Whether it is legal or not to connect to the phone network doesn't affect the usage of XCSoar in it's current state. XCSoar will run quite happily in 'flight mode' for which support is baked into Android. Features like live METAR data downloading may well require phone/data access in the air, but usage of these features is not mandatory :)
I don't see why the FCC would have jurisdiction over us here in Australia or those in Europe. That article you linked seems to be about the legalisation of jammers for the purpose of preventing the otherwise legal use of cell phones. Interesting to see Telstra's take on it: "Mobile services on planes can work perfectly well by connecting to existing land-based GSM towers." "...in Australian airspace below 6,000 metres, where there will be plenty of conventional terrestrial service available." With regards to giving information to Google, it is quite possible to run XCSoar without a Google account. Download the .apk directly from the XCSoar website (http://download.xcsoar.org/releases/6.1.5/ANDROID/) instead of installing from the Google Market, and no Google account is needed. Many of the cheap Android tablets/phones haven't been given the Google 'blessing' and Google won't accept information or permit Market downloads from them anyway. While iPAQ's may continue to be okay for the meantime, there is no future for the platform... Kind Regards, -Matthew On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 11:22 AM, David Lawley <[email protected]> wrote: > The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently prohibits the use > of mobile telephones aboard any aircraft in flight. The reason given is that > mobile phone systems depend on channel reuse and operating a phone at > altitude may violate the fundamental assumptions that allow channel reuse to > work. > > > http://cspcentral.com.au/2009/01/in-flight-mobile-calls-a-step-closer-but-telstra-cries-foul/ > > The results of a quick Google search, for more try one yourself. > > Dave L > ________________________________ > Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:14:40 +0800 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Xcsoar-user] Xcsoar-user Digest, Vol 63, Issue 5 > > You don’t happen to have any references do you? > > > > > > > > From: David Lawley [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Thursday, 25 August 2011 8:06 AM > To: Ross, James; [email protected] > Subject: RE: [Xcsoar-user] Xcsoar-user Digest, Vol 63, Issue 5 > > > > Reg is correct, the illegality is uinder aust telecommunications laws. > > Nothing to do with CASA > > ________________________________ > > Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:43:55 +0800 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Xcsoar-user] Xcsoar-user Digest, Vol 63, Issue 5 > > Hi David, > > Searching through some CASA documentation (Civil Aviation Safety Authority, > Australian Government) to try and ascertain the legality of using a mobile > phone for the purposes of navigation and came across a document dated > September 2001 which basically states that the pilot in command can make a > determination if a PED (Personal Electronic Device) will interfere with > onboard nav systems (compass??). > > http://www.casa.gov.au/newrules/parts/091/download/ac091-050.pdf > > > > > > Quote: > > 5.1 Regulations. CASR 91.055 requires the operator and the pilot in command > to > > prohibit or limit the operation of a PED on board an aircraft if there is > reason to believe the > > PED may adversely affect the safety of the aircraft. CASR’s 91.050, 91.055 > and 91.1010 > > provides the pilot in command with the necessary authority to control the > use of potentially > > hazardous PEDs on board his/her aircraft, and obliges persons on board to > comply with > > legitimate safety instructions. > > 5.2 Operator/pilot determinations. The operator and/or the pilot in command > can > > make a determination as to the effect a particular PED has on navigation, > communication > > and flight management systems of the aircraft in which it may to be used or > operated. If it > > is safe and practicable to do so, pilots may be able to verify the source of > PED interference > > by observing if an interference event can be repeated by switching the PED > on and off, or > > by moving the PED to a different location in the aircraft. In doing so a > pilot would have to > > consider whether a PED would interfere under changed circumstances, eg. PED > > interference might only be experienced if a service signal was low.” > > > > > > > > .-. -.. - > > From: David Lawley [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, 24 August 2011 10:50 AM > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Xcsoar-user] Xcsoar-user Digest, Vol 63, Issue 5 > > > > IPAq's most certainly are cheap, I have at least 10 that are available for > $50 aust, and there are plenty on ebay for even less than that. I have not > encountered ANY of the poblems you mention very often, and have trained many > ordinary pilots to use them. I have yet to have any failiures inflight. > > Any equipment that is not well maintatined will present the issues you > describe, and the same problems could easily occour with these new devices. > > In Australia it is illegal to use mobile devices in the air, so there is no > advantage for us in that feature. > > Personally i will not buy any devie or use a service that gives my info to > Google, thanks. They already have far too much info on people now, but none > about ME. > > As to O/S I smell open source fanatic in the air on that subject. > > Dave L > >> Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:55:58 +0200 >> From: [email protected] >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: [Xcsoar-user] Xcsoar-user Digest, Vol 63, Issue 5 >> >> On Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:01:56PM +0000, David Lawley wrote: >> > I could not agree more, I have yet to see any reason to replace my >> > Ipaq'a for any of the current offerings. >> > > On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 12:33:56AM +0200, Tobias Bieniek wrote: >> > > > I have a Streak now since a few days ago and yesterday I was in the >> > > > bright sunlight with it for the first time. I was very impressed. >> > > > Never >> > > > seen any device/display like it, not even the old iPAQs... Even >> > > > though >> > > > it's discontinued