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Question Why did we get rid of the xx nm marker on the leading track lines?

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Heli.Lamb
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EV3 had a useful 10nm text next to the marker. We seem to have lost it in EV4.

This has been a long term irritation of mine when using sky demon (they shows marks but no distances)

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Stewart Buckingham
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One man's useful mark is another man's screen clutter! Overall, I think new users complain more about too much screen content rather than not enough, but I suppose a few small ticks don't take up too much space. IIRC the marks in EV3 were actually time markers rather than distance markers but I may be wrong on that.

TBH I suspect it's at least as likely to have been an accidental omission rather than a deliberate "screen simplification" choice, but at least raising it here will get it (re)considered!

 

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Heli.Lamb
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Posted by: @deeahbtinternet-com

One man's useful mark is another man's screen clutter!

Very true!

I can't check now as I am not moving but I'm pretty sure EV3 used to say nm rather than min. Just 1 of them had the label.

They don't need to be there but then you have to rely on remembering what each of the marks mean and also be certain that they have not scaled as you zoom (SD certainly used to do this!)

I found it very useful for quick position reports and very rarely found the writing got in the way.....but others will think the opposite I am sure.

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leif
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 leif
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I am happy with the 10min. heading line that is displayed.  Every 2mins has a line, and depending on your GS this also serves as a distance indicator.

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Distance, not time, marker for me please.

 

Alan

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Heli.Lamb
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@emailalanradford-co-uk

Agreed. Time is next to useless for me.

Position reports are always given as a distance rather than time.

Also, as speed can vary so much (0 to 140kts ish), time is too much of a variable to be of much use.

 

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leif
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Posted by: @andrew

Also, as speed can vary so much (0 to 140kts ish), time is too much of a variable to be of much use.

The variable is not time, it is the speed !

A 10 NM range circle is not useful at speeds near 0 nor far above 140. 

 

 

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Heli.Lamb
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Posted by: @leif

The variable is not time, it is the speed !

A 10 NM range circle is not useful at speeds near 0 nor far above 140. 

Correct, the variable speed makes the time change and therefore time becomes a variable. It is constantly recalculated by the software based upon the GNSS derived speed and so have a proportionately liner relationship. They are also slightly delayed behind the speed changes of the a/c.

I'll give you examples: filming/photography shoots inside busy airspace where airspeeds vary from the hover to about 60 kts and often result in orbits but ATC still want position reports in terms of a distance. Both hands are busy so not possible to touch the screen. The distance marker is a quick reference of scale/zoom level. Students/test candidates conducting "confined area" recce will often vary speed from 40-80....again position reports become a challenge but also keeping a legal/safe distance from known restrictions/objects more of a challenge. Not to forget the influence of a 35kt wind (on time) when operating at relatively low speeds.

As for above 140...not many helicopters can! However at that speed I still report my position as a distance even when I am 20nm away. It's easy to extrapolate a 10nm marker to estimate 20nm.

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Stewart Buckingham
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Of course there are always alternative ways to assess distance:

(1) the map distance scale bar (now positioned on the righthand edge of the screen); or

(2) a two-finger tap shows the distance (and heading) between any two points. (A 3-finger tap - place first finger on teh screen and leave it there, place second finger and also leave that on the screen, touch screen with third finger - will give distance and heading for two such legs.)

(But I appreciate that for RW flying, a spare hand to touch the screen with is a luxury not always available!)

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Heli.Lamb
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@deeahbtinternet-com 2 finger and 3 finger touch is brilliant but rarely usable in a heli to be honest. Yes the scale bar is also good, mine is down at the bottom in windows and down the side on Android.

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