Whats best? Manual E6B or Electronic?

wrote:

Whats best for simplicity and price? The Metal/Plastic E6B or the
electronic one?

If you can only get one, I would recommend a small metal E6B (e.g.
http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/523).

The electronic version is much easier to use, but the metal one always
works. It's unlikely it will ever break and it's batteries will never
run down. Additionally, for some problems, you get a better idea of
what's going on with a mechanical version.

The mechanical versions run about US$25 for a decent one (there are
cheaper ones, but don't waste your money).

The electronic versions run about US$75 for a good one. And if you're
going to spend the money on an electronic version, spend it on a good
one that you'll be happy with.

The electronic version will also be more accurate, but don't let that
fool you. It won't make your flight any more accurate. Factors like
inaccurate winds aloft forecasts or measuring error when laying out your
course on the sectional add a lot more error than the small amount of
error you will get from trying to read between the marks on the E6B. So
don't let that be a factor in your decision making.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame
## CP-ASEL-IA, CFI-A, AGI
## insert tail number here
## KHAO, KISZ
"Software Independent: Won't work with any software."

On Jul 27, 6:59 am, "Mark T. Dame" wrote:
wrote:

Whats best for simplicity and price? The Metal/Plastic E6B or the
electronic one?

If you can only get one, I would recommend a small metal E6B (e.g.http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/sep/523).

The electronic version is much easier to use, but the metal one always
works. It's unlikely it will ever break and it's batteries will never
run down. Additionally, for some problems, you get a better idea of
what's going on with a mechanical version.

I still carry my paper one (although my GPS actually has one built in
as well). Its interesting that you point out that the electronic ones
are easier to use. I've not found that to be the case. In fact, when a
student arrives for flight training with me and they pull out the
electronic E6B, I cring a bit. I have yet to see any student who can
pull out their electronic E6B in flight, after I've given them a
diversion or something, and do anything other than just fiddle with
it. Even when they do come up with the answer it takes forever. I'm
not going to be able to become an expert on every electronic E6B out
there but when I've looked at what my students show up with I find
that I cannot understand how to use it without spending an hour or so
with the manual.
However, I can show a student how to calculate most of what they need
to be able to do with the manual E6B in about 15 minutes.

-Robert, CFII

Robert M. Gary wrote:
On Jul 27, 6:59 am, "Mark T. Dame" wrote:

The electronic version is much easier to use, but the metal one always
works. It's unlikely it will ever break and it's batteries will never
run down. Additionally, for some problems, you get a better idea of
what's going on with a mechanical version.

I still carry my paper one (although my GPS actually has one built in
as well). Its interesting that you point out that the electronic ones
are easier to use. I've not found that to be the case. In fact, when a
student arrives for flight training with me and they pull out the
electronic E6B, I cring a bit. I have yet to see any student who can
pull out their electronic E6B in flight, after I've given them a
diversion or something, and do anything other than just fiddle with
it.

OK, to clarify, once you learn how to use it, the electronic one is
easier to use. Bear in mind that I learned on a mechanical one and
didn't get an electronic version until I started working on my
commercial ticket. By then, I well understood what was going on "under
the hood". As I pointed out, for some problems, the mechanical version
is easier to understand.


-m
--
## Mark T. Dame
## CP-ASEL-IA, CFI-A, AGI
## insert tail number here
## KHAO, KISZ
"And that's all I have to say about that."
-- Forrest Gump

Mark T. Dame wrote:

The electronic version will also be more accurate, but don't let that
fool you. It won't make your flight any more accurate.

Excellent point.

I always get a kick out of airspeed or fuel requirements on my
calculator to the tenth or hundredth. If a few tenths of a gallon of
usable fuel, or a tenth of a knot, make a difference on my flight, I
need to slap myself.