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#1
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Flight Logging - Cheap
Partially for purist and self righteous reasons, I avoid the use of a flight
computer or GPS while soaring. I like to look at the map and look out the canopy to figure out where I am and if I am high enough. With this approach I am free to feel a little snobby that I am not depending on a flight computer or GPS to tell me where I am or how much fun I am having. When I wanted a flight record other than my log book entry, I'd smoke up the drum of my Winter barograph and make a trace. This low tech way I also save more money for tows. Well, I am starting to think that a GPS flight log from might be a neat thing to have for flight records. At the same time I want to minimize the risk to my self righteousness and to my skinny pocket book as well. What I would like to do is identify a GPS model or so that I could pick up on ebay for not a lot of money and that I could use to log flights and download them to my computer. So as not damage my righteous flying style, I'd plan to turn the GPS on to log, stick in in the bag behind my head in my Libelle, and then fly like I normally do, with my eyes, my glide card, and with my map. I go as far not wanting to look at any sort of GPS display while flying. Maybe in time I will ease into that. I need to figure out what would some good GPS to my purposes. In search of such items I have searched RAS and the web and have found a couple good references, but not a lot mo http://www.forsterlewis.com/soaring/...gps/index.html http://www.forsterlewis.com/soaring/.../garminfr.html If anyone can suggest some GPS models, including some older ones, that don't necessarily have fancy mapping features but would have enough memory for a good trace of a ten hour flight, I would greatly appreciate it. David Grah Bishop, California H301 Libelle N11GV |
#2
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Marry Daniel or David Grah wrote:
If anyone can suggest some GPS models, including some older ones, that don't necessarily have fancy mapping features but would have enough memory for a good trace of a ten hour flight, I would greatly appreciate it. Get a Garmin Geko 201 (not 101), I've seen them on sale for under $100, they record 10,000 track points with time and altitude, and you can set the recording interval to 4 seconds, which will give you more than 10 hours... Marc |
#3
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Marry Daniel or David Grah wrote:
Partially for purist and self righteous reasons, I avoid the use of a flight computer or GPS while soaring. I like to look at the map and look out the canopy to figure out where I am and if I am high enough. With this approach I am free to feel a little snobby that I am not depending on a flight computer or GPS to tell me where I am or how much fun I am having. When I wanted a flight record other than my log book entry, I'd smoke up the drum of my Winter barograph and make a trace. This low tech way I also save more money for tows. Well, I am starting to think that a GPS flight log from might be a neat thing to have for flight records. At the same time I want to minimize the risk to my self righteousness and to my skinny pocket book as well. What I would like to do is identify a GPS model or so that I could pick up on ebay for not a lot of money and that I could use to log flights and download them to my computer. So as not damage my righteous flying style, I'd plan to turn the GPS on to log, stick in in the bag behind my head in my Libelle, and then fly like I normally do, with my eyes, my glide card, and with my map. I go as far not wanting to look at any sort of GPS display while flying. Maybe in time I will ease into that. Welcome to the Slippery Slope, Dave. Here are some ideas... - get one that logs altitude: the older ones don't, the newer ones usually do - make sure it's well out reach in flight, so you don't find the Devil tempting you - be darn sure it can go 10 hours on it's batteries unless you are prepared to add an external source for it - borrow one from a buddy - maybe you don't need to buy one at all! - be sure you have a computer that can download the trace, meaning you will need a serial port and not just USB ports - and make sure it's a type compatible with the Pocket PC or Palm computers and soaring programs that run on them, "just in case" the purist bites the apple and is thrown out of heaven... -- ----- change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#4
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A slightly different approach;
