Glider computers - what's important?

James,

I sell both WinPilot & SeeYou. I have found after 5 years of
consulting on and selling PDA programs that:

1. They are as easy to use and learn as any flight computer or logger
and offer many more functions. It does require some time to learn
and you do have to read the manuals. If you install any flight
computer or PDA system in your glider and then expect to immediately
fly with it without the required learning you will be dissapointed.
2. The PDA systems allow you to learn almost anywhere, work, home, in
the back yard, on the sofa. The simulator programs in the software
allow you to do this on your PDA. WinPilot and SeeYou are fully
functional in the SIM mode.
3. I recommend that you bring up the manual for the program on your
desktop computer and with the PDA in hand go through the manual one
time. This at least this gives you an overview of what is available
in the program. And helps you learn the program. This can be done
with either program and does not require purchase.
4. As always I am reachable on the phone, most all the time, and if
not will return your call. Days, evenings and weekends. Usually it
is a simple thing to get you out of a jam. So a call will with PDA in
hand will save much time and frustration.
5. The hardest thing for most people is learning the file structure in
your desktop Windows PC, this is required with any flight computer,
logger or PDA system. It is not specific to PDA Systems. I spend
more time with people on this that the actual programs.
6. Free is a very good price, but generally you get what you pay for,
if anyone finds this not true please let us all know so we all can all
get this free stuff. The best free thing I have found is the SeeYou
Connect Me program.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

On Mar 7, 8:29 pm, wrote:
I have a datalogger, I have an IPAQ, and I have all the cabling etc.
I have spent considerable time at Cumulus Soaring, reading the
comparisons of glider software. What I lack is the experience to know
what is important. I've played with the features of SeeYou Mobile,
and frankly, most of the high end graphics stuff on the map just makes
it hard to read.
Many of you on this list have flown with this stuff, and done some
sorting out. I tend toward simpler and easier to use, rather than
bleeding edge, "every bit of information you could possibly want"
tools.
The only thing that is a go-nogo for me is a graphical display of
landing areas within glide under current conditions - a feature most,
if not all, seem to have.
Oh, another factor: a friend purchased WinPilot, SeeYou, and
StrePla. He's become used to WinPilot, and has offered to GIVE me
StrePla. Can it be set up so "Even a Caveman" can use it?

Thanks,
Jim

"Richard" wrote

6. Free is a very good price, but generally you get what you pay for,
if anyone finds this not true please let us all know so we all can all
get this free stuff. The best free thing I have found is the SeeYou
Connect Me program.

GPS-LOG and XCSOAR are free, I´ve never tried XCSOAR, but GPS-LOG is a great
software.

Michael

XCSOAR is a very good program that is easy to use. It takes about one
evening to understand using the "Quick Start" guide in the manual.

Mike



On Mar 8, 9:31 am, "Michael Huber" wrote:
"Richard" wrote

6. Free is a very good price, but generally you get what you pay for,
if anyone finds this not true please let us all know so we all can all
get this free stuff. The best free thing I have found is the SeeYou
Connect Me program.

GPS-LOG and XCSOAR are free, I´ve never tried XCSOAR, but GPS-LOG is a great
software.

Michael

The question is have you compared the free programs with SeeYou or
WinPilot. We would all like to hear your comparison.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

On Mar 8, 9:16 am, "Mike" wrote:
XCSOAR is a very good program that is easy to use. It takes about one
evening to understand using the "Quick Start" guide in the manual.

Mike

On Mar 8, 9:31 am, "Michael Huber" wrote:



"Richard" wrote

6. Free is a very good price, but generally you get what you pay for,
if anyone finds this not true please let us all know so we all can all
get this free stuff. The best free thing I have found is the SeeYou
Connect Me program.

GPS-LOG and XCSOAR are free, I´ve never tried XCSOAR, but GPS-LOG is a great
software.

Michael- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

On Mar 8, 11:25 am, "Richard" wrote:
The question is have you compared the free programs with SeeYou or
WinPilot. We would all like to hear your comparison.

Richardwww.craggyaero.com


Richard,

I think that everyone understands that the free programs do not give
you the features or support of the for-pay programs. SeeYou Mobile,
StrePla and WinPilot are great top-end programs. There is something
to be said for having someone to call to sort out problems. It is
great to have a friend who flies the same software to provide face to
face help.

