Soaring Avionics Archaeological Finds

On 11/5/2012 8:46 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 11/5/2012 3:36 PM, Tony wrote:
This was in the days when nearly every vario (except for the Ball

series) had a 1/2 liter flask. And when the really fancy final
glide

computers were plastic wheels instead of cardboard. And when real
men

navigated with paper maps! And....

no one had time to look outside while trying to figure out where they
were on the map and if they could make it?



It could be very time consuming figuring out where you were on the map, then
measure distances to your waypoint/airport, decide on a wind component to use,
twirl the "prayer wheel" to the right setting, and finally discover your
arrival altitude.

Shoot, just unfolding and folding the map and switching from one sectional to
the other was a big challenge! Electronic flight computers eliminated almost
all this distraction.


Somehow I missed a lot of angst and distraction when soaring XC with paper
charts, a whiz wheel, Mark I eyeballs all done in relatively unknown,
variable, wind fields. Enjoyed the views tremendously, too!

I always knew where I was, even when soaring from unknown-to-me/1st-time
sites. (That's not arrogance, merely the same statement of fact I've applied
to my driving for lo! those many pre-GPS years. "Mild bewilderment" as to
exact location simply doesn't matter in 99.9% of all situations, whereas
"Roughly where am I?" does...and changes relatively slowly over time. Why
routinely sweat the small stuff?)

I kept sectional(s) beneath a thigh, pre-folded if likely necessary. Mostly I
used 'em to remind myself of my next town/checkpoint; amazingly, staring at
'em never helped! (At certain sites, I cut-n-pre-taped. No angst there, either.)

I hardly ever used the whiz wheel (or, homemade final glide chart), because
estimating 25:1 was easy/accurate enough for my - position always known -
purposes. Wind fell out in the wash of estimation and Mark I eyeball estimates
and assessments.

Bob - surely it MUST be northern winter by now! - W.

On 11/6/2012 8:49 AM, aerodyne wrote:
I have a manual for the a-22 series audio and you can find same for
the CVS 50 vario on the cambridge site.

I guess I must be archaic, I still have a pnuematic netto swich for
the Sage on my panel...Works fine for me!

aerodyne


Hey - if it ain't broke, don't fix it still has value, even in today's
electronic age! Now...where're those pneumatic batteries...?

Regards,
Bob W.

John, et al:
If you install the AU-22 in a glider with a metal instrument panel and have a problem with radio transmissions interfering with the vario, Dave Ellis had a mod:
Cut the -12V trace in the audio box that goes to the chassis.
Believe "That instrument was before my time at Cambridge" was in his explanation.
Also believe mine was an AU-20, the 22 may be sans built in ground loop.
Jim