Bad Elf Flex® Mini Standard GNSS Receiver (GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BEIDOU), Small, Orange

I’ve been a Bad Elf “fan” for over 20 years, and I’m pleased to say they have a winner with this unit. The horizontal and vertical accuracy, and position stability, of the multi-constellation (EU, US, Russia, China) “Flex mini” far surpasses that of any cell phone’s GPS “chip.”When using my Garmin Pilot app, the Flex’s lateral accuracy is +/- 2 feet, and the vertical accuracy is +/- 0 feet. The phone itself (an iPhone 15PM) reports lateral as +/- 13 feet, and vertical as +/- 10 feet — with considerable positional drifting; i.e., the phone doesn’t “lock on” like the stand-alone Flex mini. I’m sure this capability is the result of the Flex mini acquiring and averaging multiple satellite constellations — and its Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS).I did have one reservation with the available app, which as of now, does not allow adjustments to the data logging rate — which is necessary when collecting data on fast moving vehicles like aircraft. A promised update from tech support should remedy this data logging and user interface issue.The unit is built solid, and I’m impressed with the Bluetooth connectivity. After initial setup and powering on of the Flex, the installed phone app automatically starts — a nice touch. Battery life has proven itself to be “all day.”At first I balked at the price — which was far more than my previous BE-2300 “Pro +”. But I think it’s the perfect addition to a pilot’s flight bag, or any trail blazers’ go-kit.=======UPDATEThis comment may be a major purchase concern for some users. Bad Elf product support informed me that “The Flex Mini is currently only capable of transferring logs via Bluetooth.” This means the supplied USB cable is ONLY used for charging the Flex Mini, and NOT data transfer. In this era of ubiquitous Bluetooth, this ordinarily would not be a problem, but as of this writing, the Flex Mini will not transfer files to my iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, I can successfully transfer files (via Bluetooth) to my iPad M4.I’m sure the Bluetooth connectivity issue will be resolved shortly with firmware and app updates, but as of this writing, I think potential buyers should have this “heads-up.”========UPDATE TO THE UPDATEThe folks at Bad Elf have (finally!) updated the firmware (and the app), and Bluetooth file transfers now appear to be functioning properly. I’ve tested the device in the rear (window seating) area of B-738s at FL370, as well as various Pipers down low, and so far, so good. I continue to suggest users place the device away from heated windshields and avionics bays for best reception.

The unit's rtk function will not work without paying 1000 dollars to have it activated

I use GPS logging for hobby purposes, mainly for Fog of World and related applications. I've used the previous Bad Elf GPS Pro and Pro+ extensively and was reasonably happy with both. I capture points using the Bad Elf, transfer them via Bluetooth using the Bad Elf app on iOS, and then import them into the apps I'm using.The Flex Mini connects dramatically faster and holds the connection much better, and the indicator lights easily show the connection status. The accuracy is also much higher, and I've not seen drifting as happens with phone GPS and, to a lesser degree, with the older units.I used to have to use the GPS on my phone to log points when starting up the Bad Elf GPS+ because it took too long to locate satellites. I don't have to do that with the new Flex Mini.The only downsides at the moment are mainly software-related. The new Flex app does not have any controls for logging filtering or logging intervals, which the older Bad Elf app and units supported. Previously, you could filter by speed to ensure you aren't logging points when the GPS unit isn't moving.As a result of this, the log files are large and take quite some time to transfer to the iOS app. I contacted Bad Elf support about this and they said they hope to add this in the future.Other minor annoyances:The Flex Mini does not let you know when charging is complete when it's off but plugged into power. It just always shows charging on the screen when plugged in. Likely could be fixed by a simple firmware update in the future.Also, I don't see how to track battery status or how much memory is used in the Flex app. Again, likely a simple software update. This is a very new product, so I'm sure these features will come over time.

Not very accurate so far. Better accuracy with Garmin GLO.

I bought this to replace my older Bad Elf GPS Pro +. This cost $150 more than the Pro +, so I assumed it would at least have the same features. The clearest improvement is the GPS accuracy. It takes longer to get a solid fix but, when it does, it is more accurate than the older GPS Pro. The missing features (variable logging rate, log filtering, battery meter, showing lat/lon on device) are being slowly added back through firmware updates.The battery life is great; the screen is easy to read, and it connects really well with my marine navigation apps. It also has an incredible amount of memory. I was able to log GPS at 1 Hz for 4 straight days and never got an error message. The old GPS Pro could hold about 24 hours of data at 1 Hz if I remember correctly.I had an issue with my original Flex Mini being completely bricked after owning it for a couple months. I contacted Bad Elf and they immediately sent out a replacement device. They even included a box to return the defective unit.

I really like this BadElf Flex Mini Standard GPS unit. Note: with this device, you actually can reach out to BadElf and get it upgraded to submeter accuracy (a wonderful feature), but I personally have not. With the app, the device outputs to multiple formats that are easy to use. A note: one reviewer mentioned not being able to adjust the logging interval. I most often use this in a helicopter (MD-500) for the track log and think 1 sec is excellent. Most Garmins say they'll do two seconds, but in my experience, it'll waiver from that (sometimes 3 s or more) probably because of a delay in acquiring satellites. Tried it out and this device steadily logs at 1 sec, along with providing horizontal and vertical measures of accuracy, speed, elevation, etc. Wish I'd have had this a while ago.