PowerFlarm at Uvalde?

On 08/09/2011 12:58 AM, Rob Cluxton wrote:
Dave wrote:
I find it odd that there's no posts regarding the first-time use of
PowerFlarm in a US contest. Surely they're all flying with them.



It works well.

It does use up the batteries quickly though. 6 hours is about all I've
gotten out of it so far.
Hi Rob,

I've heard there are issues with limited range (500meters) and
interference with both CAI and LX instruments.

Both my GPS antenas (LX and EW) are on my glare shield and do not
interfere with each other but from the reports I have heard I am
concerned that putting my PowerFlarm on the glare shield will not work.

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

Thanks for any info you may have,

Luke

For what it’s worth, I had interference it seemed with a Flarm GPS
aerial too close to my Volkslogger. I then put the Flarm GPS aerial on my
headrest instead of the top of the instrument panel coaming, and that fixed
it. On my Flarm (small Swiss type, not PowerFlarm), the GPS aerial came
with a long lead so it was easy to do that.

Chris N

I've heard there are issues with limited range (500meters) and
interference with both CAI and LX instruments.

Both my GPS antenas (LX and EW) are on my glare shield and do not
interfere with each other but from the reports I have heard I am
concerned that putting my PowerFlarm on the glare shield will not work.

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

Thanks for any info you may have,

Luke

For what it’s worth, I had interference it seemed with a Flarm GPS
aerial too close to my Volkslogger. I then put the Flarm GPS aerial on my
headrest instead of the top of the instrument panel coaming, and that fixed
it. On my Flarm (small Swiss type, not PowerFlarm), the GPS aerial came
with a long lead so it was easy to do that.

Chris N

I've heard there are issues with limited range (500meters) and
interference with both CAI and LX instruments.

Both my GPS antenas (LX and EW) are on my glare shield and do not
interfere with each other but from the reports I have heard I am
concerned that putting my PowerFlarm on the glare shield will not work.

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

Thanks for any info you may have,

Luke

On 08/09/2011 4:59 PM, Chris Nicholas wrote:
For what it’s worth, I had interference it seemed with a Flarm GPS
aerial too close to my Volkslogger. I then put the Flarm GPS aerial on my
headrest instead of the top of the instrument panel coaming, and that fixed
it. On my Flarm (small Swiss type, not PowerFlarm), the GPS aerial came
with a long lead so it was easy to do that.

Chris N

I've heard there are issues with limited range (500meters) and
interference with both CAI and LX instruments.

Both my GPS antenas (LX and EW) are on my glare shield and do not
interfere with each other but from the reports I have heard I am
concerned that putting my PowerFlarm on the glare shield will not work.

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

Thanks for any info you may have,

Luke


Thanks Chris

On 8/9/2011 1:01 PM, Luke wrote:
On 08/09/2011 12:58 AM, Rob Cluxton wrote:

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

How can the compass interfere with the GPS signal?

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

On 08/09/2011 5:42 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 8/9/2011 1:01 PM, Luke wrote:
On 08/09/2011 12:58 AM, Rob Cluxton wrote:

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

How can the compass interfere with the GPS signal?

I'm not sure but here is a quote from the manual:


"The PowerFLARM® and any associated aerials should be located as far
away as possible -- at least 30 cm (1 ft) -- away from any other GPS
aerial and the magnetic compass."

Luke

At 21:48 09 August 2011, Luke wrote:
On 08/09/2011 5:42 PM, Eric Greenwell wrote:
On 8/9/2011 1:01 PM, Luke wrote:
On 08/09/2011 12:58 AM, Rob Cluxton wrote:

Where are your GPS antenas located? 30cm away from GPS antennas AND
the
compass is not realistic in most gliders...

How can the compass interfere with the GPS signal?

I'm not sure but here is a quote from the manual:


"The PowerFLARM� and any associated aerials should be located as far
away as possible -- at least 30 cm (1 ft) -- away from any other GPS
aerial and the magnetic compass."

Luke


You guys ARE joking, right??

Cookie

"The PowerFLARM� and any associated aerials should be located as far
away as possible -- at least 30 cm (1 ft) -- away from any other GPS
aerial and the magnetic compass."

Luke


You guys ARE joking, right??

Cookie

No one is joking but it is very disturbing to be told about this
installation constraint after having placed an order and sent in a
payment.

The constraint, if complied with, will make it almost impossible to fit the
unit in a glider equipped for contest flying.


Andy

Andy Durbin wrote:
"The PowerFLARM� and any associated aerials should be located as
far
away as possible -- at least 30 cm (1 ft) -- away from any other GPS

aerial and the magnetic compass."

Luke


You guys ARE joking, right??

Cookie

No one is joking but it is very disturbing to be told about this
installation constraint after having placed an order and sent in a
payment.

The constraint, if complied with, will make it almost impossible to
fit the
unit in a glider equipped for contest flying.


Andy

This should not surprise anybody and I can think of a lot more to be
"highly disturbed" about in life than this. C'mon we really are not
whining about this are we?

You cannot undo the laws of electrodynamics. The compass is going to be
affected by components in the PowerFLARM and by electrical currents.
Cautious advice like this from a vendor is entirely appropriate for a
device that might well get put up on a glareshield near the compass in a
certified (even IFR) aircraft.

Now why is it a worry? How many of us rely on our compasses? To high
accuracy? The manual is just providing a suitable caution and covering
FLARM's ass.

What is actually much more important is the correct installation with
respect to the antennas being free of conductive obstructions/surfaces
as the manual warns. Still I just know we'll stumble across these units
and antennas buried behind panels with owners unsure why they don't work
properly.

Darryl

At 20:18 10 August 2011, Darryl Ramm wrote:
This should not surprise anybody and I can think of a lot more to be
"highly disturbed" about in life than this. C'mon we really are not
whining about this are we?

You cannot undo the laws of electrodynamics. The compass is going to be
affected by components in the PowerFLARM and by electrical currents.
Cautious advice like this from a vendor is entirely appropriate for a
device that might well get put up on a glareshield near the compass in a
certified (even IFR) aircraft.

Now why is it a worry? How many of us rely on our compasses? To high
accuracy? The manual is just providing a suitable caution and covering
FLARM's ass.

What is actually much more important is the correct installation with
respect to the antennas being free of conductive obstructions/surfaces
as the manual warns. Still I just know we'll stumble across these units
and antennas buried behind panels with owners unsure why they don't work
properly.

Darryl


Who said anyone was "highly disturbed"? I didn't.

Can you cite any other GPS based gliding equipment that requires the GPS
antenna to be installed more than 30cm from any other GPS antenna? I don't
give a rat's arse about the compass but I do care that my other GPS
receivers (currently 3 of them behind or on the panel) continue to work and
there are reports from Uvalde of interference to other GPS based equipment.


Sure FLARM is covering their arse. If there are problems of interference
with other equipment the first question will be "Did you meet the antenna
separation requirements?"

Why would anyone buy a piece of equipment knowing that they could not meet
the installation requirements? Why would anyone build equipment with
strict antenna separation requirements and then make the radiating antenna
non removable thus preventing it's relocation?

PowerFLARM has to work with closer antenna separation that 30cm. If it
cannot, it needs a design change. If it can, the user manual needs to be
revised.

Andy