View Full Version : SPOT 3 now reporting altitude?
Matt Herron Jr.
May 7th 17, 03:34 PM
I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
Matt
Darryl Ramm
May 8th 17, 12:04 AM
On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
>
> Matt
I think you'll find the data you are looking at is the height of the ground where you flew, which Spot has had inits Web UI forever, maybe you never noticed it before. No spot system transmits altitude data, and the current message format used does not have space for such data.
Matt Herron Jr.
May 8th 17, 03:01 PM
On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 4:04:22 PM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> >
> > Matt
>
> I think you'll find the data you are looking at is the height of the ground where you flew, which Spot has had inits Web UI forever, maybe you never noticed it before. No spot system transmits altitude data, and the current message format used does not have space for such data.
I took a screenshot of the SSA sailplane tracker, and it sure looks like altitude to me. I see altitude gain at specific points (Williams airport, actually) where I thermal and gained about 3000ft over flat terrain. That is reflected in my spot trace. Check out my Saturday flight out of Williams.
Matt
Renny[_2_]
May 8th 17, 03:08 PM
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 8:01:46 AM UTC-6, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 4:04:22 PM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> > On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> > >
> > > Matt
> >
> > I think you'll find the data you are looking at is the height of the ground where you flew, which Spot has had inits Web UI forever, maybe you never noticed it before. No spot system transmits altitude data, and the current message format used does not have space for such data.
>
> I took a screenshot of the SSA sailplane tracker, and it sure looks like altitude to me. I see altitude gain at specific points (Williams airport, actually) where I thermal and gained about 3000ft over flat terrain. That is reflected in my spot trace. Check out my Saturday flight out of Williams.
>
> Matt
Matt - Why don't you contact SPOT to see what they have to say? Perhaps they can tell you exactly "what" is going on...Thx - Renny
Matt Herron Jr.
May 8th 17, 05:59 PM
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 7:08:23 AM UTC-7, Renny wrote:
> On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 8:01:46 AM UTC-6, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 4:04:22 PM UTC-7, Darryl Ramm wrote:
> > > On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > > > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> > > >
> > > > Matt
> > >
> > > I think you'll find the data you are looking at is the height of the ground where you flew, which Spot has had inits Web UI forever, maybe you never noticed it before. No spot system transmits altitude data, and the current message format used does not have space for such data.
> >
> > I took a screenshot of the SSA sailplane tracker, and it sure looks like altitude to me. I see altitude gain at specific points (Williams airport, actually) where I thermal and gained about 3000ft over flat terrain. That is reflected in my spot trace. Check out my Saturday flight out of Williams.
> >
> > Matt
>
> Matt - Why don't you contact SPOT to see what they have to say? Perhaps they can tell you exactly "what" is going on...Thx - Renny
Already in process.
Matt Herron Jr.
May 8th 17, 07:01 PM
On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
>
> Matt
Here is a link to my SSA trace from Saturday showing altitude:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80805970/spot3%20altitude.jpeg
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 11:01:31 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> >
> > Matt
>
> Here is a link to my SSA trace from Saturday showing altitude:
>
> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80805970/spot3%20altitude.jpeg
You landed a few times?
Jim
Ramy[_2_]
May 9th 17, 12:43 AM
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 3:16:58 PM UTC-7, JS wrote:
> On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 11:01:31 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> > >
> > > Matt
> >
> > Here is a link to my SSA trace from Saturday showing altitude:
> >
> > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80805970/spot3%20altitude.jpeg
>
> You landed a few times?
> Jim
I am noticing the same type of broken altitude trace from other spot owners. So looks like spot indeed starting to report altitude somehow, at least partially. I'll be curious to hear what you find out.
Ramy
Matt Herron Jr.
May 9th 17, 02:40 AM
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 3:16:58 PM UTC-7, JS wrote:
> On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 11:01:31 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> > >
> > > Matt
> >
> > Here is a link to my SSA trace from Saturday showing altitude:
> >
> > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/80805970/spot3%20altitude.jpeg
>
> You landed a few times?
> Jim
Yes, almost. Some extremely radical sink, but fortunately each time, I encountered some amazing lift just afterward. 2-3 turns and I was back to the same altitude...
Peter Deane[_2_]
May 9th 17, 06:14 AM
My flight on Saturday looked the same but only on the GPAero site. My SPOT traking page reports no altitude info.
Some reasonably accurate altitudes except when the altitude doesnt show up.
2T
Matt Herron Jr.
May 9th 17, 02:23 PM
On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 10:14:45 PM UTC-7, Peter Deane wrote:
> My flight on Saturday looked the same but only on the GPAero site. My SPOT traking page reports no altitude info.
>
> Some reasonably accurate altitudes except when the altitude doesnt show up.
>
> 2T
same experience for me.
