Featherweight software

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
my iphone 8 plus display is cutoff using the app
View attachment 485077
What part is cut off? That matches my screen pretty closely, except maybe a couple of pixels off the right edge. But all the info is visible. I agree it could be prettier, but I don’t see that any actual data is missing. A screenshot would be more accurate.

Tony
 
my iphone 8 plus display is cutoff using the app

John - I just sent you an email with a build to see if it addresses this. The development environment for the iPhone is supposed to have features to let one left and right justify stuff (constraints) but I have found that I need to do it in code by hand if I want it to work across multiple display sizes. the build I sent you has fixes that will be in the next update. [I also have an iPhone 8 plus that I was able to test with.]
 
Since the “demo” audio mode isn’t executed as an actual test mode, there isn’t any way to do a trial ground test to determine if everything is being done right, except during an actual launch.

Dan, I just did a SIM flight with my tracker, and as long as you have a ground station paired with it, the voice should work as expected. [although you can run a SIM on the tracker and download the data, to really run the SIM, you should have it paired with a GS as it then tests the full path from TRK->GS->Phone as this latter path is what provides tracking and voice.]
 
From my experience, you must be in the Track menu at the start of flight for voice reporting. If you change screen during flight, you lose voice. Kind of trivial to me. All I want to know is how high my rocket went and where it’s at when it’s on the ground.


That’s part of the problem. If your wanting to see anything else related to how your Featherweight is functioning, you lose Featherweight‘s voice. No warning — gone!

Tim, Dan, - I just ran a SIM and the voice kept working across screen changes. What I wasn't easily able to test is if you are not on the track screen whether launch detect would happen (because the SIM start button always changes screen to the track screen). I do believe an earlier build would lose the voice if you changed screens though so I can understand this having been the case - and maybe still there are some issues.
 
One thing I did just notice with voice is if your screen goes black (lock screen), the voice stopped. Unlocking the screen and the voice was working again, but for flights, I set the screen to not lock (Settings> Display & Brightness> Auto-Lock> "Never") - else you have to keep tapping it during the flight to keep it live (or have to unlock it).
 
I've always used an iPad instead of an iPhone, which works great. Nice big easy to read screen (easy on my eyes), and I don't need a version with sim card for data, just wifi. I make sure I load the map data for the launch site ahead of time when I have a data wifi connection at home.
The iPad uses the same OS as the iPhone. As long as the iPad isn't ancient (ios 13 or later), it works great. You might consider buying a slightly used iPad for a good price, they are usually more reasonable than a used iPhone.
 
ios 15.0.1 up to date
working with Kevin to figure this out
 
One thing I did just notice with voice is if your screen goes black (lock screen), the voice stopped. Unlocking the screen and the voice was working again, but for flights, I set the screen to not lock (Settings> Display & Brightness> Auto-Lock> "Never") - else you have to keep tapping it during the flight to keep it live (or have to unlock it).
I set a reminder to go off at the start of a launch that reminds me to 'turn off display auto-lock, mute switch off, and test music volume" so screen recordings work properly. (I once did not have audio because I only had tested the ring volume, not the music volume.) I also added the screen recording button to Control Center so it's easy to start screen recording.

At BALLS the audio worked even when I switched between screens - I just watched one of the recordings of my flights and verified that switching between GPS and TRACK screens did not lose the voice announcements. One thing that is a bit disconcerting the first few times is that the GPS screen shows MSL while the voice calls out AGL. The TRACK screen does show AGL, and of course it's correct to show actual MSL from the GPS data, it just takes a few moments to realize the difference in values.

I'm still hoping that someday we get a 'Copy' button to copy the GPS coordinates to the clip board so they can be easily pasted into the mapping app of my choice. (hint hint!!)


Tony
 
One thing I did just notice with voice is if your screen goes black (lock screen), the voice stopped. Unlocking the screen and the voice was working again, but for flights, I set the screen to not lock (Settings> Display & Brightness> Auto-Lock> "Never") - else you have to keep tapping it during the flight to keep it live (or have to unlock it).
Changing the global settings on your iPhone doesn’t solve an undocumented gotcha in the iFIP app that trashes your voice broadcast of a launch.

