'PAW/Nexus 7/Skydemon/Flarm' setup evaluation

[MikeD]

Apologies in advance if I'm going over old ground but I'm unable to get the correct info by searching the forum.

I managed to take my 'PAW/Nexus 7/Skydemon/Flarm' setup for an evaluation flight today and was thrilled with the results.  I had pre-arranged with  two experienced glider pilots and an even more experienced tug pilot that I would be joining them in some ridge soaring at varying heights and distances. 

My observations:

1. The PAW displayed a contact before the FLARM.  This is probably due to the FLARM software algorithm only showing potential collisions, otherwise in a thermal with many gliders (a gaggle) the FLARM would be going off all the time.

2. The Skydemon Icon for my aircraft was very prominent but the Flarm contact was just tiny black lettering and very difficult to identify.

3. On one occasion while 1000ft above and to the side of one glider I had a RED ring around my aircraft Icon for a short while, then it turned Green, then disappeared quickly. This may have been a Mode 'C' contact but I couldn't see anything.

Question:

Which system (PAW or SD) determines the Icon size and colour for the Flarm (bearingless) contact, can it be configured by the user?
I'm sure I seen someones Forum suggestion of a White Box containing the bearing-less contact info, would this be a future development option?

Please be aware that we have all been flying together at the same club for almost 30 years and have the utmost trust in each others abilities, it was pre-planned and we were in constant radio contact.  This kind of evaluation doesn't allow a single pilot to be constantly looking at the screen, so don't try this at home!  The safest way would have been using two experienced pilots but then I don't think item 2 (above) would have been such an issue.

All-in All, I'm very pleased with the setup. Well done.

[Admin]

Hi Mike

Great news this went well.
Whereabouts in the country did you conduct this trial ?

Thx
Lee

[Ian Melville]

Mike, welcome and to answer your question. It is SD that determines the size of the icon.

[MikeD]

Lee,

I'm based at South Wales Gliding Club, Usk. Between Newport and Monmouth.
My main ride these days is a Fournier RF5, Touring Motor Glider. G-BJXK.

Mike

[Paul_Sengupta]

Which system (PAW or SD) determines the Icon size and colour for the Flarm (bearingless) contact, can it be configured by the user?

Sky Demon. I believe Tim was going to make it configurable after some people asked for it. When I asked it was a "no". When several people asked it was thought about.

I'm sure I seen someones Forum suggestion of a White Box containing the bearing-less contact info, would this be a future development option?

That was my suggestion. Tim has said he doesn't want to do that, so...

Unless several people ask, maybe! 

Ah, Usk. Fly over Maerdy in the Rhondda. I'll put my PAW in the window. 

[exfirepro]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for keeping us updated on your tests. Please see comments below, based on extensive experience during testing of the PAW/FLARM Integration System:

Apologies in advance if I'm going over old ground but I'm unable to get the correct info by searching the forum.

I managed to take my 'PAW/Nexus 7/Skydemon/Flarm' setup for an evaluation flight today and was thrilled with the results.  I had pre-arranged with  two experienced glider pilots and an even more experienced tug pilot that I would be joining them in some ridge soaring at varying heights and distances.

The gliders were presumably equipped with basic FLARM 'only'  - i.e. FLARMMouse, Red Box, MiniBox or similar. What did the tug have ? e.g. Basic FLARM or PowerFLARM Core? Did it also have a transponder and if so what mode?

My observations:

1. The PAW displayed a contact before the FLARM.  This is probably due to the FLARM software algorithm only showing potential collisions, otherwise in a thermal with many gliders (a gaggle) the FLARM would be going off all the time.

2. The Skydemon Icon for my aircraft was very prominent but the Flarm contact was just tiny black lettering and very difficult to identify.

