The Sky panel can do the same thing with two sensitivity settings (PPM and PCM), but beyond that they also can supply an antenna for your scanner to find the airplane via signal strength. I don�t think it is available in a U.S. version yet, (depending on the scanner type used). I have to ask Dean Gradwell the U.S. importer. http://www.tek-variometer.de/englisch/Knowhow/Finder/finder.html
One thing I found out about the use of any vario for accurate altitude reading. It depends on finding the static pressure neutral point within the glider. (no air leaks) also for vario function if you are not using the TEK system which Sky Melody pioneered initially. If you fly with both the Sky Panel and Sky Melody you will have two discrete pressure sensors, one for vario alone in the Sky Melody unit, and one in the Sky panel accessory for altitude and integrated vario function. Extremely accurate. No it is not cheap. If you want to see the possible future of all this right now, look at Eagle Tree systems real time telemetry system. Formerly only usable in real time with a lap top computer, they now offer a clip on monitor for your antenna, with lcd readouts for a huge array of flight factors including airspeed, G-force (optional), altitude, climb rate?, temperature. http://www.eagletreesystems.com/ At some point we will need co pilots just to read and digest all the information coming at us. John Derstine Endless Mountain Models http://www.scalesoaring.com email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: James V Bacus [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 12:36 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [RCSE] Loss of airplane, and - how to find it . The other thing the Picolario can do is if you have a PCM system, it can be set up to transmit "Attention!" anytime your system goes into fail-safe or fail-hold. At 11:28 AM 8/27/2004, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The Picolario is more than meets the eye or ear. � While it does have altitude reporting, vario and battery voltage reporting and some memory functions as well, it has one feature that is not as well understood. � Thats its 'glitch' warning system. � When a glitch happens, the girl reports "attention!". � When a sailplane was lost quite aways off in a corn field last Nats, Hartmut used that warning system to home in on the sailplane really quickly.� It was not where witnesses saw it go down by the way. � He simply began by retracting the TX antenna then rotating his body to get glitch reports, that gave him a crude vector to start out the search, he continued to retract the antenna until they virtually walked up to the plane buried deep in the corn.� (deep enough that an aerial search didn't see the plane from the report that I heard). Even if the details of that search weren't accurate, the fact is that Hartmut found the plane using the glitch reporting capability of the Picolario. Contact Hartmut for the real info on this proceedure and hope you never need to use it! [EMAIL PROTECTED] � and by the way you can also get altitude, vario and voltage...is it too expensive for you now? http://www.picolario-usa.com/2.%20Ebene%20Picolario/Picolario1_page.htm Gordy :-) Jim Downers Grove, IL Member of the Chicago SOAR club,� AMA 592537��� LSF 7560 Level IV ICQ: 6997780�� AIM: InventorJim�� R/C Soaring blog at www.jimbacus.net RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
