On Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 9:44:34 AM UTC-5, Paul Kaye wrote:
....it's not always easy to get help to rig/de-rig so I'm thinking of getting a on-man rigging aid. ...if any of you have any experiences/opinions, I'd be happy to hear them!

When I bought my Ventus in 2000, I bought a bespoke one-man assembly tool from the late Joe Schneider, a machinist and glider guy, that is sturdy, heavy, and remotely operated for up-down movement and manually adjustable for wing tilt. Fore-aft movement is done at the wingtip. I have learned many lessons from 19 years of solo rigging my Ventus.
1: The second wing pushes the first wing out of alignment unless fixed in place. My latest and fastest solution is to align the first wing almost perfectly and then tape the root. (I also put the main spar pin in halfway and brace it with a folded card, but that's not quite adequate.)
2: When working alone, the tilt of the wing chord is important.
3: I have 3 pins to align. The tilt of the fuselage, the height of the fuselage, the tilt and height of the wing are all important. This is a 3-dimensional challenge that can be solved with thoughtful care.
4: The best design I've seen for sale is
https://www.cumulus-soaring.com/soaringxx.htm
I saw it demonstrated at the last SSA convention, and it moves the wing in all axes remotely, perfect for the challenges of truly solo rigging. It's out of your budget, but is exactly what I'd thought of designing for myself and, after inflation, less expensive that the one I have. Amortized over the 2 decades I've used it, it's been a bargain.
5: The wind is very important in solo rigging.
A: I always point the trailer into the wind *gusts*, bearing in mind that the wind will change somewhat during a long soaring day.
B: If it's windy, solo rigging may not be safe for the wing. I've been able to solo-assemble in winds up 20 knots with GREAT care. Being in the lee of a big building is helpful, but beware turbulence.
C: In windy conditions, you need to be able to turn the wing flat as soon as possible after removing from the trailer and as late as possible when de-rigging.
D: A solo-rig device is very helpful even when help is available because it reduces risk and strain.
DrDan