Jeff Bennett leaves Cambridge Aero Instruments

The one man factory at Cambridge Aero, maker of the 302 Variometer will no longer offer REPAIR Support for it's products...

Jeff Bennett has left the Building...

Like many, I've had a hard time getting anybody to answer my calls at Cambridge over the last months. I finally received a letter along with my returned instrument, which had been sent in for repair.


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Dear Cambridge Aero Instruments, Inc., Customer:

We have lost our technician for repairs, maintenance and calibration of the Cambridge 302 and related products. We are sending instruments requiring calibrations, battery replacements, and other such maintenance procedures to our dealer Paul Remde of Cumulus Soaring in Savage, Minnesota. If your instrument has been sent to us for repair, we are returning it to you with a suggestion to contact Gary Kammerer, formerly a long time employee of Cambridge who has a shop where he can do repairs on a freelance basis (his schedule permitting). Gary can be reached by telephone at xxx/xxx-xxxx.


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Sigh...

Tim


On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 8:01:53 AM UTC-4, wrote:
The one man factory at Cambridge Aero, maker of the 302 Variometer will no longer offer REPAIR Support for it's products...



Jeff Bennett has left the Building...



Like many, I've had a hard time getting anybody to answer my calls at Cambridge over the last months. I finally received a letter along with my returned instrument, which had been sent in for repair.





------------------------------------------------------





Dear Cambridge Aero Instruments, Inc., Customer:



We have lost our technician for repairs, maintenance and calibration of the Cambridge 302 and related products. We are sending instruments requiring calibrations, battery replacements, and other such maintenance procedures to our dealer Paul Remde of Cumulus Soaring in Savage, Minnesota. If your instrument has been sent to us for repair, we are returning it to you with a suggestion to contact Gary Kammerer, formerly a long time employee of Cambridge who has a shop where he can do repairs on a freelance basis (his schedule permitting). Gary can be reached by telephone at xxx/xxx-xxxx.





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On Wednesday, May 22, 2013 8:01:53 AM UTC-4, wrote:

Dear Cambridge Aero Instruments, Inc., Customer:



We have lost our technician for repairs, maintenance and calibration of the Cambridge 302 and related products. We are sending instruments requiring calibrations, battery replacements, and other such maintenance procedures to our dealer Paul Remde of Cumulus Soaring in Savage, Minnesota. If your instrument has been sent to us for repair, we are returning it to you with a suggestion to contact Gary Kammerer, formerly a long time employee of Cambridge who has a shop where he can do repairs on a freelance basis (his schedule permitting). Gary can be reached by telephone at xxx/xxx-xxxx.

Gary Kammerer asked me to debunk this: He says

"I am NOT doing 300 Series 'freelance' work. Roger dreamed that one up."

I don't wish to speculate on what might happen going forward (all you r.a.s.. readers can connect the dots however you like), but I think it's fair to quash that particular rumor right now.

Good soaring,

Evan Ludeman / CNi

Sad.

Is Cambridge still selling their products like the 302 and 303? If
they sell them, they are manufacturing them. That would imply that
they are testing them. If they test them, then they would also be
able to repair them. So if they can't repair, they can't test, and
can't sell. Coming full circle, it would seem the Cambridge is going
out of business. At least why would anyone buy their products if you
knew you can't get it repaired?

Too bad, I love my 302 as do many others. Let's hope it keeps on
tickin' for another few years. Anyone suggest an alternative device?
The Butterfly Vario? Not yet a certified recorder I believe.

- John

In article
,
JohnDeRosa wrote:

Sad.

Is Cambridge still selling their products like the 302 and 303? If
they sell them, they are manufacturing them. That would imply that
they are testing them. If they test them, then they would also be
able to repair them. So if they can't repair, they can't test, and
can't sell. Coming full circle, it would seem the Cambridge is going
out of business. At least why would anyone buy their products if you
knew you can't get it repaired?

Too bad, I love my 302 as do many others. Let's hope it keeps on
tickin' for another few years. Anyone suggest an alternative device?
The Butterfly Vario? Not yet a certified recorder I believe.

- John



The more I read about high end instruments, the less I regret not being
able to afford them.

I have asked a number of people to explain to me exactly what their
"super varios" do that a good basic vario and a decent PDA/software
setup does not do. I mean besides calculating to more decimal places.
Maybe I would understand if I flew a glider with more than two speeds....

On Thursday, May 23, 2013 10:00:33 AM UTC-4, WB wrote:
In article

,

JohnDeRosa wrote:



Sad.



Is Cambridge still selling their products like the 302 and 303? If

they sell them, they are manufacturing them. That would imply that

they are testing them. If they test them, then they would also be

able to repair them. So if they can't repair, they can't test, and

can't sell. Coming full circle, it would seem the Cambridge is going

out of business. At least why would anyone buy their products if you

knew you can't get it repaired?



Too bad, I love my 302 as do many others. Let's hope it keeps on

tickin' for another few years. Anyone suggest an alternative device?

The Butterfly Vario? Not yet a certified recorder I believe.



- John







The more I read about high end instruments, the less I regret not being

able to afford them.



