Kevin Christner wrote:
Andrew Warbrick wrote in message ...

Good review, clear and to the point.

You forgot to mention one feature of the Colibri which
might influence people's decision. The internal memory
back up battery needs to be replaced every few years
and to retain IGC approval this has to be done by the
dealer, not the owner. Having said this, I still bought
a Colibri as the best option. The user interface on
the Volkslogger really is vile in comparison.



It is true that the Colibri does have internal back-up battery, as do MOST
other flight computers, loggers and even avionics, the truth is that since
the Colibri was introduced now nearly 8 years ago, we have yet to replace
any of these batteries from routine use.....as long as the Colibri is used
frequently and not left dormant for very extended periods.

Kevin Christner for Tim Mara
Having done this with my LX20 it is pretty simple on this model. The battery is
on a seperate screw secured pocket - as long as you ensure power continuity when
you replace the battery you are away.

If you are unwise enough to remove the power completely (no external power and
no 9V leads to the battery connector) you will have to return the unit to the LX
folks in Slovenia. The reason for the batteries is to ensure integrity of the
data stored in NVRAM, so the security info will be lost when it loses all power.

Might be worth sending to LX for the older LX20 units anyway - so they can be
upgraded to the new security spec. Can't speak for the other loggers.

One other point - the battery on mine was getting weak but still functional
after 8 years. 1996 model LX20 must be one of the older ones out there and still
going strong. With the latest firmware I even get final glide information and a
rudimentary moving map.

The support from LX is outstanding and consistent.