Initial review PowerFlarm

On Feb 27, 5:50*pm, Sean Fidler wrote:
Yikes. *That review is going to hurt! *I have to disagree. *I think they are great products and had no trouble reading the display with polarized glasses. *I did mount it straight ahead though so maybe...

I flew with mine last season in Uvalde. *My dad is flying with one in FL at current. *It works very well. *It's user interface is simple and well thought out. *Its proximity alerts for other gliders is IMPRESSIVE!!!!!

Our only support request from FLARM would be a user select-able proximity alarm (default 2-3 miles?) for non FLARM traffic. *At current there are NO ALARMS for transponder or ADSB general traffic. *That traffic could hit you and you would never get an audible or visual alarm...as I understand it from my Dad's experience this winter in FL.

FLARM FOLKS, Please make this non flarm traffic alarm happen, and right quick. *This kind of traffic as important to avoid as gliders! *And the alarm is key to safety in my opinion. *That should be fairly simple to add. *Please get it out by spring.

As far as enhancements such as unit size, batteries, etc... I'm sure that new models and enhancements (as with ALL PRODUCTS) will come with time.

Sean
F2

I can see pilots looking at the display instead of looking outside.
Pretty bad indeed! What did they think?

I've got about 5 flights with the PowerFlarm now although only 1 with
another PowerFlarm equipped glider nearby.

With a transponder equipped plane approaching, the display goes red at
a couple of miles of estimated range. No audible alert though.

What I've found so far is probably similar to other PCAS users. You
are suddenly surprised at how many aircraft are around that you never
see. Most of these have been over 4 miles away, but it can be a
challenge to find traffic at 3-4 miles even when you know their
relative altitude.

I can understand why they do not have an audio alert. First off, the
range is estimated not an exact position. Second, there is no
directional information. So what are you going to do with the alert
info you possess? Hopefully keep your eyes peeled with greater
scrutiny. It takes but a 1/2 second to include the PF in your
instrument scan and get a sense of range/altitude of the nearest
target.

Lastly, the main reason they may not have an audio alert is that there
are currently some false alarms showing up from your own transponder
if you're equipped. I'm hopeful that future revs of the software
will filter that out further, but currently I've seen a number of
false alarms even with a Mode S Trig. They usually don't last long,
but it would be a different story of nuisance if they were audio
alerting.

Morgan

On Feb 27, 10:32*pm, Morgan wrote:
I've got about 5 flights with the PowerFlarm now although only 1 with
another PowerFlarm equipped glider nearby.

With a transponder equipped plane approaching, the display goes red at
a couple of miles of estimated range. *No audible alert though.

What I've found so far is probably similar to other PCAS users. *You
are suddenly surprised at how many aircraft are around that you never
see. Most of these have been over 4 miles away, but it can be a
challenge to find traffic at 3-4 miles even when you know their
relative altitude.

I can understand why they do not have an audio alert. *First off, the
range is estimated not an exact position. *Second, there is no
directional information. *So what are you going to do with the alert
info you possess? *Hopefully keep your eyes peeled with greater
scrutiny. *It takes but a 1/2 second to include the PF in your
instrument scan and get a sense of range/altitude of the nearest
target.

Lastly, the main reason they may not have an audio alert is that there
are currently some false alarms showing up from your own transponder
if you're equipped. * I'm hopeful that future revs of the software
will filter that out further, but currently I've seen a number of
false alarms even with a Mode S Trig. *They usually don't last long,
but it would be a different story of nuisance if they were audio
alerting.

Morgan

There should be a selection of range for PCAS so you don't have to be
alerted at 4 miles unless you fly high where power planes fly with
greater speeds. Sound should alert you to look at the display, there
should be no need to scan this display. One beep that all it takes to
let you know someone is near you. While in a thermal there is no time
to do scanning. You keep your head outside at all time. Every so often
a pick at a variometer is enough of a distraction from observing
traffic around you.

On Feb 28, 3:58*am, Andrzej Kobus wrote:
On Feb 27, 10:32*pm, Morgan wrote:



I've got about 5 flights with the PowerFlarm now although only 1 with
another PowerFlarm equipped glider nearby.

With a transponder equipped plane approaching, the display goes red at
a couple of miles of estimated range. *No audible alert though.

