My Log 2009

[dchainey]

One of the features I most wanted in the new software was the ability to view flight levels in My Log. I don't see a way of doing this at present. Can it be done?
For example, I was at KLAS the last couple of days, and it would be much simpler to be able to tell if G5 XXX had descended into KLAS, or was sailing over the top at FL47 while I was out getting dinner. If the first, I could go and look for it. If the latter, I wouldn't have to bother.
Thank you for implementing local times on my log, but it would also be very nice to have local times on the main screen grid.
One other point re My Log. I would prefer to have time first logged, time last logged, on the same sighting, rather than first logged some time in ancient history, and last logged today.
Or the ability to switch between the two methods, or both.

DaveC

[tarbat]

You should be able to see the start altitude and end altitude for any flights recorded against an aircraft.  But only if the aircraft had a Callsign.  You should also be able to see the start and end times for each flight as well.



Maybe the aircraft you're interested in didn't have callsigns?  In which case it's difficult for ANRB to know what a "same sighting" is.

[dchainey]

Surely all aircraft have a call-sign? It's the Mode S hex code. That's how others handle the problem.
For instance the SBS1 log program produces a report of (amongst others) time first logged,
initial flight level, time last logged, final flight level etc. I imagine these are all driven off the Mode S code.

[tarbat]

No, not all aircraft have a callsign entered into their Mode-S system.  Most do, maybe the one you're interested in (G5 XXX) didn't.

Each aircraft has a unique ModeS code, but each aircraft will undertake many different flights.   The example I gave was for an aircraft with ModeS code ABC651.  That aircraft flew many flights - NWA106, NWA105, NWA92, NWA33, etc.......

Without a callsign, ANRB cannot identify individual flights.  The SBS1 Basestation program attempts to create flights for those without a callsign.  Airnav instead chose to use the callsign to identify each flight of an aircraft.

Maybe request a system enhancement to get ANRB to create flights even when there's no callsign, but how would ANRB know when one flight ends and another starts?

[dchainey]

You have the Mode S code. On any one day, you have a time first picked up, and you have a time last picked up. Each set of these constitutes a "flight". It's easy enough to program last picked up as you can use a time frame, say 5 minutes, with no signals, to indicate this. You might get several data sets per Mode S a day, but so what?
I live in the States, and we get very few flight#'s programmed into the Mode S signal. In any case I don't really care. I want to know flight levels etc for the registrations, flight #'s are of little interest.

DaveC

[testmonkey]

I think I know what dchainey is saying.

In RB2008 a new log entry was created every time contact was re-established with a flight so therefore multiple log entries were being created for what was essentially one flight if contact was lost at any point. I asked for a feature request to deal with this along the lines of what was asked for above and was told that 2009 would deal with the problem by 'ignoring' any missing periods under 15 mins. Essentially we should end up with 1 log entry per flight but we don't seem to get any entries if no flight number is being recieved. This does make it impossible to record how many flights have been logged for an individual aircraft and I'm sure most users would accept that a missing time of less then 15 mins is an acceptable time period to class being the same flight. Any chance we could get the logging back in a future version for non flight number flights?

I've also spotted a problem in the logs for aircraft that do have a flight number. If the same aircraft is logged using the same flight number the EndTime is set for all those matching flights as that for the final day it was seen. Check the attached image to see what I mean.

[dchainey]

Testmonkey has it close, but not quite.

Take for example G5 N725MM, which flies between LA and LAS several times a day.
Currently My Log will show this as N725MM, first picked up 1969BC (or whenever it was), last picked up sometime today, with no altitudes or anything else useful.
If it flies back and forth 4 times, I would like My Log to show 8 entries (4 each way), with first and last times for each, and first and final altitude for each.
This is easily achievable from the Mode S code.

DaveC

[dchainey]

I do realize that this would lead to large db's if nothing else were done, but I would be quite happy to see this type of data wiped on a monthly basis, or a user desired basis.

DaveC

[AirNav Support]

We understand what you mean dchainey.

At the time of the request and during the extensive beta testing this wasn't mentioned to us hence we thought fair enough the customers do not want it and there logging the full ADS-B.

The Mode-S logging as you have explained though is sometimes not quite as easy as you have described. The reason is using RB you would usually pick up Mode-S signals first then ADS-B then Mode-S last as it goes out of range so the coding is not quite as easy as you mention.

Anyhow you request has been noted and we understand the advantages of having it.

[dchainey]

Thanks

DaveC

[Allocator]

As MyLog has now developed into a much more capable system, I'm sure that we will see more requests for specific features.  Whilst it will be good to get more development here, I think that we have to "keep our eye on the ball".  All the other logging type programs I've used have been just that - specialised logging programs.

It would be very nice if we were able to get all the relevant data out of port 30003 or 7879 and then some clever chap produced a flexible logging program that grabs this data and records it as required.  This is way beyond me, but I've seen similar systems.

Here's one for starters.  It didn't work with RadarBox last time I tried it, although the author was keen for it to be used with RB once the port 30003 data format was finalised.

http://jstars.altervista.org/

[testmonkey]

As MyLog has now developed into a much more capable system, I'm sure that we will see more requests for specific features.  Whilst it will be good to get more development here, I think that we have to "keep our eye on the ball".  All the other logging type programs I've used have been just that - specialised logging programs.

Whilst I agree that there will probably always be a need for specialised programs in all areas of what we are doing I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that the internal logging software deserves its far share of the development resource.

One of my reasons in choosing RB over the SBS-1 was that it's an 'in the box' package. I didn't want to have to buy a 'base package' and then add bits to it left, right and center to get it to do half the things I want. I see logging as very high on the list of important included features.

[Allocator]

That's fair enough, but are your logging requirements going to be the same as the next user?  If we could all agree on just what we want from a logging program, then that would give AirNav a direction to follow - otherwise, I can't see them investing a lot of time to satisfy the requirements of one person.

Maybe we need to start a new thread with a list of definite logging requirements?  At least that would give AirNav somewhere to start.

[dchainey]

I'd be surprised if I was just "one person". I'm an aircraft spotter, and the type of logging I requested is a minimum for our type of requirements.
I own both an SBS1 (which I use as a base unit at home), and a RadarBox, which I use while travelling. The RadarBox is ideal for traveling use, as it's small, sturdy, and very easy to center on your current position. The SBS is none of these, but it does produce the type of log we require.
Of course, it could be that spotters (estimated at 50,000 worldwide), buy the SBS1 for that very reason.


DaveC

[AirNav Development]

Dave: please send us a list of logging features you need. Describe each one with detail and we will add it to out to-do list.