I use my iPhone for enabling my Eggfinder Proton flight computer and for video recording the launch.

But if I even go to an iFIP app communication status monitoring page, the voice broadcasting, (a significant feature of the Featherweight product that makes it competitive with Multitronix Kate), is lost.

A simulation isn’t the same as a launch. In the current implementation of simulation there is no voice translation from an incoming data stream that can be irrevocably lost.

But the data stream is apparently saved in the Featherweight receiver and can be uploaded to a computer. If the iFIP app could also access and upload this saved data file and generate the same kind of voice translation as the simulation does, it would alleviate a significant part of the problem.
 
Last edited:
A simulation isn’t the same as a launch. In the current implementation of simulation there is no voice translation from an incoming data stream that can be irrevocably lost.

In simulation mode, all normal COMMS and data recording should be happening as well as voice output (assuming you have your GS paired with the Tracker that you are running the SIM on). If you're not getting voice output during a simulation flight, then PM me and we can figure out what is going on.

To verify voice in general is working, you can go to the Settings tab and spin the wheel for the 'name' of the voice. Each time you change the voice name, it should speak out "Featherweight Tracker is Go For Launch" in the selected voice.
 
In simulation mode, all normal COMMS and data recording should be happening as well as voice output (assuming you have your GS paired with the Tracker that you are running the SIM on). If you're not getting voice output during a simulation flight, then PM me and we can figure out what is going on.

To verify voice in general is working, you can go to the Settings tab and spin the wheel for the 'name' of the voice. Each time you change the voice name, it should speak out "Featherweight Tracker is Go For Launch" in the selected voice.
I’ve done this and have always had the voice simulation working. But this misleadingly gave me the confidence that voice would work during an actual launch. But it didn’t.

To repeat —
“Changing the global settings on your iPhone doesn’t solve an undocumented gotcha in the iFIP app that trashes your voice broadcast of a launch.

I use my iPhone for enabling my Eggfinder Proton flight computer and for video recording the launch.

But if I even go to an iFIP app communication status monitoring page, the voice broadcasting, (a significant feature of the Featherweight product that makes it competitive with Multitronix Kate), is lost.”
 
I’ve done this and have always had the voice simulation working. But this misleadingly gave me the confidence that voice would work during an actual launch. But it didn’t.

To repeat —
“Changing the global settings on your iPhone doesn’t solve an undocumented gotcha in the iFIP app that trashes your voice broadcast of a launch.

I use my iPhone for enabling my Eggfinder Proton flight computer and for video recording the launch.

But if I even go to an iFIP app communication status monitoring page, the voice broadcasting, (a significant feature of the Featherweight product that makes it competitive with Multitronix Kate), is lost.”
Maybe I am misunderstanding your point - I am able to switch pages without losing the voice. I have multiple screen recordings with the voice announcements that show this.

You really seem to be stuck on the voice call outs. Calling a software limitation a 'gotcha' seems unfair. From my standpoint, the software works just fine - I can even enable the iPhone mic during screen recordings if I want to capture the countdown and other voice commentary, something Kate can't do.

The guy I fly with at BALLS has been using Kate for the last several launches so I am very familiar with it. Vern even spent a lot of time under our canopy this past BALLS helping him set up his two stage flight. It's a great system and Vern is very supportive. But it's about 4X the price of the Featherweight system - and one uses dedicated hardware while the other a smartphone. It seems somewhat unreasonable to expect equivalent functionality from both systems. But if Adrian and Kevin can satisfy your wants, then good all around.


Tony
 
Last edited:
Maybe I am misunderstanding your point - I am able to switch pages without losing the voice. I have multiple screen recordings with the voice announcements that show this.
I’m sorry but this hasn’t been my experience at all with two launches at LDRS39 where I had especially needed to have Featherweight iFIP voice announcements.

And any instruction manual assistance on how use the iPhone get “screen recordings” of the iFIP app is non-existent.

