I'll jump in here before Max does. XCSoar is open source. You can download
all of the source code and study the algorithms yourself.

I also have to ask: Do you really *need* a thermal assistant? I can fly
with the pitot tube plugged (ask me how I know), can you? Same with plugged
statics.


"6PK" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, July 30, 2013 12:51:44 AM UTC-7, waremark wrote:
You guys who find the WP thermal assistant so much better than others -
are you running them on the same hardware with the same inputs? I hope you
are not basing any comments on an Oudie using its internal GPS because it
is known that the info from the internal GPS is not good enough for a
thermal assistant.

You are absolutely correct. WP Pro is only available and only work with a
compatible flight computer( true airspeed and vario info added I think) and
not with a stand alone gps source.
SYM, XCSoar will offer their version of the thermal assist with a stand
alone gps where they should not; AS IT DOES NOT WORK without a flight
computer!
But to be honest when it comes to their type of thermal assist SYM and
XCSoar don't work very well with a flight computer either.
I'm sure this is all about the algorithms which they won't openly share (as
in guarded secrets).
Like Tim I have used all three (and still have them installed on my
Avier/Vertica2)
None measure up to WPPro when it comes to this feature. Agree; they have a
lot of new and nice features I wish WP would take notes of.
(One would argue; why we need the thermal assits? Answer; why do we need
flight computers, compensated varios, audio varios, or a variometer for that
matter??.)
6PK