Flarm in 2011 USA Contests

Hi,

I applaud Dale for his efforts to get a rental fleet of FLARMs going. I'm
sorry to hear that due to the decisions of the contest committee he has
decided to completely abandon the idea. It would be wonderful to have
rental units available so that people could try them before buying them. Or
pay a reasonable rental fee for the one week of the year they need it the
most.

However, I must admit that I had my doubts that a rental system could work.
I envisioned it requiring hundreds of hours per year of volunteer work to
ship units, take in rental fees, receive units back, replace missing or
damaged parts, make phone calls and send e-mails begging people to please
return their rental unit soon, etc. While it would be extremely nice to
have them, I wouldn't volunteer to do the job.

As a soaring related business owner I imagine I would need to charge
$495/week to make it profitable. I don't think too many pilots that are
undecided about the usefulness of FLARM would pay that much. And that rate
would assume that I didn't have to pay for the inventory - that people would
donate units to the cause. But I should clarify that I'm not volunteering
to do this.

I'd much rather see people jump in and buy one and get to know it well
before they come to a contest - and use it every time they fly at the home
gliderport as well.

But of course, I'm biased because I sell them.

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

"DaleKramer" wrote in message
...
Evan,

Because I have acted on this report so quickly, there is nothing on
the earth to scorch. I would never do that anyway.

I have done the honorable thing and withdrawn when I feel that I can
no longer support the direction that this has taken.

I have been completely up front and open about my intentions and
everything that has happened.

The only thing withheld has been the specific terms of the tentative
agreement with FLARM Technology at their request.

Everything relevant to the program has been published and the next
volunteer can easily proceed.

I wish everyone the best but I choose not to participate.

Dale

Paule,

I am aware that the scope of what I volunteered to do was enormous.

I think the level of support that I received was partly because enough
people knew that I would have been able to accomplish what I started
if I had just received the RC support the way that I received popular
support from the silent majority.

Dale

Some of us will have multiple FLARM units for gliders and tow planes.
There will be times when I do not need my FLARM unit and will be
willing to loan it to a pilot for a contest.

A loaner list can be provided by the RC so a pilot without FLARM can
make the contacts to procure a unit for a contest.

Assuming FLARM meets expectations, most serious, safety-minded pilots
will have one in the future.

Seems simple.

If I understand it correctly, we are telling our customers they would
only need to have an extra display (butterfly?) to move the FLARM unit
from one aircraft to another. Many glider pilots will want to move the
FLARM from their glider to their power plane.

Tom Knauff
Knauff & Grove Soaring Supplies

On Nov 18, 11:09*am, Tom wrote:
If I understand it correctly, we are telling our customers they would
only need to have an extra display (butterfly?) to move the FLARM unit
from one aircraft to another. Many glider pilots will want to move the
FLARM from their glider to their power plane.

Loaner units will be portable PowerFLARM,
which includes a display. 2nd picture he
http://www.gliderpilot.org/Flarm-WhatIsIt

Best Regards, Dave

On Nov 18, 8:09*am, Tom wrote:
Some of us will have multiple FLARM units for gliders and tow planes.
There will be times when I do not need my FLARM unit and will be
willing to loan it to a pilot for a contest.

A loaner list can be provided by the RC so a pilot without FLARM can
make the contacts to procure a unit for a contest.

Assuming FLARM meets expectations, most serious, safety-minded pilots
will have one in the future.

Seems simple.

If I understand it correctly, we are telling our customers they would
only need to have an extra display (butterfly?) to move the FLARM unit
from one aircraft to another. Many glider pilots will want to move the
FLARM from their glider to their power plane.

Tom Knauff
Knauff & Grove Soaring Supplies

You are talking about the remote mounted brick and not the portable
unit? (or why is an external display needed at all?)

Planning on moving a brick does not seem a good idea at all. It will
involve removing two SMA antenna connections (not exactly known for
their durability), the power connector, the display RJ45 connector,
undoing whatever way you have the brick mounted etc. And reconnecting
all this on the other aircraft. Where do you easily install the brick
on a typical power aircraft?

If owners want to move the device get a portable unit. If they want an
installed look they need to purchase two bricks. Two separate units
also avoids hassles with resetting ICAO ID and other information.

Darryl

On Nov 18, 8:51*am, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Nov 18, 8:09*am, Tom wrote:



Some of us will have multiple FLARM units for gliders and tow planes.
There will be times when I do not need my FLARM unit and will be
willing to loan it to a pilot for a contest.

A loaner list can be provided by the RC so a pilot without FLARM can
make the contacts to procure a unit for a contest.

Assuming FLARM meets expectations, most serious, safety-minded pilots
will have one in the future.

Seems simple.

If I understand it correctly, we are telling our customers they would
only need to have an extra display (butterfly?) to move the FLARM unit
from one aircraft to another. Many glider pilots will want to move the
FLARM from their glider to their power plane.

Tom Knauff
Knauff & Grove Soaring Supplies

You are talking about the remote mounted brick and not the portable
unit? (or why is an external display needed at all?)

Planning on moving a brick does not seem a good idea at all. It will
involve removing two SMA antenna connections (not exactly known for
their durability), the power connector, the display RJ45 connector,
undoing whatever way you have the brick mounted etc. And reconnecting
all this on the other aircraft. Where do you easily install the brick
on a typical power aircraft?

If owners want to move the device get a portable unit. If they want an
installed look they need to purchase two bricks. Two separate units
also avoids hassles with resetting ICAO ID and other information.

Darryl

Sigh, I'll try again... this would involve removing

3 (not 2) SMA connectors - Flarm antenna, 1090ES antenna and the GPS
antenna.
The USB cable for the USB memory stick
The power connector
The display RJ-45 connector
Unfastening the brick itself

Reverse at the other end.

On the power aircraft you may want to have a connector pre-wired in to
attach the PowerFLARM audio out to the audio panel or to the aux in of
the headset if it has an aux in.

Moving the portable unit would involve unscrewing it or lifting it off
the 3M "mushroom" tape. Removing the external power connector if one
was used and removing the audio connection if one was used (in a power
aircraft or motorglider).

Darryl

Hi Dale,

I did not mean to imply that you did not understand the scope of it. I
applaud what you were offering.

I'm sorry to hear that you backed-out of your offer due to the lack of
support of your specific agenda - but I don't blame you for backing out at
all.

But I do agree with the contest committee.

Best Regards,

Paul Remde

"DaleKramer" wrote in message
...
Paule,

I am aware that the scope of what I volunteered to do was enormous.

I think the level of support that I received was partly because enough
people knew that I would have been able to accomplish what I started
if I had just received the RC support the way that I received popular
support from the silent majority.

Dale