PlanePlotter 6.5.7.7 Released

[Triple7]

From Bev:

Hi,

PlanePlotter version 6.5.7.7 is on the web site now.
http://www.planeplotter.com#download
There are options in the link for both current operating systems and for XP platforms.

---Usual boilerplate---
Updates are free to registered users.

You may need to exercise your browser Refresh function to force it to show you the new version of the PlanePlotter web page. If you post a message complaining that the web page is still pointing to an earlier version, you pay a forfeit - unless I forgot to update the web page, in which case I pay a forfeit!

You can install the new version over the old one but you *must* close/exit PlanePlotter before installing the new one. Nic's installer will warn you if PlanePlotter is still running when you try to install the new version. Your settings from the previous installation will be preserved.

If you have a version-specific firewall, you may have to reassure it that the new version is permitted to access the Internet. Be aware that increasingly, security systems treat any new file as a threat without any justification except that it is new. Please don't write to me about it; write to your security system provider and ask them to make their program smarter.
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Introduction

Most of the changes refer to the Beamfinder method and specifically to the tools provided to create the calibration file required for the Beamfinder function.  Beamfinder is a method of locating aircraft that are not transmitting position.  It is not as accurate as Multilateration (Mlat) but it does not require other Ground Stations in your area.  If you are far away from other GS, Beamfinder is the next best thing as it relies only on your signal reception and nobody else.

I should mention that Beamfinder requires the maximum performance from the receiver, in order to pick up pings that are close together.  I have found that the SBS-3, Beast and PlaneFinder receivers all give excellent results with the Beamfinder method.  In my experience, which you may not share, dongle-based receivers do not perform well in this application.

Existing users of the Beamfinder method need to be alerted to the fact that, unlike earlier versions, when creating the "radar.txt" precursor file, this release does not save the first draft of the calculated radar site position.  It only saves the data to file when you have decided exactly where the radar head is located and have performed Ctrl-click on the chosen spot.  It you don't do that, you will be disappointed that nothing has been saved to file.

The Help file entry for Beamfinder has been substantially rewritten to refect the new methodology but, as a picture is worth a thousand words, I have also made a (rather long) video (www.coaa.co.uk/Beamfinder.mp4) showing the complete process all the way from creating the reference file ("radar.txt") from scratch, to putting it to use within PlanePlotter.

There have been a stack of updates in the last few weeks and some of those have been superseded in the current release.  They are marked accordingly in what follows and are included merely for completeness.

New in version 6.5.6.6
Ping rate exclusion list for Mode-A pings for Beamfinder testing.

New in version 6.5.6.7
Align fiducials in "u" and "S" popup.
Brighten marks in "S" popup.

New in version 6.5.6.8
Ping rate exclusion list for Mode-S pings for Beamfinder testing.

New in version 6.5.6.9
Allow 64 Mode-A exclusions and 64 Mode-S exclusions independently for Beamfinder testing.

New in version 6.5.7.1
Radar site calibration add white spots for rho determination and orange circles for theta determination. (superseded)

New in version 6.5.7.2
Refined white spots for Beamfinder calibration. (superseded)

New in version 6.5.7.3
Beam analysis revised to choose estimated radar site using both beam angles and pulse ranges. (superseded)

New in version 6.5.7.4
Save the optimised ping rate, rather than the nominal ping rate, to the radar.txt file.

New in version 6.5.7.5
Manual optimisation of the ping rate (ctrl-mouse-wheel). (superseded)
Manual optimisation of the head rotation rate (ctrl-shift-mouse-wheel). (superseded)
Revised user interface.

New in version 6.5.7.6
Ping log now includes aircraft altitude for improved precision.

New in version 6.5.7.7
Beamfinder function completely revised. 

Enjoy!

Regards
Bev
COAA


Tim