PowerFlarm offers new Version, PowerFlarm Fusion Includes Many newstandard Features!

On 11/19/2020 1:21 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Moshe Braner wrote on 11/19/2020 9:31 AM:
On 11/19/2020 11:12 AM, Dan Marotta wrote:
On 11/18/20 4:41 PM, Richard Pfiffner wrote:
According to Flarm the New Fusion transmits and receives on both A
and B Flarm Antennas.

http://www.craggyaero.com/fusion.htm



Richard
www.craggyaero.com


That looks to me like you can buy a license to activate the "B"
antenna. Â*Â*Isn't that like buying a license to active the passenger
side seat belt in a car?Â* Or the rear brakes?


Maybe if you pay extra they'll sell you the feature where it keeps on
working after the firmware "expires"?Â* (As long as the data packets
are still compatible.)

Dan: We have no choice about seat belts and brakes, which are mandated
by law. Do you want to go there with PowerFlarm? :^(

Dan: Buying a license for an optional feature (also known as "buying an
optional feature") is like buying the "primo" optional interior for your
new car, except you can do it anytime, even years after the purchase,
unlike that fancy interior. Would you rather they included everything
that is now optional, and charged you for it, instead letting you pay
for only what you need?


I also agree with Dan that having to buy a license to activate the "B"
antenna is ridiculous. Yes it's an optional feature, but it shouldn't
be. They've already developed this feature and it's built into the
device. And it is important for the safety benefit. That's different
from some of the other optional features like IGC-certified logging,
which are separate from the collision avoidance purpose, and they can
make those who want that feature pay extra while keeping the price lower
(?) for the rest.

Moshe Braner wrote on 11/19/2020 2:12 PM:
On 11/19/2020 1:21 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:


That looks to me like you can buy a license to activate the "B" antenna. **Isn't that like
buying a license to active the passenger side seat belt in a car?* Or the rear brakes?


Maybe if you pay extra they'll sell you the feature where it keeps on working after the
firmware "expires"?* (As long as the data packets are still compatible.)

Dan: We have no choice about seat belts and brakes, which are mandated by law. Do you want to
go there with PowerFlarm? :^(

Dan: Buying a license for an optional feature (also known as "buying an optional feature") is
like buying the "primo" optional interior for your new car, except you can do it anytime,
even years after the purchase, unlike that fancy interior. Would you rather they included
everything that is now optional, and charged you for it, instead letting you pay for only
what you need?


I also agree with Dan that having to buy a license to activate the "B" antenna is ridiculous.
Yes it's an optional feature, but it shouldn't be.* They've already developed this feature and
it's built into the device.* And it is important for the safety benefit.* That's different from
some of the other optional features like IGC-certified logging, which are separate from the
collision avoidance purpose, and they can make those who want that feature pay extra while
keeping the price lower (?) for the rest.

The B antenna is not required for safety in my glider. My ASH26E has two antennas in the nose
(Flarm and ADSB), producing excellent range in most directions, and sufficient range to the
rear for collision avoidance. I tried a B antenna on the belly, and it did improve the range at
which I could detect other Flarm units, especially below. Since the unit already had sufficient
range in all directions, the B antenna did not improve it's collision avoidance ability, and I
removed it after 10 or so flights.

I think my experience would apply to almost any Schleicher glider - they all use essentially
the same fuselage, starting with the ASW24, which do not have carbon in the nose. That's a lot
of gliders.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On Friday, November 20, 2020 at 12:31:44 PM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Moshe Braner wrote on 11/19/2020 2:12 PM:
On 11/19/2020 1:21 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:


That looks to me like you can buy a license to activate the "B" antenna. Isn't that like
buying a license to active the passenger side seat belt in a car? Or the rear brakes?


Maybe if you pay extra they'll sell you the feature where it keeps on working after the
firmware "expires"? (As long as the data packets are still compatible..)

Dan: We have no choice about seat belts and brakes, which are mandated by law. Do you want to
go there with PowerFlarm? :^(

Dan: Buying a license for an optional feature (also known as "buying an optional feature") is
like buying the "primo" optional interior for your new car, except you can do it anytime,
even years after the purchase, unlike that fancy interior. Would you rather they included
everything that is now optional, and charged you for it, instead letting you pay for only
what you need?


I also agree with Dan that having to buy a license to activate the "B" antenna is ridiculous.
Yes it's an optional feature, but it shouldn't be. They've already developed this feature and
it's built into the device. And it is important for the safety benefit. That's different from
some of the other optional features like IGC-certified logging, which are separate from the
collision avoidance purpose, and they can make those who want that feature pay extra while
keeping the price lower (?) for the rest.

The B antenna is not required for safety in my glider. My ASH26E has two antennas in the nose
(Flarm and ADSB), producing excellent range in most directions, and sufficient range to the
rear for collision avoidance. I tried a B antenna on the belly, and it did improve the range at
which I could detect other Flarm units, especially below. Since the unit already had sufficient
range in all directions, the B antenna did not improve it's collision avoidance ability, and I
removed it after 10 or so flights.

