XCSOAR android app useful for GR and Audible Alti?

[5.samadhi 0]

Hello, perhaps there are some tech savvy people here (I know there are ) that can help me. I am researching the android app XC Soar to use while wingsuiting to calculate my glide ratio. I got to thinking (and trying to decipher features) and was wondering whether I could use the GPS altimeter feature to set realtime altitude alarms (like a regular audible altimeter would do) while in flight.

I am not really understanding the tech speak in the features section...has anybody else looked at this app? Is it possible to use it to calculate Glide ratio and also have altimeter alarms.

I am not concerned if altitude is off by 100-200ft. The margin for error is much larger than that for me anyways on a WS flight (I pull no lower than 4.5k ft).

I am looking to buy a smartphone anyways so I figured if I could get an audible altimeter and a GPS out of it then that would be sweet.

thanks a lot!

by the way, here is the website with the features: http://www.xcsoar.org/discover/features.html

[5.samadhi 0]

nobody is familiar with this??? damn and here I am not tech savvy enough to understand the manual

Does anybody know of any other smartphone app that can function as an audible altimeter and (preferably also) GPS glide ratio tool???

I prefer to have earphones in and have a clear announcement of every 1-2k feet altitude loss (kinda like I hear the new neptune can do).

[Butters 0]

An application for avigation and performance feedback is being worked on (for Android) ...

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[5.samadhi 0]

will it run on an earlier version of android? This app runs on 1.6 I think. Not too sure about any of this stuff but I am in the market for both an audible altimeter, GPS (for glide ratio) AND a phone that I can use wireless internet for.

I figured why not combine them ALL into one unit (if this is possible)?

Is the application you are working on useful as an audible altimeter also???

[EZSundayAM 0]

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An application for avigation and performance feedback is being worked on (for Android) ...

I'm a programmer but I don't do much Android. 6 months ago when I looked into it I was disappointed. At that time the Android OS on a couple of phones would only give me GPS data every 1 to 1.5 seconds, couldn't force a higher rate, probably to keep apps from crushing batteries. Not nearly fast enough IMO. I was told you could bypass Android and go straight to the device drivers but that isn't easy, not for me.

If an experienced programmer can get 3HZ or better, please build something eith audio feedback and a log and I for one will pay!

[5.samadhi 0]

why is 1 second not fast enough? So if you get a beep and you are actually 1 second further than when the beep was supposed to go, why not just set your altitude alarm for 100-200ft higher?

Why is a fast rate better? (not a loaded question I seriously am under-educated here)

[platypii 20]

GPS is generally does not give accurate enough altitude to be useful anyway. However, the Galaxy Nexus, and the soon-to-be-released Galaxy SIII both have barometeric altimeters built-in, that sample at 5hz. Way more accurate!

As soon as I saw that feature I bought the phone and immediately started developing a skydiving/wingsuiting app for it. My app allows you to program audible feedback based on any of the phone's sensors (GPS, barometer, compass, gyro, etc). Can be used for speed, glide ratio, navigation, etc. Kind of like a FlySight on crack. Test flights are underway. To be released very soon...

BASEline - Wingsuit Flight Computer

[5.samadhi 0]

would be cool to mount it on mudflap and have a face reading altitude and also have earplugs for audible altimeter (and also GPS for glide ratio).

all in one tool!

Platypii keep me posted about that I would be very curious and I would test jump it (if I can afford the baro/smartphone!).

[EZSundayAM 0]

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why is 1 second not fast enough? So if you get a beep and you are actually 1 second further than when the beep was supposed to go, why not just set your altitude alarm for 100-200ft higher?

Why is a fast rate better? (not a loaded question I seriously am under-educated here)

1 second could be fast enough for a regular altitude alarm like you mentioned. Not super accurate but could be useful. Should be easy enough for software to predict when you will hit the set altitude based on the last few data points, and sound the alarm even if it doesn't get that last GPS fix. That being said, I wouldn't give up my Neptune/Ditter to trust something that important to my cell phone.

Sorry if I got off topic or highjacked here. I was speaking more of advanced/cool stuff like the FlySight. I want to know exactly what is going on in real time. In that case, the more data the better for sure. I've jumped a lot of GPS devices and downloaded the logged data to play with later. It's nice to be able to throw out 10% of the data in the first place, you do get plenty of garbage. Then, the more data you have the more you can do. Its exactly like having more pixels in a photo. Just makes everything much more clear.

