IGCDroid : A new android glider tracker

Hi All,

I would like to announce IGCDroid, an Android near real-time Glider Tracking App.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...m.ajw.igcdroid

Description
IGCDroid, partnered with GlidePort.aero (aka www.SSA.org's Sailplane Tracker) will change the way you record and track your flights.
Now your Android device can automatically record your flight and keep ground crew and friends updated in near real-time.
Perfect for all pilots
* Students recording their training flights
* Weekend pilots keeping their partners informed where and when they land
* Competition pilots with followers on the ground.
The free trial version is limited to 30 minute flights. One time purchase of $10 to upgrade to the unlimited version.
Features
* Simple set and forget operation
* Track your flight in near real time
* Record OLC validated IGC files
* Simple post flight statistics
* Email notify crew and friends of your flight progress
Enjoy.

Alan


PS. I would like to send a public thanks to the pilots and friends who helped test and improve IGCDroid over the last few months.

I used the IGCDroid for six currency flights yesterday in snow-less Iowa, and it worked perfectly. As the instructions say, turn it on while pre-flighting, then forget it. At the end of the day the IGCDroid presented six separate flight traces, with a maximum altitude gain of 16 feet (a feature of midwest winter weather, not the app) IGCDroid could not have been easier to use. Thanks for the hard programming work.

Does it generate an igc file acceptable to OLC? If not, look at XCSoar,
it's free on the Play Store, has a moving map, and generates an OLC
acceptable file.


On 1/28/2015 7:45 AM, wrote:
I used the IGCDroid for six currency flights yesterday in snow-less Iowa, and it worked perfectly. As the instructions say, turn it on while pre-flighting, then forget it. At the end of the day the IGCDroid presented six separate flight traces, with a maximum altitude gain of 16 feet (a feature of midwest winter weather, not the app) IGCDroid could not have been easier to use. Thanks for the hard programming work.

--
Dan Marotta

On Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 8:54:53 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Does it generate an igc file acceptable to OLC?* If not, look at
XCSoar, it's free on the Play Store, has a moving map, and generates
an OLC acceptable file.


Hi Dan,

Yes it does create a OLC valid IGC file. Being Android it can't create an FAI valid IGC file.

I'm not trying to compete with XCSoar, I have XCSoar installed on my phone as well.

My goal was to create a simple tracker, similar to Spot/InReach, that requires almost zero setup and notifies my family about my flights.

Rather than paying Spot an annual fee I will use IGCDroid for tracking and a PLB for real emergencies.

I agree it isn't the same as Spot/InReach, a cell phone solution never can be. It is both better and worse.

Alan

Any plans for an iOS Version?
I currently using the glideport iPhone app which also generates valid OLC file, but it is missing a notification functionality. An option to automatically and periodically send links to your glideport trace via email and sms will be a big benefit.

Ramy

On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 11:06:14 AM UTC-7, Ramy wrote:
Any plans for an iOS Version?
I currently using the glideport iPhone app which also generates valid OLC file, but it is missing a notification functionality. An option to automatically and periodically send links to your glideport trace via email and sms will be a big benefit.

Ramy

Are you sure GlideTrack creates valid OLC files? I didn't think it did, but I haven't used it much.

Sorry, I don't have the tools (Apple Mac computer) or the money ($100 per year for a developer account) to create an iPhone version.

Alan

Thanks a bunch! I will definitely make good use of this!

Does IGCDroid (or Glidetrack for that matter) buffer status messages and send them when it has a data connection?

I haven't flown with Glidetrack yet, but often when I take a picture I will see No Service on the phone. So I may weave in and out of service on a flight. I'm just curious if the reported track is like a SPOT in that a missed message is gone forever or if the reportings are backfilled once a data connection is available.

Thanks,

Morgan



On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 1:24:10 PM UTC-8, Daniel Dyck wrote:
Thanks a bunch! I will definitely make good use of this!

On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 4:02:46 PM UTC-7, Morgan wrote:
Does IGCDroid (or Glidetrack for that matter) buffer status messages and send them when it has a data connection?

I haven't flown with Glidetrack yet, but often when I take a picture I will see No Service on the phone. So I may weave in and out of service on a flight. I'm just curious if the reported track is like a SPOT in that a missed message is gone forever or if the reportings are backfilled once a data connection is available.

Thanks,

Morgan



On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 1:24:10 PM UTC-8, Daniel Dyck wrote:
Thanks a bunch! I will definitely make good use of this!

Yes, both programs buffer data. They use very similar algorithms internally.

When cell coverage is good, GPS positions are buffered and blocks of data are sent to the GlidePort.aero server approx every 1 minute.

In areas of bad coverage data continues to be buffered and the send attempts slow down to not drain the phone battery trying to contact non existant cell towers. All the data is sent when you regain coverage.

The end result is you can get sending delays which depend upon cell coverage but you always get full detailed position data sent to the server.

There is also some delay in getting server data out to your web browsers.

What I typically saw watching my tester's fly was 5m delays. The delay stretched to 30mins at time.

Alan

Thanks for the details Alan. As I don't have an android device with a data plan I'll have to give Glidetrack a try, but I like the simplicity approach you've gone with. I'll forward your link to our club. We have a number of people running Android phones that would probably use this.

Morgan




On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 3:25:54 PM UTC-8, kiwiindenver wrote:
On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 4:02:46 PM UTC-7, Morgan wrote:
Does IGCDroid (or Glidetrack for that matter) buffer status messages and send them when it has a data connection?

I haven't flown with Glidetrack yet, but often when I take a picture I will see No Service on the phone. So I may weave in and out of service on a flight. I'm just curious if the reported track is like a SPOT in that a missed message is gone forever or if the reportings are backfilled once a data connection is available.

Thanks,

Morgan



On Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 1:24:10 PM UTC-8, Daniel Dyck wrote:
Thanks a bunch! I will definitely make good use of this!

Yes, both programs buffer data. They use very similar algorithms internally.

When cell coverage is good, GPS positions are buffered and blocks of data are sent to the GlidePort.aero server approx every 1 minute.

In areas of bad coverage data continues to be buffered and the send attempts slow down to not drain the phone battery trying to contact non existant cell towers. All the data is sent when you regain coverage.

The end result is you can get sending delays which depend upon cell coverage but you always get full detailed position data sent to the server.

There is also some delay in getting server data out to your web browsers.

What I typically saw watching my tester's fly was 5m delays. The delay stretched to 30mins at time.

Alan