I think my experience would apply to almost any Schleicher glider - they all use essentially
the same fuselage, starting with the ASW24, which do not have carbon in the nose. That's a lot
of gliders.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Eric, you wish what you wrote to be a fact, but in reality you can not have 100% in a glider that uses carbon and has only one antenna. I used to own ASH-26E with Flarm and from experience know there are blind spots. One flight in a competition gaggle would prove it for you. You will not be seen by others all the time and you will not see others all the time on your Flarm if you and they have only 1 antenna.

Andrzej Kobus wrote on 11/20/2020 5:57 PM:
On Friday, November 20, 2020 at 12:31:44 PM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Moshe Braner wrote on 11/19/2020 2:12 PM:
On 11/19/2020 1:21 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:


That looks to me like you can buy a license to activate the "B" antenna. Isn't that like


I also agree with Dan that having to buy a license to activate the "B" antenna is ridiculous.
Yes it's an optional feature, but it shouldn't be. They've already developed this feature and
it's built into the device. And it is important for the safety benefit. That's different from
some of the other optional features like IGC-certified logging, which are separate from the
collision avoidance purpose, and they can make those who want that feature pay extra while
keeping the price lower (?) for the rest.

The B antenna is not required for safety in my glider. My ASH26E has two antennas in the nose
(Flarm and ADSB), producing excellent range in most directions, and sufficient range to the
rear for collision avoidance. I tried a B antenna on the belly, and it did improve the range at
which I could detect other Flarm units, especially below. Since the unit already had sufficient
range in all directions, the B antenna did not improve it's collision avoidance ability, and I
removed it after 10 or so flights.

I think my experience would apply to almost any Schleicher glider - they all use essentially
the same fuselage, starting with the ASW24, which do not have carbon in the nose. That's a lot
of gliders.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Eric, you wish what you wrote to be a fact, but in reality you can not have 100% in a glider that uses carbon and has only one antenna. I used to own ASH-26E with Flarm and from experience know there are blind spots. One flight in a competition gaggle would prove it for you. You will not be seen by others all the time and you will not see others all the time on your Flarm if you and they have only 1 antenna.

The gaggles I've flown in did not expose those problems, perhaps because they have not been as
dense as the worst contest gaggles sometimes are. Did your 26E have the antennas mounted in the
nose? Where was the worst blind spot?

In general, I would expect the signal strength from nearby gliders (+/- 500'vertically, 1000'
horizontally) in a gaggle to overwhelm all but the very worst antenna placement.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On 11/21/2020 8:54 AM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
...

In general, I would expect the signal strength from nearby gliders (+/-
500'vertically, 1000' horizontally) in a gaggle to overwhelm all but the
very worst antenna placement.


Good point. Receivers can be very sensitive. Years ago GPS receivers
were finicky, had to put them outdoors for 15 minutes to get a fix, etc.
Nowadays those in recent model cellphones work just fine on the
passenger seat of a metal-body car. Note that the GPS satellites are
generally low on the horizon. And very far away. Presumably the
signals come in through windows and bounce around inside the car. No
idea if the FLARM receivers are comparably sensitive. Nor whether
carbon fiber reflects radio waves as well as sheet metal does.

On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 8:54:55 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Andrzej Kobus wrote on 11/20/2020 5:57 PM:
On Friday, November 20, 2020 at 12:31:44 PM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Moshe Braner wrote on 11/19/2020 2:12 PM:
On 11/19/2020 1:21 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:


That looks to me like you can buy a license to activate the "B" antenna. Isn't that like


I also agree with Dan that having to buy a license to activate the "B" antenna is ridiculous.
Yes it's an optional feature, but it shouldn't be. They've already developed this feature and
it's built into the device. And it is important for the safety benefit. That's different from
some of the other optional features like IGC-certified logging, which are separate from the
collision avoidance purpose, and they can make those who want that feature pay extra while
keeping the price lower (?) for the rest.

The B antenna is not required for safety in my glider. My ASH26E has two antennas in the nose
(Flarm and ADSB), producing excellent range in most directions, and sufficient range to the
rear for collision avoidance. I tried a B antenna on the belly, and it did improve the range at
which I could detect other Flarm units, especially below. Since the unit already had sufficient
range in all directions, the B antenna did not improve it's collision avoidance ability, and I
removed it after 10 or so flights.

I think my experience would apply to almost any Schleicher glider - they all use essentially
the same fuselage, starting with the ASW24, which do not have carbon in the nose. That's a lot
of gliders.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Eric, you wish what you wrote to be a fact, but in reality you can not have 100% in a glider that uses carbon and has only one antenna. I used to own ASH-26E with Flarm and from experience know there are blind spots. One flight in a competition gaggle would prove it for you. You will not be seen by others all the time and you will not see others all the time on your Flarm if you and they have only 1 antenna.

The gaggles I've flown in did not expose those problems, perhaps because they have not been as
dense as the worst contest gaggles sometimes are. Did your 26E have the antennas mounted in the
nose? Where was the worst blind spot?

