ILEC File Transfer with Pocket PC

Paul Remde wrote:

Hi,

The "USB Jump Drive" SD card and CF card readers found using the link below
look very nifty! I'll

I transfer files to my PC using ActiveSync at home and bring a USB SD card
reader to contests. That way the scorer doesn't need to install ActiveSync
and setup connections to all the Pocket PCs at the contest.

Hi Paul - ActiveSync offers a "guest" connection (versus the
"partnership" connection) when you plug in a PDA, so you don't have to
set up connections to every PDA that is used with with the desktop. Just
a matter of clicking on the Guest button and it connects you so File
Explorer can access the PDA. No file synchronization is done, but you
don't want any! The contestant needs to bring a USB cable that matches
his device, unless the scorer is really well set up.

The USB SD card
reader looks like a drive to the PC.



--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

"Paul Remde" wrote in message news:Mtr%c.129224$9d6.51414@attbi_s54...
Hi,

I have just completed testing of a method for uploading waypoint databases
and downloading flight logs from an ILEC SN-10 to a Pocket PC. Details are
found on my ILEC page: http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/ilec.htm

It worked great. It is easy for a Pocket PC power user like me but may or
may not be easy to do for those not as familiar with Pocket PCs and PCs. I
have documented the procedure on the web site.

Good Soaring,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com

I've been using this method for a year now, and it works well.
Although if you have your PDA hooked up in flight, you don't need to
download the non-secure SN-10 log, you can just use the non-secure log
from the PDA software. The PocketDOS software also works with the
Volkslogger DOS software, which allows you to download a secure log
without removing the Volkslogger from the glider (and breaking the
seal).

What I would really like to see is for the ILEC SN-10 to work with the
PDA in flight, just like most every other flight computer. I see the
two as complimentary, not mutually exclusive. As I have said
previously, this could be done if the SN-10 software simply outputs
the IGC file B-records in real time on the serial port. This could be
implemented simply without any major code revision.

With this change you could leave the PDA permanently connected to the
ILEC, and you would not need to mess with a download cable at all. In
flight you would use a PDA software like SeeYou Mobile, then after
landing all you would need to do is close this program and open
PocketDOS. By saving the files to a memory card, you don't even have
to remove the PDA from the glider.

I went out and tried this procedure using an Ipaq 3950 and it didn't
work worth a can of beans. I only tried downloading a flight log from
my SN10B. Running PocketDOS and getting the SN10 to recognize the HL
file transfer program worked fine, but as soon as I started to
download the flight log it was apparent that the speed of the download
was INCREDIBLY SLOW! I could live with that, but after a few minutes
of uninterrupted downloading, the connection would self disconnect,
and I would have to start all over again. After fooling around for
about an hour, and only getting 33% of the flight log (a 4 hour
flight) downloaded before it aborted, I quit.

So, am I missing something?

Is there a setting in PocketDOS (or the PDA) that will make the file
transfer faster?

What could be causing the connection to be interrupted? Once I start
it, I walk away and don't touch a thing!

Are there some weird problems with the 3950 that I don't know about?
Mine refuses to format or read SD cards, could that mean that the PDA
is bad?

Has anyone else had any luck with this, or similar problems?

Kirk

Hi Kirk,

I'm sorry to hear it is not working for you. My testing is limited because
I don't have any large flight logs in my SN10 units. I'll do my best to try
it with a friends unit soon.

I was able to download small flight logs just fine using an iPAQ 3970. I
guess more testing is needed.

Thanks,

Paul Remde

"Kirk Stant" wrote in message
om...
I went out and tried this procedure using an Ipaq 3950 and it didn't
work worth a can of beans. I only tried downloading a flight log from
my SN10B. Running PocketDOS and getting the SN10 to recognize the HL
file transfer program worked fine, but as soon as I started to
download the flight log it was apparent that the speed of the download
was INCREDIBLY SLOW! I could live with that, but after a few minutes
of uninterrupted downloading, the connection would self disconnect,
and I would have to start all over again. After fooling around for
about an hour, and only getting 33% of the flight log (a 4 hour
flight) downloaded before it aborted, I quit.

So, am I missing something?

Is there a setting in PocketDOS (or the PDA) that will make the file
transfer faster?

What could be causing the connection to be interrupted? Once I start
it, I walk away and don't touch a thing!

Are there some weird problems with the 3950 that I don't know about?
Mine refuses to format or read SD cards, could that mean that the PDA
is bad?

Has anyone else had any luck with this, or similar problems?

Kirk

Hi Kirk,

We must be doing something differently because it didn't work well for you
and worked great for me. On Saturday I download a friends flight log from
his SN-10b using my iPAQ 3970 with PocketDOS and the HL utility from ILEC.
It worked perfectly. It downloaded the flight log in only about 1 to 2
minutes. However, the SN-10 then seemed to "think" for several minutes, but
eventually the SN-10 reported that the transfer was successful. My iPAQ
3970 is basically the same as the 3950 you are using.

Perhaps something was set differently in Pocket DOS? I tested PocketDOS
without buying a license initially but later bought a license. I think it
cost around $35. Without the license the software has some delays at
startup and other differences. Could that be the problem?

Paul Remde

"Paul Remde" wrote in message
news:SR55d.105486$MQ5.55893@attbi_s52...
Hi Kirk,

I'm sorry to hear it is not working for you. My testing is limited
because
I don't have any large flight logs in my SN10 units. I'll do my best to
try
it with a friends unit soon.

I was able to download small flight logs just fine using an iPAQ 3970. I
guess more testing is needed.

Thanks,

Paul Remde

"Kirk Stant" wrote in message
om...
I went out and tried this procedure using an Ipaq 3950 and it didn't
work worth a can of beans. I only tried downloading a flight log from
my SN10B. Running PocketDOS and getting the SN10 to recognize the HL
file transfer program worked fine, but as soon as I started to
download the flight log it was apparent that the speed of the download
was INCREDIBLY SLOW! I could live with that, but after a few minutes
of uninterrupted downloading, the connection would self disconnect,
and I would have to start all over again. After fooling around for
about an hour, and only getting 33% of the flight log (a 4 hour
flight) downloaded before it aborted, I quit.

So, am I missing something?

Is there a setting in PocketDOS (or the PDA) that will make the file
transfer faster?

What could be causing the connection to be interrupted? Once I start
it, I walk away and don't touch a thing!

Are there some weird problems with the 3950 that I don't know about?
Mine refuses to format or read SD cards, could that mean that the PDA
is bad?

Has anyone else had any luck with this, or similar problems?

Kirk

"Paul Remde" wrote in message news:YxL5d.117055$MQ5.57483@attbi_s52...
Hi Kirk,

We must be doing something differently because it didn't work well for you
and worked great for me. On Saturday I download a friends flight log from
his SN-10b using my iPAQ 3970 with PocketDOS and the HL utility from ILEC.
It worked perfectly. It downloaded the flight log in only about 1 to 2
minutes. However, the SN-10 then seemed to "think" for several minutes, but
eventually the SN-10 reported that the transfer was successful. My iPAQ
3970 is basically the same as the 3950 you are using.

Perhaps something was set differently in Pocket DOS? I tested PocketDOS
without buying a license initially but later bought a license. I think it
cost around $35. Without the license the software has some delays at
startup and other differences. Could that be the problem?

Paul Remde

Paul,

Not sure. I also bought the license, so it should be the same setup.
Like I said, I couldn't use the SD card, and that could be part of the
problem. I might play with it this winter some more.

Kirk