On 3/3/2021 10:49 AM, Mike Carris wrote:
On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 8:36:11 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:
Yeah, and all those 40 year old gliders got badges and records without
any of that fancy stuff. And who doesn't miss the fun of turn point
photos taken out of the sector, or film disallowed because the processor
cut it, balky barographs, etc.? It took more flights but it was more
fun, I think, the diamonds still sparkle!

Dan
5J
On 3/2/21 5:54 PM, Moshe Braner wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 6:26:48 PM UTC-5, nickkennedy wrote:
Len
I had a Colibri 2
I really disliked that thing, very difficult to use unless you have programmer level skills I found out.
Ancient technology.
LXNAV has 3 IGC flight recorders from $480 ,$610 ,$810
The $$610 and 810 have map screens and alot of features along with a logger.
Easy to use and will last forever.
CRAGGYAERO.COM has them at a good price point.
Call Richard, he'll fix you right up.
Nick
T

Alas nothing lasts "forever". Funny when people put such faith into the current models, but when I ask why I can't get factory support for a 15-year-old model I'm told "what do you expect?" Old mechanical instruments of good quality did last a long time - e.g., Sage varios. The Scheumann box in my (originally Kai Gertsen's) HP14 was still soldiering on after 40 years. Electronics: not so much. Computerized electronics: designed obsolescence.

A Nano works great and is simple and relatively inexpensive. Connected to a XCSoar smart phone via BT, gives you everything you need for XC on any level.


Right, a usable and relatively inexpensive setup. I similarly use FLARM
+ Tophat.

But, after a decade or so the battery keeping the IGC security data
inside the Nano (or FLARM or whatever) will die, and you'll need to have
it officially re-blessed. And even if you don't care about official
badges and records, the loss of settings may force you to replace the
battery - if it's replaceable. And the tiny battery in the GPS module
will eventually die, making it slow in re-gaining a fix, and may lose
necessary settings. And that battery may not be replaceable. And the
main power battery inside the Nano (or any other unit) will die, and may
or may not be user-replaceable. And there may or may not be factory
support.

Batteries, can't live with them, can't live without them.