I think a reasonable amount of time has passed since Ship Trax launched and now is the time to ask this question.
Does anyone know if Air Nav are honouring their commitment to sort out the bugs on radarbox? If so, which are the ones they are addressing first?
There is a list of reported bugs but it doesn't have any dates or priority scores:
http://www.airnavsystems.com/bugs/index.php?project=2&do=index
It may be incomplete and only one item is reported as being worked on.
If it were my business, I'd be keen to demonstrate to the RadarBox community that "work never stops" at AirNav and would be working hard to get a new release out ASAP.
Apart from honouring past commitments, there's now much more competition with cheaper receivers, free realtime aircraft tracking websites and phone apps and, dare I say it, PlanePlotter's Mlat and Beamfinder. Oh, and the main competitor has just launched a new receiver.
This is just my personal opinion, as I've no hard evidence, but I think Airnav's given up on the current Radarbox (perhaps due to the hardware's inability to provide the correct raw data for mlat?) and are putting their resources into its successor. Not that they'll ever admit that to us, the buying public.
I think there will only be community led improvements to the original box, such as dbpop, which aims at providing an accurate database.
So, rather than expect a major firmware update, I think we're going to be presented with a new box.
Quote from: Bethsalem on March 28, 2012, 10:03:08 AM
So, rather than expect a major firmware update, I think we're going to be presented with a new box.
You could be right as competitor receivers have moved ahead, such as The Beast and now the SBS-3.
The RadarBox can't provide quality data for PlanePlotter's Mlat let alone Beamfinder Plus and isn't as "sensitive" as the SBS-3 and doesn't include any radio functionality.
But even if a new RadarBox is on the way (the current model is being heavily discounted and given away to Russians) the outstanding software issues need to be addressed.
Let's hope AirNav will live up to its promise to address the software issues once ShipTrax was released?
Maybe Airnav is hoping that the Russians will be grateful enough for the freebies to come up with the required bug fixes. :)
;D ;D ;D
I'd like to see AirNav enforce it's 24x7 feeder agreement and recover the free RadarBoxes when the Russians disappear. ;)
;D ;D ;D
:)"Een Russia ve hav no vord for '24x7 feeder agreement'" :)
I'm beginning to think AirNav can't afford a new RadarBox release.
ShipTrax took over three years to come to market and my guess is sales are sluggish and new Mode-S receivers are taking a bigger share of the market.
Can AirNav afford the development cost of a new software release or, more importantly, a new receiver to compete with the Beast and SBS-3?
"AirNav
We're now a good six weeks on from the commercial release of ShipTrax, so I was wondering what progress has been made in respect of the assurances received, that we would see a switch in emphasis to address the outstanding issues with the RadarBox software, and development of new features, once ShipTrax hit the shelves?
So far it's all gone very quiet.
I notice the offer put forward of providing 50 free boxes to increase network covereage, and whilst I welcome this in part, it will only benefit part of the current customer base that use the network.
I'm sure the existing customers would rather see a concerted effort in fixing known problems, and/or expanding the current capabilities of the software?
I'd hate to think that the exercise of providing these free boxes could in any way detract from other priorities? After all, surely it's only a case of despatching the boxes, and the project will "take care of itself"?
Whilst I appreciate that you're not in the business of quoting time scales for RadarBox development, it would be nice to be kept informed of what's being worked on now that we've overcome the ShipTrax obstacle?"
"Rest assured the Dev team is busy at the moment with RadarBox work and other projects. There is a lot in the pipeline and things are moving along.
The 50 boxes has no affect whatsoever with development of other projects. Once we have news and start beta testing fixes we will announce on the forum."
http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=6870.msg78087#msg78087
At least we know Air Nav employees can cut and paste! :D
According to an unofficial AirNav spokesman, apparently we're going to get a completely new version of RadarBox. No idea when?
"If you go back over previous posts on the subject and the replies received from Airnav, they are completely rewriting the software as opposed to updating the current version."
http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=6909.msg78978#msg78978
"No idea when?"
Watch this space....getting dustier and dustier, with more and more cobwebs.
December 2009 last real update, so no breath holding anyone ;)
Quote from: Anmer on April 16, 2012, 10:38:48 AM
According to an unofficial AirNav spokesman, apparently we're going to get a completely new version of RadarBox. No idea when?
"If you go back over previous posts on the subject and the replies received from Airnav, they are completely rewriting the software as opposed to updating the current version."
http://www.airnavsystems.com/forum/index.php?topic=6909.msg78978#msg78978
Are they completely rewriting the software for a new piece of hardware?
I hope not because that doesn't help the many who have the current hardware who would need to shell out again to Air Nav for a new box!
Quote from: Sun Worshipper on April 16, 2012, 11:28:43 AM
I hope not because that doesn't help the many who have the current hardware who would need to shell out again to Air Nav for a new box!
But it might generate new sales and much needed revenue for AirNav.
Taking an optimistic view, maybe the "all-new RadarBox" software will work with the current receiver, will fix all bugs and deliver Mlat as promised years ago?
Would be lovely if it did, but going on AirNav's track record, it will be utterly incompatible and you will have to pay through the nose for "Son of RadarBox".
But with the sbs-3 and Beast being arguable the best hardware out there, a new RadarBox's selling point, to put it above the competition, HAS to be superlative software and a reliable, cheaper (if not free) network.
If it's not, then even if it's slightly better hardware than the others, who is going to buy it because of the terrible customer service reputation they've acquired over the last 3 or more years?
The RadarBox software has been a good selling point - lots of included features such as filters, routes, aircraft images, database etc. If Basestation had some of these and Mlat it would sweep the board.
But on scatching the surface, the AirNav software suffers badly from unresolved bugs and lacks the level of map customisation that Basestation offers.
The SBS-3 SDRs are a nice touch but I'm more interested in having a high quality receiver that delivers most contacts and, for those who want it, "raw" data for PlanePlotter's Mlat, Beamfinder and Beamfinder Plus.
RadarBox has a lot of catching up to do.
QuoteBut it might generate new sales and much needed revenue for AirNav
A tongue in cheek comment I hope! ::)
QuoteTaking an optimistic view, maybe the "all-new RadarBox" software will work with the current receiver, will fix all bugs and deliver Mlat as promised years ago?
Pray tell us what you are sniffing? ;D
A month since the last post on this thread, does anyone know if any development has taken place?
With Airnav, bitter experience tells me that silence usually equates to nothing doing.
I would be very surprised, having said what I've said, if there's been any further progress in re-writing code to eliminate the various bugs, which time and time again since 2009, have been pointed out to Airnav for their attention.
Their inability or unwillingness to engage appropriately with customer input means that they've been left behind and their RadarBox is now middling.
If Bev re-writes PP and gives it a modern interface, which I really hope happens soon, then there will be absolutely no reason ( in my opinion ) to buy a RadarBox.
Over to you Mr Brandao.
They still need to get the software to the beta testers. (when the next ANRB software version is written)
So it should be over 1 year before it gets released to the regular ANRB users.