Jonathan St. Cloud
May 9th 17, 04:24 PM
When I renewed my SPOT data for another year they left the price the same as i asked, and they told me that they are coming out with a new device that will be cheaper than the Garmin InReach and have more functionality, which is why the data plan pricing is changing. I have no idea if the above is a sales pitch or the truth but I drank the cool-aid for another year.
On Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 6:23:26 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> On Monday, May 8, 2017 at 10:14:45 PM UTC-7, Peter Deane wrote:
> > My flight on Saturday looked the same but only on the GPAero site. My SPOT traking page reports no altitude info.
> >
> > Some reasonably accurate altitudes except when the altitude doesnt show up.
> >
> > 2T
>
> same experience for me.
Sean Fidler
May 10th 17, 06:47 PM
Lol!
I can confirm that both the XML and JSON feeds from SPOT now contain a (new) altitude field. It reports in meters. I have test flown and verified that it is the accurate GPS altitude.
So far, I see this data filled in only in tracking messages. In messages sent in response to a button push, the field appears to be zero.
I also note quite a few instances of drop-outs -- perhaps as many as 20% or 30% of all messages. I speculate that these may be related to instances where the rapid acquisition GPS engine in the SPOT fails to get enough satellites for a 3D solution. In these cases altitude is reported as zero or negative.
Tom BravoMike
May 15th 17, 04:17 PM
On Monday, May 15, 2017 at 12:07:39 AM UTC-5, 2KA wrote:
> I can confirm that both the XML and JSON feeds from SPOT now contain a (new) altitude field. It reports in meters. I have test flown and verified that it is the accurate GPS altitude.
>
> So far, I see this data filled in only in tracking messages. In messages sent in response to a button push, the field appears to be zero.
>
> I also note quite a few instances of drop-outs -- perhaps as many as 20% or 30% of all messages. I speculate that these may be related to instances where the rapid acquisition GPS engine in the SPOT fails to get enough satellites for a 3D solution. In these cases altitude is reported as zero or negative.
>Darryl Ramm
>May 7
>I think you'll find the data you are looking at is the height of the ground >where you flew, which Spot has had inits Web UI forever, maybe you never >noticed it before. No spot system transmits altitude data, and the current >message format used does not have space for such data.
Darryl Ramm? What's your take on that?
Tom BravoMike
Darryl Ramm
May 15th 17, 10:09 PM
On Monday, May 15, 2017 at 8:17:43 AM UTC-7, Tom BravoMike wrote:
> On Monday, May 15, 2017 at 12:07:39 AM UTC-5, 2KA wrote:
> > I can confirm that both the XML and JSON feeds from SPOT now contain a (new) altitude field. It reports in meters. I have test flown and verified that it is the accurate GPS altitude.
> >
> > So far, I see this data filled in only in tracking messages. In messages sent in response to a button push, the field appears to be zero.
> >
> > I also note quite a few instances of drop-outs -- perhaps as many as 20% or 30% of all messages. I speculate that these may be related to instances where the rapid acquisition GPS engine in the SPOT fails to get enough satellites for a 3D solution. In these cases altitude is reported as zero or negative.
>
> >Darryl Ramm
>
> >May 7
>
> >I think you'll find the data you are looking at is the height of the ground >where you flew, which Spot has had inits Web UI forever, maybe you never >noticed it before. No spot system transmits altitude data, and the current >message format used does not have space for such data.
>
> Darryl Ramm? What's your take on that?
>
> Tom BravoMike
If they have added this it is an impressive deployment of updating (and supporting now two) over the air data message formats. it will be interesting to see if this feature was hidden in the original Spot 3 or added in a firmware update.
Now looks like they need to solve some performance options. I don't have a Spot 3 so I can't test.
There was indeed a recent firmware update. I didn't test before installing the update, so I can't say for sure if it was added then -- but it seems likely.
Lynn
Matt Herron Jr.
May 19th 17, 10:42 PM
On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
>
> Matt
no reponse from Spot to my inquiry about addition of altitude...
Tom BravoMike
May 20th 17, 03:20 AM
On Friday, May 19, 2017 at 4:42:12 PM UTC-5, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> On Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 7:35:00 AM UTC-7, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:
> > I noticed my trace from spot 3 yesterday had altitude included. When did that start happening?
> >
> > Matt
>
> no reponse from Spot to my inquiry about addition of altitude...
Back in January this year, if you remember, I posted this response from them:
"Our SPOT devices are currently not capable of measuring the altitude of a location. We have not released any information on new devices or whether or not this feature will become available in the future. We apologize for the inconvenience."
I commented then that I thought it sounded ambiguous and mysterious to me, as if they were working on something.
I checked few tracking fixes on my SPOT3 earlier today and yes, the elevation of my house (about correct) was there, but I could only see it on the glideport.aero site and not on the original SPOT map site. And I didn't have to do any system software upgrade on my device. I hope to test it in flight next week, just to be positive it's the altitude of the glider and not the ground elevation.
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