Newsletter: March 2005 (Note: all external links open in a new window)
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Software for free fliers - Frazer Marwick
from EuroPG
-----Original Message-----
From: europg@psychol.ucl.ac.uk [mailto:europg@psychol.ucl.ac.uk]On
Behalf Of Fraser Marwick
Sent: Tuesday, 15 March 2005 9:55 p.m.
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: RE: GPS to PDA (LONG)
Jamie wrote:
[ Is there a good gliding / soaring software out there? I would like to
know stuff like, glide to goal, dist to waypoint, wind info? Anything out there???? ]
Yes, lots. But most of them are designed for the sailplane world and
there's a little doubt as to how well the algorithms work for our laughably
steep polars.
Here are some options to have a look at:-
(1) SeeYou Mobile (www.seeyou.ws )
I'm evaluating this at the moment as it looks the easiest to use with at
least a nod towards PG and HG use. It's a companion program to the SeeYou
desktop task planning and flight viewing software which is also very good.
It gives you all the airspace, final glides (with terrain adjustment), speed
to fly, calculated wind and a lot more. I've managed to put a PG polar in
and it gives reasonable results, although I haven't used it much yet. (And
haven't registered it yet.) It costs 199 euros, but as far as I can tell
the evaluation version is fully functional except for a random nag screen
which clicks off when you touch the screen. As you have to click your
pda screen anyway to get the light on, I'm not bothered by the interruption.
Let your conscience be your guide. You do need the SeeYou desktop
software to get the maps and airspace onto your pda. The registration code
for this is 129 euros. There may be a package price.
(2) Winpilot (www.winpilot.com)
This is the most popular choice in the gliding world as it's been around a
while. Much the same stuff as SeeYou but with some extras in the top of the
range edition. There's a thermal / turn visualiser *but it only works with
a feed from sailplane instruments*. There's also a thermal info exchange of
some sort. Basically, you keep sharing your tracklogs with the world and
then your pda knows where all the house thermals originate from, adjusted
for wind. When you need lift you just press the "find thermal" button. In
theory. Winpilot give little support to PG & HG. I couldn't get any
answers. In fact they don't officially support any PPC other than Ipaq,
although it did load OK on my Dell. The basic version is US249 and the Pro
version is US299. See also www.winpilot.com/Thermal.htm
(3) GPS LOG (www.soaringpilotsoftware.com/ )
FREE!! (& possibly open source?). Written out of the goodness of his heart
by Henryk Birecki, programming wizard. But also documented by same
programming wizard and therefore difficult to get your head round. This is
quite widely used by glider pilots and certainly does the job, but it's not
as pretty and not user-friendly to learn. I understand it now, because it
does pretty much the same stuff as SeeYou, but SeeYou explained it better.
Updates every few weeks to make it better, based on feedback from users.
(4) Compe GPS Pocket Land (www.compegps.com )
This tag-on to the task planning software certainly does mapping. But I've
no idea whether it does glide functions. I suspect not, actually. (land,
not air).
(5) Fly With CE (www.flywithce.com )
Similar to GPS LOG etc. Haven't played with it as appears not to be that
popular compared to the others. It is cheaper than some though (119 euros).
(6) Glide navigator (www.soarmn.com/cumulus/gn.htm ) US150
No info.
(7) StrePla (www.soarmn.com/cumulus/strepla.htm ) US273
No Info.
(8) Soaring Pilot (www.soaringpilot.com/ ) FREE
No Info. PALM OS, not PPC.
(9) CE Glide (www.ccsi.com/~inadas/ ) US199
No Info.
(10) Cumulus (cumulus.kflog.org/en/index.html ) FREE
LINUX OS on PDA, not PPC.
(11) XCSoar (www.xcsoar.com/ ) FREE - Opensource
No info.
There's a product comparison of some of these here -
www.soarmn.com/cumulus/flightsoftware.htm although I think it's out
of date, because most of these programs are under continuous development.
And while I'm at it, there's lots of interesting GPS / PDA / desktop soaring
software links on this page - www.soarmn.com/soaring_links/software.htm .
I don't know which gliding software is best, although so far I like SeeYou
because they haven't dismissed me outright for being a mere paraglider. I'd
be interested to get views from anyone who's tried any of these
applications.
And finally, a word of caution. As far as I can make out, all of the
programs I've looked at so far give STF functions and final glide
exclusively according to MacCready theory, so not taking account of wind.
(McC is all about optimum speed to advance through the airmass, not across
the terrain.) So the STF readout is not the speed for your final glide into
wind. E.g. you're flying towards goal into a 20kmh headwind. You know you
probably need to be doing 50+ clicks, but if you have a McC setting of say
1, the STF indicated will be much lower and you won't get there. (With
SeeYou, the solution is to compare the Required L/D to the Actual L/D and
speed up iteratively until it tells you you'll just make it.) Not sure if
this is the same with the likes of Top Navigator and Compeo?
Fraser
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