WTB: PowerFLARM Portable

Send details (vintage, hardware upgrade, licenses if applicable, condition, price) via email here or jnbearden at aol dot com.

Or tell me why I should get the core instead.

Thanks.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

On Friday, August 28, 2015 at 9:37:47 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Send details (vintage, hardware upgrade, licenses if applicable, condition, price) via email here or jnbearden at aol dot com.

Or tell me why I should get the core instead.

Thanks.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

Core instead,

Cost.
Connections to other devices more options with core.
Ability to fit in the glider. Visibility etc. few glider have the room to put on top of panel.
Better Antenna options.

Richard
www.craggyaero.com

Richard, my experience with FLARM is limited to the manual and reading here plus one contest (Elmira) and a few discussions there. On that basis, see my comments/questions inline below.

On Friday, August 28, 2015 at 1:37:05 PM UTC-4, Richard wrote:

Core instead,

Cost.
I'm assuming I can pick up a used Portable at a discount based on some pilots upgrading to the core. Further, wouldn't I have to purchase an outboard device (FlarmView, etc.) to add to the core, unless I interface it with a flight computer software/tablet combo that I don't currently own? There's some appeal since the Portable doesn't provide the audible alerts, but I'm OK glancing at the screen when I hear the alarm. Cost is actually a big consideration with me so if I'm headed down the wrong road, help me out!

Connections to other devices more options with core.
I understand you can only drive one device with the Portable but that's one more than I plan to have anyway. At most, I'd interface it with whatever newish flight computer software/tablet combo I pick to replace my faithful GNII/Compaq 1550.

Ability to fit in the glider. Visibility etc. few glider have the room to put on top of panel.
I flew with it on top of the panel at Elmira and it was "OK". Not perfect but not a big deal. I have a special Streifeneder panel in my ASW 24 with higher knee cutouts (I'm tall) and it has a flat top and sides. The Portable was an easy "drill two holes" install on the flat top portion and I can live with it that way permanently.

Better Antenna options.
Not sure I understand this one so I'm probably missing something. The standard "on the box" antennas worked OK. The range pattern had an odd lobe that I attribute to the steel canopy wire deflector cage in my glider. For maximum range, I have the option to go with outboard GPS and ADS-B antennas, and with one or two FLARM antennas. But that's only if I need better range; i..e., if "stealth" doesn't become the default contest mode, as I hope it will--let's not start another discussion about that here, though!

Thanks for the comments. I'm still educating myself so feel free to add/elaborate/correct.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

Or tell me why I should get the core instead.

Core. Transmitted power 18 mW (vs 10 mW for Portable). Better options for antenna placement (gps, FLARM, PCAS). Can be remotely located out of sight. Cheaper.

On Friday, August 28, 2015 at 2:28:53 PM UTC-4, Dan Daly wrote:
Or tell me why I should get the core instead.

Core. Transmitted power 18 mW (vs 10 mW for Portable). Better options for antenna placement (gps, FLARM, PCAS). Can be remotely located out of sight. Cheaper.

"Cheaper" gets my attention. And I agree the new cost is higher for the Portable. But the used market (thin though it seems to be) seems to reverse that. Of course, if the only response I get is people persuading me that the core is better, that's irrelevant.

Regarding higher transmitted power, the farther out someone sees me, the better off I am. But with respect to my ability to see and take evasive action, reception is more important, right? Seems like if I'm worried about being seen, a transponder or ADS-B Out is more appropriate

Locating it remotely is better, but then I would need to buy and mount a FlarmView or other screen, whereas the portable already has it (albeit without some of the features, including audio alerts, of the core/FlarmView combo).

Same question about antennas as with Richard's response: why is the core better? Doesn't the portable give me the option to mount all the antennas on the box (a nice feature) or--just like the core--to locate any or all of them remotely? I feel like I'm probably missing something here since you've both mentioned this as a plus.

Chip

Hi Chip,

The Portable unit sell very slowly, so the resale value may be quite low.
They are tough to fit into most gliders.

A Core with a FlarmView gives you a lot more information about the traffic
around you than the Portable does.

I also highly recommend getting a Core unit rather than a Portable unit.

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
_____________________

wrote in message
...

Send details (vintage, hardware upgrade, licenses if applicable, condition,
price) via email here or jnbearden at aol dot com.

Or tell me why I should get the core instead.

Thanks.

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"
U.S.A.

I was really happy to sell my Portable and get a Core with the
money.

But the 24 is carbon fiber; so the antennae have to be mounted
just below the canopy forward on the glareshield. Coverage on
my 27 is good from that location.

Admittedly the Portable can sit on top of the glareshield and
obtain half decent coverage with a minimum of fiddling.

With the Core you need to set up an antenna platform, perhaps
cut a hole in the glareshield and be careful reinstalling the
canopy after working on the instruments.

For the financially challenged, a Kobo can run Top Hat (XCSoar
variant) which displays Flarm targets for perhaps less than a
Flarmview or Butterfly display.

Core from all the reasons mentioned plus:
1 - You get the flat portable display with it, so you dont need to buy an external display unless you want to upgrade. The flat display has more functions than the portable.
2 - More reliable and less reported issues than with portable.
3 - If your 24 nose is like my 27A nose (carbon free nose) you can install both antennas infront of the rudder pedals. Works very well for me.

That said, portables are still a great solution for clubs and the poor folks who own multiple gliders...

Ramy

That said, portables are still a great solution for clubs and the poor folks who own multiple gliders...

Ramy

I disagree about it being a good solution for clubs. The antennas are flimsy and you have to be very careful to re-configure the glider ID when a portable moves between club ships, otherwise, for example, you get an alarm claiming it's a single when all you can see is a Puchacz on that bearing (this draws your attention from other sectors where non-flarm gliders may be approaching)... In club use, the micro-SD card is not as robust (or easy to find in long grass) as a colourful USB stick. The ability to go in through the menus in the Portable (rather than flarmcfg.txt) allows non-technically aware club members to modify things they ought not. For someone with multiple gliders, probably a good choice (I envy them).

The Portable location on the glareshield may require changes to other GPS antennas or compass. It seems that the flarm GPS is very sensitive to other GPS antennas nearby.

Dan

You need a minimum 8" between GPS
antennae according to the Air Glide
sensor unit Installation Manual.