AltOS 1.6.3 released & MicroPeak price reduction to $30

[keithp]

AltosDroid 1.6.3 has a bunch of new idle mode features. It's currently marked as 'beta'; let me know if you want to give it a try. It also fixes the install problem on device without USB OTG.

We've also reduced the price of MicroPeak to $30. Same great design, same rugged parts, new lower price.

 

[woferry]

Curious, what does "AltosDroid" actually do? Is this for using an android device as a flight computer? Or for getting data from an Altus Metrum device onto an android device (i.e. AltosUI for android)? Or...? Is it an app or an entire replacement OS? I don't see anything that says what AltosDroid actually is, only start of mentions of fixes for it in the 1.6.1 AltOS release notes but no mentions before that.

I only have an EasyMini so far, sounds like there's nothing in 1.6.3 that's needed there? Worth updating anyhow? I'm still running 1.6.1 as I never saw the 1.6.2 release until now. The 1.6.2 release notes mention a separate manual for the EasyMini, but I couldn't find it on the website (only the combined manual is linked from the EasyMini's page), any pointers?

 

[FredT]

Great news Keith, been waiting for idle mode in AltosDroid so I don't have to drag the laptop to the pad to reset the TeleMetrum in the upper stage.

I downloaded the Altos 1.6.3 windows installer package. Is the APK file in that, or is there another way to get it?

...Fred

 

[FredT]

I don't know if it's in 1.6.3, but it would be nice if the app (or at least its maps) can be moved to the SD Card.

 

[ksaves2]

Curious, what does "AltosDroid" actually do? Is this for using an android device as a flight computer? Or for getting data from an Altus Metrum device onto an android device (i.e. AltosUI for android)? Or...? Is it an app or an entire replacement OS? I don't see anything that says what AltosDroid actually is, only start of mentions of fixes for it in the 1.6.1 AltOS release notes but no mentions before that.

I only have an EasyMini so far, sounds like there's nothing in 1.6.3 that's needed there? Worth updating anyhow? I'm still running 1.6.1 as I never saw the 1.6.2 release until now. The 1.6.2 release notes mention a separate manual for the EasyMini, but I couldn't find it on the website (only the combined manual is linked from the EasyMini's page), any pointers?

Bill,

It's only for the GPS tracker and GPS tracking deployment devices they make and perhaps Keith can comment. AltosDroid allows one to bond to their receive station via B/T and perhaps through OTG but I'm not certain about OTG.
Google maps can be used live with a live internet link or a watermarked version of the maps which are very usable, can be cached in advance on a WiFi only Android device for off internet use.
Velcro a Tele-BT to a 5 or 7 element Arrow antenna and be in a pretty good position to track your rocket on a map in real time. This is the ONLY "easy" option to do that without the need for the internet. There are other ways but quite frankly
they're a bit involved to setup. I'll repost this example if you haven't looked at it already: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...-Mapping-Program-Update&p=1573624#post1573624 That program is doable but difficult for NMEA trackers.
Incidentally, the newer GPS devices from Altus Metrum send a simple digital data signal to their receivers AND concomitantly an APRS packet. This means if a Ham flier has already invested in an APRS ground
station, they don't necessarily have to buy an Altus Metrum receiver. They would be confined to APRS tracking once every 5 seconds (as is standard) and would be lacking all the data that the Altus Metrum receivers provide, but basic APRS GPS tracking is there. So, if a Ham Flier needs a GPS tracker smaller than a Beeline GPS, the Tele-GPS might fit the bill for them and they shouldn't be afraid to consider it. Kurt Savegnago

 

[ksaves2]

I don't know if it's in 1.6.3, but it would be nice if the app (or at least its maps) can be moved to the SD Card.

Fred, that unfortunately depends upon the Android ROM that is on your device. There's a pile of custom ROM's out there some of which allow one to do whatever they want, to move anything they want to wherever they want to.
I noted on an Android 4.4.4 device that it wasn't easy to move stuff to the MicroSD card.

Some examples of a custom ROM's for a Nexus 7 2013: https://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=flo

They are particular to one's device brand and a person has to get adept at flashing multiple ROM's using Windows utilities or the Linux version adb. It's tedious as heck to learn. I've bricked my N7 scores of times but type in the command on
Linux Ubuntu to move a "stable" ROM to a "bricked" device and I bring it back every time. Yeah, everything on it is wiped clean but I get to start over with setting it up.

