Flight Track Options
Flight Track provides for editing launch locations, file locations, map colors, COM port, packet format, and flight path prediction parameters.

Locations (top)
The Locations tab maintains launch locations. Use the New, Edit, and Delete buttons to create, change, or remove launch locations.

	Click the New Location button () to define a new launch location. Enter a unique name, its location by coordinates, and its altitude. Click OK to complete the definition; click Cancel to discard the definition.
	Click the Edit Location button () to change an existing launch location. Change the name, its location, or altitude. Click OK to complete the definition; click Cancel to discard the changes.
Click the Delete button () to remove a launch location. Flight Track verifies your request before removing the launch location.

The latitude, longitude, and altitude fields expect numerical entries. If the dialog does not recognize the entry as numerical, a small, red exclamation point appears. Also, it expects a name for the location. If a name is not entered, a small, red exclamation point appears.

Folders (top)
The Folders tab defines the locations of Flight Track files. When Flight Track installs, the default location for files is \Documents and Settings\username\ApplicationData\FlightTrack where username is the name of the user who installed Flight Track.
On Windows 7, Flight Track the default installation location is username\AppData\Roaming\FlightTrack.

Predictions	Flight Track places processed wind data in this folder. The processed wind data is used to create both predicted and real time flight path predictions.
Logs	Flight Track records packets received during a flight in the Logs folder.
Wind Data	This folder will be used in a future release of Flight Track.
Flights	Flight Track maintains information about flights in this folder.
Exports	Flight Track exports prediction and flight paths to this location. Flight Track exports in the GPX format which may be reviewed in Google Earth.
Flight Track Help	Flight Track installs help files in this location by default. If you want to review the most recent documentation, check the Use On Line Help check box, and click Help Contents on the About menu.

The Assets folder contains images Flight Track uses for map presentations. The Reports and Templates folders will be used in a future release of Flight Track.

Map Display (top)
Adjust the color and width of the flight paths Flight Track displays.

The Flight Track is the actual flight path.
The Real Time Prediction is the predicted flight path based on the most recent wind data (usually from READY).
The Prediction From Flight is the predicted flight path based on speed and course data gathered during the flight.

Communications (top)
Select the serial communications port on the Communications tab. If the port does not appear, click Refresh.

Packet Format (top)
The Packet Format tab provides for defining the format of an APRS packet. Use the New, Edit, and Delete buttons to create, change, or remove packet formats.

Click on the New Format button () to create a new packet format, or the Edit Format button () to edit an existing format. Click on the Delete Format button () to remove a packet format. Flight Track verifies your request before removing the packet format.

Editing a Packet Format
The Packet Format Editor appears when you click on the New Format or Edit Format button (when editing a packet format, the editor is populated with the current settings).

Packet Format Name	The name uniquely identifies the packet to Flight Track.
Sample APRS Packet	Enter a sample APRS packet in this field. The packet should represent a typical packet received during flight. The packet should not include information which appears periodically such as identifying information.
APRS Packet Format	The format is defined using three fields: information before the packet anchor, the packet anchor, and the information after the packet anchor. The anchor is usually ":/" or ":!". Select the anchor from the droplist. The editor populates the remaining fields with a typical definition. Below the APRS Packet Format, the editor displays how Flight Track parses the packet. Check this display carefully and verify the results. If the parse is not correct, you can change the parse by adding or removing letters from the definition, or changing the sample packet. For example, if the parsed Path information does not match the Path information in the sample APRS packet, add or remove the letter P in the packet format. Similarly, use the letters defined in parenthesis for each field to define the packet format so Flight Track parses the sample ARPS packet correctly. Use * to indicate data that should be ignored during parsing. With every change to the format, the editor attempts to parse the sample APRS packet. The result appears under the format at the left. Also, you may click the Error Check button to check the parse.
Calculate Speed and Course	When the sample APRS packet does not explicitly contain speed and course data, check this box to have Flight Track calculate it. This information is required for real time flight path prediction.
APRS Units	Use this droplist to indicate the units within the APRS packet. This does not affect the selection of units for Flight Track's display.

Click OK to save the changes; click Cancel to discard the changes.

Flight Path Predictions (top)
The Flight Path Predictions tab provides control over pre-flight predictions and real time predictions.

Make Multiple Predictions	Flight Track creates flight path predictions from wind data. Actual flight paths vary due to small changes in wind direction and speed, ascent rate, and other factors. When Make Multiple Predictions is checked, Flight Track creates six separate flight path predictions from one set of wind data. Three flight path predictions use the wind data to its maximum altitude. The ascent rate provided when the flight was defined is varied by the value in the text box following the @. For example, if you entered 1000 ft/min for your ascent rate, the three flight path predictions show ascent rates of 800, 1000, and 1200 ft/min. Flight Track marks the predicted landing site for these flight paths with a pushpin. The pushpin indicates the ascent rate and the letter W (for Wind data maximum altitude). Flight Track displays another three flight paths using the maximum altitude provided when the flight was defined. Again, the ascent varies and Flight Track marks the predicted landing site with a pushpin. The pushpin indicates the ascent rate and the letter C (for Custom maximum altitude). Flight Track creates a single flight path prediction when Make Multiple Predictions is not checked.
Display Real Time Prediction	Flight Track displays a real time predicted flight path when Display Real Time Prediction is checked. The flight path is based on the most recent wind data used to create a predicted flight path. For the most accurate real time predicted flight path, create a prediction as close to the flight as possible.
Real Time Prediction Frequency	The Real Time Prediction Frequency determines the number of packets received before the real time predicted flight path updates. Select a value for before (Pre-Burst) and after (Post-Burst) the balloon burst.
	The image at left demonstrates the appearance of the real time prediction. Flight Track marks the current location of the balloon with a custom pushpin and call sign in the label. The green path is the actual flight path, the yellow path is the predicted flight path based on the most recent wind data, and the blue path is the predicted flight path based on data gathered during the flight.

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