PowerFLARM Range Issues - Part Two with info from todays flights

On Oct 6, 5:51*am, FLARM wrote:
You do NOT need to set the ICAO ID, unless you carry a Mode S transponder (where it helps to suppress your own transponder signal).
So yes, PowerFLARM WILL work 'straight out of the box'.

OK, I stand corrected (and happily so).

Bonus points to Butterfly for the "configurator" tool!

--Noel

Dump file figured out. It appears that I inherited a bad command for creating the dignostic file, possibly it's a different command for the European Flarm. Anyway, with the correct command, the output is back to gibberish free...

On Saturday, October 6, 2012 11:11:32 AM UTC-5, bumper wrote:
For those of us who don't relish the "opportunity" to dive in and experiment with config files and such . . . Butterfly has a free config file builder that does it for you using a multiple choice format that even I can figure out.



http://www.butterfly-avionics.com/in...core-config-en



bumper

As a side note, and perhaps Gerhard can comment on the correctness of my statement. The link above creates a file, but if you select the dump file option it puts in a command that I suspect resulted in my receiving gibberish in the output file. When I replaced the "dump" command with the statement below I got clear info again.

$debug_out,fat,scheduler|config|baro|rf|gps|pffsm, all

Mark

I am sure I have seen Flarm traffic much more than +/- 1000 feet or even 1000m. So not sure if it is a typo or a new restriction. Hopefully the former as it is very helpful to be able to detect gliders at much more than 1000 feet difference when buddy flying.

Ramy

$debug_out,fat,scheduler|config|baro|rf|gps|pffsm, all

PowerFLARM can log to the internal file system (4 megabytes)
or directly to SD card (Portable) or USB stick (Brick); which typically
is above one gigabyte.

$debug_out,.... activates the second option.
$file,dump dumps the content of the internal file system to the
SD/USB, in binary ('gibberish') form.

If you send me the gibberish, I can analyse it.

Best
--Gerhard

--
Dr. Gerhard Wesp
Development Manager, Avionics
FLARM Technology GmbH
Switzerland
CH-020.4.033.059-8

On Sunday, October 7, 2012 1:08:39 AM UTC-5, wrote:


$debug_out,fat,scheduler|config|baro|rf|gps|pffsm, all



PowerFLARM can log to the internal file system (4 megabytes)

or directly to SD card (Portable) or USB stick (Brick); which typically

is above one gigabyte.



$debug_out,.... activates the second option.

$file,dump dumps the content of the internal file system to the

SD/USB, in binary ('gibberish') form.



If you send me the gibberish, I can analyse it.

Gerhart, the PowerFLARM CORE Configurator has an option to "Write a diagnostic dump-file to the USB-stick." When that is selected, you get the "$file,dump" command in your config file. Perhaps a note that this dumps data in binary would be helpful?

And add an option in the Configurator to add the

"$debug_out,fat,scheduler|config|baro|rf|gps|pffsm ,all"

command to the config file, instead?

Kirk
66

On Oct 5, 9:19*pm, "noel.wade" wrote:

YOU MUST NOT USE THE PowerFLARM UNITS (Brick or Portable) RIGHT "OUT
OF THE BOX". You *MUST* apply a configuration file, with your
aircraft's ID value in the config file. This is CRITICAL!!!


Nonsense!

The default configuration assumes you gave no transponder and your
unit is identified it's own unique FLARM ID.

In big letters so you read it - EVERY FLARM HAS A UNIQUE ID

Only if you have a mode S transponder do you need to change your ID
from the default FLARM ID to the mode S ICAO aircraft address.

GY

Ramy,

I am sure I have seen Flarm traffic much more than +/- 1000 feet or even 1000m. So not sure if it is a typo or a new restriction. Hopefully the former as it is very helpful to be able to detect gliders at much more than 1000 feet difference when buddy flying.

It's actually 500m, I stand corrected. (The 300m are for 'info' alerts).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you saw traffic at more than +-500m then
it would only be intermittently. This was a bug rather than a feature
and I found it actually quite annoying in flight tests. We decided
to enforce the limit at +-500m

Traffic at more than +-500m typically doesn't present a collision danger (we don't equip skydivers.... yet). Displaying it increases
distraction and head-down time, both of which are contrary to FLARMs primary goal of avoiding mid-airs.

In the future, we may add support for traffic with very fast vertical movement.

Best
--Gerhard
--
Gerhard Wesp
Development Manager, Avionics
FLARM Technology GmbH
Baar, Switzerland
CH-020.4.033.059-8

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012 2:20:10 AM UTC-5, wrote:

In the future, we may add support for traffic with very fast vertical movement.

It might be interesting if one could select specific gliders to always display, via flarmnet, regardless of range or altitude. Useful for team flying, or just following your friends around.

Thank you for keeping us informed on the status of PowerFLARM development.

Cheers,

Kirk
66

On Tuesday, October 9, 2012 12:20:10 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Ramy,



I am sure I have seen Flarm traffic much more than +/- 1000 feet or even 1000m. So not sure if it is a typo or a new restriction. Hopefully the former as it is very helpful to be able to detect gliders at much more than 1000 feet difference when buddy flying.



It's actually 500m, I stand corrected. (The 300m are for 'info' alerts).



Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you saw traffic at more than +-500m then

it would only be intermittently. This was a bug rather than a feature

and I found it actually quite annoying in flight tests. We decided

to enforce the limit at +-500m



Traffic at more than +-500m typically doesn't present a collision danger (we don't equip skydivers.... yet). Displaying it increases

distraction and head-down time, both of which are contrary to FLARMs primary goal of avoiding mid-airs.



In the future, we may add support for traffic with very fast vertical movement.



Best

--Gerhard

--

Gerhard Wesp

Development Manager, Avionics

FLARM Technology GmbH

Baar, Switzerland

CH-020.4.033.059-8

This surprises me, as I always see flarm traffic much more than 500m above or below (especially when flying high above the airport, I can still see targets on the ground). While obviously not needed for collision, it is very useful for buddy flying or when trying to locate thermals, and I know that many pilots are using flarm for buddy flying. This is disappointing if the vertical range will be reduced to only 500m, and I am not sure I see the point in it. As long as there is no audio alert there is no need to look at the display, correct? so why limiting the range? Or at least make it configurable like ADS-B and PCAS ranges, so it will be pilot choice. I don't get it.