LX Nav: Clear Nav, or LX Navigation, which one

My ASH30Mi came over from Germany with LX8000s. Previously, I had flown with CN. After a summer of trying to explain to copilots how to use the LX in flight, I'm switching back to CN. If you want elegant, intuitive, easy-to-explain in flight, go CN. If you want 2000 different permutations about the world around you, LX is the way to go. Please take along a copilot to look at the real world while you figure out how to use all the buttons and knobs required to run the LX.

SF

On Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 1:01:36 AM UTC-8, wrote:
My ASH30Mi came over from Germany with LX8000s. Previously, I had flown with CN. After a summer of trying to explain to copilots how to use the LX in flight, I'm switching back to CN. If you want elegant, intuitive, easy-to-explain in flight, go CN. If you want 2000 different permutations about the world around you, LX is the way to go. Please take along a copilot to look at the real world while you figure out how to use all the buttons and knobs required to run the LX.

SF

Tom, I found flying with Altair displays (XC Soar) similarly frustrating.
Too many cooks spoiled the broth.
LX5000/7000 (haven't flown with 8000) seemed awkward, but got used to things after a while. The LX9000 is much more intuitive. Like the CN, it becomes simple to use during the first flight.
Believe some LX are made by the Judean Peoples Front, the others by the Peoples Front of Judea? (ref below)
Happy enough with the CN to have it made into a CN2.
Besides CN, which of these dispays will load an Open Air airspace file? I find it useful when there are TFRs...
Jim

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_P..._Life_of_Brian

All modern flight computers require steep learning curve. More features = more complicated user interface. Pilots flying couple of flights locally per year try to figure out how to adjust volume, and comp. pilots flying 100+ hrs of up-to-minute optimized area tasks usually know ever nuance of their computers. Most users probably need only good vario (sadly lacking in almost everywhere), map screen and simple final glide display.

I am one of the 100 hr plus folk. I found the LX 9000 easy to learn, but then I was already familiar with both the LX 7000 and SeeYou Mobile and the current LX software is a combination of those two. Knowing it well, I am easily able to brief my copilots on what they are looking at and what they might want to touch (the one thing they have to do for themselves is tell their screen that we have started the task). I certainly did not need to read the manual to set a task. I find the knobs much easier to use in flight than the CN interface (though I have only flown with one once). Most of the time all I need to touch the controls for is to change the zoom or the volume. In flight you certainly want to know what to find where on your main and any other screen without having to stare or fiddle. I suspect that working with LX Styler to set up your own profile helps a lot with that. Any moving map flight computer will be a distraction if you do not do your homework on the ground. Even on a familiar device using someone else's setup will be a major distraction.

Having said that I found the LX easy, I do believe the CN may be more suitable if you want to minimise your ground homework.

I am one of the 100 hr plus folk. I found the LX 9000 easy to learn, but then I was already familiar with both the LX 7000 and SeeYou Mobile and the current LX software is a combination of those two. Knowing it well, I am easily able to brief my copilots on what they are looking at and what they might want to touch (the one thing they have to do for themselves is tell their screen that we have started the task). I certainly did not need to read the manual to set a task. I find the knobs much easier to use in flight than the CN interface (though I have only flown with one once). Most of the time all I need to touch the controls for is to change the zoom or the volume. In flight you certainly want to know what to find where on your main and any other screen without having to stare or fiddle. I suspect that working with LX Styler to set up your own profile helps a lot with that. Any moving map flight computer will be a distraction if you do not do your homework on the ground. Even on a familiar device using someone else's setup will be a major distraction.

Having said that I found the LX easy, I do believe the CN may be more suitable if you want to minimise your ground homework.

The ClearNav is super user friendly. I flew the LX9000 with an owner who didn't understand how to use it after several weeks. I could not figure out how to set a task despite a manual and some experience. What is the point of being able to set every parameter. It is impressive but mostly useless. ClearNav is the underdog, but meets my needs perfectly. And it is US made and supported.

D

At 18:28 04 March 2015, Chris wrote:
The ClearNav isuper user friendly. I flew the LX9000 with an owner
who
di=
dn't understand how to use it after several weeks. I could not figure
out
h=
ow to set a task despite a manual and some experience. What is the
point
of=
being able to set every parameter. It is impressive but mostly
useless.
Cl=
earNav is the underdog, but meets my needs perfectly. And it is US
made
and=
supported.

D

I find the flexibilty of the LX 9000 impressive but definitely not
useless. Some spare time spent at home playing with it on the PC
simulator program (and personalising it with the LX Styler if, like me,
you wish) then load the profile on the 9000 via SD card you have a
hugely capable flight computer that you are already familiar with and
that requires minimal workload in flight. If you are happy with the
factory default profile then the parameters you need to set are simply
things like units, glider polar, pilot data etc.

John Galloway

On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 12:36:10 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can add to a discussion as to why any of the above flight computers are better than the others. If you were to purchase one, which one would you buy and why?

You might want to check out a Craggy Aero Ultimate Le system

PowerFlarm or Nano to LXNAV V7 to Craggy Aero Ultimate LE

http://www.craggyaero.com/le_5_7_systems.htm

Richard,
www.craggyaero.com

On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 3:36:10 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Just wondering if anyone can add to a discussion as to why any of the above flight computers are better than the others. If you were to purchase one, which one would you buy and why?

The one that you want is the one you don't fiddle with/stare at in flight. Cockpit displays can be an enormous distraction, and this is counter productive. The important stuff is outside the window.

I did my time on touch screen displays. There's a trackball equipped system out there. By all means, check them out. The alternative is a stick mounted remote with digital input (buttons to click). This isn't quite as slick looking/feeling at your kitchen table, but requires much less eyeball time in flight. No precision analog hand/eye coordination required.

I get jokes about the "wide screen plasma TV", but the point is: by making the display big and bright and extra-readable, it takes only a glance to get the info I need. The eyeball time is *really* small.

That's all my personal opinion. By way of disclosure, I do work with the ClearNav guys.

Evan Ludeman