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Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 18th 20, 05:16 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

Over the last two years I've designed and built three Arduino based soaring related devices.. They a 1) Tow Altitude Recorder with tow plane and ground units, 2) Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor, and 3)Trailer Lights Monitor.

The Tow Altitude Recorder tow plane unit records the takeoff time and the tow plane release altitude. The release altitude is recorded automatically based on the highest altitude reached for the tow or manually using the Record Altitude button. The recorded launch time and tow altitude is transmitted to the ground unit once the tow plane is at or below 1000 ft AGL. The ground unit displays the launch time and altitude of the two previous tows but also allows the user to scroll through all tows for the day. Links to photos of the tow plane and ground units are included in this post. Both the tow plane and ground units use backlit sunlight readable LCD displays.

The Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor measures and displays the avionics battery voltage and temperature inside the cockpit using a sunlight readable LCD display.

The Trailer Lights Monitor has a detector inserted in series with the trailer lights cable. The detector has a wireless connection to a display unit inside the vehicle which shows whether there is voltage on and current in each of the three trailer light circuits. The display consists of bi-colored LEDs which are off when the circuit is dead, Red for voltage only and Green for both voltage and current. Use of the monitor does not require any modifications to the car or trailer wiring.

If anyone is interested in building any of these devices I can provide a parts list, schematics, controller code, STL files for the enclosures, and more operational details. I do not have PCB layout files as I built mine using a proto board with wire wrap and solder connections.

Link to photo of Tow Altitude Recorder Units

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tCA...ew?usp=sharing

Link to photo of Tow Plane Unit internal

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dig...ew?usp=sharing
  #2  
Old December 18th 20, 05:35 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Quietpilot
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Posts: 18
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

On Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:16:46 AM UTC-6, wkau... wrote:
Over the last two years, I've designed and built three Arduino based soaring related devices.. They a 1) Tow Altitude Recorder with tow plane and ground units, 2) Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor, and 3)Trailer Lights Monitor.

The Tow Altitude Recorder tow plane unit records the takeoff time and the tow plane release altitude. The release altitude is recorded automatically based on the highest altitude reached for the tow or manually using the Record Altitude button. The recorded launch time and tow altitude is transmitted to the ground unit once the tow plane is at or below 1000 ft AGL. The ground unit displays the launch time and altitude of the two previous tows but also allows the user to scroll through all tows for the day. Links to photos of the tow plane and ground units are included in this post. Both the tow plane and ground units use backlit sunlight readable LCD displays.

The Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor measures and displays the avionics battery voltage and temperature inside the cockpit using a sunlight readable LCD display.

The Trailer Lights Monitor has a detector inserted in series with the trailer lights cable. The detector has a wireless connection to a display unit inside the vehicle which shows whether there is the voltage on and current in each of the three trailer light circuits. The display consists of bi-colored LEDs which are off when the circuit is dead, Red for voltage only and Green for both voltage and current. Use of the monitor does not require any modifications to the car or trailer wiring.

If anyone is interested in building any of these devices I can provide a parts list, schematics, controller code, STL files for the enclosures, and more operational details. I do not have PCB layout files as I built mine using a protoboard with wire wrap and solder connections.

Link to photo of Tow Altitude Recorder Units

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tCA...ew?usp=sharing

Link to photo of Tow Plane Unit internal

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dig...ew?usp=sharing


I have been considering some open-source mesh devices as a project to collect similar data for the fleet to supplement unreadable/unreliable flight cards.
  #3  
Old December 18th 20, 05:36 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Dan Marotta
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Posts: 4,601
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

As a retired tow pilot I can tell you that often the glider pilot will
do a "soft release" and make no radio call. The tug continues happily
upwards until the pilot makes a periodic look into the mirror making the
recorded release height considerably higher than actual.

Maybe a lesson on poor technique, glider and tug...

On 12/18/20 9:16 AM, wrote:
Over the last two years I've designed and built three Arduino based soaring related devices.. They a 1) Tow Altitude Recorder with tow plane and ground units, 2) Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor, and 3)Trailer Lights Monitor.

The Tow Altitude Recorder tow plane unit records the takeoff time and the tow plane release altitude. The release altitude is recorded automatically based on the highest altitude reached for the tow or manually using the Record Altitude button. The recorded launch time and tow altitude is transmitted to the ground unit once the tow plane is at or below 1000 ft AGL. The ground unit displays the launch time and altitude of the two previous tows but also allows the user to scroll through all tows for the day. Links to photos of the tow plane and ground units are included in this post. Both the tow plane and ground units use backlit sunlight readable LCD displays.

The Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor measures and displays the avionics battery voltage and temperature inside the cockpit using a sunlight readable LCD display.

The Trailer Lights Monitor has a detector inserted in series with the trailer lights cable. The detector has a wireless connection to a display unit inside the vehicle which shows whether there is voltage on and current in each of the three trailer light circuits. The display consists of bi-colored LEDs which are off when the circuit is dead, Red for voltage only and Green for both voltage and current. Use of the monitor does not require any modifications to the car or trailer wiring.

If anyone is interested in building any of these devices I can provide a parts list, schematics, controller code, STL files for the enclosures, and more operational details. I do not have PCB layout files as I built mine using a proto board with wire wrap and solder connections.

