Couple of suggestions

[budd]

Hello.
I'm new to this forum, but have been watching FIF progressing from its begining, and I'm impressed. You did very good job, so I decided to buy it a while ago, and have been using it a lot. It can help a pilot a lot. At least as planning tool, emergency backup, aid to onboard equipment and old fashioned dead reckoning skills. It has possibility to do much, much more if it weren't just smarphone app. That's talking strictly from proffesional point of view.
With good intentions on mind I'll add few suggestions that could make this great program even better, at least from my point of view (helicopter, mostly vfr, often planning on the go).
So here it goes:

1) DME
There is no DME in NM after switching units to "metric", I couldn't find it. While at the same time is possible to set both ft,m and km/h,kts, regardless of units selection. Flying in helicopter with metric instruments its practical to have simultaneous readout of km and Nm.

2) coordinates
Would be nice to incorporate MGRS as coordinate system.

3) info
When you press a waypoint on map, you get coordinates/elevation while "gps off", and BRG/RDL/DME/elevation while "gps on". It would be nice to have coordinates readout while "gps on", along with BRG/RDL/DME.

4) point on map info
When you press random point on map while "gps on" it gives you BRG/RDL/DME/elevation, but nothing when "gps off". Why not the same as with a waypoint (previous suggestion)?

5) Rute editing.
There is already thread about this, but for convenience of having all suggestions in one place i'm writing here.
"Direct to"/"restore route navigation" is brilliant idea for some situations, definitely worth keeping, but ability to add more than one waypoint and delete others as necesarry, quickly and easily, while route is active, is sorely missed.
I suggest "add waypoint" and "delete waypoint" long tap on desired leg segment inside active route dialog box, with ability to do it using search button or topografical map.

6)"Calculate elevation"
Fantastic option. Why not take it to a higher level and add "calculate elevation" for entire route, and show result for each leg in route dialog box?

7) Battery life
It is unfortunatelly the biggest issue I have with your app. Dont know why, but it drains battery really fast. So fast it's almost unusable with "screen on" all the time, so i'm using it with "screen off", turning it on only when necesarry.
Don't understand why, my nexus 7 can manage FIF only 3hr (scr on, gps on, battery 100% down to 5%), and for comparisson, oruxmaps (good, but general navigation app) can handle over 6hr, same conditions (scr on, gps on).
I did some tests and concluded that it is not gps reciever that drains baterry, but application itself.
Is it possible to streamline the software, to make it more battery efficient?
If not, I suggest creating another extremely "economic" screen with just basic information, like in old GPS devices (deviation bar,to/from,GS,BRG,DME,HDG).
Or turning screen on/off automatic. For example, when established enroute, screen turns off automatically, but turns on automatically when necesarry...nex wpt, terrain colission course, significant route deviation, etc.

8) map layers
This is last sugestion...I promise
Hats down for "terrain map". Really great option.
It's probably difficult, but maybe it would be possible to overlay terrain data over topografical map, with different colour codes, lighter for lower terrain, and darker for higher. It would be a makeshift vfr map.

Thanks for reading this, and safe flying

[kitercuda]

Thanks a lot for your time

1. Next upgrade

2. What is MGRS useful for?

3. When you press waypoint at the map, your GS > 0 and you have selected Aircaft in use you get more information (needed fuel, ET and ETA). If the WPT is airport, FIF also displays main RWY. If I incorporate coordinates, the dialog will be bigger. I want to keep it as small as possible. Do you really need quick access to WPT coordinates? You can open nav database by clicking button at the top and then open desired WPT by swipping it to the right.

4. When GPS off, there could be info about ground elevation and coordinates.

5.I am thinking about it. Route will be refactored soon. There wil be possibility one click elevation calculating for entire route, you will be able to add wind to each route leg, export flight plan etc. I hope I will find user friendly solution for changing route while flying.

6. Described above

7. Battery life is a problem. I was trying a lot with this. There are a lot of background threads, which load microprocessor. For example vertical view displaying, airspace warnings, terrain displaying etc. I am thinking about it...

8. It will come with the vector maps.

[budd]

Thanks...

2)
mgrs=military. Helicopters especially. Would be usefull, but not extremely necessary. Lat long is most of the time present, along with mgrs.

3) 4)
I understand. Decluttering and simplicity are good thing.
In that case maybe adding data field "coordinates". And when panning through map, data fields "coordinates" and "elevation" (if you choose to show them) show data for a point in space that central spot or cursor is on...seems like nice solution similar to oruxmaps. But also livable without it.

7)
Im not programmer, but maybe the fact that FIF is using around 5 times less battery with screen off, helps you in quest. That kind of consumption is more than acceptable.
Processor continues calculating when screen off, right? But what exactly?
I'll stop here, because I'm no expert.

[kitercuda]

2. OK, I put it at my ToDo list.

3,4 There will be some changes (next upgrade)

7. I will think about the display part of FIF. I made some changes, so version 16.85 coudl be a little bit better.

Thanks a lot..

Edit: If you switch to no-map scren, power consumption is less...

[budd]

Thanks for answering and listening.
I'll try with map off

Edit:
Been readnig on forum so I tried few tricks you hinted.
All sensors off except gps, turn and slip indicator off, terrain off, airspaces off, airspace warning off, only vfr enabled...battery life improves a lot.
Before, consumption on nexus7 around 30% per hour, now with above settings around 15% per hour. Just like oruxmaps.
Tested 2 times, but will try to do more tests to be sure and to see wich option consumes the most.

So maybe you can add an option to increase gps refresh rate, so HSI would be more fluent and realistic.