RICO VACS - is the schematic available anywhere?

On Sunday, July 29, 2018 at 7:32:31 PM UTC-4, 6PK wrote:

Flight computer/vario manufacturers are you listening??

Probably not.

The observation from a semi-inside guy is this: Just about everyone (from designer to end user) is willing to "go to the wall" over UI stuff, including audio. The result is that the designers grow a very stiff backbone over this... sometimes to the point of total intransigence. In my current cockpit, I can point to things that are pure brilliance, unusable, awkward, intuitive, broken / inoperative, idiotic, obsolete, "that seemed like a really good idea, but just doesn't work in the cockpit" and innovative / really cool. The designer / developer(s) won't change a goddamned thing except on his own whim.

It's quite frustrating. The big opportunity in sailplane instrumentation is UI.

Evan Ludeman

On Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at 9:10:03 AM UTC-4, Tango Eight wrote:
On Sunday, July 29, 2018 at 7:32:31 PM UTC-4, 6PK wrote:

Flight computer/vario manufacturers are you listening??

Probably not.

The observation from a semi-inside guy is this: Just about everyone (from designer to end user) is willing to "go to the wall" over UI stuff, including audio. The result is that the designers grow a very stiff backbone over this... sometimes to the point of total intransigence. In my current cockpit, I can point to things that are pure brilliance, unusable, awkward, intuitive, broken / inoperative, idiotic, obsolete, "that seemed like a really good idea, but just doesn't work in the cockpit" and innovative / really cool. The designer / developer(s) won't change a goddamned thing except on his own whim.

It's quite frustrating. The big opportunity in sailplane instrumentation is UI.

Evan Ludeman

I recall a long discussion with the designer/ developer of one of the most common glider nav/display products. I was an early adopter as I had been with this manufacturer form the beginning- all they way back to GPS-nav introduction.
When I described how a couple of important functions could be changed to work better for me, and I thought most pilots, his response was "That's not how I fly". GRRRRRRRRR
That said, it is really hard so satisfy everybody.
Simplicity
Feature rich.
Which one do you want?
Sigh
UH

On Sunday, July 29, 2018 at 7:51:39 AM UTC-6, wrote:
I liked the subtle ticking noise of ye olde RICO VACS vario I had in the HP-14. And it was very good at pointing out weak lift. Alas that relic from the 1970s stopped working some time circa 2000. I sent it to its maker and he fixed it, but it later failed again, as has another unit I scrounged somewhere. So I have two of those sitting on the shelf. I'd love to get the schematic and try and revive it. Or build an equivalent audio-only unit. Is it possible to get the schematic diagram somewhere?

RICO is still around, although we have branched into making manufacturing test equipment and our vario business has been virtually non-existent for the last ten years, both new sales and repairs. The electrical schematics were never published, but the block diagrams, pneumatic diagrams and the connector wiring diagrams are shown in the manuals.
Repairs are available, and if the unit is sent in, it will be evaluated. The results will be forwarded to the sender in order to determine whether to perform repairs. Reply to me privately for details.

Michael Newgard, 50