Link to photo of Tow Altitude Recorder Units

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tCA...ew?usp=sharing

Link to photo of Tow Plane Unit internal

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Dig...ew?usp=sharing



--
Dan
5J
  #4  
Old December 18th 20, 06:06 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Quietpilot
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Posts: 18
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

On Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:36:48 AM UTC-6, Dan Marotta wrote:
As a retired tow pilot I can tell you that often the glider pilot will
do a "soft release" and make no radio call. The tug continues happily
upwards until the pilot makes a periodic look into the mirror making the
recorded release height considerably higher than actual.

Our Tow pilots report the same thing. and it wouldn't capture that except as compared to the glider logs and timestamps. Does the soft release have a measurable effect on wear of the TOST or Schweizer mechanism? for TOST overhaul it is limited to the # of release activations not flights if I recall. but that would be a different thread.


P9
  #5  
Old December 19th 20, 06:07 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
5Z
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Posts: 405
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

On Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:06:46 AM UTC-7, quietpilot wrote:
Our Tow pilots report the same thing. and it wouldn't capture that except as compared to the glider logs and timestamps.


Is there any way to measure the load on the tow hook? If a strain gauge could somehow be placed to measure the load, some smart logic could detect that a glider is no longer back there.
My guess is that a glider on to would always be putting a load of at least 40-50 lb when averaged over several seconds.

5Z
  #6  
Old December 19th 20, 02:06 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Lauren Rezac
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Posts: 5
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

On Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:16:46 AM UTC-6, wrote:
Over the last two years I've designed and built three Arduino based soaring related devices.. They a 1) Tow Altitude Recorder with tow plane and ground units, 2) Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor, and 3)Trailer Lights Monitor.


Yes I am interested in the battery temp/voltage unit. (info on the other two might also be helpful

Thanks,

Lauren
  #7  
Old December 19th 20, 02:42 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Eric Greenwell[_4_]
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Posts: 1,939
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

5Z wrote on 12/18/2020 9:07 PM:
On Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:06:46 AM UTC-7, quietpilot wrote:
Our Tow pilots report the same thing. and it wouldn't capture that except as compared to the glider logs and timestamps.


Is there any way to measure the load on the tow hook? If a strain gauge could somehow be placed to measure the load, some smart logic could detect that a glider is no longer back there.
My guess is that a glider on to would always be putting a load of at least 40-50 lb when averaged over several seconds.

5Z

Charge the glider pilot for the height the towplane went to, and next time he takes a tow,
he'll remember to say "off tow".

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
  #8  
Old December 19th 20, 02:49 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Martin Gregorie[_6_]
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Posts: 699
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

On Fri, 18 Dec 2020 21:07:18 -0800, 5Z wrote:

On Friday, December 18, 2020 at 10:06:46 AM UTC-7, quietpilot wrote:
Our Tow pilots report the same thing. and it wouldn't capture that
except as compared to the glider logs and timestamps.


Is there any way to measure the load on the tow hook? If a strain gauge
could somehow be placed to measure the load, some smart logic could
detect that a glider is no longer back there.
My guess is that a glider on to would always be putting a load of at
least 40-50 lb when averaged over several seconds.

For level flight the load should be glider weight divided by glide ratio
at tow speed, but since the combination is climbing the load will be a
bit higher: by sin(glider weight) IIRC. When I calculated that I got
about 60 kg for a Std Libelle in a normal 65 kt climb behind a Robin
DR400.


--
--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

  #9  
Old December 19th 20, 02:57 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Eric Greenwell[_4_]
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Posts: 1,939
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

wrote on 12/18/2020 8:16 AM:
Over the last two years I've designed and built three Arduino based soaring related devices.. They a 1) Tow Altitude Recorder with tow plane and ground units, 2) Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor, and 3)Trailer Lights Monitor.

Panasonic LiFe Batteries are now available with Bluetooth reporting of their status (volts,
current, state of charge, temperature) to a smartphone. I think a small, dedicated, panel
mounted display (BID - "battery information display") would be much more useful in-flight.

For batteries that don't have a built-in Bluetooth, you could develop a "BMS" (battery
measurement system) that mounts on each battery, and reports to the BID.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
  #10  
Old December 19th 20, 03:18 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
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Posts: 4
Default Arduino Based Soaring Related Devices

Eric,

The BID for the Panasonic LiFe batteries is a great idea for my next project.

Thanks,

Bill
On Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 8:57:50 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
wrote on 12/18/2020 8:16 AM:
Over the last two years I've designed and built three Arduino based soaring related devices.. They a 1) Tow Altitude Recorder with tow plane and ground units, 2) Cockpit Dual Battery Voltage & Temp Monitor, and 3)Trailer Lights Monitor.

Panasonic LiFe Batteries are now available with Bluetooth reporting of their status (volts,
current, state of charge, temperature) to a smartphone. I think a small, dedicated, panel
mounted display (BID - "battery information display") would be much more useful in-flight.

For batteries that don't have a built-in Bluetooth, you could develop a "BMS" (battery
measurement system) that mounts on each battery, and reports to the BID.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

 




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