XCSoar opinion

[Andres[_2_]]

I'm getting into XC flying and I would like to get opinions on the use
of XCSoar for navigation. Is it useful, reliable, is it worth using
etc? Thanks in advance.

[Brad[_2_]]

On Sep 16, 9:24*am, Andres > wrote:
> I'm getting into XC flying and I would like to get opinions on the use
> of XCSoar for navigation. Is it useful, reliable, is it worth using
> etc? *Thanks in advance.

Hi Andres,

I have been flying with XC Soar going on 2 seasons now. I really like
it. I do not fly competition, so I am not familiar with all of the
task tools etc...............but as a tool for avid Cross Country
flying I think it's great.

I don't know anything about the other flight software programs out
there so I can't make any comparisons, except for the price. The
developers are constantly improving the software and it is easy to
use.

Brad

[mike]

I have used several flight programs and XCSoar is about as good as it
gets and will do anything I need for reliable planning, showing
accurate information on a task or just free flying OLC style
(following the weather and adding turnpoints on the fly). It has more
features than you will probably use, while the information available
can be adjusted depending on what you find useful, while being very
user friendly. It takes about an evening to understand the layouts.

The bottom line is that XCSoar is a premium soaring navigation
program, developed by group of dedicated cross country soaring pilots,
that happen to be talented software designers.

XCSoar is free. Donations are accepted, but never asked for.


Mike


On Sep 16, 10:24*am, Andres > wrote:
> I'm getting into XC flying and I would like to get opinions on the use
> of XCSoar for navigation. Is it useful, reliable, is it worth using
> etc? *Thanks in advance.

[Wayne Paul]

"Andres" > wrote in message ...
> I'm getting into XC flying and I would like to get opinions on the use
> of XCSoar for navigation. Is it useful, reliable, is it worth using
> etc? Thanks in advance.

This is my first year trying XCSoar. I had previously been using Glide Navigator II, which I liked due to its' simplicity, in conjunction with a Garmin GPS and Compaq 1550. However, Glide Navigator does not support tmy recently purchased B-50 vario system.

Initial installation of XCSoar was a bit cumbersome. It provides so many setup options. This allows the user to customize the feature and display to what they consider important to the way they fly. One thing that became apparent is that XCSoar's display is best suited for a color PDA. However, it is usable on the Compaq 1550 if the contrast is adjusted properly.

Due the the memory and processor limitation of the 1550, I have not attempted to use the map options. However, it should be pointed out that Glide Navigator II doesn't even have a map option.

Worth using? It has all the XC flying function I used when running Glider Navigator II and you can't beat the price. :)

[Uncle Fuzzy]

On Sep 16, 9:24*am, Andres > wrote:
> I'm getting into XC flying and I would like to get opinions on the use
> of XCSoar for navigation. Is it useful, reliable, is it worth using
> etc? *Thanks in advance.

It's free. It's well supported. It has more features than I'll ever
use.
Pick up a used PDA on ebay (under $50.00) and a GPS source, and you're
ready for the OLC. If you're going to do any badge flying, bite the
bullet and buy a Certified Flight Recorder (CFR). There are lots of
good units out there, but they're not cheap. Expect to pay $700 -
$950.
Best Regards,
Jim

[Mike Bamberg]

On Sep 16, 11:23*am, Uncle Fuzzy > wrote:
> On Sep 16, 9:24*am, Andres > wrote:
>
> > I'm getting into XC flying and I would like to get opinions on the use
> > of XCSoar for navigation. Is it useful, reliable, is it worth using
> > etc? *Thanks in advance.
>
> It's free. *It's well supported. It has more features than I'll ever
> use.
> Pick up a used PDA on ebay (under $50.00) and a GPS source, and you're
> ready for the OLC. *If you're going to do any badge flying, bite the
> bullet and buy a Certified Flight Recorder (CFR). *There are lots of
> good units out there, but they're not cheap. *Expect to pay $700 -
> $950.
> Best Regards,
> Jim

I've used SoarPilot for some time and really was able to get all the
information I wanted, but the Palm devices that natively support the
code are becoming scarce and I really don't want another layer of code
(TapStyle, Palm OS emulator) on a Pocket PC to deal with.

For this reason I have reviewed SeeYou Mobile (very nice, and you pay
for it) and XCSoar on several PNA devices and found that the XCS team
is really making a marvelous effort to keep XCSoar a top-of-the-line
program.

I've decided to stay with it for the moment as I can't see paying for
the SYM when XCSoar provides me with all the features I need for the
cost of a donation, or even nothing if I feel that way.

