Glider computers - what's important?

I have a datalogger, I have an IPAQ, and I have all the cabling etc.
I have spent considerable time at Cumulus Soaring, reading the
comparisons of glider software. What I lack is the experience to know
what is important. I've played with the features of SeeYou Mobile,
and frankly, most of the high end graphics stuff on the map just makes
it hard to read.
Many of you on this list have flown with this stuff, and done some
sorting out. I tend toward simpler and easier to use, rather than
bleeding edge, "every bit of information you could possibly want"
tools.
The only thing that is a go-nogo for me is a graphical display of
landing areas within glide under current conditions - a feature most,
if not all, seem to have.
Oh, another factor: a friend purchased WinPilot, SeeYou, and
StrePla. He's become used to WinPilot, and has offered to GIVE me
StrePla. Can it be set up so "Even a Caveman" can use it?

Thanks,
Jim

Nothing is very easy about the soaring programs which run on the
PDAs. People tend to purchase what their flying pals use. Tribal
knowledge is good but may be costly if you purchase something you
really don't like. I'm with you, all the bells and whistles look
great, an may be good for the very accomplished pilots, but for little
old me?

One thought is to get one of the free soaring programs and try those
for a while. Get your feet wet so to speak. Another idea is to go
with a minimalist program like Glide Navigator II which isn't too
expensive.

Good luck, John

One of those free programs is SoarPilot. It's got a dedicated following,
is comprehensive and is well supported by its creators.

You can read all about it here...
http://www.soaringpilot.org/dokuwiki/doku.php

And you can download it here...
http://www.soaringpilot.org/

And you can see the "support group" here...
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/soaringpilot/



ContestID67 wrote:
Nothing is very easy about the soaring programs which run on the
PDAs. People tend to purchase what their flying pals use. Tribal
knowledge is good but may be costly if you purchase something you
really don't like. I'm with you, all the bells and whistles look
great, an may be good for the very accomplished pilots, but for little
old me?

One thought is to get one of the free soaring programs and try those
for a while. Get your feet wet so to speak. Another idea is to go
with a minimalist program like Glide Navigator II which isn't too
expensive.

Good luck, John

Hi,

What I lack is the experience to know what is important.

Same for me. I can only second John and suggest you try one of the free
packages (for you that may include StrePla :-)).

I spent some quality time with my PDA and XCSoar[1] yesterday. Installation
was quite straightforward and maps and datafiles for germany easily found. I
drove the software from the NMEA-Generator found at [2].

I also did the same with GPS_LOG[3]. I even had two flights with the software
last summer, but not long enough to give a really well-funded opinion.

Overall I like XCSoar a little bit better now. Out-of-the-box it seems to do
a better job at automatically selecting and displaying useful information.

Especially regarding your requirement:

The only thing that is a go-nogo for me is a graphical display of
landing areas within glide under current conditions

In GPS_LOG you have to explicitly select "Get Landing site" to view a list
of options.

XCSoar has landing sites marked in the main map, highlighting those that are
reachable and showing at what altitude you will be arriving. You can tap
the magenta dot and be given detail information about the landing site. This
works with fat finger on IPAQ display, not only with pen and exact aiming, so
I guess it should be doable in the cockpit.

Both take current conditions into account including wind. Both can derive
wind (at least) from GPS fixes while circling.

Using a simulator (not necessarily a FLIGHT simulator), is a good and safe
way of getting acquainted. You have to fiddle with the knobs in the atlsoft
generator a lot to simulate live air, but even if you don't a lot of the
features of the programs become apparent.

and frankly, most of the high end graphics stuff on the map just
makes it hard to read.

Both free programs can be fine-tuned to your liking in that regard. In XCSoar
it is quite easy to switch the display of labels, terrain and topography
in-flight

Ciao, MM

[1] http://www.xcsoar.org
[2]
http://www.atlsoft.de/index.php/GPS%.../kat/74/menu/1
[3] http://www.soaringpilotsoftware.com/GPS_LOGpage.htm
--
Marian Aldenhövel, Rosenhain 23, 53123 Bonn
http://www.marian-aldenhoevel.de
"Success is the happy feeling you get between the time you
do something and the time you tell a woman what you did."

