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I ask a fool question:
Being an Ultralight pilot, do you prefer mechanical flight instruments
or digital meters?
One of my Chinese customers told me they prefer mechanical aircraft
instruments. Since they are more reliable than digital meters. They
are easy to read, liking a car derving meters.
But I have a little bit doubt. I knew digital meters are developing
direction. But I did not know where parts were popular used now in
digital meters,such as VAI, ALT, ASI, ADI or engine meters, in American
ultralight airplanes.
Luo
cavelamb
April 16th 06, 03:46 AM
wrote:
> I ask a fool question:
> Being an Ultralight pilot, do you prefer mechanical flight instruments
> or digital meters?
>
> One of my Chinese customers told me they prefer mechanical aircraft
> instruments. Since they are more reliable than digital meters. They
> are easy to read, liking a car derving meters.
> But I have a little bit doubt. I knew digital meters are developing
> direction. But I did not know where parts were popular used now in
> digital meters,such as VAI, ALT, ASI, ADI or engine meters, in American
> ultralight airplanes.
>
> Luo
>
Still looking for a good mechanical volt meter for my plane.
Had to make do with an electric one, but still looking...
Richard
gonefishn
April 16th 06, 04:41 AM
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> I ask a fool question:
> Being an Ultralight pilot, do you prefer mechanical flight instruments
> or digital meters?
I find 'analog' indicators quite easy to digest within my gaze.
Flight Training teaches us to properly 'scan' the instruments. Analog
indicators are easy to tell (at a glance) if the reading is within the
'safe' or 'normal' range.
I agree with you. From habit, people prefer anlog indicator ,"pointer
indicator".
But mechanical meter is heavy, bigger, with few function.
The digital meter is samll, light and more function. For example, I had
see TL-ELECKNIC's products. They put Volt and Amp in one meter. It has
"warn and alert" two valves when your plane reach its setup. It can be
downloaded your fly data from PC......
Luo
I agree with you. From habit, people prefer anlog indicator ,"pointer
indicator".
But mechanical meter is heavy, bigger, with few function.
The digital meter is samll, light and more function. For example, I had
see TL-ELECKNIC's products. They put Volt and Amp in one meter. It has
"warn and alert" two valves when your plane reach its setup. It can be
downloaded your fly data from PC......
Luo
GeorgeB
April 16th 06, 05:16 PM
On Sun, 16 Apr 2006 02:46:55 GMT, cavelamb >
wrote:
>Still looking for a good mechanical volt meter for my plane.
>
>Had to make do with an electric one, but still looking...
Describe your needs; they are easily available, but prices are not low
anymore with mechnical things costing more than electronic.
Stacked LEDs with whatever resolution wanted is a compromise I've seen
implemented in lots of INDUSTRIAL displays. I even saw one with an
arc of pixels which seemed even better than a meter; the digital value
was within the arc.
I've done meters that read from 21 to 26 volts to put on control
panels for equipment using a "nominal" 24V.
Have a good day,
George
ELIPPSE
April 16th 06, 05:25 PM
wrote:
> I ask a fool question:
> Being an Ultralight pilot, do you prefer mechanical flight instruments
> or digital meters?
>
> One of my Chinese customers told me they prefer mechanical aircraft
> instruments. Since they are more reliable than digital meters. They
> are easy to read, liking a car derving meters.
> But I have a little bit doubt. I knew digital meters are developing
> direction. But I did not know where parts were popular used now in
> digital meters,such as VAI, ALT, ASI, ADI or engine meters, in American
> ultralight airplanes.
>
> Luo
I find that where the displayed information is a somewhat constant
value, a DM works well, but for ever-changing info, an analog display
is better since we can predict the trend of the info. On most new
displays, IAS and altitude are diplayed both as numeric values as well
as tapes.
Ian Stirling
April 16th 06, 09:22 PM
cavelamb > wrote:
<snip>
> Still looking for a good mechanical volt meter for my plane.
>
> Had to make do with an electric one, but still looking...
Hygrometer in battery, hooked up to a dial?
cavelamb
April 16th 06, 11:17 PM
Ian Stirling wrote:
> cavelamb > wrote:
> <snip>
>
>>Still looking for a good mechanical volt meter for my plane.
>>
>>Had to make do with an electric one, but still looking...
>
>
> Hygrometer in battery, hooked up to a dial?
Say the magic woid and win a duck!
I guess it didn't do well in chineese...
Richard
COLIN LAMB
April 17th 06, 04:18 AM
A piece of yarn on the canopy is a slip indicator.
A hinged flap on the strut makes a good airspeed indicator.
A paper bag is a good G indicator.
A cork and bent wire make a good fuel level indicator.
Looking out the window tells you when flaps are up or down.
We don't need no stinking digital gauges.
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