When we first started ballooning and learning about pibals I ran across a device someone was selling called Windsock and a standalone Windows application called Pibal Reader. Since I didn't want to pay the amount they were asking I did some research to see if I could do the same thing a different way. There are many articles (see the references page) written to determine the ascent rate of a pibal or how to calculate the winds aloft. All we have done was bring the information and those techniques together into a single solution. This is just another tool in your toolbox that can be used in your flight planning. I used this data as part of my weather briefing for the 2018 Woman's Nationals.
The first model! This method utilized a digital level with a scope mounted on it. There was a separate compass. This required someone to time and take the compass and level readings at the required intervals. Then this had to be input into a spreadsheet to do the calculations. As you can see this was cumbersome.
The second model! This utlilized a 3 axis compass/accelerometer from DigiKey. This was mounted to a custom stock with a scope to make it more portable and easier to use. This still required a connection to a laptop via a cable. We wrote a software application that would take the required readings as preselected intervals and then do the calculations when finished.
The current model! When the Smartphone was introduced we determined that they had the compass and accelerometer built in. There was no longer a need to be tethered to a laptop. We began to have the application re-written for Android. Replaced the DigiKey model with a cell phone case for mounting and it made for a very portable unit.
Drag and Drop Website Builder