Mike

[Bryce]

XC Soar Rocks!

[Al[_7_]]

On Sep 16, 10:02*pm, Bryce > wrote:
> XC Soar Rocks!

amen brother...

[John Roche-Kelly]

The latest version, lk8000, does away with all the cumbersome configuring
of boxes and works on a PNA. I picked one up for £35 on e-bay and am very
happy with the result.
Best wishes

JohnR-K

[tstock]

On Sep 17, 4:45*am, John Roche-Kelly >
wrote:
> The latest version, lk8000, does away with all the cumbersome configuring
> of boxes and works on a PNA. I picked one up for £35 on e-bay and am very
> happy with the result.
> Best wishes
>
> JohnR-K

I looked for a version of lk8000 for the PNA's and was unable to find
one available for download.

Tom

[cernauta]

On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:20:13 -0700 (PDT), tstock >
wrote:


>I looked for a version of lk8000 for the PNA's and was unable to find
>one available for download.

This website reports some news and anticipates a new release is coming
soon, under a different distribution and name.
http://www.bware.it/xcsoar/

Aldo Cernezzi

[AGL]

On Sep 17, 7:34*pm, cernauta > wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:20:13 -0700 (PDT), tstock >
> wrote:
>
> >I looked for a version of lk8000 for the PNA's and was unable to find
> >one available for download.
>
> This website reports some news and anticipates a new release is coming
> soon, under a different distribution and name.http://www.bware.it/xcsoar/
>
> Aldo Cernezzi

This is typical of the frustrations of XCSoar. With apologies to
Abbott and Costello, "Who's on first?"

I have been using SoaringPilot on a Windows Mobile device with
StyleTap quite happily, but wanted to give XCSoar a try but soon found
that finding out how, where, and how was a minefield of frustrations.
Life is too short.

http://www.soaringpilot.com/ works just fine thanks.

Martin

[Al[_7_]]

On Sep 17, 5:39*pm, AGL > wrote:
> On Sep 17, 7:34*pm, cernauta > wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:20:13 -0700 (PDT), tstock >
> > wrote:
>
> > >I looked for a version of lk8000 for the PNA's and was unable to find
> > >one available for download.
>
> > This website reports some news and anticipates a new release is coming
> > soon, under a different distribution and name.http://www.bware.it/xcsoar/
>
> > Aldo Cernezzi
>
> This is typical of the frustrations of XCSoar. *With apologies to
> Abbott and Costello, "Who's on first?"
>
> I have been using SoaringPilot on a Windows Mobile device with
> StyleTap quite happily, but wanted to give XCSoar a try but soon found
> that finding out how, where, and how was a minefield of frustrations.
> Life is too short.
>
> http://www.soaringpilot.com/works just fine thanks.
>
> Martin

Hmmm looks great compared to XCSOAR.... Not!!!

http://www.soaringpilot.org/dokuwiki/lib/exe/detail.php/soarpilot/final_glide3.jpg
Palm OS is so 90's now ;)

XCSOAR is not rocket science... you have to use the installers that
are available on Sourceforge.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/xcsoar/files/

Expand the 5.2.4 tab (or the one that corresponds to the version you
want) and click the version that corresponds to your PDA.
Copy the installer onto your PDA and run it from the PDA.

Next add waypoints and terrain for your area by using the process
described at the following:
http://xcsoar.dd.com.au/cgi-bin/terrain.pl

Add the Polar file for your Glider from Winpilot.com:
http://www.winpilot.com/polar.asp

Next play with your new install in your armchair so you are familiar
with the software.
As stated earlier there are options in XCSOAR that a lot of other
software does not have.
When you are happy with your PDA build go fly... enjoy....

LK8000 version is about to be released in Beta version so there is no
download available right now.
An old screen shot with descriptions can be seen here.
http://www.xcmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/xcsoar-paraglider.jpg

I have flown with the LK8000 and have been very impressed with it
being drive by a 302 on an IPAQ 3900

Al

[John Roche-Kelly]

>
>I have been using SoaringPilot on a Windows Mobile device with
>StyleTap quite happily, but wanted to give XCSoar a try but soon found
>that finding out how, where, and how was a minefield of frustrations.
>Life is too short.
>
>http://www.soaringpilot.com/ works just fine thanks.
>
>Martin


I don't see the economics of paying for styletap to run free palm based
software on a windows device.

I want to do the whole thing as cheaply as possible and I can spend the
long winter evenings learning to use LK8000. If I load igc files of
flights flown I can run them in simulation mode to check that the screen
provides the info I want.
Best wishes

JohnR-K