| Newsletter
January
2006 |
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| 1.
Navigator version 2.00 |
| Three years after the release of the
Navigator version 1.00 |
| In the past three years I have developed
and improved the flyWithCE Navigator program from a simple
application displaying waypoints and airspace at the beginning
to a program that now offers several
advanced features. But the
core characteristic is still there: the program is simple to
use! This claim is sometimes misunderstood by prospective users
but in reality the program offers all the features most needed
in the air. |
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| Please remember: Ease
of operation remains the hallmark of flyWithCE Navigator! |
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I would especially
thank those pilots who have taken the time to help me improve
the program by sending suggestions and reporting problems. There
would still have been a Navigator program, but without those
valuable suggestions and the resultant program changes, a few
operating glitches would have remained as would a few annoying
bugs. (The problem that besets all software writers!) |
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| Free upgrade from version 1.00 |
| All users who have a registration key for Navigation version
1.00 can upgrade to version 2.00 without charge. You can install
the program over the old version of Navigator and the program
will correctly detect the registration. |
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| Free testing of version 2.00 |
| One of the unique features of the flyWithCE Navigator
program has always been its 30 days free test period. You can
download the program and register Navigator on the
FlyWithCE registration web site.
With the registration key inserted you can then use the new
version without restriction for 30 days; at the end of this
period I hope that you will wish to purchase the program! |
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|
Some of you registered
for the free trial of my earlier version and I am sorry to say
that another trial registration of this version is no longer
possible. However, with the release of version 2.00 all old
trial registrations will be deleted automatically but you can
get another trial registration of this new version so that you
can evaluate it on your PDA. Just go on-line to
FlyWithCE registration web site. |
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| 2. Moving
map |
| Elevation map rotation |
| There are several new features regarding the moving
map. The first one is that now elevation also rotates
with other map objects. In version 2.00 elevation map is
displayed on all three rotations (North, Heading and
Pan). |
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| You can also change the map type in the MC/BAL
window (which is displayed when you press one of the
MapText boxes or you can use the shortcut key). By
pressing the map button, the program will cycle between
map off, normal elevation map or differential map. |
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| Manual arrange and position
MapText boxes |
| The MapText boxes can now be moved around the
screen. In the Settings - MapText dialog window you
first have to enable "manual arrange" in the MapText
mode and you will then be able to drag the MapText box
to new position of your choice. |
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| Collision markers |
| One of the features is also collision icon, which is
displayed as red X placed on the map. Navigator tracks
possible collision in all three important courses
(heading, to selected waypoint and to next task
waypoint). Read more about this in one of the following
sections. |
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| Auto scale |
| One of the new features is an auto scale function.
In the scale window there are now two new settings in
the bottom - Waypoint and Task. If you select one of
these scale values, then Navigator will select the
relevant scales to enable you to have the selected
waypoint or next task waypoint displayed. |
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| Select waypoint from the
waypoint list |
| There is now a simpler way to select one waypoint
from the map when several waypoints are close to each
other. To do this you enable "Open Waypoint window on
select" on the Settings - General setup window and
Navigator will then open Select waypoint window to
enable you to select the required waypoint. |
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| 3.
Altitude over terrain and elevation graph |
| Terrain elevation |
| The new version of Navigator can calculate the
terrain elevation from the elevation map. With this
feature the elevation map adds several interesting
features to the Navigator program; for example, the two
new MapText boxes - AGL (above ground altitude) and Elev
(terrain elevation). |
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| Final glide over terrain |
| The final glide calculation has been updated.
Navigator can now detect if the final glide to a
selected goal is possible. If it is not possible, then a
red X is displayed on the map and the altitude shown in
the MapText box is underlined with a red line. |
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| Elevation graph |
| In the parameter window three elevation graphs can
now be displayed. You have to press once on the lower
half of the lift statistics/elevation graph to switch
between these two. When elevation graphs are displayed,
you can then switch between different graphs by pressing
the upper left and upper right quarter. The graph
themselves are self explanatory; for example a red line
will now be displayed when you will fall under 100 m
reserve altitude above the terrain. |
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| 4.
Safety features - Altitude alarm |
| Safety features |
| Several safety features are built in Navigator and
they are listed on the
Navigator Safety features web page. |
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| Altitude alarm |
| High altitude wave flights are
more and more popular and because of this the correct
use of the oxygen equipment is essential. The altitude
alarm in Navigator gives a reminder to the pilot when
the maximum safe altitude is exceeded and oxygen
equipment should be used. |
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|
By pressing
the Later button the Navigator altitude will be set to
remind the pilot again in 2 minutes time. |
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|
The oxygen
button will disable the alarm until then next time the
maximum altitude is exceeded. When this happens the
alarm will be displayed again. |
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In the dialog window three
parameters are displayed:
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- maximum altitude (for
activation of the alarm) |
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- current altitude |
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- time spent flying above
the maximum altitude |
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| 5.
Simulator mode - Centre position |
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Users of the new Navigator program should naturally learn to use the new
software before their first flight with it and the simulator feature is
useful tool for doing this. In the past the initial position was
determined by the contents of the waypoint database. Start position was
in the centre of the waypoint database. In new version of Navigator the
user can enter the start position manually and by doing this every
simulation will start from this position. |
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| 6.
Installation procedure |
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The installation is simple - download the Navigator to the PC, connect
the Pocket PC to your PC and run the installation. After the
installation most of the settings you have set up before will be
preserved. The only setting that you will have to update is the MapText
boxes. You will have to select which parameters you would like to see on
both the Map and the Parameters screen. Later you can also reposition
them on the screen as described already. |
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| Back to flyWithCE home
page. |