I have found the Condor soaring simulator to be a great way to test
PDA software. I find it far more effective than the demo modes most
software has. It comes very close to the real thing. You can simulate
all kinds of situations and actually test how the PDA reacts. It also
has the advantage of having to concentrate on flying the simulator as
well as working with the PDA - just like in real life. This shows bad
usability far more quickly than pure demo modes.

"alex8735" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have found the Condor soaring simulator to be a great way to test
PDA software. I find it far more effective than the demo modes most
software has. It comes very close to the real thing. You can simulate
all kinds of situations and actually test how the PDA reacts. It also
has the advantage of having to concentrate on flying the simulator as
well as working with the PDA - just like in real life. This shows bad
usability far more quickly than pure demo modes.


I second the suggestion of Condor. It also works to output NMEA data from
SeeYou in animate mode so the PDA displays just what it would have during
the real flight.

In general, people tend to like the PDA software they know best. Simulators
let you get to know them all.

Bill Daniels

On Mar 8, 4:08 am, "alex8735" wrote:
I have found the Condor soaring simulator to be a great way to test
PDA software. I find it far more effective than the demo modes most
software has. It comes very close to the real thing. You can simulate
all kinds of situations and actually test how the PDA reacts. It also
has the advantage of having to concentrate on flying the simulator as
well as working with the PDA - just like in real life. This shows bad
usability far more quickly than pure demo modes.

Though Condor does simulate flight PDA computer software on-screen,
I'd like to point out/clarify that Condor allows you the option to
integrate a "REAL" PDA with the PC running the simulator. You are
actually manipulating your physical PDA (running "real" XC software)
on your desk the same as you would in flight. I can't imagine a
better training aid for today's PDA XC soaring software. One might
justify the cost of Condor on this alone....besides being a fantastic
racing simulator.

Curt Lewis - 95

The problem with this is that Condor terrain data sets don't exist
anywhere near the places I fly, and my PDA doesn't have any data for
the places Condor does have. (You can, of course, load up the PDA
data.)

If you're lucky and the terrains overlap, it's a great tool!

~ted/2NO

On Mar 8, 10:54 am, "Tuno" wrote:
The problem with this is that Condor terrain data sets don't exist
anywhere near the places I fly, and my PDA doesn't have any data for
the places Condor does have.

No. That is not an issue. Read on.

(You can, of course, load up the PDA data.)

There. You have answered your own question. All you need is a
dataset for the terrain you use in Condor. The Condor website has
these data or links to them. Then just turn off the on-screen Condor
PDA (put it in a benign screen mode) and start flying using *just*
your own real PDA and its software. It is a great way to *safely*
learn to use your PDA and its glider software.

-Doug Hoffman

a friend purchased WinPilot, SeeYou, and
StrePla. He's become used to WinPilot, and has offered to GIVE me
StrePla. Can it be set up so "Even a Caveman" can use it?

Your friend may have inadvertently shortened your choice list, if he
kept the other 3 for himself.......

Simpler and easier do not exist, it's the nature of the software
richness and flexibility.

Ask the guys you fly with what they chose, they will be the ones to
help you in times of confusion.

If you already have desktop software for flight planning, get the
flight software which most easily shares the waypoints, terrain, etc.
set up on the desktop. And always spot check any transferred data for
accuracy. I learned that early with shareware solutions. In flight the
software products have equivalent functions, ease of use and their
data interface then become more important.

SeeYou Mobile lets you turn off any display feature which irritates
you, as do the others I'm sure. Keep in mind it has 2 map displays and
each is configured separately for whatever use you want to make of
that. Cruise with one map, thermal on the other.

Do you fly in various locations? Sharing the ship? Find the one that
lets you easily change sets of waypoints and airspace, terrain, etc.
The 'Profile' feature in SeeYou is quite good at managing named sets
of related files on the PDA and retaining personal display preferences
for multiple pilots.

Software locked to a hardware serial number is not as flexible in
'hardware failure recovery mode' as those which are not. A nit.

Keep ALL your data on SD or CF. And take a copy of that regularly.
Losing PDA power wipes memory, so have everything on external media.
Take regular PDA backups to both SD and desktop. I had an SD card
fail, it's ugly.

Keep your eyes out of the cockpit.