Get an inexpensive older GPS like a Garmin 12 and mate it with Nick Bonniere's very neat GPS recorder, http://www.magma.ca/~bonnfutt/Varicalc/NMEArecorder/ This unit is about the size of a pack of cigarettes, is under $100 and will record GPS altitude, which few of the GPS units will do themselves. The output of the unit is a formated IGC file (without security, of course). I flew with one of these units for several years without any problems at all. Nick's unit can even downconvert its input 12v to 8v to power a GPS that requires this lower voltage. Bob On Sun, 7 Mar 2004 18:26:14 -0800, "Marry Daniel or David Grah" wrote: Partially for purist and self righteous reasons, I avoid the use of a flight computer or GPS while soaring. I like to look at the map and look out the canopy to figure out where I am and if I am high enough. With this approach I am free to feel a little snobby that I am not depending on a flight computer or GPS to tell me where I am or how much fun I am having. When I wanted a flight record other than my log book entry, I'd smoke up the drum of my Winter barograph and make a trace. This low tech way I also save more money for tows. Well, I am starting to think that a GPS flight log from might be a neat thing to have for flight records. At the same time I want to minimize the risk to my self righteousness and to my skinny pocket book as well. What I would like to do is identify a GPS model or so that I could pick up on ebay for not a lot of money and that I could use to log flights and download them to my computer. So as not damage my righteous flying style, I'd plan to turn the GPS on to log, stick in in the bag behind my head in my Libelle, and then fly like I normally do, with my eyes, my glide card, and with my map. I go as far not wanting to look at any sort of GPS display while flying. Maybe in time I will ease into that. I need to figure out what would some good GPS to my purposes. In search of such items I have searched RAS and the web and have found a couple good references, but not a lot mo http://www.forsterlewis.com/soaring/...gps/index.html http://www.forsterlewis.com/soaring/.../garminfr.html If anyone can suggest some GPS models, including some older ones, that don't necessarily have fancy mapping features but would have enough memory for a good trace of a ten hour flight, I would greatly appreciate it. David Grah Bishop, California H301 Libelle N11GV |
#5
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Marc Ramsey wrote:
Marry Daniel or David Grah wrote: If anyone can suggest some GPS models, including some older ones, that don't necessarily have fancy mapping features but would have enough memory for a good trace of a ten hour flight, I would greatly appreciate it. Get a Garmin Geko 201 (not 101), I've seen them on sale for under $100, they record 10,000 track points with time and altitude, and you can set the recording interval to 4 seconds, which will give you more than 10 hours... Marc I just bought a Geko301 (the advantage about the 201 is that the 301 has barometric altitude, electronic compass). Its a very small GPS, with all functions you'll need. Make sure you get the PC-connecting cable, which has the option for external power. But If you like to compete at the "online contest", or any other contest you should consider buying an IGC approved Logger... Hannes |
#6
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Think about something like this: http://www.freeweb.hu/bauerj/soarpilot/rencer1.JPG www.soaringpilot.org Regards, /Janos ps: for me it seems to be a good candidate for an "up to badge" recorder |
#7
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Anyone know if the etrex legend will identify altitude?
"Marc Ramsey" wrote in message om... Marry Daniel or David Grah wrote: If anyone can suggest some GPS models, including some older ones, that don't necessarily have fancy mapping features but would have enough memory for a good trace of a ten hour flight, I would greatly appreciate it. Get a Garmin Geko 201 (not 101), I've seen them on sale for under $100, they record 10,000 track points with time and altitude, and you can set the recording interval to 4 seconds, which will give you more than 10 hours... Marc -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#8
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Scott wrote:
Anyone know if the etrex legend will identify altitude? If you mean, "does the etrex legend record altitude in track logs?", the answer is yes. Marc |
#9
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The Legend does, but it's GPS altitude.
The Vista has an altimeter/barometer for altitude (more accurate) and is similar in size, display, etc. to the Legend. --- "Scott" wrote in message ... Anyone know if the etrex legend will identify altitude? "Marc Ramsey" wrote in message om... Marry Daniel or David Grah wrote: If anyone can suggest some GPS models, including some older ones, that don't necessarily have fancy mapping features but would have enough memory for a good trace of a ten hour flight, I would greatly appreciate it. Get a Garmin Geko 201 (not 101), I've seen them on sale for under $100, they record 10,000 track points with time and altitude, and you can set the recording interval to 4 seconds, which will give you more than 10 hours... Marc -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#10
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Waduino wrote:
The Legend does, but it's GPS altitude. The Vista has an altimeter/barometer for altitude (more accurate) and is similar in size, display, etc. to the Legend. Which method is more "accurate" depends on the atmosphere and what you mean by "altitude". I would not base a choice on where the altitude info comes from. For recreational logging purposes, it's irrelevant. The IGC recorders use pressure altitude because of historical reasons, and because GPS altitude was grossly inaccurate in the "early days" of their use. -- ----- change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
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