Getting Started
To take full advantage of Cumulus, you need a PDA with either an
internal or an external GPS receiver and a set of map files.
Currently Cumulus supports as hardware devices the Nokia Internet
Tablet N800/N810 with Maemo OS2008 and the N900 with Maemo OS2009. It
can also run on a Linux desktop under X11/Qt4.
When you start Cumulus, it will create all the necessary data
directories by itself, if they do not already exist. Furthermore you
will be asked once whether you want to download missing airfield or
map files from the Internet. Your decision is valid until to the
termination of the program. If Cumulus is moving faster than 5 km/h,
no downloads are executed. Only enable the automatic download if you
have an active Internet connection running!
- PDA
-
As long as the program runs on the PDA and you are on the move, the
automatic shut-down of the screen to save battery life is
deactivated. If you move slower than 5 km/h, the screen is switched
off after your programmed time. If you then move faster, the screen
is automatically switched on again. The speed limit can be
configured in the Look&Feel
settings.
For operation over several hours you need to supply
external power to your PDA. Furthermore, it is recommended that you
switch off all automatic connection or update attempts (WLAN,
version updates, ...) before take-off, as these can rob Cumulus of
resources, slowing it down for a while and irritating you with popup
dialogs.
- GPS
-
Any external GPS receiver, such as a Bluetooth GPS mouse or a flight
logger, provided that it outputs NMEA data records, can be connected
to your PDA, using either a serial, a USB or a Bluetooth
connection. Cumulus can be used without a GPS receiver, but is far
more useful with it.
Once you manage to connect your GPS to
Cumulus, select the correct device and baud rate in the
GPS Settings.
Refer to your GPS manual for the correct settings. The
most common devices are:
- /dev/ttyS0 - RS232 serial device
- /dev/rfcomm0 - Bluetooth device
- /dev/ttyUSB0 - USB device
The default NMEA connection speed is 4800 bps; for Bluetooth
devices it maybe higher.
If you have a Nokia Internet Tablet
N800/N810 or N900, it is not necessary to set up a special GPS
device. Available devices will be recognized automatically during
Cumulus start-up, unless you want to connect to a GPS device via
USB. In this case you have to select the USB device from the GPS
configuration options.
Once your GPS device is set up, press
the key G or click on the GPS status indicator in the
status bar to check the GPS status. You can remove the GPS status
page with the Escape key or with the close button.
- Personal
-
In Personal Settings you define the coordinates of your home
position in the area in which you fly. The setting is important to
ensure an unskewed map rendering! See Personal
Settings for more details.
- Glider
-
Define your preferred gliders in Glider Settings. See
Glider Settings for more details.
- Maps
-
Cumulus uses the same maps as KFLog, the KDE Flight Logger.
Download the maps, airspaces and airfields you need to your PC and
install them from there in your PDA. See Maps
for more information. Airfields and map files can be downloaded
automatically by Cumulus, if you enable this option at start-up.
- Waypoints
-
Cumulus uses waypoints to facilitate navigation. You can either edit
the waypoint files on the PDA or prepare them on a PC using KFLog
and then transfer them to the PDA. See waypoints
for more details.
- Tasks
-
Cumulus also supports the definition of flight tasks. You can either
create and edit a task file on the PDA or prepare it first on your
PC using KFLog before transferring it to the PDA.
See here
for more details on tasks.