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Updating of WX and NOTAMs on startup

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Spiros Economou
Posts: 14
Topic starter
Eminent Member
Joined: 5 years ago

Hi to everyone and happy new year! When i start the app it immediately starts to download meters, GAFOR weather, NOTAMs etc. If I wanted to download them manually later, what would be the way? It slows my map rendering a lot at startup when the updates are running.

Blue skies to all!

5 Replies
Posts: 452
Admin
Honorable Member
Joined: 6 years ago

Hi Spiros,

When you start EasyVFR for the first time on a day all NOTAM and Weather data is outdated. Indeed, during the data downloads/ updates, the map rendering can be temporarily slow. The updates shouldn't take long.

Our goal is to have all data in the download menu to download automatically (NOTAMs, METARs, TAFs, GAFOR, Advanced WX) using preset intervals, but also to allow the user to force ad-hoc updates. The download intervals currently used for the various items are:

  • NOTAMs hourly
  • METARs hourly
  • TAFs two-hourly
  • GAFORs hourly
  • Advanced WX 4 hourly.

Within each download interval, we consider half the interval time as "might be interesting to do a manual download", and we use the orange color for that.

  • So when an item is GREEN in that download menu, then it has been downloaded less than half the download interval time ago.
  • When an item is ORANGE then it's downloaded more than half the download time ago, and it might be interesting to force a manual download.
  • When an item is RED the download is longer the assigned interval ago, and EasyVFR4 should trigger the auto-download real soon (within a minute).

You can always update manually the data between the automatic update times by tapping the colored text in the Downloads Menu.

image

 

Currently, there is no option to disable the auto-download. However, when you do not have a wifi or fast mobile connection the auto-download will not start.

Does this make sense?

 

Cheers,
Tim

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Spiros Economou
Posts: 14
Topic starter
Eminent Member
Joined: 5 years ago

Hi Tim,

 

Yes, it does make sense. I fully understand the logic behind, but I would prefer to have an option to not download them automatically. Nevertheless I'm quite happy with what it is now, so it's just a suggestion.

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leif
Posts: 440
 leif
Beta tester
Prominent Member
Joined: 5 years ago

#metoo.  automatic downloads are wonderful just before a certain flight happens.  But all the planning and playing time it is useless.  I am using EV planning and playing far more than I am actually going to fly. 

Reply
Posts: 452
Admin
Honorable Member
Joined: 6 years ago

Hi Guys,

Thank you for the feedback on the auto-download behavior!

For the upcoming version, there is a disable [Automatic Updates] option in the [Downloads Menu] implemented.

image

Previous, EV4 did update every datatype after startup without considering its age. The upcoming version should always follow the below update interval schema when [Automatic Updates] is enabled.

We have also slightly improved the automatic download and coloring schema:

[table id=4 /]

Having [Automatic Updates] disabled does result in that you have to update every datatype individually by tapping its name in the [Downloads Menu]. You have to remember yourself to update manually every time you need to have the latest data available. If you want to stay on the safe side, you can always keep [Automatic Updates] enabled.

 

We hope you see this as an improvement. Of course, we will keep exploring methods to ease the update process further.

 

Cheers,
Tim

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Spiros Economou
Posts: 14
Topic starter
Eminent Member
Joined: 5 years ago

Hi all 

i just downloaded the updated version and disabled the automatic updates. This is exactly what I asked for! Also it seems that the app is much faster on my iPad mini 4. Map rendering is way faster than before. I'm very satisfied with what I have now. I'll try it tomorrow while flying to a nearby airfield.

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