Beyond this particular discussion thread I haven’t been able to find any semblance of a user’s group that presents these tricks on how to get more out of the Featherweight iFIP app.

Instead, my experience with the Featherweight iFIP app is that it behaves like an early, single-threaded DOS or Windows 3.1 app of 30 years ago with the only thing that it is aware of is in the displayed page that has focus. And this behavior of an app on a multi-tasking, high performance platform like an iPhone is contrary to the multiple simultaneous uses that most people use their iPhones for.

You really seem to be stuck on the voice call outs. Calling a software limitation a 'gotcha' seems unfair.
Ignoring your condescending wording, as a customer of Featherweight who has been given the expectation by its online advertising of the software operating in a certain manner, its not at all unfair to express dissatisfaction when it fails to work that way.

I have several Eggfinder gps modules and an Eggfinder receiver that works perfectly fine for finding the L2 rockets that I have. What I really needed the Featherweight system for was for its voice features that were similar to the Multitronix Kate system but for only 25% of the cost.

I’m not begrudging Adrian Adamson his great regular job at Deep Space Systems, designing avionics for interplanetary satellites and the high-definition camera system for NASA's Orion spacecraft.

I too have had to balance having a real, income-generating professional job while trying to start up a second company with an electronics instrument I developed, along with the required support software and customer support. And I sympathize that its almost an impossible task.

But I’m now wearing the hat of a not-fully satisfied customer and I only want the same thing that I would be requesting from any other company.

I still regard the Featherweight as great hardware, and its overall integration with the iPhone to be quite responsive. I just need to get the voice call-outs working reliably. And unlike the great customer support that I’ve gotten from Cris Irving at Eggtimer Rocketry, I’ve found the customer support from Featherweight to be nonexistent for resolving problems.
 
Maybe I am misunderstanding your point - I am able to switch pages without losing the voice. I have multiple screen recordings with the voice announcements that show this.
I’m sorry but this hasn’t been my experience at all with two launches at LDRS39 where I had especially needed to have Featherweight iFIP voice announcements.

And any instruction manual assistance on how use the iPhone get “screen recordings” of the iFIP app is non-existent.

Beyond this particular discussion thread I haven’t been able to find any semblance of a user’s group that presents these tricks on how to get more out of the Featherweight iFIP app.

Instead, my experience with the Featherweight iFIP app is that it behaves like an early, single-threaded DOS or Windows 3.1 app of 30 years ago with the only thing that it is aware of is in the displayed page that has focus. And this behavior of an app on a multi-tasking, high performance platform like an iPhone is contrary to the multiple simultaneous uses that most people use their iPhones for.

You really seem to be stuck on the voice call outs. Calling a software limitation a 'gotcha' seems unfair.
Ignoring your condescending wording, as a customer of Featherweight who has been given the expectation by the online advertising of the software operating in a certain manner, its not unfair to express dissatisfaction when it fails to work that way.

I have several Eggfinder gps modules and an Eggfinder receiver that work perfectly fine for finding the L2 rockets that I have. What I really needed the Featherweight system for was for its voice features that were similar to the Multitronix Kate system but for only 25% of the cost.

I’m not begrudging Adrian Adamson his great ca
 
I’m sorry but this hasn’t been my experience at all with two launches at LDRS39 where I had especially needed to have Featherweight iFIP voice announcements.

And any instruction manual assistance on how use the iPhone get “screen recordings” of the iFIP app is non-existent.

Beyond this particular discussion thread I haven’t been able to find any semblance of a user’s group that presents these tricks on how to get more out of the Featherweight iFIP app.

Instead, my experience with the Featherweight iFIP app is that it behaves like an early, single-threaded DOS or Windows 3.1 app of 30 years ago with the only thing that it is aware of is in the displayed page that has focus. And this behavior of an app on a multi-tasking, high performance platform like an iPhone is contrary to the multiple simultaneous uses that most people use their iPhones for.