That being said the for-pay programs are fairly expensive to just jump
straight into. The fear of spending money for something that is too
(much/complicated/fancy/annoying/etc) is real.

Thus the free software, while admittedly is not as good as the for-pay
stuff, can suffice for the new XC pilot. It allows him a stepping
stone to the more complicated programs, getting his feet wet so to
speak. To me the next step up is Glide Nav (for-pay) and then onto
the top drawer products.

Not everyone needs the feature sets of those for-pay programs. I know
that I don't as of yet but I can now see more clearly what those
benefits are and will one day move up.

- John DeRosa

Why not do the comparison for us Richard? It is your question after
all. I would like to hear your unbiased report.

Mike

On Mar 8, 10:25 am, "Richard" wrote:
The question is have you compared the free programs with SeeYou or
WinPilot. We would all like to hear your comparison.

Richardwww.craggyaero.com

On Mar 8, 9:16 am, "Mike" wrote:



XCSOAR is a very good program that is easy to use. It takes about one
evening to understand using the "Quick Start" guide in the manual.

Mike

On Mar 8, 9:31 am, "Michael Huber" wrote:

"Richard" wrote

6. Free is a very good price, but generally you get what you pay for,
if anyone finds this not true please let us all know so we all can all
get this free stuff. The best free thing I have found is the SeeYou
Connect Me program.

GPS-LOG and XCSOAR are free, I´ve never tried XCSOAR, but GPS-LOG is a great
software.

Michael- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I initially used GPS-Log. GPS-Log does have a PC simulator. It gave me
some insight into the value of a flight computer.

I subsequently switched to SeeYou Mobile for ease in loading my PDA with
maps, airspace, waypoints, etc. I may not have fully understood GPS-Log,
but I was doing a lot of handcrafting of files. Also, I think SeeYou Mobile
screens are more customizable. I keep changing mine as I haven't yet
settled on what I like best.

On the support side, Henryk Birecki (software developer) was always very
responsive to emails I sent. He is active in the Yahoo Group for GPS_Log.

Finally, my choice of SeeYou Mobile over Pocket Strepla or WinPilot was
based on the fact that I had previously purchased and learned to use SeeYou.
I'm very happy with SeeYou and I believe my life would be less complicated
if I used the PDA version of the product in the air.

John

Michael,

The question is have you compared the free programs with SeeYou or
WinPilot. We would all like to hear your comparison.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

On Mar 8, 8:31 am, "Michael Huber" wrote:
"Richard" wrote

6. Free is a very good price, but generally you get what you pay for,
if anyone finds this not true please let us all know so we all can all
get this free stuff. The best free thing I have found is the SeeYou
Connect Me program.

GPS-LOG and XCSOAR are free, I´ve never tried XCSOAR, but GPS-LOG is a great
software.

Michael

"Richard" wrote

The question is have you compared the free programs with SeeYou or
WinPilot. We would all like to hear your comparison.

I have compared GPS-LOG to SeeYou Mobile, and I am flying with GPS-LOG. It
gives me everything I need (X-country flying, no competitions) in a way I
like. It automatically switches between climb and cruise mode and displays
the relevant data for each mode without any need to touch the PDA. It gives
me the glide footprint on the map like discussed in another part of this
thread and AFAIK it was also the first PDA software to implement FLARM voice
warnings.

The only advantage I see in the commercial packages is the very easy
transfer of map and airspace from the desktop software (SeeYou -
SeeYouMobile, .....).

Michael

Ahh, PDA's and software...don't let anyone tell you
any of this is 'simple'. You like MS ActiveSync?,
constantly keeping the PDA out of the sun but on a
charger?, trying to read a screen in the sunlight?,
dealing with downloading to the OLC, or worse yet..a
badge claim?


But having said that....you do adapt to them....and
they make us fly faster and farther IMVHO. I recall
a fellow at Boulder one day who was extremely excited
about his new color PDA and the advanced software on
it...I was just passing through and it seemed to me
that with strong lift conditions....he might be flying
rather then on the ground dweebing.

On the flip side there are those who don't want to
go near the things. They do make decision making more
linear in my opinion.

So try the sims...and then analyze your needs....like
most everyone else...you either decide to go more simple,
or more features. Even the simplest are a big help.
Even the most complex can be simplified.

And my favorite axiom on this topic...no 2 glider pilots
in the world have the same software-flight computer-data
logger...configured in the same manner...so you end
up with your own version anyway.