Just remember that the new rule allowing GPS position recorders is only for Silver and Gold badges. They are much better position recorders than a camera ever was, but there is a perceived risk of data insecurity and cheating, and that is why it takes a while to get the necessary approval and procedure into place. There are now over 40 fully IGC-approved Flight Recorders on the market, so plenty of manufacturers have gone through the expensive approval process. Inevitably they have to recover the approval costs in the price of the units. But if somebody wants to claim a World Record, or win the World Championships, it is important for our Sport that there can be no question as to the integrity of the data. Pam
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of DMcD Sent: Wednesday, 7 October 2009 9:04 AM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Free Distance?? HA There's an interesting and very technical article in a recent Cross Country magazine by an international comps judge on GPS altitude errors. From memory the error can be as much as +/- 175 metres, a bit too much to be used for airspace violations or record claims. I've sat in a boat where the GPS altitude was 165' ASL which at the time seemed unlikely. Additionally, most of the manufacturers like Flytec, Brauniger and so on who make low cost GPS, logger, vario, ASI, barograph units have currently not got igc certification because they claim it is too expensive. So we have a situation where to keep a device low-cost, it is not certified but they do function as very good position recorders. DMcD _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
