At 02:57 PM 8/02/2011, you wrote:
Exactly. The current generation of PNAs (about 5" screen) are about
right - this is from experience of using 3" iPaq, 3.5" iPaq, 5" PNA
(driving only) and 6.5" purpose made gliding instrument.
The 6.5" was actually too big - it took too much space in the panel.
The 3" screens are too small. The 3.5" was just about ok.
There's a 4.3" PNA size for cars too. Turned 90 degrees that's about
optimum for displaying position relative to airspace and task areas.
Oudie looks good too but it is a 5" car PNA. I did a search and got
in excess of 2000 hits for 5" car navigators.
I don't think any larger than 5" screen is suitable for glider
cockpits. The Oudie is quite large enough. I was impressed by the
Oudie at Kingaroy in September last year and at Dalby where Geoff
Brown let me check out his Oudie. On the way home from Kingaroy I
decided we would build a B500 version that would simply interface to
the Oudie. You can choose to use our sailplane dynamics optimised GPS
or use the one in the Oudie and our Glareshield controller/nav
display is optional but does make sending bugs, ballast and MacCready
information to the system easier.
It turned out to be possible to put the averager display in the B800
vario dial too and then it became obvious to do the same dial for the
B400 and that has become the B700 with a few extra wrinkles. All the
B700 features will be in the B800 too.
The whole story is on our website now.
We're waiting on delivery of the boards and other mechanical parts
which should be here around the 18th of February. As most of the
boards except the display boards are common to the B400 and B500 and
the software is an extension of what already exists and has been
under test for the last few months, we expect minimal problems with
either hardware or software.
Many thanks to the people to provided suggestions, feedback and
opinion on the features of the new instruments.
Mike
Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring instruments since 1978
phone Int'l + 61 746 355784
fax Int'l + 61 746 358796
cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784
email: [email protected]
website: www.borgeltinstruments.com
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