Top Hat Question (XCSoar?)

Maybe a bit off Topic. I have been using Tophat for a few years now. I started running it on a Nook Simple Touch. I loved the black and white sunlight readable display, but after a couple years the Nook seem to be getting slow. So I tried a Nexus 7. I liked the color display (hint turning the Terrain display off helps a lot) but it is not near as sunlight readable as the Nook was, but was good enough 95% of the time or better. Only when the sun was behind me would I occasionally get a glare on it that made it unreadable until I turned or shaded it with something. After a year or two I upgraded to a Nexus 2 - 2013 which had a slightly better display and was faster.

The other thing I really like about the Nexus is it is a totally self contained unit, It has it's own GPS so you can literally just carry it to the airplane and go fly. I had K6 Bluetooth adapter attached to my FLarm so with a bit of configuration it was receiving Flarm Data as well. I do sometimes connect external power to it, but the Nexus usually will last a 5 hour flight just fine.

Last year I put a S80 in my glider and added the Bluetooth module, It works pretty well but the bluetooth module is not quite as robust as the K6 module. The S80 bluetooths occasionally(almost Rarely) requirs a restart of the tablet or S80 to get it to link up, but once linked I never have any trouble during the flight.

A couple weeks ago flying the Region 8 contest about 9am I discovered my Nexus 7 touch screen had died, it would not respond to any touch commands. at 10:30 after the pilots meeting I went to the local Walmart and purchased a Samsung Tab 7 8gb for under $90. (they only had a display model available, normally $120). By the 1pm launch I had updated the software on the Tablet, installed Tophat, the Waypoint, airspace, and terrain files and had configured it to communicate with my S80 and had a working flight computer for the day. In summery I went from no flight computer other than the (S80 that I use for a backup) to my normal working flight computer in under about 2 hours and under a $100 investment. Try that when your dedicated flight computer dies, it may cost you more than that in just shipping and won't be a same day fix.

I am actually very pleased with the Samsung, The display is as good or even slightly better than the Nexus and it is faster. I wish it had a bit more memory than 8GB but does have a place for a MicroSD card if I need more space. I ran it with power connected, so not sure how the battery life is with it standalone, but It seems like it would be as good as the Nexus.

I think Tophat works very well, I only wish it did a bit better job a providing tactical Flarm traffic information. I don't use it for traffic avoidance but it would be nice if it kept track of Flarm traffic a bit better. Something like LK8000 or some other displays (Avionic) that show where traffic was or might be even though the signal is gone. With the right display it could even show Statistical climb information about the other gliders thermal and even mark a likely location to intercept the same thermal even after other glider has left the thermal. That way I don't have to be looking at the display as much or take near as long to trying and calculate information that computers are very good at doing.

To the original question, with nothing other than the minimum required changes Tophat, on the Nexus and Samsung, automatically switches between Thermalling and Cruise mode with and retains the zoom level for each screen, usually zoomed in for thermalling and zoomed out for cruise for me. I have never had issues with this no not sure why others seem to be having issues.

Brian

Brian,

Interesting stuff, especially about the color display and faster processor. I've noticed the Kobo is slower even than the Dell Streak 5 in some ways and I suspect that some of the uneven FLARM target performance I see is related to CPU and/or the ability to write to the display quickly enough. Sometimes a target will have the lift strength tagged, sometimes the competition ID, occasionally both, and sometimes just the target itself. It seems like switching off terrain and other features gives me better FLARM target depiction but it's difficult to be certain. This doesn't seem to be related to range, so I'm inclined to blame bandwidth (my PowerFLARM and Kobo are at 19,200--which I've tried to increase unsuccessfully) or video processing power.

Using XCSoar you can switch between displays by swiping left to right or
right to left.Â* Don't know if Top Hat retained that functionality.

Regarding Android devices for running these programs, I have found that
the Android operating system is clogged with a lot of bloatware that is
not needed for a device which is dedicated to soaring.Â* Do some research
and learn how to root the device and then flash a slimmed down operating
system.Â* My Nexus 7 2012 went from totally unusable (with XCSoar being
the only downloaded program) to blindingly fast when I flashed SlimKat
4.4 on it.Â* Now I can even run other aviation related apps and it's
still much faster than it ever was out of the box.

