Bluetooth GPS manufacturer Bad Elf has launched a crowd-funding effort on Kickstarter to bring a low-cost and universally compatible portable ADS-B receiver to market. The Bad Elf receiver will come in four configurations, all with GPS: $299 for single-band 978 MHz (weather and traffic); $449 for 978 MHz with AHRS (attitude information); $449 for single-band 1090 MHz with AHRS (air-to-air traffic, for use outside the U.S. where ADS-B IN weather is not available); $549 for dual-band 978 and 1090 MHz with AHRS. These prices are for the Kickstarter effort. The Bad Elf Kickstarter ends on January 14 at 7 p.m.

Besides low prices compared to existing portable ADS-B receivers, the Bad Elf units also promise compatibility with a large number of aviation apps, in the U.S. and Europe, Australia and New Zealand. These include iOS apps WingX Pro7, FlyQ efb, iFlightPlanner, iFlyGPS, Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, AerovieReports, FltPlan Go, OzRunways, AvPlan EFB, Air Navigation Pro, SkyDemon and others. The Bad Elf receiver will also be compatible with Android apps such as iFly GPS, WingX Pro7, DroidEFB, Naviator, AvNav EFB, Avare, FltPlan Go and ixGyro.

According to Bad Elf, “After five years, less than 10 percent of pilots fly with real-time, subscription-free weather and traffic in the cockpit. As pilots, we were frustrated that more of us still do not have access to these tools. As engineers, we felt a duty to come up with a solution.” Bad Elf CEO John Cunningham told AIN: “The two main issues impeding adoption of ADS-B are (1) price, and (2) app compatibility. We solved the price issue with some clever design discoveries, so we we can pass the savings along to the pilot. Everyone we have spoken to about app compatibility has been supportive.”