Volkslogger Date Corruption

Last Sunday my Volkslogger logged a flight but it listed the date as 19
Mar 1995 see but the flight was flown on 2 Nov 2014. I uploaded the IGC
to Skylines here (OLC would not accept it):

https://www.skylines.aero/flights/41031/

The "security-seal is OK" message displays on boot and the VL calculates
a check sum before downloading. So I don't think that there is a problem
with the battery.

I have been playing with it and I have generated a number of test logs.
Some are dated 2005-01-01 but now it has gone back to 1995-03-24. I even
managed to generate two logs with the same file name.

The strange thing is I got an e-mail from another club member with a
Volkslogger, he is also experiencing date corruption with his unit. So I
fear this is some form of Y2K bug.

Is anybody else experiencing this problem with their Volkslogger?

Any idea who might be able to fix it, if it requires updated firmware?

Any comments on how valid that log file might be? It does still have a
valid digital signature and the points logged are correct, just the date
header is corrupt.

I know this thing is a dinosaur and getting a log file out of it is like
extracting hens teeth. But this is the first time I have failed to
record a valid log file in over 12 years. I also had the barometric
sensor calibrated at the beginning of this year so I kind of hope it has
not just transformed into an electronic brick. :-(

Ian

The problem has to do with a dead internal battery in the Volkslogger. It will have to go to an authourized center for battery replacement and so that the security seal can be reset once the unit is closed back up.

I have done this for lots of Colibri's and LX 20's, but not VL.

Dave Springford
www.foxonecorp.com

Strangely mine was doing that last season but has been absolutely fine this year. I never quite got around to sending it in to get it fixed. No idea why or how but I had been advised as Dave says it needs the battery replaced.

Ian,

I had the same issue several years ago. There are two options to fix this, one is to have the GPS engine replaced, and one is to pray. I selected the prayer method (as recommended by Garrecht) and that worked for me. Replacing the GPS engine will likely cost more than the logger is worth.

The prayer or self healing method requires that you put the logger to sleep for several weeks until it looses its position completely. The older the logger is, the quicker this happens (due to the degradation of a non-replaceable battery in the GPS itself). When the logger is brought back up after several weeks or months, it will likely reconstruct the correct year.

Thomas

On Thursday, November 13, 2014 8:25:07 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Ian,

I had the same issue several years ago. There are two options to fix this, one is to have the GPS engine replaced, and one is to pray. I selected the prayer method (as recommended by Garrecht) and that worked for me. Replacing the GPS engine will likely cost more than the logger is worth.

The prayer or self healing method requires that you put the logger to sleep for several weeks until it looses its position completely. The older the logger is, the quicker this happens (due to the degradation of a non-replaceable battery in the GPS itself). When the logger is brought back up after several weeks or months, it will likely reconstruct the correct year.

Thomas

Funny! -- full circle from "prayer wheels" to "prayer loggers"
Craig

On Thursday, November 13, 2014 11:25:07 AM UTC-5, wrote:
... There are two options to fix this, one is to have the
GPS engine replaced, and one is to pray.

A better option is replace the Volkslogger with a FLARM Core!
Far easier-to-use datalogger, and FLARM!

On Thursday, November 13, 2014 6:19:27 PM UTC-5, Tim Newport-Peace wrote:
Nadler writes
A better option is replace the Volkslogger with a FLARM Core!
Far easier-to-use datalogger, and FLARM!

Depends.

FLARM is approved up to Diamonds only, but Volkslogger is approved up to
World Records.

Assuming anybody still cares about IGC...

or world records

On 13/11/2014 18:25, wrote:

The prayer or self healing method requires that you put the logger to sleep for several weeks until it looses its position completely. The older the logger is, the quicker this happens (due to the degradation of a non-replaceable battery in the GPS itself). When the logger is brought back up after several weeks or months, it will likely reconstruct the correct year.

I tried the opposite of this. I plugged it in, switched off the sound
warnings and left it on the window sill logging for a week. But VL did
not respond favourably.

Now I will put it away and try your recipe and put it away for a while.
Maybe one for week, then two, four, eight etc.... I just got that
mythical battery fully charged, must I wait for it to go totally flat again?

Ian

On 14/11/2014 01:25, Dave Nadler wrote:
On Thursday, November 13, 2014 6:19:27 PM UTC-5, Tim Newport-Peace wrote:
Nadler writes
A better option is replace the Volkslogger with a FLARM Core!
Far easier-to-use datalogger, and FLARM!

Depends.

FLARM is approved up to Diamonds only, but Volkslogger is approved up to
World Records.

Assuming anybody still cares about IGC...

I do...

I am running out of badges to claim. Next will have to be 1250km diploma
or a national record. Both are rather ambitious for me in my LS3a, so
there is no hurry. But both would need a VL level security logger. Maybe
I can start preparations in the meantime by praying the Volkslogger back
to life.

In the meantime will OLC accept logs recorded by my old (non-certified)
Swiss Flarm, or a PDA running XCSoar? I still have both of those
options. (FYI you can upload a file with an invalid date header to
Skylines, but not to OLC.)

What level of contest obliges the CD to insist on a digitally signed log
file? I have not flown anything above regionals in decades. If I were to
threaten to pitch up at a nationals could I negotiate with the CD to
accept non-signed log files? (Please sir, I fly in Africa and I promise
I wont trouble the top of half of the results sheet...)

What is the validity status of a digitally signed log file that just
happens to have a date header that is exactly 1024 weeks in the past?
Especially when it is backed by other evidence, like an identical but
unsigned log file from another device which has the correct date header.
This could evolve into a big appeal process for a top level pilot one
day. Maybe I could set a precedent in the meantime.

Finally any comments. Nano vs Colibri II. Any others devices I should
look at? (I have got a while to do my window shopping, the prayer
process will still take many weeks.)


Ian