PowerFlarm displays and polaroid sunglasses

Hi Gang
This posting is only relevant to people flying with polaroid sunglasses as I have done for over 20 years.
Firstly the display of the portable unit comes with a polarizer that requires the display being used in the landscape mode. Rotate the unit/display by 90 degrees and the display becomes invisible. If you don't use polarized sunglasses this rotational artifact is not visible.
Now in contrast the Butterfly display which many people will use with the brick is polarized to be used in the portrait mode with polarized sunglasses. Why the difference? Someone was not paying attention when they ordered the LCD displays.
The solution for me since I did not have the space in the instrument panel to rotate the Butterfly display 90 degrees was to mount the Butterfly displays (2 seater) using articulated arms so that I could manually rotate the display to what suited me. These arms are sold by Cumulus Soaring.
Bottom line to this posting is if you don't use polarized sunglasses you can mount the displays either in landscape or portrait orientations. If you fly with polarized sunglasses and are installing a PowerFlarm unit be aware orientation may be a concern as it was for me.
Dave

I have the 57mm Butterfly display with the brick.

Display orientation works excellent with polarized lenses.





On Friday, August 9, 2013 11:41:07 AM UTC-4, kd6veb wrote:
Hi Gang

This posting is only relevant to people flying with polaroid sunglasses as I have done for over 20 years.

Firstly the display of the portable unit comes with a polarizer that requires the display being used in the landscape mode. Rotate the unit/display by 90 degrees and the display becomes invisible. If you don't use polarized sunglasses this rotational artifact is not visible.

Now in contrast the Butterfly display which many people will use with the brick is polarized to be used in the portrait mode with polarized sunglasses. Why the difference? Someone was not paying attention when they ordered the LCD displays.

The solution for me since I did not have the space in the instrument panel to rotate the Butterfly display 90 degrees was to mount the Butterfly displays (2 seater) using articulated arms so that I could manually rotate the display to what suited me. These arms are sold by Cumulus Soaring.

Bottom line to this posting is if you don't use polarized sunglasses you can mount the displays either in landscape or portrait orientations. If you fly with polarized sunglasses and are installing a PowerFlarm unit be aware orientation may be a concern as it was for me.

Dave

On Friday, August 9, 2013 8:41:07 AM UTC-7, kd6veb wrote:
Hi Gang

This posting is only relevant to people flying with polaroid sunglasses as I have done for over 20 years.

Firstly the display of the portable unit comes with a polarizer that requires the display being used in the landscape mode. Rotate the unit/display by 90 degrees and the display becomes invisible. If you don't use polarized sunglasses this rotational artifact is not visible.

Now in contrast the Butterfly display which many people will use with the brick is polarized to be used in the portrait mode with polarized sunglasses. Why the difference? Someone was not paying attention when they ordered the LCD displays.

The solution for me since I did not have the space in the instrument panel to rotate the Butterfly display 90 degrees was to mount the Butterfly displays (2 seater) using articulated arms so that I could manually rotate the display to what suited me. These arms are sold by Cumulus Soaring.

Bottom line to this posting is if you don't use polarized sunglasses you can mount the displays either in landscape or portrait orientations. If you fly with polarized sunglasses and are installing a PowerFlarm unit be aware orientation may be a concern as it was for me.

Dave

Hi Joe
My Butterfly displays are rectangular and have to be so to accommodate the large knob and near square display - not circular 57 mm. Try rotating your head by 90 degrees and if you are wearing polarized sunglasses the display should go dark. If it doesn't you are not wearing polarized glasses.
It would seem that depending on the particular display you choose polarizers can be oriented randomly - very strange!
Dave

Dave his is indeed a known issue and the reason why some of us switched to the panel mounted display which is oriented correctly.

Ramy

This is an old issue and manufacturer is not willing to resolve. I gave up and went with an LX Nav FlarmView which works as advertised and as a bonus is very loud: http://www.lxnav.com/accessories/flarmview.html I highly recommend it.


Cheers,
Morteza

On Friday, August 9, 2013 8:41:07 AM UTC-7, kd6veb wrote:
Hi Gang

This posting is only relevant to people flying with polaroid sunglasses as I have done for over 20 years.

Firstly the display of the portable unit comes with a polarizer that requires the display being used in the landscape mode. Rotate the unit/display by 90 degrees and the display becomes invisible. If you don't use polarized sunglasses this rotational artifact is not visible.

Now in contrast the Butterfly display which many people will use with the brick is polarized to be used in the portrait mode with polarized sunglasses. Why the difference? Someone was not paying attention when they ordered the LCD displays.

The solution for me since I did not have the space in the instrument panel to rotate the Butterfly display 90 degrees was to mount the Butterfly displays (2 seater) using articulated arms so that I could manually rotate the display to what suited me. These arms are sold by Cumulus Soaring.

Bottom line to this posting is if you don't use polarized sunglasses you can mount the displays either in landscape or portrait orientations. If you fly with polarized sunglasses and are installing a PowerFlarm unit be aware orientation may be a concern as it was for me.

Dave

Hi Dave, yes when I turn my head 90 degrees the display does go black on the 57mm display, so do a couple of my other instruments.

Luckily I never fly with my head at this angle, ha ha