Terrain on iPAQ glide computers

[[email protected]]

I've loaded terrain on my iPAQ Hx 4705 (using XCSoar), and find that
it makes it too hard for me to see much else on the screen when
flying, so I turn it off. I think a simpler map, just showing roads,
would be more useful.
Tuno, I was checking the developer forum on XCSoar and saw your
comment about the 'terrain' displayed around Parowan. I take that to
mean you fly with terrain on. How is your screen orientation set? I
find it difficult to discern the heading of my glider with terrain on,
but maybe I've got something set up wrong.
THX
Jim "Flies with Sheep" W.

[Tuno]

Jim,

I do *not* fly with terrain on, regardless of which software I'm
running on my hx4705.

I do use it on the ground for getting a feel of the terrain over the
task area and researching potential routes, but once in the air, all I
need to do is look outside.

Btw for several reasons I stopped using XCSoar after a few flights
with it early last year. I flew with 2 PDAs in the V2C, one running
GNII (fed by the 302) and the other WinPilot PRO (fed by the LX5000).
I only have one PDA in the new WWII, and because of the WinPilot
crashes I was experiencing in 2007, this year I switched to SeeYou
Mobile. (If GNII used terrain elevation data, that would have been my
first choice.)

But SeeYou Mobile crashed in two my four contest flights so far this
year, and both times failed to restart with the correct QNH (even
after giving it the correct pressure altitude), so I have switched
back to WP Pro and will use that until my wallet has recovered enough
to replace the PDA with a ClearNav.

(For the record, I'm not yet convinced that WinPilot or SeeYou Mobile
are to blame for the crashes -- I am suspicious of the display drivers
in the hx4705.)

~ted/2NO

[[email protected]]

On Apr 25, 9:47*am, Tuno > wrote:
> Jim,
>
> I do *not* fly with terrain on, regardless of which software I'm
> running on my hx4705.
>
> I do use it on the ground for getting a feel of the terrain over the
> task area and researching potential routes, but once in the air, all I
> need to do is look outside.
>
> Btw for several reasons I stopped using XCSoar after a few flights
> with it early last year. I flew with 2 PDAs in the V2C, one running
> GNII (fed by the 302) and the other WinPilot PRO (fed by the LX5000).
> I only have one PDA in the new WWII, and because of the WinPilot
> crashes I was experiencing in 2007, this year I switched to SeeYou
> Mobile. (If GNII used terrain elevation data, that would have been my
> first choice.)
>
> But SeeYou Mobile crashed in two my four contest flights so far this
> year, and both times failed to restart with the correct QNH (even
> after giving it the correct pressure altitude), so I have switched
> back to WP Pro and will use that until my wallet has recovered enough
> to replace the PDA with a ClearNav.
>
> (For the record, I'm not yet convinced that WinPilot or SeeYou Mobile
> are to blame for the crashes -- I am suspicious of the display drivers
> in the hx4705.)
>
> ~ted/2NO

Okay, that's what I do too, I just got the mistaken impression it was
'on' in flight.
I don't fly contests, and don't intend to, but I've not had a 'hang'
that wasn't operator induced running XCSoar yet. Early on, I had a
couple 'start / stop' problems with my CFR during local flights. I
figured I had fat fingered something on the iPAQ and sent some errant
signal to the Cambridge. After it happend the second time, I just
disconnected the receive pin at the DB-9 on the Cambridge side of the
cable. Slightly less convenient to load task declarations, but never a
problem with an .igc file since then.

[stephanevdv]

I don't know about XCSoar, but with WinPilot, the terrain data are
used to calculate final glides, and knowing there is a mountain
between your goal and you can make lots of difference! So I wouldn't
advise to turn the terrain data off. What I do is changing the
settings so that every relief below say 2000 ft doesn't show up on the
screen. I still get roads and streams. If XCSoar can do the same, I
suggest you experiment with the settings for relief.