now it's still available on ebay and other sites. >> > > >> > > I went flying with my HTC Desire Z in full sunlight. It works quite >> > > well, >> > > while its worse than the streak and i wouldn't give it a general >> > > recomendation, its useable and better than all the ipaqs. (The ipaq >> > > Era >> > > is really over now.) >> > > >> > > Samsung Galaxy SII btw. is also very readable in direct sunlight. >> > > >> > > - Folken >> > > >> > >> > And yet I find my HTC Desire totally unusable in any kind of sunlight, >> > even for making calls let alone using in the glider ! >> >> The HTC Desire Z has been released in 2010 September and is a different >> device compared to the HTC Desire. (Release >> date February 2010) >> >> > I use an HP 3970 still running ppc2000 and it works faultlessly with >> > xcsoar 6.1.2, the ipaq era is far from over.... there must be hundreds >> > still >> > out there working in gliders, running older versions of xcsoar, winpilot >> > and >> > seeyou. >> >> > We should be targetting these users and converting them to xcsoar 6 >> > rather then telling people they need 'new' hardware.. Glider pilots are >> > afterall notoriously 'carefull' with their money ;) >> >> See and this is a no-brainer with the android version. It just updates >> itself, if so desired. >> >> > IPAQs are.. cheap, reliable, low power, have good cradles, all in all an >> > excellent solution. >> >> Cheap: >> IPAQs go for more than 120 Euros on segelflug.de->kleinanzeigen. For that >> you can get several cheapo android devices. And you probably need a phone >> anyway. A dell streak 5 costs currently 230 USD on Ebay. >> >> Reliable: >> I see this in my club: constant issues with stuff blocking com ports, >> batteries that are dead, screen calibration that does not work, constant >> reconfiguration/reinstallation once the power has gone, baud rate >> issues, different versions work on different devices. >> >> And nevermind trying to sync one of these IPaqs with a windows 7. >> >> Sure these things can be managed. But that requires knowledge/discipline >> which seems >> not to be given with the average glider pilot, and is also uncessary as >> there are technological solutions for such issues. >> >> Power: >> Since any android phone can be charged from USB, its minimum charging >> current is 5V/500mA. Ipaqs use the same. >> >> Technology: >> Just having some sort of internet connection, makes it way easier to get >> tasks,airspace,metar,maps for your device. Also uploading to olc is >> simple, no swapping sd cards. >> >> Future additons could include an online pilot logbook, in which the >> entries include the gps track, pictures and video. >> >> With the IOIO-Board you can hook up to 4 serial devices. E.g. >> Electric Vario, Flarm and the VHF Radio. >> >> In additon there are ports and >> pins which could be connected to gear, flap and ballast switches. >> >> Additional buttons and even gauges could easely be controlled. (E.g. >> external Vario indicator) >> >> It also supports the one-wire-protocol, with which additional sensors >> such as temperature and humidity could be hooked up to it. >> >> One could use the TAS and the g sensors built into the phone to create a >> stall warner. >> >> The integrated compass could assist in wind calculation. (remember the >> 600 EUR compass addons for the LX-Series of Flightcomputers?) >> >> The IPaqs where good in their day. Overengineered and broadley >> available. But availabilty has been scarce as of this year. Its >> hardware resources are limited. Its operatingsystem should have died a >> thousand deaths years ago. >> >> Besides, with android, the project gets a lot more exposure. This means >> more users, more developers. More Bugfixes, more features, better tested >> and therefore more reliable software. Max recently reported that there >> where more than 5000 XCSoar installations on Android. >> >> So with all this in mind, i would not go for an ipaq. >> >> - Folken >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> EMC VNX: the world's simplest storage, starting under $10K >> The only unified storage solution that offers unified management >> Up to 160% more powerful than alternatives and 25% more efficient. >> Guaranteed. http://p.sf.net/sfu/emc-vnx-dev2dev >> _______________________________________________ >> Xcsoar-user mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xcsoar-user > > > > This electronic communication, which includes any files or attachments > thereto, contains proprietary or confidential information and may be > privileged and otherwise protected under copyright or other applicable > intellectual property laws. 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The electronic data should be verified > against the hard copy. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > EMC VNX: the world's simplest storage, starting under $10K The only unified > storage solution that offers unified management Up to 160% more powerful > than alternatives and 25% more efficient. Guaranteed. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/emc-vnx-dev2dev > _______________________________________________ Xcsoar-user mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xcsoar-user > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > EMC VNX: the world's simplest storage, starting under $10K The only unified > storage solution that offers unified management Up to 160% more powerful > than alternatives and 25% more efficient. Guaranteed. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/emc-vnx-dev2dev > _______________________________________________ Xcsoar-user mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xcsoar-user > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > EMC VNX: the world's simplest storage, starting under $10K > The only unified storage solution that offers unified management > Up to 160% more powerful than alternatives and 25% more efficient. > Guaranteed. http://p.sf.net/sfu/emc-vnx-dev2dev > _______________________________________________ > Xcsoar-user mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/xcsoar-user > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EMC VNX: the world's simplest storage, starting under $10K The only unified storage solution that offers unified management Up to 160% more powerful than alternatives and 25% more efficient. 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