Flytec Balloon 4: Software

The Flytec Balloon 4’s software is very easy to update. We recommend you sign up for our newsletter, to hear from us when a new version is available. Then follow the procedure described in the manual to do the update.

Updates from Versions prior to V2.01.00

Due to an expired certificate, the FB_Actualizer program on all the Flytec Balloon 4 running V2.00.04 or earlier is no longer able to connect with our servers. To update to the most recent software version, download and execute the new FB_Actualizer, as described below. This is only necessary once, to install version V2.01.00 or later on your Flytec Balloon 4. Once that is accomplished, you can once again just run the FB_Actualizer on the vario itself to check for updates.

Running the updated FB_Actualizer under Windows
  1. Download the FB_Actualizer for Windows ZIP file.
  2. Turn your Flytec Balloon 4 off, then connect it to your computer via USB.
  3. Run the FB_Actualizer application you find inside the downloaded ZIP file.
Running the updated FB_Actualizer on a Mac
  1. Download the FB_Actualizer install package.
  2. Ensure that you allow running Apps downloaded from “anywhere” (System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General).
  3. Run the Installer by double-clicking on the downloaded file, then follow the instructions.
  4. Turn off your Flytec Balloon 4, then connect it to your computer via USB.
  5. Run the FB_Actualizer app installed on your computer.

Current version: V2.02.01 (October 6, 2022)

Improvements
  • Launch page: always show distance / bearing if we have GPS signal
  • KML: add “Maximum distance” flag
  • Improved indication of ground speed and heading at low speeds
  • Filter out impossible temperature jumps that pass the checksum test
  • Limit the TT34 ID to those TT34 that actually work with the Flytec Balloon 4: 6500+
  • Improve language in menu points that activate something (e.g. temperature alert)
Bugfixes
  • Do not start another flight recording during flight analysis
  • KML: version string is wrong (Vi.i.i)
  • Recorded flights in wrong position, low-speed filtering is wrong
  • Flight recording sometimes does not produce KML and IGC files
  • Difference in maximum values between KML and internal log
  • KML: Max climb & sink show impossible values
  • Garbage data in IGC file every 6th entry

Previous versions

V2.01.00 (May 5, 2022)
Improvements
  • Increase maximum threshold for climb and sink tone to +/- 8m/s / 1600 fpm
  • New flight recording mode: “TT34/flight” – flight recording starts when TT34 data is received
  • Show GPS speed and heading also at very low ground speeds
  • Improved wording in Temperature menu for TT34 activation
  • When turning off, after showing Flight Analysis, any button turns off the vario for good.
  • Google Earth file: “Flytec Balloon” tag shows software version number
  • Reduced number of blinking elements during temperature and GPS connection acquisition
Bugfixes
  • New version of FB_Actualizer, with current certificates
  • Fix error in TT34 search immediately after TT34 activation
  • Fix rounding errors in conversion between °C and °F
  • Google Earth file: Fix error where device switch-on time was shown instead of launch time
  • IGC file: Fix error where multiple B records with the identical time stamp could appear at the beginning of the flight
  • IGC file: Use correct extension field name for temperature
V2.00.04 (May 27, 2020)
Improvements
  • Software support for backlight
  • TT34 reception: Improve reliability by using checksum
  • No more decimals in numeric vario for +/-10 m/s or +/-2000 fpm.
Bugfixes
  • Fix error in TT34 search function that could lead to wrong IDs in the results
  • Fix error where setting altitude to GPS altitude actually set it to QNE
V1.07.02 (December 28, 2019)
Bugfixes
  • In some cases, the Google Earth flight recording could not be opened in Google Earth. This is now fixed. If you have Google Earth files recorded by V1.07.01, mail them to us, we will fix them for you.
V1.07.01 (November 28, 2019)
Improvements
  • Draw full compass rose ring
  • Rename sink tone to descent tone
  • Show direction to launch with small arrow in addition to current course
Bugfixes
  • Direction to launch: “W” does never show
  • Weak TT34 reception leads to battery alert
  • Sub Up error during start-up
  • Updates must be triggered by removing batteries and plugging in charger
  • Search / Discover TT34: Reported S/N too small by 256
  • When coming back from menu, we go to flight page 1 instead of the one we left from
V1.6.06 (October 14, 2019)
Improvements
  • Temperature alert maximum = internal temperature alert threshold
  • No TT34 search, ID or alarm setting while TT34 is inactive
  • Clear compass when not moving
  • Redraw compass after altitude setting or when returning from menu
Bugfixes
  • Always starts on page 1 instead of last shown page after start
  • No flight record in western hemisphere
  • Course is blank instead of 0°
  • Timestamps are wrong in Google Earth files
V1.06.03 (October 10, 2019)
Improvements
  • Improve TT34 detail information indication
  • KML: Include flown distance
  • Compass: North up
  • Info page during flight: Show launch time, not landing time
  • No charging if battery type is Alkaline
  • Improve charging messages
  • Graphic vario: Show 0 mark more clearly on the flight analysis page
  • Flight log: climb/sink for values > 10 m/s: round to whole numbers
  • Improve hysteresis for battery warnings
  • KML: Use pilot-selected units
Bugfixes
  • The date in the KML and IGC file names was wrong.
  • IGC: underflow for negative altitudes
  • IGC sample period is 19 seconds, should be 5
  • KML: Flytec Balloon logo no longer showing
  • Direction to launch: letter “W” does not show
  • Telegram checksum error in logs, problems with inter-process communication
  • Numeric vario shows sometimes “-0.0 m/s”, make that “0.0 m/s”
V1.05.01 (June 12, 2019)

Improvement: Graphic and numeric vario are now in sync, the numeric vario shows the average vertical speed over the last second.

Bugfix: Occasionally, the altimeter and vertical speed indicator would freeze up. This is now fixed.

V1.04.01 (May 2, 2019)

First public release