Gageteers, we need a digital heading sensor

The GPS gives TRACK, not HEADING. It can't tell what direction the glider is
pointing in, only the direction its motion is taking it across the ground.

David Starer

"f.blair" wrote in message
news:E5aAc.44219$2i5.30680@attbi_s52...
Why can't the GPS create the 'heading data' my $90 Etrex gives a heading
reading.

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
news:_y8Ac.53766$0y.15362@attbi_s03...
Dave, can it give highly accurate, real-time wind data, second by second
on
a straight one hour glide?

My last flight showed this problem during a long glide. For 30 miles
the
wind data showed SW winds at 20 knots but then I noticed the glider
drifting
to the west. Two 360 turns and the computer showed wind at 090 at 10
knots.
When I crossed the wind shift line I had a chance to change strategy.
30
miles later when the wind error became obvious it was too late.

More and more I think we need very accurate real-time wind data with no
requirement to be constantly changing heading. A cheap, reliable
heading
sensor would make this possible.

Bill Daniels

"Dave Nadler YO" wrote in message
m...
Bill - The heading is not required. In the ILEC SN10 we do this
without heading, and it normally has the wind by the time you're
off tow. Pilot feedback and measurements indicate that we do
it quite accurately. We just use TAS and GPS ground track over
multiple observations (TAS requiring accurate IAS, press, temp).
Best Regards, Dave "YO"

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
news:gw%zc.59643$HG.25574@attbi_s53...
I've been analyzing the IGC files from my flights and comparing them
to
others.

Generally, in good conditions, I'm circling less than 25% of the
time.
Other, far better pilots than I, are circling less than 15% of the
time.
This means that wind data that depends on the glider flying circles
gets
way
out of date during the long glides. OK, "S" turns can give the
computer
a
chance to compute wind if you remember to fly them but there are
still
a
lot
of long, straight glides.

To compute real-time wind data we need Groundspeed, Ground Track
(any
GPS
gives these)True Airspeed (Some computers do this if they have OAT,
Pressure
Altitude and IAS) and accurate heading data. Heading data it the
tough
nut
to crack.

So, how do we get Heading? One way might be to put a GPS antenna in
each
wing and look at the carrier phase difference. If the computer saw
a
constant track, it could assume the wings are level and determine a
heading
value. This heading value might update an aerospace quality MEMS
heading
gyro that would maintain a flow of heading data to the glide
computer
during
times when the wings were banked.

With good heading data we could get uninterrupted high quality wind
data
regardless of the gliders' maneuvering or lack of it.

OK, RAS gageteers, how about it?

Bill Daniels