry can also receive air-to-air traffic information from ADS-B Out equipped aircraft and re-broadcast traffic information (ADS-R and TIS-B) from FAA ground towers. Keep in mind that if your aircraft is not equipped with ADS-B Out, then you will have a limited view of traffic on ForeFlight.

Additionally, Sentry has a dual-band ADS-B receiver, integrated CO monitor and alarm, up to 12 hours of continuous battery life, built-in WAAS GPS, backup attitude (AHRS), barometric pressure sensor, onboard memory for Weather Replay™, and supports up to 5 devices.

WILL I SEE ALL NEARBY TRAFFIC WHILE USING SENTRY?

The traffic received by ADS-B In receivers, such as the Sentry, and shown in ForeFlight Mobile, may not represent all nearby traffic, especially if an ADS-B Out transmitter is not installed in the aircraft being flown by you.  See this article from iPad Pilot News for an explanation of how having ADS-B Out capability affects your traffic picture.

HOW CAN I MAXIMIZE SENTRY’S INFLIGHT RECEPTION?

Reception is dependent on a number of factors, including Sentry’s location and orientation in the aircraft, aircraft configuration, and your aircraft’s location.

Sentry’s Location & Orientation: Mounting Sentry upright on a side window will provide the best reception, but if no side window is available you can also mount Sentry on the dash with the status lights towards the front of the aircraft.

Aircraft Configuration: All ADS-B receivers have poor reception through alternating current (AC) heated windshields, as the construction of such windshields tends to block ADS-B signals. Heated window solutions that utilize direct current (DC) do not block radio signals, by contrast. If your aircraft has an AC-heated front windshield, try mounting Sentry on any non-heated windows to see if reception improves.

Aircraft Location: It is normal to receive little or no ADS-B tower reception below about 1,000 feet AGL since ADS-B signals depend on line of sight. If you are not in range of any ADS-B towers, you will not see any weather in ForeFlight and your traffic picture will be limited to nearby ADS-B Out equipped aircraft. See this article for an explanation of how ADS-B towers and ADS-B Out capability affects traffic picture.

CAN I USE MY OWN MOUNT?

Yes, Sentry can be used with any mount that has a ¼”-20 bolt (same as a standard camera tripod). To do this, use a 4mm hex key to remove the quick release adapter from Sentry and then you can screw in any other ¼”-20 bolt.

How can I hear what the Sentry or Sentry Plus carbon monoxide alarm sounds like?

The CO Alarm can be triggered for testing purposes via the “Test CO Alarm” button on the Device Status page. The LED will not change color, but the high-pitched alarm will sound. To turn off the alarm either press the power button or press the “Mute Sentry for 5m” button on the Device Status page.

DOES SENTRY PROVIDE A WEATHER REPLAY CAPABILITY?

Yes, Sentry has onboard memory to support animating up to 30 minutes of radar in ForeFlight Mobile.

DOES SENTRY PROVIDE GPS DATA?

Yes, Sentry has a built-in WAAS GPS for the display GPS data in ForeFlight Mobile, including aircraft position, altitude, ground speed, and more.

DOES SENTRY PROVIDE AHRS (BACKUP ATTITUDE) CAPABILITY?

Yes, Sentry has built-in digital AHRS to enhance the Synthetic Vision feature in ForeFlight Mobile.

HOW DO I CALIBRATE SENTRY’S AHRS?

Sentry and Sentry Plus AHRS can be calibrated automatically or manually. Calibrating Sentry AHRS ensures the backup attitude indicator displays a level horizon when straight and level. The recommended method is to calibrate AHRS automatically. Learn more about how to calibrate your Sentry here.

DOES SENTRY HAVE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE SENSOR?

Yes, using its built-in barometer, Sentry can display cabin pressure and pressure altitude in ForeFlight Mobile’s Instrument Panel on the Maps view.

HOW MANY DEVICE CONNECTIONS DOES SENTRY SUPPORT?

Sentry supports up to 5 simultaneous device connections to its Wi-Fi network.

DOES SENTRY INCLUDE A FLIGHT DATA RECORDER?

No, but you can use Sentry’s GPS to record Track Logs within ForeFlight.

DOES SENTRY HAVE AN INTERNAL BATTERY?

Yes, Sentry has an internal battery that supports up to 12 hours of continuous use. Sentry has the longest running battery charge of any out-of-the-box ADS-B receiver currently on the market, providing nonstop situational awareness for the long haul.

HOW DO I MAXIMIZE BATTERY LIFE?

Sentry is built to maximize battery life. We streamlined and compressed the communications between ForeFlight Mobile and Sentry, which results in the more efficient use of Sentry’s processors and extended battery life. The biggest factor affecting battery life is LED brightness. Lowering the LED brightness as much as possible will extend Sentry’s battery life even more. Sentry’s Wi-Fi power is dynamically adjusted and does not require user control.

HOW DO I CHARGE SENTRY?

Sentry purchased after November 2023 comes with a USB Type-C charging cable and can be charged by any USB-C charger, including smart chargers with Power Delivery.

NOTE: Sentry purchased prior to November 2023 came with a high-quality USB-A to USB Type-C charging cable in the case. These Sentry should be charged by connecting the charging cable to any 5V USB-A port or charger capable of delivering 2A. NOTE: Sentry purchased prior to November 2023 does not support charging from USB-C chargers.