Ignoring your condescending wording, as a customer of Featherweight who has been given the expectation by its online advertising of the software operating in a certain manner, its not at all unfair to express dissatisfaction when it fails to work that way.

I have several Eggfinder gps modules and an Eggfinder receiver that works perfectly fine for finding the L2 rockets that I have. What I really needed the Featherweight system for was for its voice features that were similar to the Multitronix Kate system but for only 25% of the cost.

I’m not begrudging Adrian Adamson his great regular job at Deep Space Systems, designing avionics for interplanetary satellites and the high-definition camera system for NASA's Orion spacecraft.

I too have had to balance having a real, income-generating professional job while trying to start up a second company with an electronics instrument I developed, along with the required support software and customer support. And I sympathize that its almost an impossible task.

But I’m now wearing the hat of a not-fully satisfied customer and I only want the same thing that I would be requesting from any other company.

I still regard the Featherweight as great hardware, and its overall integration with the iPhone to be quite responsive. I just need to get the voice call-outs working reliably. And unlike the great customer support that I’ve gotten from Cris Irving at Eggtimer Rocketry, I’ve found the customer support from Featherweight to be nonexistent for resolving problems.
Nothing condescending at all implied, but literally all your posts are about that single issue - the voice. To quote your very first post: “My only complaint about the app is that the voice mode doesn’t work reliably.” So it seems to me a fair statement that you are stuck on that feature. And as I’ve mentioned I’ve not had the same experience, so I guess I don’t understand the issue. The software does call out the flight, just perhaps not with the flexibility you expected. Kate does not have an app but a dedicated receiver, so I don’t feel the comparison is entirely fair, especially as you point out the FW system is 1/4 the the cost.

I honestly don’t know why I am posting here, I can’t do anything to resolve your issue. But I’ve been using the FW trackers since they were introduced and have been extremely pleased with them. It seemed to me your criticism of the voice feature has little to do with their actual function - finding your rocket. But obviously it’s important to you so I hope the issue is fixed to your satisfaction.


Tony

PS: screen recordings are a feature of iOS, not iFIP. So I would not have expected any instructions in the manual on that since it’s beyond the control of the software. The same would be true on Android.
 
Last edited:
I had used my Featherweight in one launch with my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids in, and I heard my Featherweight audio GPS tracker report just fine but nobody else could. On the very next launch I turned off my hearing aids and turned up the volume so everybody around me could hear my Featherweight, just like they do with Kate, and nothing came out. A really big disappointment.

I did some testing with a blue tooth speaker and found out some interesting stuff that might explain what Dan encountered:

  1. If I set my phone switch to mute and turn the volume all the way down, I get no voice on the settings page when I spin the voices wheel (as expected).
  2. If I power up my blue tooth speaker (which connects automatically to my phone), then voice works (even with the mute switch on 'mute' and no change in the volume setting.
  3. If I click once on the volume setting, I can see that the connection of the blue tooth device automatically gave it a little volume level (about 15-20%).
  4. This means that a connected blue tooth device would seem to always have voice enabled (like Dan's hearing aids)
  5. If I turn off the blue tooth speaker (with no other change to the phone), then spinning the voice selection wheel again produces no voice.
  6. If I unmute the mute switch, I still have no voice (if I click on the volume button once, I see it is back to zero volume again)
  7. If I increase the volume, then I can get voice on the phone again.
So you can have voice "doubly muted" via the mute switch and no volume but a blue tooth device will still play sound, but if you disconnect the blue tooth device, you have to unmute and raise the volume. I don't know if Dan's phone was either muted or turned all the way down but it could explain this if it was.

Dan and I are working this in PM and we should know after his launch this weekend.

Thanks!
 
