OVERVIEW:
Designed for military personnel out in the field, Flash2Bang is an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch used to calculate distance based on an observed event and the following sound associated with that event. Since the speed of sound is affected by air temperature, it includes a temperature control that can also serve as a Fahrenheit/Celsius converter.
This app was covered in the April 5th print edition of Army Times. In the “Off Duty” section, the article titled “Appsolutely” written by Jon R. Anderson covers numerous applications for mobile devices useful to military personnel, broken out by categories such as “Stay Connected”, “Fitness” and “Downrange”. Flash2Bang was listed as one of four applications under the category “In The Field”.
“Whether you’re trying to calculate the distance from your position to an enemy mortar team or an approaching thunderstorm, Flash2Bang has got you covered. This simple tool does a simple job well – press start when you see the flash, press stop when you hear the bang. Toggle for instant meter/yard conversion. Punch in the temp for greater accuracy.”
HOW TO USE:
Application StartupWhen Flash2Bang starts up, the temperature is set to a default of 70 F. You can set the temperature by adjusting the slider left or right as necessary. You can also change the temperature scale by pressing “F” or “C”. The “Reset Temp” button sets the temperature back to 70 F (of 21 C if using the Celsius scale).
To start timing an event, simply click on the “Start” button.
Timing of the EventWhile an event is being timed, the interval will update every 1/10th of a second. While the timer is active, you can still adjust the temperature to the desired setting if necessary.
As soon as you hear the event, click on the “Stop” button.
ResultsWhen the “Stop” button is pressed, Flash2Bang will calculate the distance based on the time interval and factoring in the temperature value.
The “Convert” button is used to cycle between the following distance scales: Meters, Kilometers, Yards, and Miles.
Once the interval has been calculated, you can still adjust the temperature as necessary, and the calculated distance will be automatically adjusted.
Click on the “Clear” button to erase the results of the previous observation.
To start another observation cycle, simply press the “Start” button.