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Cheap Glide Computer



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 5th 09, 04:42 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Uncle Fuzzy
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Posts: 260
Default Cheap Glide Computer

I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shipping
http://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.
  #2  
Old November 5th 09, 06:50 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Berry[_2_]
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Posts: 107
Default Cheap Glide Computer

In article
,
Uncle Fuzzy wrote:

I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shipping
http://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


That's a good setup. How do you power the IPAQ for the duration of a
x-country flight?

Here's a comparable system I like, and have used for the last 5 years or
so here in the USA:

Palm Tungsten T: usually around $35 on ebay
Power To Go battery pack (clips onto the Palm): $20
The same bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60
SoaringPilot - Free

Cheap enough to keep a spare PDA in the side pocket. This system will
run for at least 8 hours (assuming the Power To Go is not worn out). I
have flown flights of over 7 hours with no sign of battery exhaustion.
Also, for less than $5, you can buy an AA battery pack that will run the
unit for hours in flight. Of course, a Goddard power converter will let
you run off ship's power. The Palm Tungsten T is very readable in bright
sunlight. In fact, the brighter, the better. Best of all is SoaringPilot
is mature software that is very well supported. Has all the features one
would expect for x-country/contest flying. It is easy to set up on the
PDA, easy to load waypoints, polars, and airspace, easy to enter and fly
tasks. Automagically loads the igc file onto the card at the end of the
flight if you like. Go to: http://www.soaringpilot.org/

Oh, and you can run SoaringPilot on the IPAQ with a Palm emulator called
"Styletap".

I haven't gotten around to trying XCSoar yet. I have a 5 inch screen
Windows CE car gps that I may try to hack for XCSoar.
  #3  
Old November 5th 09, 07:05 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Mike[_8_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 199
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 8:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:
I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


XCSoar will generate valid OLC files. I had two logged Cambridge 302A
flights that failed security checks this past season, and was able to
use the XCSoar generated logs successfully.
  #4  
Old November 5th 09, 09:22 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Brad[_2_]
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Posts: 722
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 7:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:
I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


make sure you have the GRECORD.DLL file in the root directory, that
has been working for me to generate valid files using XC soar.

Brad
  #5  
Old November 5th 09, 09:23 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
vontresc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 216
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 12:05*pm, Mike wrote:
On Nov 5, 8:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:

I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


XCSoar will generate valid OLC files. I had two logged Cambridge 302A
flights that failed security checks this past season, and was able to
use the XCSoar generated logs successfully.


I had a similar setup last year. I was running SoarPilot on my old
palm Treo 650 Using a bluetooth GPS. Since the battery setup in my
Ka-6 uses a 12v cigarrette lighter plug to connect the panel to the
battery, I just plugged the car adapter into the other socket on my
battery. Worked out great.

I've since upgraded to an Ipaq running SeeYou and a Volkslogger.

Pete
  #6  
Old November 5th 09, 10:10 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Uncle Fuzzy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 260
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 12:22*pm, Brad wrote:
On Nov 5, 7:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:

I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


make sure you have the GRECORD.DLL file in the root directory, that
has been working for me to generate valid files using XC soar.

Brad


Mike/Brad,
Thanks for the info. I'll try to get a flight in this weekend to
try it out.
The cigarette lighter adapter that comes with the GPS outputs the same
voltage required to keep a PDA happy, so I'll probably just make an
adapter to go from it to the PDA. Another 7 bucks added. D'oh! The
manual for the GPS unit says it's good for 12 hours, so I'm not going
to bother with power for it.
Jim
  #7  
Old November 5th 09, 10:20 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
brianDG303[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 161
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 1:10*pm, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:
On Nov 5, 12:22*pm, Brad wrote:

On Nov 5, 7:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:


I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


make sure you have the GRECORD.DLL file in the root directory, that
has been working for me to generate valid files using XC soar.


Brad


Mike/Brad,
* Thanks for the info. *I'll try to get a flight in this weekend to
try it out.
The cigarette lighter adapter that comes with the GPS outputs the same
voltage required to keep a PDA happy, so I'll probably just make an
adapter to go from it to the PDA. *Another 7 bucks added. D'oh! The
manual for the GPS unit says it's good for 12 hours, so I'm not going
to bother with power for it.
Jim


I've used a similar gps (Freedom Keychain) and the battery life was
never an issue. I have to say that a HP310 for $150 was worth the
extra money not to have to keep track of the level of charge and
location of that little gps, or getting them to link up, ect. Works
great though.
  #8  
Old November 6th 09, 01:59 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
RT[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 9:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:
I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


I use a homemade prayer wheel that I copied from a free program off
the web somewhere. For the cost of laminating two pieces of paper,
one screw, a nut, and a washer I have a fail proof circular computer.
And it has a scale on the side for measuring distances on a sectional
map too.
  #9  
Old November 6th 09, 03:10 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Tim Taylor
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 751
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 5:59*pm, RT wrote:
On Nov 5, 9:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:

I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


I use a homemade prayer wheel that I copied from a free program off
the web somewhere. *For the cost of laminating two pieces of paper,
one screw, a nut, and a washer I have a fail proof circular computer.
And it has a scale on the side for measuring distances on a sectional
map too.


It is as you said:

Praying you read it correct in rough conditions.
Praying you figured the winds correct.
Praying you have time to redo the calculations for that second airport
when the conditions deteriorate.
Praying you estimated you position correctly.

Sorry the days of praying have been gone for 40 years.




  #10  
Old November 6th 09, 05:57 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Brad[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 722
Default Cheap Glide Computer

On Nov 5, 6:10*pm, Tim Taylor wrote:
On Nov 5, 5:59*pm, RT wrote:

On Nov 5, 9:42*am, Uncle Fuzzy wrote:


I just put together a REALLY cheap system for budding LVVSA XC pilots
to use. *Here's the breakdown:
iPAQ 3870 - ebay $22.50 including shipping (I bought a 'lot' of 5)
New battery - $20.00
Bluetooth GPS from Semsons $23.60 including shippinghttp://www.semsons.com/amabg108blgp.html
XCSoar - Free
I haven't determined if I can make OLC valid files yet.


I use a homemade prayer wheel that I copied from a free program off
the web somewhere. *For the cost of laminating two pieces of paper,
one screw, a nut, and a washer I have a fail proof circular computer.
And it has a scale on the side for measuring distances on a sectional
map too.


It is as you said:

Praying you read it correct in rough conditions.
Praying you figured the winds correct.
Praying you have time to redo the calculations for that second airport
when the conditions deteriorate.
Praying you estimated you position correctly.

Sorry the days of praying have been gone for 40 years.


I saw the secret, I deserve to make that airport.................I do,
I do, I do.................!
 




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