Mechanical Vario

Owain Walters wrote:
Because while the electric is flailing around the mechnical
gives indications that match what is happening with
a timed average.

If your electric is "flailing around", that suggests a problem in the
pneumatic connections or the vario settings. For example, I set my
Cambridge 302 for a relatively fast audio response (~ 1.3 second
response), but a slower needle response (1.7 second response - similar
to a good mechanical vario). The averager (~ 20-30 second response)
gives a climb rate in excellent agreement to the actual climb rate,
though this can be checked easily only in very smooth thermals.

These three different responses give me a feel for detecting, centering,
and ultimately deciding when to leave a thermal.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA
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* "Transponders in Sailplanes" http://tinyurl.com/y739x4
* "A Guide to Self-launching Sailplane Operation" at www.motorglider.org