Best performing Vario?

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.

On Feb 7, 7:40*pm, Tobias Bieniek
wrote:
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.

Having hardware the right hardware is just a prerequisite knowing how
to process data from all these sensors to filter out gusts is the real
difficult part. It will probably take years before really good
solutions appear. These algorithms will become closely guarded secrets.

Best performing vario I've used? Peschges VP-4E Nav. Not that it's an amazing vario, just that I haven't had a chance to spend much time with anything much more modern!

As is is I've been following this thread and others with interest as, if the pilots in my club decide to install PowerFLARM in all our gliders I'm pretty much going to have to update my vario to one which has the ability to display Flarm data (limited panel space and the desire to keep my mechanical vario and still have space for a transponder). So far the LX7007C basic combined with a PowerFLARM brick seems like the most likely option though I'm also considering many of the other setups talked about here. I despise using touch screens though so that kind of limits my options.

I'm trying not to think about the fact that by the time all this equipment is installed, wired and signed off I'll have just spent on my avionics a sum roughly equivalent to one quarter the likely market value of my glider!