Home > PC Software
/ PDA Software
> StrePla > pocket*StrePla
pocket*StrePla
pocket*StrePla is a fantastic
companion to StrePla flight
planning and review software. All the maps displayed in StrePla
can be easily downloaded to the Pocket PC for use in pocket*StrePla.
Below is a summary of the key features of pocket*StrePla. For
more details I recommend downloading the
Manual.
pocket*StrePla
Click on the images below to view larger versions. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Pocket
PC |
Turnpoints & SUAs Only |
Vector
maps with cities,
lakes, rivers, roads
and topographical data |
Sectional Aeronautical
Charts |
Satellite Image Maps |
Awesome Maps
Like StrePla, pocket*StrePla can display a wide variety of
map types - see the list below. Every pilot will prefer a
different level of detail - StrePla and pocket*StrePla
make it easy to use any level you want. You can
download either Vector Maps, Sectional Aeronautical Charts, or Satellite
Image Maps. You cannot download all 3 at the same time - you must
choose between them. However, in flight you can easily toggle the
selected maps on and off at the press of a button. That way you can
view the detailed maps when you want more detail and view only turnpoints
and SUA data when you want to focus on the task you are flying.
- Waypoints and Special Use Airspace
data only - great for easy viewing in the cockpit due to high
contrast.
- Vector maps - Topographical data and
rivers, lakes, cities, etc. A nice compromise between no maps, and
the extreme detail of Sectional Aeronautical Charts.
- Sectional Aeronautical Charts - Exactly
the same as the printed charts you are used to flying with. Very
nice! The ability to display US Sectional Aeronautical Charts is a unique
feature that no other soaring flight software offers. I find
them a bit overwhelming for use all the time, but it is nice to be able
to turn them on when you want them.
- Satellite Image Maps (not available
for all areas). Very cool for viewing flight logs in 3D in StrePla after the flight, but I'm not sure how useful they would
be in flight. As with Vector Maps and Sectional Aeronautical
Charts, satellite maps may be turned off at the press of a button.
In-flight Optimization
This unique feature is very nice if you like to fly "free"
(non-declared) tasks for records or the
aerokurier Online Contest.
As you fly a triangular flight the software automatically calculates
achieved distance and displays a region in which
the 2nd turnpoint must be made to assure a valid triangle with no leg
less than 28% of the total distance. For the Online Contest it
displays the achieved free distance and updates it as you fly.
This is a very cool and unique feature.
Synchronization
Once you create your list of possible tasks in
StrePla it is very
easy to transfer all waypoints, routes and maps from StrePla on
the PC to pocket*StrePla on the Pocket PC. This is a very
handy feature. I have created a long list of possible tasks for my
home airport in StrePla. They are all downloaded into pocket*StrePla
so I am ready to fly any of the tasks at any time.
Reachable Airports Highlighted
Final glide to nearby airports is displayed on the map. The
display makes it easy to quickly determine whether you can make it to
nearby airports or landing fields. If the final glide number is
highlighted in red, you are below glideslope. If it is highlighted
in yellow you can make it, but you will be below your desired arrival
altitude. If it is highlighted in green you will arrive at or
above your desired arrival altitude. pocket*StrePla uses
wind and polar data to determine the optimum glide speed and MacCready
setting to get you to the airport with the maximum altitude. These
values are displayed on the screen. That is ideal when you are low
and need to know if you can make it there.
Data Display Thumbnails
pocket*StrePla offers allows you to configure which of the small
data "Thumbnails" to display on the map. You can configure 3
different collections of thumbnails and quickly toggle between them by
touching the top left of the map screen. That makes it easy to
access a wide variety of information without covering the entire screen with
thumbnails. I really like this feature!
Graphical Route Editing on the Pocket
PC
You can edit routes on the map right on your Pocket PC before you
take-off. Valid FAI turnpoint areas are displayed. That is
great because you don't need to bring your laptop to the airport.
I use this feature to create tasks oriented to the current wind conditions
and thermal strength. I also use it to find the shortest possible task
to achieve the goal for the day. For example, I enjoy flying for state
speed records. I can create a 100, 200, 300, or 500 km triangle task
with a very short 2nd leg that is oriented into the wind. That way I
can use cloud streets to make progress upwind in the strongest part of the
day. pocket*StrePla displays chevrons that indicate the valid area for
turnpoints so that the 28% rule is met. It also displays arcs for the
total task distance. I just drag the 2 turnpoints so that they are
inside the chevrons and outside the arc for the desired task length (100 km
for example). I use pocket*StrePla to create the task on the
Pocket PC and also use pocket*StrePla to send a task declaration to
my Cambridge 302A. I then fly the task as fast as possible.
New Features in Version 2.00L
Many small, helpful changes that have made flying with pocket*StrePla even
more pleasant!