I did some testing with a blue tooth speaker and found out some interesting stuff that might explain what Dan encountered:

  1. If I set my phone switch to mute and turn the volume all the way down, I get no voice on the settings page when I spin the voices wheel (as expected).
  2. If I power up my blue tooth speaker (which connects automatically to my phone), then voice works (even with the mute switch on 'mute' and no change in the volume setting.
  3. If I click once on the volume setting, I can see that the connection of the blue tooth device automatically gave it a little volume level (about 15-20%).
  4. This means that a connected blue tooth device would seem to always have voice enabled (like Dan's hearing aids)
  5. If I turn off the blue tooth speaker (with no other change to the phone), then spinning the voice selection wheel again produces no voice.
  6. If I unmute the mute switch, I still have no voice (if I click on the volume button once, I see it is back to zero volume again)
  7. If I increase the volume, then I can get voice on the phone again.
So you can have voice "doubly muted" via the mute switch and no volume but a blue tooth device will still play sound, but if you disconnect the blue tooth device, you have to unmute and raise the volume. I don't know if Dan's phone was either muted or turned all the way down but it could explain this if it was.

Dan and I are working this in PM and we should know after his launch this weekend.

Thanks!
This does mirror my experience as well - I had my AirPods connected and could hear, but when I disconnected the AirPods the internal speaker was turned all the way down, which was caused by the phone holder I was using. So in my checklist I now play music before a launch to make sure I can hear audio from wherever I expect to hear it from. It's a pain, since there can be multiple audio outputs (other bluetooth speakers, car audio system, headphone adapter, etc.) from the phone, each with an independent volume setting. So it needs to be tested before each use to make sure you get the expected volume.

And of course it's not specific to the iFIP software, it's just how iOS works, for better or worse.


Tony
 
And a new tidbit:

I started a flight and voice was working - and then switched to camera and took some pics (and voice stopped in the background) and then switched back to iFIP and voice picked up again. And then I did the same thing again and the second time voice did not pick back up again.. (!?!) Best to stay in the app throughout the launch unless I can figure out more iPhone settings.
 
This does mirror my experience as well - I had my AirPods connected and could hear, but when I disconnected the AirPods the internal speaker was turned all the way down, which was caused by the phone holder I was using. So in my checklist I now play music before a launch to make sure I can hear audio from wherever I expect to hear it from. It's a pain, since there can be multiple audio outputs (other bluetooth speakers, car audio system, headphone adapter, etc.) from the phone, each with an independent volume setting. So it needs to be tested before each use to make sure you get the expected volume.

And of course it's not specific to the iFIP software, it's just how iOS works, for better or worse.


Tony
I did some testing with a blue tooth speaker and found out some interesting stuff that might explain what Dan encountered:

  1. If I set my phone switch to mute and turn the volume all the way down, I get no voice on the settings page when I spin the voices wheel (as expected).
  2. If I power up my blue tooth speaker (which connects automatically to my phone), then voice works (even with the mute switch on 'mute' and no change in the volume setting.
  3. If I click once on the volume setting, I can see that the connection of the blue tooth device automatically gave it a little volume level (about 15-20%).
  4. This means that a connected blue tooth device would seem to always have voice enabled (like Dan's hearing aids)
  5. If I turn off the blue tooth speaker (with no other change to the phone), then spinning the voice selection wheel again produces no voice.
  6. If I unmute the mute switch, I still have no voice (if I click on the volume button once, I see it is back to zero volume again)
  7. If I increase the volume, then I can get voice on the phone again.
So you can have voice "doubly muted" via the mute switch and no volume but a blue tooth device will still play sound, but if you disconnect the blue tooth device, you have to unmute and raise the volume. I don't know if Dan's phone was either muted or turned all the way down but it could explain this if it was.

Dan and I are working this in PM and we should know after his launch this weekend.

Thanks!
I wasn’t using any Bluetooth speaker. I was only using the iPhone’s speakerphone speaker. That’s why I attempted to go to the iPhone’s cellphone app to see if I could verify whether it was on.
 
I never used the hardware mute button when using my Featherweight.

I’ve never used screen recording on an IPhone and don’t know what it is.

