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soarAK
Pulcino
USA
74 Posts |
 Posted - 27/10/2011 : 01:19:33
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I remember when MIO 400 showed up. Many said it was better than the 310/314 especially with polarized glasses. I bought it and it was disappointed to find out the screen washed out badly with and without polarized glasses. It was much worse than the 314. I have seen many different PNAs but the 314 is by far the best for now.
Paulo can you take a picture of this unit right next to the 314 at max back light on both? |
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soarAK
Pulcino
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 01:38:54
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By the way times of PNA are slowly over. TomTom announced that they will exit the market and concentrate on working auto manufacturers only.
The smart phones are taking over and they are killing PNA market. The problem for us is that the smart phones don't run windows. Our choices are going to be very limited soon.
The other devices are all much larger and difficult to fit in a glider. |
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Coolwind
Moderator
Italy
7471 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 01:39:06
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I had both the 314 and the MIO. I dropped the HP and kept the MIO, and still believe that twisting the screen will make better results on the MIO than on the HP. However, I also have friends that kept the HP because of higher resolution, speed, and brightness.
The picture in the previous message is showing an HP314 full brightness, a MIO400 full brightness and the new PNA. They are all full backlight on.
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icenix
Pterodattilo
Switzerland
915 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 08:26:20
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I was with Paolo when he shot the comparison photo.
My 2 cents:
The new PDA is brighter of both HP314 and MIO400. There is not such a big difference but the new one is better.
The 5' screen is too big for its actual resolution, they must bring it to 800*480.
Talking about dimensions, in landscape mode the new one is as high as HB314 but 3/4 cm larger. Much more thin, let's say half size.
By the way, between HP314 and MIO400 I prefer by far HP.
If we look at future, PNA and PDA will be history. Future are smartphones with everything well integrated inside (and microUSB connection). Actually Android is the only operating system we can think of for our software. iOS is too locked and Windows mobile is....lost in traslation. |
Roberto Nivini -- HB-1942 V1
ACAO Calcinate |
Edited by - icenix on 27/10/2011 08:28:11 |
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nattila
Pulcino
Hungary
43 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 08:39:59
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I would never use LK on my phone. My phone is dedicated for emergency calls while i am flying. I think that is a bad option to istall LK to your only phone device. :/ |
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icenix
Pterodattilo
Switzerland
915 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 08:59:18
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I didn't say I will use my personal phone.
Probably we will have and android smartphone with a big bright screen dedicated to LK, in airplane mode.
Look here http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/htc-sensation-xl/#specs, no PNA can compete with this 4.7 screen.
In few years all cars and maybe also moto will have navigator integrated in cockpit. I don't think industry will go on building PNA just for glider pilots and our units will seem very poor HW in 2-3 year from now.
If you think about, we already use things that are not more on the market. HP314 was a disaster on market and disapperead in a second. MIO400 was successful but is gone. We can find this PNAs just on ebay. If something goes wrong (and they are not designed to last forever) your unit is gone and no replacement is in sight.
This is a good point for the very expensive Oudie, it simply exists and you can find it easily.
It's simply time to start to move to the next generation of HW. Actually we are not in hurry but we will be. |
Roberto Nivini -- HB-1942 V1
ACAO Calcinate |
Edited by - icenix on 27/10/2011 09:10:31 |
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wolf_pg
Falchetto
Czech Republic
148 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 09:33:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Coolwind
This is a preview of the PNA kindly sent to me by Lawrence.
Excellent work, Paolo, really.
Well, this is ODITECH unit.... interesting model, really.... but my fears about sunlight visibility were confirmed.... |
wolf
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SOL paragliders and Holux aero GPS distributor
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begis
Pulcino
27 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 09:59:28
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quote:
Originally posted by nattila
I would never use LK on my phone. My phone is dedicated for emergency calls while i am flying. I think that is a bad option to istall LK to your only phone device. :/
Well of course, it is important to always have backup. But I won't be so strict saying never LK in main phone device. Why? GPRS! Why GPRS? Actual meteo data, sat images etc...
Thus I fly with my main phone device operating LK, old stupid cell phone without SIM card in pocket in case of total battery drawn of my main device after outlanding...
And as mentioned above - Android shortly will be the only possibility to run LK on a new device. |
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wolf_pg
Falchetto
Czech Republic
148 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 10:09:21
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quote:
Originally posted by icenix
I didn't say I will use my personal phone.
