Some more details about the LX Mini Map and USD-B Vario, also, the Stick.

I've had both for several weeks now but have yet to fly with them.
They're mounted on the cardboard box they came in - the glider battery
and an old Volkslogger are in the box along with an Eagle Tree volt/
amp logger. Here are some new details about these which are of some
value due to the primary drawback; the manuals, or lack of them.

There are three versions. First, the LX Mini Map. This is the display
only with no "button block", my term for the knobs and buttons add-on
unit. Also it comes with the Basic Junction Box, not the Standard
Junction Box. The Basic version will accept GPS and I'm 90% sure
PowerFlarm; if you're going to connect the Vario, the button block, or
the Control Stick you need the Standard junction box and you don't get
one with this version.

The LX Mini Map KB adds the button block and the Standard junction
box. If you don't like the button block it can be removed as mine
currently is. But I may put it back, I'm not sure about it one way or
the other. Once you have the Standard Jbox you can connect the vario
and the Stick, if you want.

The LX Mini Map KB/V adds the USD-B Vario. The USD-B Vario pretty
much requires the Mini Map plus either the button block or the Stick.
The Vario has a number of pilot selectable information screens and it
needs the Mini Map and some sore of input device to tell it which to
display and when. Using the button block or Stick is required to set
the parameters and to adjust the vario volume; it also allows you to
adjust the % bugs, McReady, Ballast, and to tune the (several) vario
filters very easily in flight, if that's something you feel compelled
to do.

Finally, there is the Control Stick. The Stick has 10 buttons, 9 on
the top face and one at the trigger finger (front) position. The
center button is radio PTT; the front is the Vario swap (Cruise/Climb)
button. (Cruise/Climb can also be a NO, NC, MOM, or auto-sensing
switch anywhere you like including a flap sensor.) I don't yet have
the stick but some number of buttons will be dedicated to the vario
volume and other dedicated adjustments, I suspect 6 will be left for
your choice of functions which are determined through the SeeYouMobile
Commands menu. Examples are swapping map pages, dedicating a button
to bring up the goto menu or an info page, or moving to the next
waypoint. There are a lot of choices.

The Mini Map: It has a bright screen. I have no way of comparing it
to anything but an HP310, an iPhone, and a Ipaq 3970. The 3970 it
blows away and it is much brighter than the 310 or the iPhone. I
don't know if it is sunlight readable because there isn't an objective
standard, but I was good with the HP310 most of the time so I think
I'll be happy with the LX. In order to be happy with the 310 I turned
the terrain off, I suspect people who fly with terrain on won't be as
satisfied. The background of the Mini Map is very white in color
compared with the iPhone and to the 310, which are shades of light
gray. The contrast is therefore greater with the Mini Map.

The vario. The vario displays information: a (real) needle displays
lift and sink, everything else is on a very bright screen which has a
speed-to-fly ball and a volt meter which is green above about 11.5,
yellow below that and blinking red at around 10.5. The letters GPS are
displayed in red when the GPS is hurting, yellow when there are 3
satellites in view and green when it locates 4. Also displayed is the
type of vario, which can change based on the Cruise/Climb switch
position, for example Total Energy Variometer while climbing, and
perhaps Relative Netto while cruising. This screen reminds you what
mode you are in. Two other boxes can show a number of other items
such as Average 20 second Vario, altitude, flight time, height above/
below Final Glide, etc. Each box can change based on cruise/Climb
switch position and each has a label which changes to remind you what
the info box is telling you.

Conclusion:
The most value is in having all three components and in spending the
time to configure them to provide the information you need in as
simple a way as possible. I tend to monitor my altitude while
thermaling and having that information on the vario will mean less
looking at the PNA, also true of other information. Having a bright
display on the vario seems like a good idea, having a number of
functions available by pressing a button with your thumb instead of
struggling with the touch screen seems like a great thing.

Things I don't like.
There could be a lot more adjustable features. There is a Vario
volume deadband available in cruise mode but not, I think, in climb;
why not? There is no 'vario in rising air only' mode like I'm used to
with a Borgelt B40 and I think I would like that option. I would like
more options in the pilot selectable screens, for example in cruise I
can have Glideslope in one screen, but if I want Altitude in the other
that isn't available, and I don't find the choices I have are ones I
want. I guess I'll choose Flight Time or something. A question I
have is what does the Speed-to-fly ball do in climb mode? It seems to
stay on but what is it telling me? I'll find out when I finally fly
with it, but what I want it to do is go away for 20 seconds and then
come back as a 20 second averager. That way you would just compare
the needle to the ball as opposed to the needle and a number.

One question I have is the compatibility to the LK8000 software. My
understanding and assumption is that the bare bones Mini Map version
is compatible but that the LX1600 screens aren't available, so the
vario fuctions won't be available. The commands screen which allow
use of the Button Block and the Stick I don't know about but I suspect
are missing as well.

All in all I expect to like flying with it. One thing I would
recommend is to set it up at home like I have and work with it in non-
flight conditions, it’s a bit complicated to try and get through the
learning curve in the plane.

Brian