I had used my Featherweight in one launch with my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids in, and I heard my Featherweight audio GPS tracker report just fine but nobody else could. On the very next launch I turned off my hearing aids and turned up the volume so everybody around me could hear my Featherweight, just like they do with Kate, and nothing came out. A really big disappointment.
I wasn’t using any Bluetooth speaker. I was only using the iPhone’s speakerphone speaker. That’s why I attempted to go to the iPhone’s cellphone app to see if I could verify whether it was on.
I think you misunderstand the situation. You said you were using your bluetooth-enabled hearing aids in the first post, which would count as a bluetooth speaker. Then you could not hear any sound when you turned those off and expected audio from the internal speaker. You said you turned up the volume when you turned off your hearing aids. But if you don't have an app that has audio playing when adjusting volume, adjusting it only adjusts the volume of the phone ringer, not for any other audio. So when you turned up the volume, it may only have been for the ringer, and not the voice you expected to hear later.

So, hearing aids = good volume setting, internal speaker = bad volume setting. That's exactly what happened to me with my AirPods, which would seem to be basically the same as your hearing aids.

Each device connected to the phone has its own volume setting, which is generally remembered between connections. AirPods can be set to loud, iPhone speaker quiet, back to AirPods, loud again, and the phone ringer somewhere in between. So you need to check the volume for each audio output. That's why I play music and adjust the volume, then I know for sure I will get the volume I want.

And as Kevin has reported, switching apps in the middle of the flight may disable the voice as well, so that's a complicating factor. But in the description you originally provided, it sounds like it was just the various volume settings that caused the issue you experienced, based on my personal experience as well. Of course I could have misread something along the way and it was something else altogether.


Tony
 
Last edited:
You said you were using your bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, which unless I misunderstand, would count as a bluetooth speaker.


Tony
I had only been using my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids two days before the problem occurred. On the days when the problem happened, I had been using the iPhone in the “speaker phone” mode as I usually do.
 
Dan and I are working this in PM and we should know after his launch this weekend.

I am working with Kevin on this in PM. As a retired engineer and software developer, I am confident that Kevin understands what’s going on and will get this resolved.

Overall, the Featherweight is a really promising product.
 
I am working with Kevin on this in PM. As a retired engineer and software developer, I am confident that Kevin understands what’s going on and will get this resolved.

Overall, the Featherweight is a really promising product.
Got it. But as this is a public forum I think it's worthwhile to make sure there aren't any misunderstandings about what is happening. As I stated, I had a similar situation to yours due to the way the iPhone handles volume settings. If something gets fixed or changed in the software, then I feel we all benefit if we fully understand the issue. If the issue is resolved privately between you and Kevin, the rest of us may not benefit from any improvements made to the software or clarifications to procedures unless we stumble across them.

I also developed software and some hardware, and understand how important it is to make sure changes that are made to solve one customer's issue are also communicated to others that will or may also be affected by that change. Otherwise it may just create another set of headaches for all concerned.

Finally, for anyone who is one the fence about the tracker after reading this thread, based on my personal experience starting with serial numbers 27 and 28 of the trackers, it's beyond promising. It has been exemplary in its ability to track rockets in a wide range of circumstances and terrains, at speeds well in excess of Mach 2 and distances approaching 5 miles. I have never lost a rocket when using this system, nor has anyone in our club who uses it as well.


Tony
 
Last edited:
As I stated, I had a similar situation to yours due to the way the iPhone handles volume settings.
I assure you that that as far as I know, the problem I experienced had nothing to do with the way the iPhone handles volume settings. I’m also confident that based on combining Kevin’s understanding how the iFIP was designed, that he will come to a resolution to the problem that I was having.

If something gets fixed or changed in the software, then I feel we all benefit if we fully understand the issue.

I agree that new releases of software should always explain any changes or bug fixes and differences in the way that the software operates.

But short of letting everyone participate in open discussions about each and every problem, or sharing the source code with the public, its simply not feasible to run a company by letting everyone fully understand every issue.

It has been exemplary in it's ability to track rockets in a wide range of circumstances and terrains, at speeds well in excess of Mach 2 and distances approaching 5 miles. I have never lost a rocket when using this system, nor has anyone in our club who uses it as well.

I’ve never had a problem with any of these exceptional aspects of the Featherweight GPS tracker.

