The problem is the limitations of the 4 or 5 button interface. The hardware to implement this is dirt cheap. In general when you have to do lots of button pushes to change a value(like selecting a turnpoint from a list) a rotary encoder is a better input device.
The other problem is large turnpoint lists. If you have 1000 to 1500 points the database becomes unwieldy and the usual way of handling is to put the cursor on the first character, change to the first character of the name you want, the machine then only displays the names that begin with this then repeat for the second character. If you have fewer than 100 points this gets you to a unique name. 1000 points requires only 3 characters.
With competition databases where 50 to 80 points ought to be sufficient the numbered turnpoints are quicker to select with the 4 or 5 button interface. However if the input device is a rotary encoder simply scrolling through is easy and quick and the advantage of turnpoint numbers leading the name disappears and becomes irrelevant .
Something I found a little surprising was how valuable having multiple turnpoint databases resident in the instrument is. Particularly when you can change from one to the other on the fly without a power cycle. We just put the latter feature in the B600/B800.
You can make the task for the day and only those points one complete database (B, C and D tasks too). This should be possible for any instrument whose database architecture is organised like this.
In any case most of this turnpoint handling is now done on the ground and with SD cards can be done in the comfort of the briefing room. Unless POST tasks are brought back.
When constructing arbitrary points, this can easily be done in Google Earth. If you are worried about flying to somewhere that is in the middle of a paddock or forest just choose a nearby farmhouse or road intersection as the point. It may not have a name that you know so just give one.
Oz Runways lets you create custom points anywhere. Great software. We just did our first major trip away with it.
Mike At 09:16 PM 11/01/2014, you wrote:
I have a big preference for waypoints which use a full name, something you can look up on a map and also waypoints which are real waypoints, not some arbitrary coordinate. If you have an app which displays waypoints and which show a map or satellite image which marks the coordinate associated with the waypoints, you can easily check that the coordinate is correct the pin or marker sits on some real feature like an airstrip, silo, township etc. or can be adjusted to fit. If it's just an arbitrary point, it's impossible to check because there is nothing to see on a map. I only recently flew a task like this and most of us were unsure if we'd rounded the point or not. In this case it was because the old airstrip had overgrown but it proved the point. If you are flying long distances towards some remote airstrip, you can use some program like Ozrunways in the air to check but only if there is a real location you're aiming for. If it is just a virtual, meaningless coordinate then you are out of luck. Sure, I have the advantage of using a glide computer which displays the full name and can store an almost unlimited number of waypoints, but even so, humans find names are a lot easier to work with in almost all cases than an alpha numeric code. And I don't believe that the accuracy of waypoint lists should be compromised so that short and meaningless alpha numeric codes are used because some old or cranky glide computers are slow to operate and won't accept full names. It's like tying the world to the old MS Dos 8.3 filenames in a world where filenames can be intelligent. It is amazing how many waypoints on "official lists" are wrong but if they are just arbitrary points, there is no way of checking with any software or map and it is hardly surprising. D _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
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