You are quite correct about your point 1, but I'm a bit confused about your 2nd point. FLARM contacts are NOT bearingless as the Flarm units transmit gps based positional information in the same way PilotAware's P3i or ADSB do. These should therefore show on SkyDemon as moving glider symbols, with their Callsign or ID and their Relative Altitude clearly marked adjacent to each one as per screenshots from my previous testing here...

http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php/topic,553.msg8475.html#msg8475  ....and elsewhere in that thread.

As Ian has advised, you can adjust the text size within SkyDemon - by clicking on the little 'layers' symbol next to the 'North' arrow near the bottom right of the screen - this was one of the changes I got Tim Dawson to implement for us last year.

3. On one occasion while 1000ft above and to the side of one glider I had a RED ring around my aircraft Icon for a short while, then it turned Green, then disappeared quickly. This may have been a Mode 'C' contact but I couldn't see anything.

The coloured rings denote 'bearingless' Mode 'C' or Mode 'S' contacts - if it was Mode 'C' this would be indicated next to the ring, together with the relative altitude of the contact. If Mode 'S' the callsign/ID of the aircraft would be displayed along with its relative altitude - hence my question about the equipment fitted to the Tug.

Question:

Which system (PAW or SD) determines the Icon size and colour for the Flarm (bearingless) contact, can it be configured by the user?

As stated above, FLARM contacts are NOT bearingless. Icon size and type is determined by the Nav System. In the case of SkyDemon, the icon type also denotes the type of aircraft - e.g. jet airliner, light aircraft, glider, balloon etc., though this is not an exact science as it depends on the aircraft registration being held in the system database. The colour of the icon is designed to change to indicate degree of risk of collision. This is partly set by PilotAware and partly by the Nav System.

I'm sure I seen someones Forum suggestion of a White Box containing the bearing-less contact info, would this be a future development option?

There have been suggestions to present aircraft information inside a white box, but there are significant reasons not to do so, for example increased obstruction of underlying information, which is why we instead went for the option to increase the visibility and size of the text instead. Since this change was implemented, I have had no problem whatsoever reading the text in an open cockpit (and I need glasses for close up work).

Please be aware that we have all been flying together at the same club for almost 30 years and have the utmost trust in each others abilities, it was pre-planned and we were in constant radio contact.  This kind of evaluation doesn't allow a single pilot to be constantly looking at the screen, so don't try this at home!  The safest way would have been using two experienced pilots but then I don't think item 2 (above) would have been such an issue.

All-in All, I'm very pleased with the setup. Well done.

Hopefully, once you adjust your text size, it won't be an issue for you either.

Regards

Peter
(Development Tester)

[MikeD]

Peter,

Thanks for the info, it's much appreciated.

The gliders were presumably equipped with basic FLARM 'only'

- Correct

FLARM contacts are NOT bearingless

-  Correct, my mistake. Thinking back, I did notice one of the contact displaying relevant info but when in close proximity to other aircraft I only had time to glance at the display, this is why I thought the white box suggestion was the way to go, it would grab your attention very quickly.

you can adjust the text size within SkyDemon

- Thanks for that information, I will adjust the setting and see how it shows next time.

The coloured rings denote 'bearingless' Mode 'C'

- you are correct. The mystery has been cleared up, it was the club CFI in his motor glider that has a mode 'C'.

In the case of SkyDemon, the icon type also denotes the type of aircraft - e.g. jet airliner, light aircraft, glider, balloon etc.

- I've checked my text size in SD and it was set at 80%, no wonder I had problems seeing things. I've now changed it.

Mike

[exfirepro]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the feedback. You will presumably have noticed that you can increase the text size up to 150% - which is the setting I now use and find completely fine.

Bear in mind that PilotAware is predominantly designed to warn of traffic at longer range than FLARM. Initially there is a tendency to watch the screen, but try to resist this and with use, you will start to pick up 'new' traffic on screen almost subconsciously as you glance periodically at it as part of your normal instrument scanning routine.

Regards

Peter

[Admin]

...there is a tendency to watch the screen, but try to resist this

Or even better, connect the audio
Thx
Lee