- Competition model added. This contains:
- departure procedure (line, cylinder,
etc.),
- Assigned Area Task (AAT) support
- estimated time of arrival (ETA)
- Vertical and horizontal airspace
warning in the traffic-light logic already known from
pocket*StrePla. Green - far away enough-. Yellow - careful, it's
getting tight. Red - too late, the competition day is over.
- Constant distance display
- The program can be started from the
memory card. This is very important, since all PDA's "forget" everything
if they have not been charged for 2 weeks. Three clicks, and
pocket*StrePla will be installed anew from the memory card.
-
Direct communication (at present:
Cambridge, LX20, LX5000, Posigraph, Colibri, Volkslogger) is now
also available for pocket*StrePla. Declarations can be loaded from
the PDA to the flight recorder and finished flights can be read from
the flight recorder. No need to take the laptop to the aircraft. The
PDA is enough.
Flight Replay
pocket*StrePla can play back any IGC flight log file. That is
extremely handy for helping you learn the software while on the ground, and
for replaying your flight after you land.
Recovery from Reset
This is a unique feature. If the Pocket PC is reset during the flight,
pocket*StrePla can recover all the flight data from a file and continue
where it left off. That means that all flight statistics are available
as well as optimizations, flight track and barogram trace.
Automatic Re-Install
If you let the battery run down on your Pocket PC you would normally have to
re-install your soaring software using a PC. No so with pocket*StrePla.
If you store the executable file on a CF or SD memory card and run it from
the memory card, pocket*StrePla will recognize that it is not
being run from the Pocket PC memory and will re-install the software
automatically.
StrePla
StrePla is used to generate the turnpoint, airport, SUA and map files
used by pocket*StrePla and is therefore required if you want pocket*StrePla
to display detailed maps. The airport and SUA data files are simple
text files that could be created or downloaded from the internet without
StrePla. If you are interested in pocket*StrePla for the
in-flight optimization and don't need the detailed maps, you can create or
download airport and SUA data files without the need for StrePla. I
imagine that most pilots will see the value of StrePla and
purchase it in the long run. There is a discount of $40 for purchasing both
StrePla and pocket*StrePla at the same time so it is
recommended that you buy them together from the start. The discount
does not apply if they are not purchased at the same time.
Try StrePla for 30 Days - Free
Download the StrePla program installation and maps from the
Downloads page and try it
for up to 30 days. It is fully functional during that time. Once
you are convinced that you are ready to purchase StrePla you can order
a license file from the
Price List page. The license file is the key to running the program
after 30 days.
pocket*StrePla -
Free Demo
pocket*StrePla
is also available for free
download and testing on your Pocket PC. It
is fully functional, except that it doesn't allow you to access data from a
GPS until you purchase a license file. It does allow you to test the software by replaying existing
IGC flight log files. Customers who want to try both pocket*StrePla
and StrePla (highly recommended) need only download the full version
of StrePla because the download file includes the installation files
for pocket*StrePla. pocket*StrePla can be installed on
your Pocket PC from within StrePla by accessing the "Extras" menu and
selecting "pocketStrePla / Transfer Program to PDA".
If you don't want to download the entire
StrePla demo you can
download
pocket*StrePla only. If you do that I recommend that you
download the demo files below and copy them to the "pS_Data" directory on
your Pocket PC. They are airport, airspace, and map data files and a
Demo IGC flight log file of a 200 km state record flight. Copy them
onto the Pocket PC after you install pocket*StrePla. If you do it
before installing pocket*StrePla, the files will be overwritten with other
files.
Demo Files
airport.txt,
airspace.txt,
Demo.IGC,
pStrePla0.map,
pStrePla1.map,
pStrePla2.map,
pStrePla3.map,
turnpoint.txt
Free Upgrades
Purchasing pocket*StrePla entitles you to 1 year of free upgrades. The
upgrades are available as downloads from the web site.
Licensing
Licenses for pocket*StrePla are tied to the internal CPU-ID.
The CPU-ID is displayed by pocket*StrePla at start-up. The
CPI-ID is not the same as the serial number printed on the back of the
Pocket PC. If multiple Pocket PCs are used in a single glider, each
Pocket PC must have its own purchased license.
Pocket PC Tips
Pocket PCs are amazing devices. They offer a lot of processor power and a
user-friendly touchscreen user interface in a small package. A large market
keeps the prices relatively low. However, there are
some things you need to know when you start using a Pocket PC.
Reading and following the directions in this document will save you many
hours of frustration at the airport and will help assure that your Pocket PC
is ready for the big flight when you are. Every time you buy a new Pocket PC
you should go through this document with the Pocket PC in hand.
Pocket PC Tips.pdf
|