On 7/16/2018 3:13 PM, wrote:
Brian,

Interesting stuff, especially about the color display and faster processor. I've noticed the Kobo is slower even than the Dell Streak 5 in some ways and I suspect that some of the uneven FLARM target performance I see is related to CPU and/or the ability to write to the display quickly enough. Sometimes a target will have the lift strength tagged, sometimes the competition ID, occasionally both, and sometimes just the target itself. It seems like switching off terrain and other features gives me better FLARM target depiction but it's difficult to be certain. This doesn't seem to be related to range, so I'm inclined to blame bandwidth (my PowerFLARM and Kobo are at 19,200--which I've tried to increase unsuccessfully) or video processing power.

Regarding your last comment, I was able to achieve autoswitching from Cruise to Climb and back again with zoom levels retained for each, as you described. What I couldn't get is a way to quickly switch to the other screen/zoom level with one press of a button. On my system (v2.2.2b on a Kobo), the Switch button disappears when one of the pages is set to Auto but another poster said that wasn't the case with his system. TH is ported to different platforms in different versions so I'm wondering if that's a factor here.

Chip Bearden

--
Dan, 5J

On Monday, July 16, 2018 at 3:27:03 PM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
Using XCSoar you can switch between displays by swiping left to right or
right to left.Â* Don't know if Top Hat retained that functionality.

Software button with Top Hat. Very handy and not as clumsy (to me) as the swipe.

Mike

Software button with Top Hat. Very handy and not as clumsy (to me) as the swipe.

Mike

I agree - it is much more intuitive to swipe to Pan and to press the button to change info box screens. When I used XCSOAR I use to change screens by accident once in a while.

Top Hat is really well thought out and a good improvement to a great piece of software.

WH

On Monday, July 16, 2018 at 11:48:16 AM UTC-7, Brian wrote:
Maybe a bit off Topic. I have been using Tophat for a few years now. I started running it on a Nook Simple Touch. I loved the black and white sunlight readable display, but after a couple years the Nook seem to be getting slow. So I tried a Nexus 7. I liked the color display (hint turning the Terrain display off helps a lot) but it is not near as sunlight readable as the Nook was, but was good enough 95% of the time or better. Only when the sun was behind me would I occasionally get a glare on it that made it unreadable until I turned or shaded it with something. After a year or two I upgraded to a Nexus 2 - 2013 which had a slightly better display and was faster.

The other thing I really like about the Nexus is it is a totally self contained unit, It has it's own GPS so you can literally just carry it to the airplane and go fly. I had K6 Bluetooth adapter attached to my FLarm so with a bit of configuration it was receiving Flarm Data as well. I do sometimes connect external power to it, but the Nexus usually will last a 5 hour flight just fine.

Last year I put a S80 in my glider and added the Bluetooth module, It works pretty well but the bluetooth module is not quite as robust as the K6 module. The S80 bluetooths occasionally(almost Rarely) requirs a restart of the tablet or S80 to get it to link up, but once linked I never have any trouble during the flight.

A couple weeks ago flying the Region 8 contest about 9am I discovered my Nexus 7 touch screen had died, it would not respond to any touch commands. at 10:30 after the pilots meeting I went to the local Walmart and purchased a Samsung Tab 7 8gb for under $90. (they only had a display model available, normally $120). By the 1pm launch I had updated the software on the Tablet, installed Tophat, the Waypoint, airspace, and terrain files and had configured it to communicate with my S80 and had a working flight computer for the day. In summery I went from no flight computer other than the (S80 that I use for a backup) to my normal working flight computer in under about 2 hours and under a $100 investment. Try that when your dedicated flight computer dies, it may cost you more than that in just shipping and won't be a same day fix.

I am actually very pleased with the Samsung, The display is as good or even slightly better than the Nexus and it is faster. I wish it had a bit more memory than 8GB but does have a place for a MicroSD card if I need more space. I ran it with power connected, so not sure how the battery life is with it standalone, but It seems like it would be as good as the Nexus.

I think Tophat works very well, I only wish it did a bit better job a providing tactical Flarm traffic information. I don't use it for traffic avoidance but it would be nice if it kept track of Flarm traffic a bit better. Something like LK8000 or some other displays (Avionic) that show where traffic was or might be even though the signal is gone. With the right display it could even show Statistical climb information about the other gliders thermal and even mark a likely location to intercept the same thermal even after other glider has left the thermal. That way I don't have to be looking at the display as much or take near as long to trying and calculate information that computers are very good at doing.

To the original question, with nothing other than the minimum required changes Tophat, on the Nexus and Samsung, automatically switches between Thermalling and Cruise mode with and retains the zoom level for each screen, usually zoomed in for thermalling and zoomed out for cruise for me. I have never had issues with this no not sure why others seem to be having issues.

