XCSoar Questions

On Sep 23, 10:55*am, Max Kellermann wrote:
Sean Fidler wrote:
Oh and by the way...I would happily pay $100+ for professional supported software from Google market for soaring. *I'm sure many iPhone/iPad users would as well. *Maybe that's Max & team? *Maybe somebody will buy them. *But more should be stepping up to compete...

There's iGlide on the iPhone, but that's a proprietary software that
was started from scratch last year - it has some refreshing new
concepts, but it will probably never be able to catch up with XCSoar,
it's a one trick pony.

Proprietary software is a dead end, because to make something better,
you need to start from scratch. *With free software, you improve the
existing thing, and contribute to the big project as a whole.

Money will not improve XCSoar. *What we do is only possible because
there is no money involved: when developer time costs nothing, you can
afford to spend a year or two on just improving things on the backend,
where no user will notice it, until the big picture becomes visible
(e.g. the Android port, my pet project).

For that reason, none of the commercial vendors have an Android port:
they cannot afford the massive amount of developer time required to do
it. *I spent thousands of hours on our Android port, with help from
other fellow developers. *That's some huge investment that will never
pay off for a commercial vendor. *It's not solely ignorance.

Anyway, don't believe me, I'm biased ;-)

Max

Good discussion. I decided it is time to replace my 4700 PDA (which
keep freezing on me recently when it gets too hot) with a Droid
running XCSoar. My understanding that the Dell Streak mini is the best
option currently, and am getting ready to get one on eBay. What is not
clear to me is what else will I need to be able to connect it to my
302 and the glider battery, including cradle, without having to build
it myself or pay more than the cost of the tablet itself. Also if
anyone has suggestion for better Droid based hardware please advise.

Ramy

Ramy wrote:
Good discussion. I decided it is time to replace my 4700 PDA (which
keep freezing on me recently when it gets too hot) with a Droid
running XCSoar. My understanding that the Dell Streak mini is the best
option currently, and am getting ready to get one on eBay.

That's right, the Streak Mini has the best sunlight readable display.
Get one while you can, it's out of production.

What is not clear to me is what else will I need to be able to
connect it to my 302 and the glider battery, including cradle,
without having to build it myself or pay more than the cost of the
tablet itself.

There are two options for the data connection: a Bluetooth adapter
(easy), or the IOIO (you need to solder it).

The battery connection is easy: the CAI 302 has a DC 5V outlet, which
you connect to a USB plug. This is how my panel looks:

http://max.kellermann.name/gallery/f..._1024x768.html

Max

On Sep 25, 12:16*pm, Max Kellermann wrote:
Ramy wrote:
Good discussion. I decided it is time to replace my 4700 PDA (which
keep freezing on me recently *when it gets too hot) with a Droid
running XCSoar. My understanding that the Dell Streak mini is the best
option currently, and am getting ready to get one on eBay.

That's right, the Streak Mini has the best sunlight readable display.
Get one while you can, it's out of production.

What is not clear to me is what else will I need to be able to
connect it to my 302 and the glider battery, including cradle,
without having to build it myself or pay more than the cost of the
tablet itself.

There are two options for the data connection: a Bluetooth adapter
(easy), or the IOIO (you need to solder it).

The battery connection is easy: the CAI 302 has a DC 5V outlet, which
you connect to a USB plug. *This is how my panel looks:

*http://max.kellermann.name/gallery/f.../PICT0423_1024....

Max

Thanks Max. Any suggestions for cradle?
Also, now that the Amazon Kindle Fire was announced, perhaps it could
be a better solution?

Ramy

Ramy wrote:
Thanks Max. Any suggestions for cradle?

On my photos, you can see the original Dell cradle for cars. One of
my club mates builds mounts from bended plastic.

Max

On Sep 28, 11:11*pm, Max Kellermann wrote:
Ramy wrote:
Thanks Max. Any suggestions for cradle?

On my photos, you can see the original Dell cradle for cars. *One of
my club mates builds mounts from bended plastic.

Max

The following mounting for the streak was recommended to me:
http://www.slipgripcarmounts.com/Sli...r_p_99842.html
So looks like we have all the pieces. Except maybe for integrating
with flarm in addition to 302? Will this require the K6Mux in addition
to the K6bt?

Ramy

Ramy wrote:
Except maybe for integrating with flarm in addition to 302? Will
this require the K6Mux in addition to the K6bt?

No, just K6-Bt. If you want to connect multiple loggers/varios/...,
then you can use multiple K6-Bt (I have two adapters, one for CAI302
and one for FLARM, to have airspeed/vario data and traffic data at the
same time). K6-Mux is a deprecated product for legacy hardware.

On Oct 1, 3:04*am, Max Kellermann wrote:
Ramy wrote:
Except maybe for integrating with flarm in addition to 302? Will
this require the K6Mux in addition to the K6bt?

No, just K6-Bt. *If you want to connect multiple loggers/varios/...,
then you can use multiple K6-Bt (I have two adapters, one for CAI302
and one for FLARM, to have airspeed/vario data and traffic data at the
same time). *K6-Mux is a deprecated product for legacy hardware.

When I dig more into the various accessories needed, I find the
pricing, hmm, interesting...
- The amazing software, accumulative of many developers hours, is
free!
- The hardware is priced right ($200-$400)
- The accessories are expensive (BT adapters, mountings etc)
- The cables are down right outragously expensive ($45-75$ for a DB9
to RJ-11/USB!!) are they made of gold??
Obviously I am in the wrog business, writing software. Should make
cables instead...
Anyone can recommend a more reasonable source to purchase those
cables?

Ramy

On Sep 28, 12:06*pm, Ramy wrote:
On Sep 25, 12:16*pm, Max Kellermann wrote:









Ramy wrote:
Good discussion. I decided it is time to replace my 4700 PDA (which
keep freezing on me recently *when it gets too hot) with a Droid
running XCSoar. My understanding that the Dell Streak mini is the best
option currently, and am getting ready to get one on eBay.

That's right, the Streak Mini has the best sunlight readable display.
Get one while you can, it's out of production.

What is not clear to me is what else will I need to be able to
connect it to my 302 and the glider battery, including cradle,
without having to build it myself or pay more than the cost of the
tablet itself.

There are two options for the data connection: a Bluetooth adapter
(easy), or the IOIO (you need to solder it).

The battery connection is easy: the CAI 302 has a DC 5V outlet, which
you connect to a USB plug. *This is how my panel looks:

*http://max.kellermann.name/gallery/f.../PICT0423_1024...

Max

Thanks Max. Any suggestions for cradle?
Also, now that the Amazon Kindle Fire was announced, perhaps it could
be a better solution?

Ramy

It sounds like the Kindle Fire hardware is similar to the color Nook.
Nook has the advantage of an SD slot and is hackable....

Thanks,
Craig