Thread: Weglide.org
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  #38  
Old April 29th 21, 03:31 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Matthew Scutter
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Posts: 42
Default Weglide.org

On Thursday, April 29, 2021 at 12:26:13 PM UTC+10, Piet Barber wrote:
Just curious but how does that work? Does the LX computer have a
built-in cell radio or some other means to get to OLC? Do you need a
separate data plan? Or does it connect to your cell phone to upload the
igc file?

This is the most civilized way to download flights. I have a portable MiFI hotspot that I bring along with me. I tuck it into one of the side pockets and turn on the master switch, power on the LX9070. The system knows the wifi password on the MiFI, connects to the Internet. From there, the LX9070 syncs up with my Google Drive folder that I've set up for the LX9070. It syncs all of the airspace files, all of the turnpoints, finds new firmware to be updated, updates whatever it needs to update. I also have a subscription to SkySight, so it downloads the SkySight images to the LX9070s in the front and back seats. The 9070 has a WiFi antenna plugged into the back of the unit into a USB port.

Once I'm done with the day's flying, I go to the logbook page, select "save" on the flight. It uploads to my Google Drive directory automatically, uploads to weglide, and after asking me a few questions about my copilot, uploads the flight to OLC.

Plugging USB sticks into devices and downloading data files seems so primitive now!

The real 'killer feature' for me has been automatically downloading competition tasks. Programming your Oudie or phone in the airconditioned climate of the briefing room was fine, but standing in the sunshine and heat of the grid holding a task sheet in the wind to program the task was a pain in the ass. Now I just get in the glider and the task is waiting for me.
Notionally it will upload the task automatically on landing, but I have not found this to work. Usually a contest has an email you can send your flights to, so I can add that email and send it from the device with only a few button clicks, usually before I even open the canopy on landing.