LX 5000 for sale (USA, MI)

Like new LX5000 Flight Computer for sale. V9.04 update, including full factory refurbish and calibration (shipped to Slovakia) in early 2011. Perfect condition & working order with brand new upgraded screen. Integral IGC approved logger. Excellent audio vario. Power and Data cables for Oudie can be included.

Asking $2499. Contact Sean Fidler (F2) smfidler(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Picture --- http://www.wingsandwheels.com/images/lx5000%20022.jpg

Description of LX5000

The Filser LX5000 is very different from all the other IGC approved flight recorders. It is a combined GPS, variometer system, glide computer and IGC flight recorder all in one package. The unit is designed to fit in a 80mm (3 1/8") standard instrument cutout with a seperate LCD variometer in a 58mm (2 1/4") cutout. The variometer system is an extremely comprehensive unit, a full description of which is beyond the scope of this article. However, the integral IGC flight recorder will be described in detail.
The first noticeable difference with this unit is that it is plumbed both electrically and pneumatically into the glider. Therefore it is not practicable to remove the unit in order to transfer the flight data. Accordingly, a small 5 pin Binder plug is supplied which is mounted on the panel and a standard COM lead is connected to this plug so that the unit can be downloaded direct to a laptop. The flight recorder data can also be transferred to a Filser LX20, LX21 or Colibri and thence to a desktop PC.

The flight recorder is powered by the glider 12 volt supply and is automatically turned on when the vario is powered up. The unit will accept voltages from 9 to 36 volts with a total consumption (vario, GPS and recorder) of about 300 m/a. All the relevant sensors, such as the GPS and the altimeter, are common to both the vario system and flight recorder. A series of configuration pages are provided to set up the vario system and one of the pages enables the user to configure the flight recorder parameters. The default recording rate is 20 seconds but it can be changed as required. In addition to the normal recording rate, a faster recording rate can be selected when close to the TP and this normally defaults to 2 seconds. With a 10 second recording rate selected, the total memory capacity is 15 hours and when full, the memory 'rolls over', deleting the oldest flight records.

The unit can be pre-programmed with up to 5000 airfields and 600 user selected turn points. Up to 100 tasks can be stored in the unit and recalled as necessary. One of the tasks can be electronically declared for FAI badge/record purposes. The graphical page can be configured to show either the FAI photo sector or a cylinder, and the gliders entry into the TP zone can be seen graphically. Engine operation is recorded automatically by means of a built in microphone which produces a clear indication of engine running in the analysis programme. After flight, the flight recorder data has to either be transferred to a lap top PC or a Filser LX20, LX21 or Colibri flight recorder. It can then be taken to a desk top PC for analysis.

The LX5000 performs well as a flight recorder and is an ideal solution if the owner wants a combined unit that is using the same GPS information for both navigation and verification, an important factor in today's competition enviroment. On the debit side, it requires access to a lap top computer or another Filser recorder to transfer the flight data, and should the barographic element need to be calibrated, then the whole unit has to demounted from the glider and taken to a calibration chamber.