ReconMaps

Convoy Map

The convoy map provides a simple visual representation of the vehicles traveling together. The yellow triangle identifies the convoy leader, the magenta square identifies the sweep—the last vehicle in the convoy— and the blue dot identifies the current user. Other convoy members are displayed as individual vehicle markers with their identifiers.

In this example, STJ Fred can immediately identify the vehicles ahead of and behind him. If communication is needed, the map provides the vehicle identifier needed to call that specific driver over the radio.

Convoy Management

The Convoy Management screen provides the information needed to organize and monitor the convoy:

1. Convoy Name — Identifies the club or convoy, typically using an area code and a short three- or four-letter identifier.
2. ReconMaps Channel — Selects the operating channel. ReconMaps currently provides ALPHA, BRAVO, CHARLIE, and DELTA, plus ECHO 11, a priority channel available to all users.
3. Vehicle Identifier — Provides a recognizable name for the vehicle, typically combining vehicle color/type and the driver's name so another member can identify and radio that vehicle.
4. Members — Displays the number of vehicles currently participating in the convoy.
5. Channel Counts — Shows the number of vehicles operating on each channel along with the total convoy count, giving the convoy leader a quick accountability check.
6. Convoy Roster — Lists each convoy member and their assigned role and symbol. A blue symbol always identifies the current user's device.

Telemetry Overlay

For Founder Beta, the telemetry overlay provides an at-a-glance view of the information needed to verify that ReconMaps and the connected device are operating correctly. It is especially useful during field testing because screenshots capture both the map and the system information needed to diagnose unexpected behavior.

1. Test Session — Date, time, and application runtime identify when a test occurred and how long ReconMaps had been running when a screenshot was taken.
2. Convoy Configuration — Displays the convoy name, active channel, vehicle identifier, and number of detected convoy members. The layout mirrors the Convoy Management window, allowing users to recognize each field at a glance and quickly confirm that the device is configured for the correct convoy.
3. Connectivity — Shows whether ReconMaps has an active internet connection. During Founder Beta, this provides a quick indication that the phone's cellular data or hotspot connection is functioning correctly. Future versions may support radio-based communications, such as GMRS or amateur radio, enabling convoy tracking in areas without cellular coverage.
4. Vehicle & GPS Status — Speed, GPS accuracy, and heading provide important diagnostic information when evaluating GPS performance, vehicle movement, and map-camera behavior.
5. Position — Displays the current WGS84 latitude and longitude. Changing coordinates provide an immediate indication that the device is receiving and updating its position as the vehicle moves. WGS84 is the standard coordinate reference system used by GPS-enabled phones.

Map Camera Controls

This early Founder Beta screenshot captures an important part of field testing. The cyan breadcrumb trail shows significant GPS wandering and repeated position changes while the vehicle was stationary or moving slowly. Testing like this helped identify that the GPS and motion thresholds were too sensitive. The GPS qualification and movement settings were subsequently adjusted so that small position fluctuations would not be recorded as actual vehicle movement, producing a cleaner and more useful breadcrumb trail.

The map camera provides three basic controls, identified on the right side of the screen:

1. Zoom In / Zoom Out (+ / –) — Changes the map scale, allowing the user to move between a close view of the vehicle and a wider view of the surrounding area.
2. Center / Follow — The map camera provides two related functions for controlling the vehicle's position on the screen:
   • Center — Re-centers the map on the user's current vehicle after the user has manually panned away to explore another area of the map.
   • Follow — Keeps the vehicle centered as it moves, allowing the map to automatically move with the vehicle's position. Manually panning the map temporarily exits Follow mode so the user can explore the surrounding area.

   The user can tap the Center / Follow control to return to the vehicle and resume automatic following at the previously selected zoom level.

3. North Up / Heading Up — The map camera can operate in two orientation modes:
   • North Up — The map remains fixed with north at the top of the screen. As the vehicle changes direction, the vehicle marker rotates to show its direction of travel. This traditional map orientation helps the user maintain geographic awareness and orient themselves to the surrounding area.
   • Heading Up — The display rotates as the vehicle changes direction so that the vehicle's direction of travel remains toward the top of the screen. In this mode, the north indicator moves around the display, continuously showing the direction of north as the map rotates beneath the vehicle.