In general, I would expect the signal strength from nearby gliders (+/- 500'vertically, 1000'
horizontally) in a gaggle to overwhelm all but the very worst antenna placement.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

My antenna was mounted in the nose and the worst coverage was to the back, above the glider, very dangerous blind spot. I then moved the antenna to the glare shield, improved the above the glider and worsened below the glider.. Blind spot below the glider was more acceptable to me.

Andrzej Kobus wrote on 11/21/2020 10:53 AM:
On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 8:54:55 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Andrzej Kobus wrote on 11/20/2020 5:57 PM:

The B antenna is not required for safety in my glider. My ASH26E has two antennas in the nose
(Flarm and ADSB), producing excellent range in most directions, and sufficient range to the
rear for collision avoidance. I tried a B antenna on the belly, and it did improve the range at
which I could detect other Flarm units, especially below. Since the unit already had sufficient
range in all directions, the B antenna did not improve it's collision avoidance ability, and I
removed it after 10 or so flights.

I think my experience would apply to almost any Schleicher glider - they all use essentially
the same fuselage, starting with the ASW24, which do not have carbon in the nose. That's a lot
of gliders.


Eric, you wish what you wrote to be a fact, but in reality you can not have 100% in a glider that uses carbon and has only one antenna. I used to own ASH-26E with Flarm and from experience know there are blind spots. One flight in a competition gaggle would prove it for you. You will not be seen by others all the time and you will not see others all the time on your Flarm if you and they have only 1 antenna.

The gaggles I've flown in did not expose those problems, perhaps because they have not been as
dense as the worst contest gaggles sometimes are. Did your 26E have the antennas mounted in the
nose? Where was the worst blind spot?

In general, I would expect the signal strength from nearby gliders (+/- 500'vertically, 1000'
horizontally) in a gaggle to overwhelm all but the very worst antenna placement.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

My antenna was mounted in the nose and the worst coverage was to the back, above the glider, very dangerous blind spot. I then moved the antenna to the glare shield, improved the above the glider and worsened below the glider.. Blind spot below the glider was more acceptable to me.

Curious. The behind and above has never been a dead spot for me, meaning "while thermaling
gliders above and behind were always detected). No one has ever mentioned a problem seeing me
from that position, either.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

On 11/21/20 11:53 AM, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
On Saturday, November 21, 2020 at 8:54:55 AM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Andrzej Kobus wrote on 11/20/2020 5:57 PM:
On Friday, November 20, 2020 at 12:31:44 PM UTC-5, Eric Greenwell wrote:
Moshe Braner wrote on 11/19/2020 2:12 PM:
On 11/19/2020 1:21 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:


That looks to me like you can buy a license to activate the "B" antenna. Isn't that like


I also agree with Dan that having to buy a license to activate the "B" antenna is ridiculous.
Yes it's an optional feature, but it shouldn't be. They've already developed this feature and
it's built into the device. And it is important for the safety benefit. That's different from
some of the other optional features like IGC-certified logging, which are separate from the
collision avoidance purpose, and they can make those who want that feature pay extra while
keeping the price lower (?) for the rest.

The B antenna is not required for safety in my glider. My ASH26E has two antennas in the nose
(Flarm and ADSB), producing excellent range in most directions, and sufficient range to the
rear for collision avoidance. I tried a B antenna on the belly, and it did improve the range at
which I could detect other Flarm units, especially below. Since the unit already had sufficient
range in all directions, the B antenna did not improve it's collision avoidance ability, and I
removed it after 10 or so flights.

I think my experience would apply to almost any Schleicher glider - they all use essentially
the same fuselage, starting with the ASW24, which do not have carbon in the nose. That's a lot
of gliders.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

Eric, you wish what you wrote to be a fact, but in reality you can not have 100% in a glider that uses carbon and has only one antenna. I used to own ASH-26E with Flarm and from experience know there are blind spots. One flight in a competition gaggle would prove it for you. You will not be seen by others all the time and you will not see others all the time on your Flarm if you and they have only 1 antenna.

The gaggles I've flown in did not expose those problems, perhaps because they have not been as
dense as the worst contest gaggles sometimes are. Did your 26E have the antennas mounted in the
nose? Where was the worst blind spot?

In general, I would expect the signal strength from nearby gliders (+/- 500'vertically, 1000'
horizontally) in a gaggle to overwhelm all but the very worst antenna placement.
--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1

My antenna was mounted in the nose and the worst coverage was to the back, above the glider, very dangerous blind spot. I then moved the antenna to the glare shield, improved the above the glider and worsened below the glider. Blind spot below the glider was more acceptable to me.


I have the A antenna on the glare shield and an external blade B antenna
under the nose bowl of the Stemme. Below is much improved since moving
the B antenna to the bottom but, due to the curvature of the lower
fuselage, the aft view is not as good as it could be if the antenna was
aft of the landing gear.

--
Dan
5J

I just heard from Flarm about the Fusion. It transmits and receives on both A and B!

Yes. There are no FCC regulations against transmitting on both radios. This is how Fusion was FCC certified.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com