On Saturday, January 2, 2016 at 8:37:21 PM UTC-5, Ron Gleason wrote:
On Saturday, 2 January 2016 16:58:27 UTC-7, smfidler wrote:
OK, the peanut gallergy is driving me crazy. So I did a quick internet search and found this very relevant document from FLARM:

How to Use FLARM(R) in Gliding Competitions?
http://www.segelflugbedarf24.de/flar...mpetitions.pdf

The document includes some pretty interesting descriptons of what "stealth and competition mode" are and, more imortantly are not. Based on the discussions here...I am shocked. I honestly have no idea what the RC is expecting Flarm to magically become...whith a new version of competiton mode. I have a guess...MORE DANGEROUS! USELESS?

From the document...

COMPETITION MODE: Basically, according to FLARM, this simply TUNES DOWN the number of alerts. THATS IT!
Competition Mode
Traffic alerts are issued based on an algorithmic assessment of potentially dangerous traffic. These algorithms have been greatly improved in version 4of the firmware. Nevertheless, as a competition pilot, you might want this assessment to result in less alerts, i.e. increase the level of danger above which an alert is issued. Consequently, if you check 'Competition Mode (less Alarms)' in the official FlarmTool PC software, then alert distances and alert times are reduced by approximately 2 seconds; this reduces nuisance alerts in high-density traffic but REQUIRES FASTER ACTION.
Other things to do if FLARM is too distracting:
- turn volume down / off (don't forget to turn it up again) - double-click the button (suppresses alarms for
5 minutes, but other aircraft will still get alarms)

REQUIRES FASTER ACTION? WFT? WTF?

STEALTH MODE: From Flarm itself..."Stealth mode inherently reduces some of the benefits of situation awareness for yourself and surrounding aircraft. We do not recommend the use of Stealth mode, but it is better than turning FLARM(R) off for tactical reasons."
"Stealth Mode
The data FLARM(R) receives from other is available at the serial port to external devices like PDA's or graphical displays which can thus display the nearby environment in detail. While this information is useful for you, you might not want your competitors to make use of this information, and others might have the similar asymmetrical preferences. With the stealth mode (named 'Privacy' before) in FLARM(R), you can choose the trade-off acceptable for you between two modes:
* 'Stealth Mode' unchecked: you have full access to the data you receive from others with Stealth Mode disabled and, and others have full access to the data you send about yourself if they have Stealth Mode disabled, or
* 'Stealth Mode' checked: you have limited access to the data you receive from others and, and others have limited access to the data you send about yourself independent of their Stealth Mode setting.
Stealth mode inherently reduces some of the benefits of situation awareness for yourself and surrounding aircraft. We do not recommend the use of Stealth mode, but it is better than turning FLARM(R) off for tactical reasons.
Note that the FLARM(R) flight log-file stores the information on stealth settings and changes so a competition authority could easily enforce the use (or non-use) if desirable. Changes to stealth mode are effective with a two minute delay, see the manual for details."

Again: Flarm states, "STEALTH MODE INHERENTLY REDUCES (R E D U C E S) SOME OF THE BENIFITS OF THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS (S I T U A T I O N A L A W A R E N E S S.....!!!!!) FOR YOURSELF AND SURROUNDING AIRCRAFT!!!!!!!!"

WIth that, I have absolutely no idea what we are expecting "competition mode 2.0" to solve for us. It must a flavor of Stealth mode that the RC must be pushing. You know, the one that requires FASTER ACTION! Competition mode actually DE-TUNES close in alerts as not to annoy a pilot who is highly tuned and alert to traffic already. WFT? DE-TUNES SAFETY? Probably why they dont recommend it, hmmm?

Anyway, I thought this document was interesting. If it has not been previously shared, Im shocked. But just encase, there you go.

We need to stop the madness and think about what we are doing...THIS IS MADNESS.

Sean

If you do not like the first answer keep searching till you find what you do like! All kidding aside you are illustrating one of the challenges and problems with the FLARM and PowerFLARM technology and solution.

While I have seen the referenced document I do not know what version of the technology it is referencing and illustrating. Is it FLARM or PowerFLARM? What firmware version? Does it apply to functionality delivered by the CORE technology or CORE technology and third party vendors? Does the PC configuration tool still exist and what is the relationship to the online configuration tool?

I encourage the FLARM developers/company to make sure they date stamp every document, reference the relevant hardware and software, expiration date and any other information that allows the end user to understand the relevance.

Many folks on this forum and the SSA RC knows what it takes to think of, design, develop, deliver, test, QA, document, release, deliver and support quality life dependent software. For some reason many of these folks appear to want to forget the disciplines of what it takes to 'do it right' or IMO they are mi optic and are trying to forward their agendas.

IMO the right course of action for the SSA RC is to allow PowerFLARM devices in OPEN mode for ALL SSA sanctioned competitions. I can live with pilot choice of what MODE they want to operate in but I believe that is a compromise and would require yet another waiver to signed by all pilots competing.

Come on lets put the egos aside, the 'save the purity stances' and all other stop technology creep angles and move forward.

This is not your fathers soaring environment anymore.

Furthermore, I believe if the SSA RC requires STEALTH mode and for some reason the SSA BOD agrees you will see less organizations and individuals willing to organize and host SSA sanctioned competitions. The liability is too high. Argue you all want about the is this still competition but the number of venues hosting competitions will be so small that discussion will be moot. Go down this path is you want to kill off sanctioned competitions in the US.

Ron Gleason

Ron, I don't think this statement is true "the SSA RC knows what it takes to think of, design, develop, deliver, test, QA, document, release, deliver and support quality life dependent software"

Probably only 2 guys on RC understand what it means to develop such software. Actions speak volume and the actions 3 out of 5 members of the RC committee took prove that they don't understand software development process. If they did they would have never voted on the Stealth mode or Competition mode until a proper solution was in place.