While the Sentry is charging the PWR LED will turn blue. A full charge of a completely empty battery will take 10-12 hrs with a 2A charger. The Sentry will charge most quickly when turned OFF while charging.

CAN I CHARGE AND RUN SENTRY AT THE SAME TIME?

Yes, in most cases you can charge and run Sentry at the same time. If Sentry has been fully discharged and left unused for a long period of time, then you may have to charge Sentry before it can be used. In that case, you will see the PWR LED flash slowly 3 times and Sentry will power off. The PWR LED will turn blue to indicate that Sentry is charging. Exactly how much charging is needed before you can run the Sentry and charge will depend on how long Sentry has been left unused and the health of the battery, but 10-15 minutes of initial charging is typical.

WHAT DO THE LIGHTS ON SENTRY MEAN?

ADS-B Indicator:
Green: Receiving from multiple towers
Yellow: Receiving from one tower
Red: No reception

GPS:
Green: Good fix
Yellow: Weak fix
Red: No fix

PWR:
Green: Battery good (>30%)
Yellow: Battery low (<30%)
Red: Battery critical (<20%)
Blue: Charging

HOW BIG IS SENTRY AND HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH?

Sentry weighs 118g (0.26 lbs) and measures 57mm x 83mm x 32mm (2.25in x 3.25in x 1.5in).

WHAT APPS DOES SENTRY WORK WITH?

Sentry works with ForeFlight Mobile version 10.2 and above.

WHAT DEVICES DOES SENTRY WORK WITH?

Sentry purchased after November 2023 works with any iOS device that can run ForeFlight Mobile version 15.8 or later. This means that older iOS devices that cannot upgrade to ForeFlight 15.8 or later will not work with Sentry purchased after November 2023.

Sentry purchased prior to November 2023 works with any iOS device that can run ForeFlight Mobile version 10.2 or above. This means that older iOS devices that cannot upgrade to ForeFlight 10.2 will not work with Sentry.

Unsupported devices include:
iPad 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations
iPad Mini 1
iPhone 4, 4S, and all older generations
iPod Touch 4 and older

Check out our Buying Guide for an up-to-date list of which devices are supported on the current ForeFlight version.

HOW DO I CONNECT TO SENTRY IN FOREFLIGHT?

Hold the Power Button until the PWR light illuminates to power on Sentry. (Holding the Power Button again will turn Sentry off)

To connect a Sentry receiver to an iPad or iPhone, a connection has to be made via Wi-Fi, and ForeFlight has to be given access to data on the local network. Open the Settings app on your iPad or iPhone and go to Wi-Fi. Sentry’s Wi-Fi network name will be “Sentry_XXXX” where “XXXX” is a sequence of numbers and letters. Tap on the Wi-Fi network to connect.

Open ForeFlight and go to More > Devices to confirm that Sentry is connected. Tap the Sentry icon to view detailed information about the connection and information being received.

WHAT WI-FI SECURITY SETTINGS DOES SENTRY PROVIDE?

ForeFlight allows you to set a WPA2 password for Sentry’s Wi-Fi in the “Wi-Fi Settings” menu at the bottom of More > Devices > Sentry. You can also disable SSID broadcast, requiring someone to know the name of Sentry’s Wi-Fi network to connect to it. You  can also change the Wi-Fi network’s name.

HOW DO I UPDATE SENTRY'S FIRMWARE?

Sentry uses convenient over-the-air firmware updates via ForeFlight Mobile. When updated firmware is available, ForeFlight Mobile will display a message with instructions on how to update. Learn more about updating Sentry's firmware here.

HOW DO I RESET SENTRY TO FACTORY SETTINGS?

You can reset Sentry to factory settings by powering on the device and then press and hold the power button until the LEDs flash white. If you have forgotten your WPA2 password, you can use a factory reset to reset this password.

IS SENTRY AVAILABLE FOR FLEET SALES?

Contact sales@foreflight.com for more information.

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT IF I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SENTRY?

Please email team@foreflight.com if you encounter any problems while using Sentry.

WHAT IS YOUR RETURN AND/OR REFUND POLICY FOR SENTRY?

Please email team@foreflight.com if you have questions about Sentry returns and/or refunds.

WHAT WARRANTY DO YOU PROVIDE FOR SENTRY?

Sentry’s manufacturer, uAvionix, provides a one year warranty for defective units. Read full warranty here.

What is the lifespan of Sentry’s Carbon Monoxide sensor?

The expected lifespan for the CO sensor is 10 years. Sentry is covered by a one-year manufacturer warranty.

What company manufactures Sentry?

Sentry is manufactured by uAvionix, an innovative avionics company based in Palo Alto, California.

How do I check to see if my Sentry device has a firmware update?

To make sure your device is up to date, do the following:

1. Ensure your iPad or iPhone, as well as the Sentry, have sufficient charge or are connected to power.
2. Connect your iPad or iPhone to the Sentry's Wi-Fi network.
3. Launch ForeFlight, go to the MORE tab, and then select DEVICES.
4. Choose your Sentry device from the list.
5. If a firmware update is available, you'll spot it on the Firmware line under "Devices". Just tap FIRMWARE UPDATE to initiate the update.
6. Be sure to leave the screen open the update takes place.