The gist of this is it might not be possible for Keith or B'dale to pull off an easy user definable location map cache. I haven't explored this fully yet but when I get an .apk on a MicroSD card it looked to me that the install stayed on the card but don't hold me to it.
I have a couple of dual boot Android/Windows tablets I've been messing with but haven't hit the Android side as hard as the Windows side as I wanted to get the APRSIS/32 tracking system working as outlined in #5 above.
Kurt

 

[keithp]

Great news Keith, been waiting for idle mode in AltosDroid so I don't have to drag the laptop to the pad to reset the TeleMetrum in the upper stage.

I downloaded the Altos 1.6.3 windows installer package. Is the APK file in that, or is there another way to get it?

...Fred

It's in 'beta test' at this point, which you can join by going to https://play.google.com/apps/testing/org.altusmetrum.AltosDroid. I'll move it to release if I haven't heard any complaints in a week or so.

 

[keithp]

AltosDroid allows one to bond to their receive station via B/T and perhaps through OTG but I'm not certain about OTG.
They would be confined to APRS tracking once every 5 seconds (as is standard) and would be lacking all the data that the Altus Metrum receivers provide, but basic APRS GPS tracking is there.

Yup, OTG works great on devices that support it. And, the APRS interval is configurable. APRS also provides battery and igniter voltages along with GPS status in the APRS comment field.

 

[keithp]

I don't know if it's in 1.6.3, but it would be nice if the app (or at least its maps) can be moved to the SD Card.

I hadn't ever considered it -- my device doesn't have a separate SD card. It should be easy though; just another configuration parameter.

 

[ksaves2]

Yup, OTG works great on devices that support it. And, the APRS interval is configurable. APRS also provides battery and igniter voltages along with GPS status in the APRS comment field.

Problem with APRS is the packet formation/decoding time interval. If too short, the device might not be able to decode the packet in time before the next packet comes in. This can lead to no plotting if there there is collision.
Shortest APRS interval I've had success with reliably decoding is once every 3 seconds. This is where using a different telemetry encoding method works for higher rate decoding. Kurt

 

[keithp]

I only have an EasyMini so far, sounds like there's nothing in 1.6.3 that's needed there? Worth updating anyhow? I'm still running 1.6.1 as I never saw the 1.6.2 release until now. The 1.6.2 release notes mention a separate manual for the EasyMini, but I couldn't find it on the website (only the combined manual is linked from the EasyMini's page), any pointers?

There aren't any changes related to EasyMini in this release. I created a separate EasyMini manual but forgot to link to them from the easymini page. Thanks for noticing; I've fixed that now. https://altusmetrum.org/EasyMini/ has new links set.

 

[thomas]

Hey Keith,
it is great that you now can use the app to test igniters and restart the Telemetrum.
The App works so well I had never to use the Computer in the field, beside for testing igniters.

Btw. the App is not only for the Tracker. It gives you live telemetry of all the sensor data of the Altimeters.
No Product has changed my rocket experience as much as the Telemetrum.
You are standing at the flight line and know the status of your igniters and the altimeter.
You know how high the rocket is, if the apogee igniter has fired, how fast it is falling, which confirms drogue deployment. And you do not have to worry to find the rocket, because you get its position live in google maps.

 

[keithp]

Hey Keith,
No Product has changed my rocket experience as much as the Telemetrum.

Thanks very much for your kind words.

 

[Jimmy F.]

So what did I miss, clicked on the sign up to be a tester and it says you are a tester.
That was yesterday. 3 day launch this weekend so would like to get dialed in before Friday.
???

 

[thomas]

Normally you should get the update automatically if you are a tester and have AltosDroid installed, the version number schould change to 1.6.3
If that' not the case try reinstalling AltosDorid.

 

[keithp]

What device do you have? Sometimes there's some weird compatibility thing that the store picks up on which means it won't offer the newer version.

 

[Jimmy F.]

I am using
LG Optimus Elite
Android version 2.3.7
yeah I know, old school

 

[keithp]

Android version 2.3.7

That would explain it -- we couldn't keep supporting old versions of android; the current code requires API version 12 or better, which shipped in Android version 3.1.

 

[dhbarr]

Any ETA on MicroPeak USB 3.0?

 

[keithp]

Any ETA on MicroPeak USB 3.0?

As the updated design performs the same as the existing design, just in a smaller package, we're working through our existing inventory before we switch over. I bought a lot of USB cables and boxes...