Brian

I recently bought a Galaxy Tab 7 tablet and tried Bluetooth connection with the k6bt2 but was not able to connect.
I contacted the k6 folks and I was advised that the k6bt2 is needing "profile SPP" which my Tab does not support and it will not work. So... what am I missing here? Wrong Tab??

At 21:15 28 October 2018, 6PK wrote:
On Monday, July 16, 2018 at 11:48:16 AM UTC-7, Brian wrote:
Maybe a bit off Topic. I have been using Tophat for a few years now. I
st=
arted running it on a Nook Simple Touch. I loved the black and white
sunlig=
ht readable display, but after a couple years the Nook seem to be getting
s=
low. So I tried a Nexus 7. I liked the color display (hint turning the
Terr=
ain display off helps a lot) but it is not near as sunlight readable as
the=
Nook was, but was good enough 95% of the time or better. Only when the
sun=
was behind me would I occasionally get a glare on it that made it
unreadab=
le until I turned or shaded it with something. After a year or two I
upgrad=
ed to a Nexus 2 - 2013 which had a slightly better display and was
faster.
=20
The other thing I really like about the Nexus is it is a totally self
con=
tained unit, It has it's own GPS so you can literally just carry it to
the
=
airplane and go fly. I had K6 Bluetooth adapter attached to my FLarm so
wit=
h a bit of configuration it was receiving Flarm Data as well. I do
sometime=
s connect external power to it, but the Nexus usually will last a 5 hour
fl=
ight just fine.
=20
Last year I put a S80 in my glider and added the Bluetooth module, It
wor=
ks pretty well but the bluetooth module is not quite as robust as the K6
mo=
dule. The S80 bluetooths occasionally(almost Rarely) requirs a restart of
t=
he tablet or S80 to get it to link up, but once linked I never have any
tro=
uble during the flight.
=20
A couple weeks ago flying the Region 8 contest about 9am I discovered
my
=
Nexus 7 touch screen had died, it would not respond to any touch
commands.
=
at 10:30 after the pilots meeting I went to the local Walmart and
purchased=
a Samsung Tab 7 8gb for under $90. (they only had a display model
availabl=
e, normally $120). By the 1pm launch I had updated the software on the
Tabl=
et, installed Tophat, the Waypoint, airspace, and terrain files and had
con=
figured it to communicate with my S80 and had a working flight computer
for=
the day. In summery I went from no flight computer other than the (S80
tha=
t I use for a backup) to my normal working flight computer in under about
2=
hours and under a $100 investment. Try that when your dedicated flight
com=
puter dies, it may cost you more than that in just shipping and won't
be
=
a same day fix.
=20
I am actually very pleased with the Samsung, The display is as good or
ev=
en slightly better than the Nexus and it is faster. I wish it had a bit
mor=
e memory than 8GB but does have a place for a MicroSD card if I need more
s=
pace. I ran it with power connected, so not sure how the battery life is
wi=
th it standalone, but It seems like it would be as good as the Nexus.
=20
I think Tophat works very well, I only wish it did a bit better job a
pro=
viding tactical Flarm traffic information. I don't use it for traffic
avoid=
ance but it would be nice if it kept track of Flarm traffic a bit
better.
=
Something like LK8000 or some other displays (Avionic) that show where
traf=
fic was or might be even though the signal is gone. With the right
display
=
it could even show Statistical climb information about the other gliders
th=
ermal and even mark a likely location to intercept the same thermal even
af=
ter other glider has left the thermal. That way I don't have to be
looking
=
at the display as much or take near as long to trying and calculate
informa=
tion that computers are very good at doing.
=20
To the original question, with nothing other than the minimum required
ch=
anges Tophat, on the Nexus and Samsung, automatically switches between
Ther=
malling and Cruise mode with and retains the zoom level for each screen,
us=
ually zoomed in for thermalling and zoomed out for cruise for me. I have
ne=
ver had issues with this no not sure why others seem to be having issues.
=20
Brian

I recently bought a Galaxy Tab 7 tablet and tried Bluetooth connection
with=
the k6bt2 but was not able to connect.
I contacted the k6 folks and I was advised that the k6bt2 is needing
"profi=
le SPP" which my Tab does not support and it will not work. So... what am
I=
missing here? Wrong Tab??

When I was unable to connect my Galaxy A5 phone via bluetooth, I installed
"BToolkit" and used it to make my phone visible (the Settings option said
it already was; it wasn't) after which I was able to connect. Your problem
could well be different - then again it might not. Good luck.