But you’re arguing about the different subjective values for various features versus others to different customers.

I’m not at all disparaging why you think people should want to use the Featherweight.

But many rocketeers have had their eyes set on the $2,000 Multitronix Kate system (which is also great for supersonic flights, high altitude or long distance flights), but who were unable to afford to buy one. With the $500 Featherweight tracker with its voice reporting mode and exceptional combination of rocket tracker features, we are now able to.

Its okay for different people to like the same product for different reasons.
 
I assure you that that as far as I know, the problem I experienced had nothing to do with the way the iPhone handles volume settings. I’m also confident that based on combining Kevin’s understanding how the iFIP was designed, that he will come to a resolution to the problem that I was having.



I agree that new releases of software should always explain any changes or bug fixes and differences in the way that the software operates.

But short of letting everyone participate in open discussions about each and every problem, or sharing the source code with the public, its simply not feasible to run a company by letting everyone fully understand every issue.



I’ve never had a problem with any of these exceptional aspects of the Featherweight GPS tracker.

But you’re arguing about the different subjective values for various features versus others to different customers.

I’m not at all disparaging why you think people should want to use the Featherweight.

But many rocketeers have had their eyes set on the $2,000 Multitronix Kate system (which is also great for supersonic flights, high altitude or long distance flights), but who were unable to afford to buy one. With the $500 Featherweight tracker with its voice reporting mode and exceptional combination of rocket tracker features, we are now able to.

Its okay for different people to like the same product for different reasons.
Good explanation, thanks for taking the time. I hope the solution is simple and Kevin can get it working the way you expected. Nothing but good can come from that.

And as I’ve said many times before, we are so fortunate as a hobby to have vendors like Featherweight and Multitronix (in addition to so many others) support such a relatively small potential customer base. It’s a great time to be in the hobby.


Tony
 
With the $500 Featherweight tracker with its voice reporting mode and exceptional combination of rocket tracker features, we are now able to.

$500 gets you actually one ground station and TWO trackers from Featherweight. For a one ground station / one tracker, it is only ~$350. :)

I’m also confident that based on combining Kevin’s understanding how the iFIP was designed, that he will come to a resolution to the problem that I was having.

It will likely take some googling for how voice stuff works on Apple as well as maybe simply following some of the 'voice rules' that we are discovering with Apple iPhone. So I appreciate your confidence in resolving the nuances, but my first goal is just to get it to work for you also in it's current state! :)

As was noted earlier in this thread, I have a day job also and am up at 1:30am today to work on code/demo for a presentation tomorrow/Wednesday. You may not hear from me for the next 24-48 hours...

And as I’ve said many times before, we are so fortunate as a hobby to have vendors like Featherweight and Multitronix (in addition to so many others) support such a relatively small potential customer base. It’s a great time to be in the hobby.

Tony - as always - thanks for your continued support of the efforts of all vendors!
 
Finally, for anyone who is one the fence about the tracker after reading this thread, based on my personal experience starting with serial numbers 27 and 28 of the trackers, it's beyond promising. It has been exemplary in its ability to track rockets in a wide range of circumstances and terrains, at speeds well in excess of Mach 2 and distances approaching 5 miles. I have never lost a rocket when using this system, nor has anyone in our club who uses it as well.

Tony

You keep making this point, yet it is not really relevant to this thread. If "finding your rocket" is the sole objective, then every tracker on the market can do this. I have 3 flavors of 900 Mhz trackers, including Featherweight, and I like all of them for various reasons.

Those of us who buy a Featherweight at its premium price are probably interested in all the extra cool features touted in TRF and advertised on the webpage, like lost rockets, multiple stage tracking, high-res data download, voice, and yes, even Android compatibility. However, some of the features are finicky, non-existent, or poorly documented, so people naturally feel shortchanged. Kudos to Featherweight for the innovation, but some of the stated capability needs to be much more robust before claiming "Done!" on the product page.

If the Featherweight GPS is as popular as you say, then the risk associated with beta/temporary iFIP software is especially glaring.
 
Back
Top