Where Is It? (Thermal-Optimization Software)

I sell and support SeeYou Mobile. It also has what they call a "Thermal
Assistant" that is very much like the one found in WinPilot. It seems to
work well, but I have done only a little testing so far. The interesting
feature of the SeeYou Mobile Thermal Assistant is that it can be used with
any GPS. Of course, it will work best with a Cambridge 302, LX7007, LX1600,
Borgelt B50 or B500 that is sending it vario data, but it seems to work
quite well with my Cambridge 302A GPS flight recorder.

Paul,

I assume in your case that SeeYou Mobile is calculating its own
rate-of-climb from changes in GPS altitude, including the effects of
any changes in airspeed (i.e., dives, zooms) as well as changes in lift
strength. As I understand it, the later variometer/flight computer
systems you mention add total energy climb rate to the GPS data stream
which is used by WinPilot, for example, to show where the best lift is.
If so, the latter approach should be more useful in optimizing climb
rate but the former approach has the advantage of not forcing me to buy
an expensive new vario/flight computer to replace my faithful LNAV. Do
you know if SeeYou Mobile also uses vario data when available and
defaults to GPS-derived climb data only when necessary?

Chip Bearden
ASW 24 "JB"