wrote on 7/7/2016 4:50 AM:
I do not use the task or way-point functions either - I wish there
were a way to make the second screen on those two modes the primary
screen - then I would like it much better - every one seems to use a
tablet/PDA/...... to navigate and task - not sure why they chose to
do that on a Vario.

I use an Air Avionics Display S (formerly Butterfly vario), which has a
navigation screen. I generally have it set to my "safety" airport/field,
with the distance to go and height above glideslope infoboxes on the
vario screen; the soaring computer is left on the task or next waypoint.
A glance at the panel keeps me informed of my situation without fiddling
with either device.

The navigation page also serves as a backup, should the soaring computer
fail.

I would gladly trade that for the Artificial
Horizon (but I am not paying 900 bucks for a key to turn on what
already exists on the device (IT hostage stuff )

I get it - you'd rather remove the instrument from your panel, ship it
to them, wait a week or two or three for it to be modified, eventually
returned to you, so you can enjoy the effort of putting it back in the
panel? And still pay $900?

My suggestion: remove the instrument from your panel, set it on the
shelf, buy the $900 license, and after three weeks, re-install it and
apply the license! There, just like the good old days ;^)

Nowadays, the biggest cost is not the hardware, but the software
development, and that makes it cheaper to give you all the hardware, and
charge you for only the functions you desire. It's not a hostage
situation; it's better customer service when they can instantly provide
an upgrade with an email, instead of you returning the instrument for
the upgrade.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"

https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/...anes-2014A.pdf