I have asked a number of people to explain to me exactly what their

"super varios" do that a good basic vario and a decent PDA/software

setup does not do. I mean besides calculating to more decimal places.

Maybe I would understand if I flew a glider with more than two speeds....

The bottom line is "better information".

In my case, it's helped quite a bit.

Evan Ludeman / T8

I have asked a number of people to explain to me exactly what their

"super varios" do that a good basic vario and a decent PDA/software

setup does not do. I mean besides calculating to more decimal places.

Maybe I would understand if I flew a glider with more than two speeds....

Better vario: Immense. Nothing matters as much. What can I do with a better -- and carefully set up -- vario? Outclimb people who think I have some actual thermaling ability. Climb when they land. Roll into that savior bullet thermal that looks like a gust on their varios.

What do I do with a better glide computer? Not look at it so much, and spend less time futzing with it. My PDA was an endless cycle of rebooting, battery management, keeping it cool, and punching screens. My current clearnav has what I want when I want it. I spent a lot of money for an instrument so I could avoid looking at it and look out the window instead. Less crucial, but certainly worthwhile.

I don't understand why people spend so much money on gliders, and spend so much time and effort on this sport, and then cheap out on instruments.

John Cochrane

On Thursday, May 23, 2013 12:11:18 PM UTC-4, wrote:

Better vario: Immense. Nothing matters as much. What can I do with a better -- and carefully set up -- vario? Outclimb people who think I have some actual thermaling ability. Climb when they land. Roll into that savior bullet thermal that looks like a gust on their varios.

With the cost of a relight at $50+, a vario that keeps you in the air more should pay for itself.

I thought that a vario needed to use the 3-D inertial sensor to sort out the horizontal and vertical components of "gusts", and I thought that nobody was doing that just yet. Or does the inertial sensor just make the filtering better?

In article ,
wrote:


I have asked a number of people to explain to me exactly what their

"super varios" do that a good basic vario and a decent PDA/software

setup does not do. I mean besides calculating to more decimal places.

Maybe I would understand if I flew a glider with more than two speeds....

Better vario: Immense. Nothing matters as much. What can I do with a better
-- and carefully set up -- vario? Outclimb people who think I have some
actual thermaling ability. Climb when they land. Roll into that or bullet
thermal that looks like a gust on their varios.

What do I do with a better glide computer? Not look at it so much, and spend
less time futzing with it. My PDA was an endless cycle of rebooting, battery
management, keeping it cool, and punching screens. My current clearnav has
what I want when I want it. I spent a lot of money for an instrument so I
could avoid looking at it and look out the window instead. Less crucial, but
certainly worthwhile.

I don't understand why people spend so much money on gliders, and spend so
much time and effort on this sport, and then cheap out on instruments.

John Cochrane

Better instruments is better instruments. I get that. I just keep
thinking these expensive systems must do something other than be
incrementally better. How much better is a new super vario than a well
compensated Borgelt B40? Would a super vario make that much difference
in a club class ship? If I'm cruising faster than 70, it is such a
booming day that a pellet vario would be overkill. Now, filtering out
horizontal gusts is a feature I would be willing to shell out the bucks
for (assuming I would not have to put up with waiting for the "Next
Software Upgrade" to get the advertised features and off-again-on-again
technical service)!

What PDA setup were you using? I have flown for the last 10 years with
an old Palm Tungsten T, excellent readability in bright sun (actually
better the brighter the ambient light). Using SoaringPilot software
(still supported but not being actively developed anymore). Clip on
battery pack that also functions as the panel mount and the bluetooth
connection to a gps puck means it is a totally wireless system. I have
never had a software problem with it, in-flight or otherwise. Did have a
touchcreen go flakey on me in flight once, but at about $30 apiece, I
carry a spare pda and a spare GPS puck ($50 bucks at Sempsons.com).
Never had a overheating problem, even at 104F days at Cordele. I only
use two screens in flight: moving map and final glide screen. Would I
love to have a Clearnav? Yes, absolutely, but it would take a lot of
"better" to justify the cost in my case.

Amongst cross country and racing folks, I really don't see people going
cheap on instruments (except me). I have seen 1-26's with high end
instruments. Heck, in club class, who besides me, does not have a 302 at
least? Maybe it is just me, but I have less than $20k total in my setup
to include the glider, instruments, trailer and even the motorhome I
drag it around with. On the other hand, I have spent a butt-load on
tows, club dues, and piddling stuff like going halves on a Pawnee.

I believe the advice given by an English 2x World Champion is to have a
good, well compensated, leak free, simple, vario then spend the difference
on Aerotows.

Likewise most modern (Standard Class) gliders have a kink in the polar,
such that best speed to fly for almost any rate of climb is somewhere
around the kink. So there are in fact only two speeds to fly; at the kink
if you're comfy, best LD if you're in survival mode.

So for the original Discus (Dry) it's either 80kts or 50kts

PF

At 14:00 23 May 2013, Wallace Berry wrote:
In article
,

The more I read about high end instruments, the less I regret not being
able to afford them.

I have asked a number of people to explain to me exactly what their
"super varios" do that a good basic vario and a decent PDA/software
setup does not do. I mean besides calculating to more decimal places.
Maybe I would understand if I flew a glider with more than two speeds....