On Sep 16, 5:21*pm, Papa3 wrote:
On Sep 16, 4:13*pm, jb92563 wrote:





The Installation of XCSoar is not difficult at all, its just that the
documentation is not quite a step by step process.

The basics are that you (for a PDA or PC install):

1) Download the right version for the right device

2) Unip the download

3) Run the install

At this point it is installed and working.

4) Next steps would be to get supporting files such as Waypoints
(turnpoint exchange),
Airspace(turnpoint exchange), Polars(WinPilot), Terrain & Topology
(XCSoar site).

5) Then go through the ~14-25 setup pages and set your preferences.
Most things are good with the defaults, the most important iand only
essential page is the File section where you select your files
downloaded in step 5.

The PNA version is the same, but you load everything onto the
removable Memory Card.

Then if you reboot the PNA with the Memory card inserted you get
XCSoar, or with it out you get the OEM Navigation software the PNA
came with.

Just copy a friends Memory Chip and you are in business immediately.

The documentation is not so crystal clear but having done it a few
times its a snap now.

Ray

Nothing against XCSoar; *I've been "flying" it for several weeks in
the car and in my armchair. It's very good. *However, to describe the
installation process on my HP310 as "a snap" or anything approximating
"intuitive" would be a stretch. * I'm in the software business for a
living and can usually figure out how to install just about anything,
but this one was a stretch.

It's one of the problems of separating the hardware from the
software. *With so many different user interfaces and "flavors" of OS
layered in devices, each one becomes (to a certain extent) a custom
install. It really did take me about 6 hours (including lots of
googling, newsgroup checking, corresponding) before I got it up and
running. * This before I got into configuring and/or adding maps,
airspace, etc. * I probably had about 8 hours invested to get to the
point whereI was playing around with the detailed configuration. * I'm
actually not sure I could do it again right now if I had to. *If I
look at the value of my personal time (or apply my usual billing rate
to the install), it was a very expensive piece of equipment.

If I look at the "average" glider pilot in my club, he/she couldn't
install it. * Tell them to "icopy the executable to the root directory
of the SD card", and you'll get the look of a dog staring at
thunder.

Long winded post to basically say "I love XCSoar, but it take a fair
amount of personal investment to get a usable system out of it right
now". There's certainly a market for someone to simplify the build and
install process.

P3

Paul,

In Tech Column a few months ago Bill Column did an article on XC Soar
and basically said what you just did. It is for the Tech Savy pilot,
or pilots who have tech savy friends to get them up to
speed............and then it's up to the user to sit and play with the
device for awhile to get handy with it.

What I have now is XC Soar running on my iPAQ 310, and running on my
Compaq 3850 PDA, both are installed on their respective SD cards with
backups on my PC.

Cheers,
Brad