Best performing Vario?

On Saturday, 22 September 2012 16:58:15 UTC+1, Craig R. wrote:
In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time.

I've had a B400 for a couple of years now and it's a wonderful vario - fast and accurate as well as simple to install. It's not got all the fancy guff that everybody seems to like playing around with but it has got me into plenty of thermals and more importantly helped me get the best climb the whole way up. It also tells you all you need to know audibly without you needing to look at the display constantly and provides a battery pack for backup

I haven't tried the posher models with speed to fly as I go with the Spreckley school of speeds which doesn't require a slavish following of a needle but a good view at the lovely scenery

Flown with Zander 940, Cambridge, B50s and a few others but the B400 and the 'improving' tones are the best.

Hi 7C. I shall hope to get you to try the LX9000 this year and see what you think. In the very brief experience I have had so far the thermal centering aid seemed particularly good.

I fear it is the quality of the backside which separates better pilots from the mediocre like me, not the quality of the vario.

On Tue, 5 Feb 2013 10:11:29 -0800 (PST), 7C
wrote:

On Saturday, 22 September 2012 16:58:15 UTC+1, Craig R. wrote:
In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time.

I've had a B400 for a couple of years now and it's a wonderful vario - fast and accurate as well as simple to install. It's not got all the fancy guff that everybody seems to like playing around with but it has got me into plenty of thermals and more importantly helped me get the best climb the whole way up. It also tells you all you need to know audibly without you needing to look at the display constantly and provides a battery pack for backup

I haven't tried the posher models with speed to fly as I go with the Spreckley school of speeds which doesn't require a slavish following of a needle but a good view at the lovely scenery

Flown with Zander 940, Cambridge, B50s and a few others but the B400 and the 'improving' tones are the best.

For pneumatic varios the Sage carefully set up with just the right
restrictor can't be beaten.

Why don't PNA developers emulate the Themi interface? Brighter screens should make that possible nowadays. Being able to get centering help via peripheral vision seems huge... especially if you're not the only one flying in a thermal.

http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/themi.htm

On Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:58:15 AM UTC-4, Craig R. wrote:
In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time.



Let's ignore products because they have the latest "bells and whistles" add ons, latest technology, sexy appearances, or best computer processor. Basic performance is the only criteria.



I've heard some say the legacy Cambridge units and some say the Sage mechanical.



Which unit did it for you?

Hi
The Butterfly vario look great on paper. Any actual user with an opinion on it's performance
in this group.
S6

On Thursday, February 7, 2013 11:38:48 AM UTC-8, s6 wrote:
On Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:58:15 AM UTC-4, Craig R. wrote: In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time. Let's ignore products because they have the latest "bells and whistles" add ons, latest technology, sexy appearances, or best computer processor. Basic performance is the only criteria. I've heard some say the legacy Cambridge units and some say the Sage mechanical. Which unit did it for you? Hi The Butterfly vario look great on paper. Any actual user with an opinion on it's performance in this group. S6

S6

I have about 30 hours on the Butterfly vario. It is as nice as it looks.

Please see the YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i0IVkHUnWU

They have recently add the ability to read a SeeYou .cup file for the goto, it should also be IGC approved soon and the speed to fly SC mode has a compensation setting that can be customized.

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

Richard,
Craggy Aero LLC

On Thursday, February 7, 2013 11:38:48 AM UTC-8, s6 wrote:
On Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:58:15 AM UTC-4, Craig R. wrote: In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time. Let's ignore products because they have the latest "bells and whistles" add ons, latest technology, sexy appearances, or best computer processor. Basic performance is the only criteria. I've heard some say the legacy Cambridge units and some say the Sage mechanical. Which unit did it for you? Hi The Butterfly vario look great on paper. Any actual user with an opinion on it's performance in this group. S6

I have about 30 hours on the Butterfly Vario. It is as nice as it looks on page.

It is the only instrument I have seen that looks as good in direct sun as my Ultimate Le flight computer.

They have recently added the ability to use SeeYou .cup files for the goto function, it is in the approval process for the ICG approval for the flight recorder and a compensation menu for the SC speed to fly has been added.

See the YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i0IVkHUnWU


Richard
http://www.craggyaero.com/butterfly.htm

On Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:58:15 AM UTC-4, Craig R. wrote:
In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time.



Let's ignore products because they have the latest "bells and whistles" add ons, latest technology, sexy appearances, or best computer processor. Basic performance is the only criteria.



I've heard some say the legacy Cambridge units and some say the Sage mechanical.



Which unit did it for you?

Richard
What about the performance of the vario to show lift-sink with the new technology
Does it deliver?
S6

On Thursday, February 7, 2013 3:13:05 PM UTC-8, s6 wrote:
On Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:58:15 AM UTC-4, Craig R. wrote: In your opinion, what was the best performing vario you have ever used? Specifically, the one that got you centered in and to the top of the thermal in the least amount of time. Let's ignore products because they have the latest "bells and whistles" add ons, latest technology, sexy appearances, or best computer processor. Basic performance is the only criteria. I've heard some say the legacy Cambridge units and some say the Sage mechanical. Which unit did it for you? Richard What about the performance of the vario to show lift-sink with the new technology Does it deliver? S6

I don't know. The Butterfly Vario performs as well as a LX1606 or LXNAV V7 with more features.
I have heard that the pressure sensors on the new varios can read 1 cm of altitude a 100 times per second. I guess the question is can inertial sensors add much to this?

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

they might not add much to the vario functionality, but don't underestimate the advantage of having the wind measured 20 times per second too. the butterfly vario measures all environmental influences on the aircraft like lift/sink and horizontal wind, and in theory should be able to filter horizontal gusts better than a traditional vario.