What I've found so far is probably similar to other PCAS users. *You
are suddenly surprised at how many aircraft are around that you never
see. Most of these have been over 4 miles away, but it can be a
challenge to find traffic at 3-4 miles even when you know their
relative altitude.

I can understand why they do not have an audio alert. *First off, the
range is estimated not an exact position. *Second, there is no
directional information. *So what are you going to do with the alert
info you possess? *Hopefully keep your eyes peeled with greater
scrutiny. *It takes but a 1/2 second to include the PF in your
instrument scan and get a sense of range/altitude of the nearest
target.

Lastly, the main reason they may not have an audio alert is that there
are currently some false alarms showing up from your own transponder
if you're equipped. * I'm hopeful that future revs of the software
will filter that out further, but currently I've seen a number of
false alarms even with a Mode S Trig. *They usually don't last long,
but it would be a different story of nuisance if they were audio
alerting.

Morgan

There should be a selection of range for PCAS so you don't have to be
alerted at 4 miles unless you fly high where power planes fly with
greater speeds. Sound should alert you to look at the display, there
should be no need to scan this display. One beep that all it takes to
let you know someone is near you. While in a thermal there is no time
to do scanning. You keep your head outside at all time. Every so often
a pick at a variometer is enough of a distraction from observing
traffic around you.

Audio alerts are a must. Otherwise, unless you stare at the PowerFlarm
all the time, you will not see the alerts. I've been flying with PCAS
for many years, and only notice the alerts after I hear the audio
alert.
If I recall correctly, they announced at the SSA Convention talk that
audio alert is coming next. It will not be an alarm sound, just an
alert.

Ramy

On Feb 28, 2:05*pm, Ramy wrote:
On Feb 28, 3:58*am, Andrzej Kobus wrote:









On Feb 27, 10:32*pm, Morgan wrote:

I've got about 5 flights with the PowerFlarm now although only 1 with
another PowerFlarm equipped glider nearby.

With a transponder equipped plane approaching, the display goes red at
a couple of miles of estimated range. *No audible alert though.

What I've found so far is probably similar to other PCAS users. *You
are suddenly surprised at how many aircraft are around that you never
see. Most of these have been over 4 miles away, but it can be a
challenge to find traffic at 3-4 miles even when you know their
relative altitude.

I can understand why they do not have an audio alert. *First off, the
range is estimated not an exact position. *Second, there is no
directional information. *So what are you going to do with the alert
info you possess? *Hopefully keep your eyes peeled with greater
scrutiny. *It takes but a 1/2 second to include the PF in your
instrument scan and get a sense of range/altitude of the nearest
target.

Lastly, the main reason they may not have an audio alert is that there
are currently some false alarms showing up from your own transponder
if you're equipped. * I'm hopeful that future revs of the software
will filter that out further, but currently I've seen a number of
false alarms even with a Mode S Trig. *They usually don't last long,
but it would be a different story of nuisance if they were audio
alerting.

Morgan

There should be a selection of range for PCAS so you don't have to be
alerted at 4 miles unless you fly high where power planes fly with
greater speeds. Sound should alert you to look at the display, there
should be no need to scan this display. One beep that all it takes to
let you know someone is near you. While in a thermal there is no time
to do scanning. You keep your head outside at all time. Every so often
a pick at a variometer is enough of a distraction from observing
traffic around you.

Audio alerts are a must. Otherwise, unless you stare at the PowerFlarm
all the time, you will not see the alerts. I've been flying with PCAS
for many years, and only notice the alerts after I hear the audio
alert.
If I recall correctly, they announced at the SSA Convention talk that
audio alert is coming next. It will not be an alarm sound, just an
alert.

Ramy

I imagine the audio tone will come with better filtering of false
alarms. So far the range aspect of the transponder has proven to be a
strength. But admittedly Avenal is uncrowded enough that I can leave
the range set to 8 miles or so and the occasional power traffic will
show up long before becoming an alert.

Thankfully I haven't heard the alarm tones yet. Even when approaching
a thermalling glider initially at the same altitude the threat
filtering was accurate enough that it "knew" we'd arrive below the
climbing glider. Entering the thermal 100ft or less below him I
didn't get any false alarms of conflict during the entire thermal.