Chris,

I built a new panel last year for my LS-1d and have
a Volkslogger and a Compaq 1520 running the old shareware
from Cambridge, the PalmNAV. My radio is a Microair.

For a radio recommendation: Buy what you can afford.
I could afford the Microair, so that is what I bought.
I thought the radio worked well, until it broke...
Our club has two gliders equipped with Microairs and
both radios have been returned to Australia for repair.
One radio came back, worked for about 3 weeks, and
now has returned to it's 'intermittant transmit' state.
My radio also travelled to Australia for repair.
So, we have a total of four gliders with Microairs
in our club (two club ships, two private ships) and
three radios have been returned for service. I don't
think any radio was more than two years old when it
broke.

If I could afford one, I would buy a Dittel or a Becker.

Since you have a Volkslogger, you don't need a Cambridge
302 or Filser LX5000. Of course, you could sell the
Volkslogger and get one of these instruments.

Options of glide computers: Take a look at Paul Remde's
web page, http://www.soarmn.com/cumulus/ and look
at his comparisons.

You could use the shareware from Cambridge: It is
still available. Other shareware is from Henryk Birecki
and is called GPS-LOGsomething. Then, you could also
think about buying WinPilot, Glide Navigator II, See
You Mobile, Stre-Pla Mobile, and Fly With CE, to name
a few.

For vario function, you could think about the Borgelt
B-50. It will interface with the Volkslogger.

Or, you could NOT install the Ipaq and get an Ilec
SN-10b. Use your Volkslogger to provide gps to the
Ilec and let it provide your glide calculator, moving
map, and vario functions. I suppose you could keep
the Ipaq and have it as a second glide computer.

You have a lot of possibilities!

I don't know the answer to the difference (as far as
instruments are concerned) between Comp and non-comp
XC flying, and I'll be interested in reading the responses.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA
LS-1d

At 02:36 16 June 2004, Chris Nicholas wrote:
If starting a completely new panel, but already having
a Volkslogger and
an iPAQ 3850, which computer and vario systems would
people recommend?
Which software for moving map etc.?

Is there a difference between optimum for competitions
and optimum for
non-comp flying? Does the country of use (UK) make
a difference to
preferences?

Any views on other instruments etc., e.g. PC EFIS,
DG's DSI system, or
any other new(ish) developments?

Which radio - Dittel, Becker or what? (Use would be
for occasional
contact with ATC as well as normal gliding use, but
usually only a small
numbers of frequencies on any one flight.)

Chris N.