[Feature Request]: Remove number of sats

[thebentern]

Checklist

• I have used the search function for OPEN ISSUES to see if someone else has already submitted the same feature request.

• I have also used the search function for CLOSED ISSUES to see if the feature was already implemented and is just waiting to be released, or if the feature was rejected.

• I will describe the request with as much detail as possible.

• This request contains only one single feature, not a list of multiple (related) features.

• I have read and understood the Contribution Guidelines.

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

Contact Details

No response

Feature or improvement you want

Number of satellites in view is not a useful metric to display in the apps. It is particularly confusing for users as well, because many perceive it as a proxy for GPS position quality, which it does not represent. This position flag is likely going to be removed from the firmware altogether soon.

Why should this be added?

No response

Screenshots / Drawings / Technical details

No response

[b8b8]

GPS satellites count should remain at least for locally connected node and Tracker Role.

[DarkRanger935]

All GPS units make this information available for good reason, it is critical for ascertaining satellite visibility as a cause vs other issues when troubleshooting. Do not “dumb down” our hardware/software just because some dont understand why this is important info or how to use it.

[DarkRanger935]

“Enhancement Requests” that break or outright remove existing functionality are, by definition, not enhancements

[b8b8]

Lets hold our horses for a bit. An actual DOP value in its place has use.

[thebentern]

“Enhancement Requests” that break or outright remove existing functionality are, by definition, not enhancements

Removing things that cause confusion is by definition an enhancement

[DarkRanger935]

“Enhancement Requests” that break or outright remove existing functionality are, by definition, not enhancements

Removing things that cause confusion is by definition an enhancement

I do appreciate there is a lot of confusion in the world. When non-technical people start digging into technology converging the realms of radio/satellite/networking/computing & even instrumentation, they should expect to get confused at first…which is where education and/or asking for help comes in.

These are just fun gadgets to some people, but comms and positioning can literally mean life or death to others. If developers start removing some of the very information that is needed to facilitate said help/functions, the technology (if not the end user) is doomed.

Many people may find those numbers on the bottom of cheques confusing, but they sure do appreciate it when banks make the funds available because of those numbers.

[NumbarZero]

i think it is pretty clear combined with the little satelitte icon that is beside it. personally i dont find it very useful. on the other hand the device board name take way more space on the node page and could be removed without problem as that info could be seen in the detail page instead.

[dpedu]

While there is obvious value in knowing the number of satellites (e.g. for debugging as mentioned above), we should consider how often this information actually needs to be referenced and thus how prominently it should be featured in the app.

Right now, the number of satellites is displayed on one of the app's main screens, the list of nodes. Ask yourself: do I need at-a-glance access to the number satellites the random nodes around me have?

I think the answer is an obvious "NO", especially considering most nodes anonymize their location to making it much, much vaguer than any degree of GPS imprecision would.

I think there's a happy medium to be found here: moving the display of gps satellite count to a node's profile screen, probably in the "Position" card on that screen. You'd still be able to look at node's satellite count on the uncommon occasion you need to, and this would de-clutter the node list screen, which is what I think @thebentern is really after (and I very much agree with!).

This being said, I think a nice feature would be to give users the options as to what information is shown on the node list. I'll open a separate enhancement request for this.

Edit: #4625