Sale today on 12 Volt flexible solar panel

On Sunday, 27 November 2016 11:05:20 UTC+2, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
So... Your glider has less instruments and current draw than the one mentioned above in this thread. I also know several pilots who do not have batteries in their glider at all, and only use a handheld radio. Point being the new LiFePo4 have not rendered solar panels obsolete.

I do like the espresso maker idea though!

On Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 12:03:48 AM UTC-8, krasw wrote:

Hmmm. One could also install small generator in glider to drive set of christmas lights and espresso machine in cockpit.

I have e-vario, flarm, radio, PDA power and flarm display with small 8 Ah LiFePo4. It takes 11 hrs to run dry. Other similar battery is waiting in reserve. I could easily install similar physical size LiFePos with 30-40 hrs of current. That would be a week of gliding.

My point was that I have what I would call pretty full panel, and could have electricity for two or three similar panels running all at the same time, with some reserves.

But I understand the case for panels when you have ancient electrical system (building second avionics bus would be few hours job), would need to carry lead in nose or want to charge on the ground. In pretty much any other case I still maintain that panels are thing of the past. Not to mention that they pretty much ruin the esthetics of beautiful glider, but of course YMMV..

On Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 4:23:09 AM UTC-5, krasw wrote:
On Sunday, 27 November 2016 11:05:20 UTC+2, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
So... Your glider has less instruments and current draw than the one mentioned above in this thread. I also know several pilots who do not have batteries in their glider at all, and only use a handheld radio. Point being the new LiFePo4 have not rendered solar panels obsolete.

I do like the espresso maker idea though!

On Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 12:03:48 AM UTC-8, krasw wrote:

Hmmm. One could also install small generator in glider to drive set of christmas lights and espresso machine in cockpit.

I have e-vario, flarm, radio, PDA power and flarm display with small 8 Ah LiFePo4. It takes 11 hrs to run dry. Other similar battery is waiting in reserve. I could easily install similar physical size LiFePos with 30-40 hrs of current. That would be a week of gliding.

My point was that I have what I would call pretty full panel, and could have electricity for two or three similar panels running all at the same time, with some reserves.

But I understand the case for panels when you have ancient electrical system (building second avionics bus would be few hours job), would need to carry lead in nose or want to charge on the ground. In pretty much any other case I still maintain that panels are thing of the past. Not to mention that they pretty much ruin the esthetics of beautiful glider, but of course YMMV.

I don't think you have a full panel. I could call it a small panel. I have 20 AH battery dedicated to instruments plus 4 solar panels and all of that power will not last for an 8 hour flight to drive all I have in the cockpit.. The glider and instruments are year 2016.

Wow, what do you have in panel then? I'm all ears. My panel has pretty much same stuff you would find in most competition gliders, sans transponder. This comment is based on walking trough wgc grids and looking what kind of panels pilots have.

I would love to have espresso in the cockpit on those long, cold
high-altitude flights, but then I'd need a couple of extra gel packs... :-D

On 11/27/2016 10:07 AM, krasw wrote:
Wow, what do you have in panel then? I'm all ears. My panel has pretty much same stuff you would find in most competition gliders, sans transponder. This comment is based on walking trough wgc grids and looking what kind of panels pilots have.


--
Dan, 5J

Again So.... With no disrespect intended, PDA's have been obsolete since 2008, and they were not a glider instrument but a kludged fix until larger screens were economically available for purpose designed soaring instruments.. Your glider has a full panel for your needs, but is far from full by modern standards, does not have transponder, does not have AHRS for those day when the foehn gap closes, and only has one e-vario, no instantaneous wind, no strobe built into fin for anti-collision... . The glider, new in 2016, I mentioned that is well equipped was ordered with solar panels and LiFePo4 batteries and it needs the solar panels to help top up the batteries for those 8-10 hour xc flights out west. Argo, LiFePo4 batteries have not made solar panels on gliders obsolete, the original comment we have been debating.

Apollo 11 made it to the moon with less computing power than we carry in our smart phones too, but more modern craft has orders of magnitude more computing power.

The march of time remains ever constant, clocks that bind will be left to rust.

Still thinking about your idea for fresh espresso in the cockpit.

Jon


On Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 1:23:09 AM UTC-8, krasw wrote:

My point was that I have what I would call pretty full panel, and could have electricity for two or three similar panels running all at the same time, with some reserves.

But I understand the case for panels when you have ancient electrical system (building second avionics bus would be few hours job), would need to carry lead in nose or want to charge on the ground. In pretty much any other case I still maintain that panels are thing of the past. Not to mention that they pretty much ruin the esthetics of beautiful glider, but of course YMMV.