Best performing Vario?

On Tuesday, September 25, 2012 4:55:02 PM UTC-7, jfitch wrote:
On Tuesday, September 25, 2012 12:06:41 PM UTC-7, (unknown) 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. I recently purchased the LX NAV V7 vario coupled to the Naviter Oudie with See You Mobile. This setup is like CHEATING it is so easy to center a thermal. The vario is accurate with multiple averagers, and with the Thermal Assist function, it tells you when and where to move your circling to, so you can nail the core of the thermal. I've used a Cambridge 302, an LNAV, and several others. But this setup is in my opinion in a league of its own. Here is a picture of the thermal assist: http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/seeyo...lAssistant.jpg I may be wrong, but I think Winpilot had the thermal assistant first (at least, has had it for 10 years or so) and it still works better than the SYM version: clearer presentation, more information, comes and goes when you want it to.

Unfortunately I have to second this statement above.
Besides WinPilot I have tried SeeYou and now XCSoar, they are good but don't come close.
What realy is most unfurtunate that WinPilot does not support their system any longer.
I fly with a 302 which I use for audio and rely on a Sage for visual that I find extremely reliable and accurate.

I will third that! SeeYou Mobile has really missed out on making a better climb maximizer. WinPilot has the best by 10x. I fly the same with a 302 and the Sage mechanical. The 302 with WinPilot is one of the best in weak conditions for finding and centering scrappy lift or very weak lift.

I hope that the SYM guys will look seriously at improving the thermal maximizer and the controls of how it starts and allowing toggling in flight easily.

On 9/25/2012 10:11 PM, Tim Taylor wrote:
I will third that! SeeYou Mobile has really missed out on making a
better climb maximizer. WinPilot has the best by 10x. I fly the same
with a 302 and the Sage mechanical. The 302 with WinPilot is one of
the best in weak conditions for finding and centering scrappy lift or
very weak lift.

I hope that the SYM guys will look seriously at improving the thermal
maximizer and the controls of how it starts and allowing toggling in
flight easily.

I assigned a PDA button to starting it manually for times it my settings
didn't have it start automatically; tapping the screen would dismiss it,
of course.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)

On Tuesday, September 25, 2012 10:11:57 PM UTC-7, Tim Taylor wrote:
I will third that! SeeYou Mobile has really missed out on making a better climb maximizer. WinPilot has the best by 10x. I fly the same with a 302 and the Sage mechanical. The 302 with WinPilot is one of the best in weak conditions for finding and centering scrappy lift or very weak lift.



I hope that the SYM guys will look seriously at improving the thermal maximizer and the controls of how it starts and allowing toggling in flight easily.

To elaborate a little: even the SYM developers know it is crap, and suggest not using it. I quote from their manual:

"We will be happy if you continue to enjoy soaring and if you never find the need to use the Thermal Assistant at all :-)"

As Eric has said in another thread, on a motor glider the vario TE is messed up by the prop wash. I find this true on my 26E: there is reported a more or less constant 37 knot headwind, the vario oscillates rapidly and unevenly +/- 6 knots, and centering a thermal requires extreme concentration if you can do it at all. But it can be done, and pretty accurately and quickly, using the Winpilot thermal assistant, even with the crap data! Not a chance with SYM....

The data they collect is identical, but the presentation on SYM is lacking, also the algorithm for starting it and stopping it is bad. On Winpilot, it comes on at about 1/4 circle, and is providing valuable information by 1/2 or 3/4 circle. It dismisses itself within a few seconds of leaving the circle. During the circle you have a graph of climb/time and an indication of MC and average for the day. Very easy to see your trends at a glance. The 3D graph of climb rate is again easy to interpret at a glance, and allows you to judge the quality of the data and make adjustments accordingly. All these are absent on SYM....

Too bad Winpilot is no longer supported. I wish he would make it work on Oudie....

To me the best vario would have audio the pilot can really relate to. This allows adjustments to thermal turns to be consciously made by the idiot behind the stick, while looking at the display usually marketed by Mecaplex.
Jim

I have been flying with the CNv for a season and can say it is the best vario I have ever had in my panel. I installed the unit at the field on the practice day of the 15m nats - and was immediately comfortable and confident with the CNv - I found it to be accurate, smooth and fast - especially on windy/choppy days or when low in rough small thermals. I don't look at my vario much when flying - I usually just take an occasional look at the averager to understand lift quality - and use the vario audio as primary guidance to find/center the best lift. Although the ClearNav team is developing an extended set of features for the CNv, these are much less important to me personally - I really just want a vario to provide excellent air/lift information - especially when low and in a jam. Based on one season of flying, for me, the CNv delivers.

Ken Kochanski - KK
ClearNav Website Support

On Saturday, September 22, 2012 8:58:15 AM UTC-7, 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?

For those of you that are flying the ClearNav varios. How do you find the wind data on the vario (not SeeYou, LK8000, etc.) compares with your buddies flying with SN10s?

Thanks,
Craig

On Monday, October 1, 2012 5:00:03 PM UTC-4, Craig Funston wrote:
On Saturday, September 22, 2012 8:58:15 AM UTC-7, 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?



For those of you that are flying the ClearNav varios. How do you find the wind data on the vario (not SeeYou, LK8000, etc.) compares with your buddies flying with SN10s?



Thanks,

Craig

There's wind data? I haven't found it on mine yet. I thought that was one of the as-yet un-implemented features!

Jim

On Monday, October 1, 2012 4:56:54 PM UTC-7, Jim wrote:
On Monday, October 1, 2012 5:00:03 PM UTC-4, Craig Funston wrote:

On Saturday, September 22, 2012 8:58:15 AM UTC-7, 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?







For those of you that are flying the ClearNav varios. How do you find the wind data on the vario (not SeeYou, LK8000, etc.) compares with your buddies flying with SN10s?







Thanks,



Craig



There's wind data? I haven't found it on mine yet. I thought that was one of the as-yet un-implemented features!



Jim

It's a bit hard to tell from the ClearNav website and from Cumulus Soaring. Sounds like it might not have been implemented yet...

Craig

On Monday, October 1, 2012 5:39:01 PM UTC-7, Craig Funston wrote:
On Monday, October 1, 2012 4:56:54 PM UTC-7, Jim wrote:

On Monday, October 1, 2012 5:00:03 PM UTC-4, Craig Funston wrote:



On Saturday, September 22, 2012 8:58:15 AM UTC-7, 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?















For those of you that are flying the ClearNav varios. How do you find the wind data on the vario (not SeeYou, LK8000, etc.) compares with your buddies flying with SN10s?















Thanks,







Craig







There's wind data? I haven't found it on mine yet. I thought that was one of the as-yet un-implemented features!







Jim



It's a bit hard to tell from the ClearNav website and from Cumulus Soaring. Sounds like it might not have been implemented yet...



Craig

I'd rather see the team work on winds aloft before thermal centering.

Craig