Probably we will have and android smartphone with a big bright screen dedicated to LK, in airplane mode.
Look here http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/htc-sensation-xl/#specs, no PNA can compete with this 4.7 screen.
I am not sure if smartphones will be good solution for flying purposes.....as I checked situation on IFA fair (one of largest electronic appliances ones in Europe) phones, smartphones included, are not orientated for minorities in use, like as "small aircraft industry". chance, that ANY smartphone will be equipped with some pilot friendly display is very close to zero....
quote:
In few years all cars and maybe also moto will have navigator integrated in cockpit. I don't think industry will go on building PNA just for glider pilots and our units will seem very poor HW in 2-3 year from now.
agreed basically....but "car navigation" was not suitable for pilots at all from very begining, it was way out of poverty in fact....but Garmin GPS position remained ironclad (in paragliding market especially).....what is visible is great step in specialized outdoor GPS units, where advanced technologies were/are used (transreflective displays, energy management, resistance against shock and humidity, etc.)....
quote:
If you think about, we already use things that are not more on the market. HP314 was a disaster on market and disapperead in a second. MIO400 was successful but is gone. We can find this PNAs just on ebay. If something goes wrong (and they are not designed to last forever) your unit is gone and no replacement is in sight.
This is a good point for the very expensive Oudie, it simply exists and you can find it easily.
It's simply time to start to move to the next generation of HW. Actually we are not in hurry but we will be.
...yes, agreed.
my opinion is that outdoor units with good sunlight visibility 3,5"+ size display, connectivity to other flight instruments and suitable CPU power output will be serve for 2-3 years horizon.
it is possible, that meanwhile will come "tactic" or "industry" tablets, which have large 5" - 10" TRANSREFLECTIVE displays now, but they are expensive at this moment, two examples followed:
http://www.bdatech.com/
http://www.drsarmor.com/x7_spec.php
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wolf
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SOL paragliders and Holux aero GPS distributor
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soarAK
Pulcino
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 12:48:55
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Paulo, if you could take the HP and the new device picture in direct sun that would be nice.
Smart phones are becoming little computers and they will have best screens in the future because that is the biggest market. The market for outdoor devices is smaller market and the investment will be much smaller.
For now some hope in the new Nokia 800 phone based on Windows and AMOLED screen.
FunTrek seems to be good but at the current screen size it is not attractive. |
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Coolwind
Moderator
Italy
7471 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 13:30:39
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I think that using your own phone for flight navigation can be a problem.
When you re in emergency you need your phone, not your navigator. A standalone phone should exist aboard, ready to call a number.
This said, no doubts new smartphones have better screen and fast processors, but their prices are still too high.
For the price of a nice smartphone, which will be outdated in a few months, one can buy a commercial flight-dedicated device.
In any case, since september I have started reorganizing the LK code base and a cleanup, aimed to prepare the code base for porting to linux-android. As I said many months ago, this was in the timeline for LK.
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soarAK
Pulcino
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 13:48:32
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Great news on porting to Android Paulo!
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Edited by - soarAK on 27/10/2011 13:49:55 |
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davesalmon
Pterodattilo
United Kingdom
901 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 13:51:25
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| I don't know what happens in mountainous regions, but I once tried my phone in the air. No signal at 2000 ft, some signal at 1500 ft, signal at 1000 ft. My understanding is that the signal from masts is polarised horizontally, so that it is unlikely to be picked up at height. however if masts are sited on mountains, that would be different. |
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icenix
Pterodattilo
Switzerland
915 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 14:05:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Coolwind
.............
For the price of a nice smartphone, which will be outdated in a few months, one can buy a commercial flight-dedicated device.
.........
An outdated nice smartphone is what a great part of us have...or can have with a very little effort. |
Roberto Nivini -- HB-1942 V1
ACAO Calcinate |
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Allan Broadribb
Aquilotto
USA
235 Posts |
Posted - 27/10/2011 : 15:25:34
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| The signal from phone towers is directional. Generally speaking in lowlands it will be directed horizontally while those masts on mountains will have the signal directed downward. I doubt that many companies actually put phone antennas on mountains unless there are many people living in the area. |
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Topic |
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Sunlight readable Screens