Would you pay for a CAP grid app on a smartphone?

[MikeD]

I'm thinking of writing an app for Android (Google/Linux) phones that will overlay the CAP grids on Google Maps, and also display your GPS position.  I could set it up so that the CAP grids would display even without data connectivity, and possibly an internal basic point of interest database.

Would $5 be reasonable for this?  If I made enough it might fund iPhone/iPod Touch development.  I'd need to get some sort of a Mac to make that happen.

In theory I could write something where you could store sectionals on the internal memory and use that instead of Google Maps, but that's out of scope right now. 

[Eclipse]

I personally wouldn't, because we don't use grids that much anymore.

Regardless, make sure you're using the most current system before you start work.  My understanding is that CAP is moving to a new system to get into alignment with the USAF (I have no more detail than that, which comes from a recent IC class).

Kudos for developing for the only "smart" phone in the marketplace today.  The one which is going to KEE-RUSH the iPhone.  MUWAHHHHHHH!

[Nick]

Oh Gawd. Don't say GARS.

Actually, I meant GEOREF.  But the same applies for GARS too.

[Dustoff]

OK, I won't say it.   

What's your issue(s) with GARS?

(just trying to learn here...)

[swamprat86]

Would it work for other platforms like Palm's webOS?  I have the Palm Pre.

[SarMaster]

The National SAR supplement states we use the current 'CAP' grid system.  That is probably not going to change.   Eclipse is correct..... I have IC'd many REDCAPS in my years in CAP and only once have we used CAP Grids.   However we all need to be familiar with the US National Grid system.  Its essentualy MRGS with a diffrent Datum. All responders will soon be on board with USNG.

http://www.floridadisaster.org/gis/kml/viewer.htm
Google maps mashup to display USNG....

[Nick]

Its essentualy MRGS with a diffrent Datum. All responders will soon be on board with USNG.

We're actually getting MGRS caught up with the times and are using NAD83/WGS84 for most everything these days, so MGRS = USNG.  The only thing still on NAD27 are the really old topo maps (primarily training) that they don't want to drop the dime to update... but everything operational is updated.

But on the subject of MGRS/USNG, I would LOVE to see CAP adopt it as at least the standardized ground operations grid reference.  Since there is no clear lat/long -> MGRS translation, I can't expect to see it implemented for air operations anytime soon... so it may be inevitable that GEOREF/GARS comes about, but ... it's another funky letterized system to learn.

[IceNine]

I likely wouldn't pay.  But I would gladly play.

Sorry, at this point the grid system is more of a check box for gt's than a reality of operations.

[vento]

Something in the phone showing the lat/lon for the grids or quarter grids will be useful for aircrews' sanity check. However, I suspect aircrew will still carry the aeronautical chart with them, the small screen on the iPhone or smart phones is just not practical to read in turbulent air.

[N Harmon]

I wrote a small web app to plot search patterns using the Google Maps API. I sort of abandoned going any further with it, but it's open source for anybody to use:

http://nharmon.multics.org/cap/sarplotter.php

[SarMaster]

Nice work!  anyway to export it to kml?

[MikeD]

Would it work for other platforms like Palm's webOS?  I have the Palm Pre.

Palm would probably be the hypothetical 3rd target after Android and iWhatever, if there was enough demand. 

This definitely wouldn't be a replacement for aircrew, and I could get it to display other formats like MGRS if that would be useful.  Right now the whole useful aspect sounds somewhat iffy though

[brasda91]

I appreciate the thought.  But, unless you could make it available to a wider variety of phones, I don't think it would be beneficial.

Personally, I use a Blackberry and will never use an i-anything.

[MikeD]

I appreciate the thought.  But, unless you could make it available to a wider variety of phones, I don't think it would be beneficial.

Personally, I use a Blackberry and will never use an i-anything.

As of right now I could only really make it available for Android, since that's the kind of phone I have.  CrackBerry users would be getting something totally untested.  I'd need a Mac to write an iPhone app (and an iPhone to test with as well). 

[davidsinn]

I appreciate the thought.  But, unless you could make it available to a wider variety of phones, I don't think it would be beneficial.

Personally, I use a Blackberry and will never use an i-anything.

As of right now I could only really make it available for Android, since that's the kind of phone I have.  CrackBerry users would be getting something totally untested.  I'd need a Mac to write an iPhone app (and an iPhone to test with as well).

How about WinMobile?

[MikeD]

I appreciate the thought.  But, unless you could make it available to a wider variety of phones, I don't think it would be beneficial.

Personally, I use a Blackberry and will never use an i-anything.

As of right now I could only really make it available for Android, since that's the kind of phone I have.  CrackBerry users would be getting something totally untested.  I'd need a Mac to write an iPhone app (and an iPhone to test with as well).

How about WinMobile?

Good question, seems much less popular, but at least I have a windows box to develop on.