For example, when I've taken a video of myself on my belly, and syncronized it to a GPS 5 points per second sample rate (5Hz) I can see how my rate of fall changes during the short period during moving my arms back into a tracking posture, before I start tracking. Can even see changes during deployment and calculate G forces at different points as the slider comes down. Not that I have anything useful to do with that data, but its fun!

[EZSundayAM 0]

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GPS is generally does not give accurate enough altitude to be useful anyway. However, the Galaxy Nexus, and the soon-to-be-released Galaxy SIII both have barometeric altimeters built-in, that sample at 5hz. Way more accurate!

As soon as I saw that feature I bought the phone and immediately started developing a skydiving/wingsuiting app for it. My app allows you to program audible feedback based on any of the phone's sensors (GPS, barometer, compass, gyro, etc). Can be used for speed, glide ratio, navigation, etc. Kind of like a FlySight on crack. Test flights are underway. To be released very soon...

Rock on! Will be first in line to buy your app when it's ready!!

I played a bit with the data from the simple accelerometer my Droid2.. I hoped to build something quick n dirty that might use the GPS as a cheat to get the big picture, then use accelerometer/magnetometer data for real-time FlySight style feedback. Tried to filter the accelerometer/magnetometer data from simple phone movements across the kitchen table and realized I should stick to my day job. Best of luck with your app!

[EZSundayAM 0]

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would be cool to mount it on mudflap and have a face reading altitude and also have earplugs for audible altimeter (and also GPS for glide ratio).

all in one tool!

Platypii keep me posted about that I would be very curious and I would test jump it (if I can afford the baro/smartphone!).

That is just the sort of thing I'd also like to have. Be neat to have rate of fall audible like the FlySight and maybe a flashing red arrow to show backsliding/tracking.

I'd almost certainly keep my Neptune in the helmet as a backup though. Android is a lot more stable/reliable than Windows but I'm not sure I want to toss out the proven audible just yet..

[Waldschrat 0]

And on which point of the backside from your helmet do want to place your smartphone? ....with duck tape?

[5.samadhi 0]

why does it have to be backside of helmet?

I have my audible altimeter duct taped to my goggles right now because I sold my helmet for rent money. People were getting a chuckle at that at the DZ.

[Nastyn8 0]

Any progress on the App?

[EZSundayAM 0]

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And on which point of the backside from your helmet do want to place your smartphone? ....with duck tape?

I like duct tape, but it seemed a lot safer to put it on the mudflap using .08 Kydex (plastic that holsters are made of). Bonus is HD video or pix from under canopy..

[EZSundayAM 0]

Real life get in the way of your app?!

I'm running the Samsung S3 now and have a very ugly battery killing app that gives me glide ratio under canopy. Also gives a pretty good guess at wind direction if you fly without any toggle input for 5 seconds, turn left 90 degrees, and fly straight again.

Haven't had time to do anything else. Lots of cool stuff could be done! I still want to give someone money for a cool app!

[GobbleGobble 0]

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Real life get in the way of your app?!

I'm running the Samsung S3 now and have a very ugly battery killing app that gives me glide ratio under canopy. Also gives a pretty good guess at wind direction if you fly without any toggle input for 5 seconds, turn left 90 degrees, and fly straight again.

Haven't had time to do anything else. Lots of cool stuff could be done! I still want to give someone money for a cool app!

V1 has been out for a while. Look for BASEline Flight Computer on Google Play. It's pretty slick, and looking forward to v2!

[EZSundayAM 0]

GobbleGobble

Quote

Real life get in the way of your app?!

I'm running the Samsung S3 now and have a very ugly battery killing app that gives me glide ratio under canopy. Also gives a pretty good guess at wind direction if you fly without any toggle input for 5 seconds, turn left 90 degrees, and fly straight again.

Haven't had time to do anything else. Lots of cool stuff could be done! I still want to give someone money for a cool app!

V1 has been out for a while. Look for BASEline Flight Computer on Google Play. It's pretty slick, and looking forward to v2!

Man that app looks NICE!
Screenshots look VERY clean and sexy!

Will get that after work tonight, if I get it now I won't get any work done. Will be running on a Samsung S3.

Don't know how I missed your reply. Must have a forum setting done wrong, just another programmer who can't figure out a checkbox on a webform! Aha, now I see the *Send Email on Reply* one inch below. Duh.

Good luck with the app, Blue Skies!