[[email protected]]

On 26 Apr, 13:02, stephanevdv > wrote:
> I don't know about XCSoar, but with WinPilot, the terrain data are
> used to calculate final glides, and knowing there is a mountain
> between your goal and you can make lots of difference! So I wouldn't
> advise to turn the terrain data off. What I do is changing the
> settings so that every relief below say 2000 ft doesn't show up on the
> screen. I still get roads and streams. If XCSoar can do the same, I
> suggest you experiment with the settings for relief.

In the case of See You Mobile, turning off the terrain map display
does not turn off the terrain data so AGL heights and terrain
collision alerts are still active.



Pilots with 4700s that have intermittent hang ups could consider using
the unofficial Windows Mobile 6. See:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=325727

http://rapidshare.com/files/68396806/WM6_4700_0_7_0_RELEASE4.rar.html

and also discussion on the See You Mobile forum.

It runs perfectly on my 4700 and has never hung at all but I have
another 4700 still on WM5 and there is no difference in speed between
them contrary to what I had seen claimed. Definitely back up your
files and installations off the main memory before updating and be
aware that WM6 does not include a backup and restore utility so you
cannot backup your files in WM5 and then restore in WM6 (as I had
assumed you could before I did it)

John Galloway

[Tuno]

John:

This WM6 upgrade looks promising, but I can't find the instructions on
what to do with the downloaded .rar file. Got any more shortcuts?

2NO (former IT professional)

[[email protected]]

On Apr 26, 10:19*am, Tuno > wrote:
> John:
>
> This WM6 upgrade looks promising, but I can't find the instructions on
> what to do with the downloaded .rar file. Got any more shortcuts?
>
> 2NO (former IT professional)

http://wm6.flyingarizona.net/

Also - search for iPAQ repair on this forum. There are a couple
links, one to a forum that has darn good input AND a universal
bootloader. Brightband somethingorother.

[[email protected]]

On Apr 26, 5:02*am, stephanevdv > wrote:
> I don't know about XCSoar, but with WinPilot, the terrain data are
> used to calculate final glides, and knowing there is a mountain
> between your goal and you can make lots of difference! So I wouldn't
> advise to turn the terrain data off. What I do is changing the
> settings so that every relief below say 2000 ft doesn't show up on the
> screen. I still get roads and streams. If XCSoar can do the same, I
> suggest you experiment with the settings for relief.

XCSoar just tuns of the display of the terrain. All terrain warnings
remain functional. I know, because I hear them all the time!

[kirk.stant]

I've been flying with SeeYou Mobile for a couple of seasons now -
switched from WinPilot due to the greater customizeability (?) of
SYM.

I also turn off terrain most of the time (in Illinois, not much need
for it!) but used it when racing at Newcastle - really useful on the
ridge. Trick is to set the colors to only show terrain you are
interested in, leave the rest of the map nice and white for contrast.

I'm using a couple of old iPaq 3950s, set up identically. I turn off
most info on the PDA - I just show turnpoints, L/d to all landable
fields, task, track, wind, AGL, etc. It's easy to display way too
much nice-to-know but distracting info on a PDA!

So I use my SN10 for tactics, and PDA for big picture navigation and
alternates.

I also run PocketPC DOS emulator on the PDA to download my logger
files from my Themi and SN10 into the PDA after the flight - takes a
little tweaking, but works just fine.

All this being said - I haven't had any lockups that were not user
induced. I have had the problem of SYM not showing the correct
altitude (don't know why they can't just default to GPS altitude), but
it's easy to fix inflight - as long as you know the local terrain
elevation - but it's not very intuitive.

Kirk
66

[Tuno]

WM6 install complete, I'm anxious to see if this solves the crashing
problems.

Btw I was not always having "hangup" problems -- the running program
(WinPilot or SYM) would simply cease running. Hangups were less
frequent.

With any luck ... I'll be able to fly tomorrow!

2NO

[noel.wade]

Just as a follow-up:

Here's a video tutorial I made a few months back for XCSoar. I cover
the whole "display terrain" thing at about the 4-minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swBB_ggqYFA

(I got sucked into some crazy work projects but hope to finally
produce the follow-up videos in the next few weeks)

Take care,

--Noel
P.S. The newer versions of XCSoar also have multiple color-coding
systems you can choose between in the main setup area. So you can
customize the look of the terrain to a certain extent, too.