FlyWIthCE FR300 vs LXNAV Nano for OLC and Silver/Gold badge flying

What are the inexpensive devices for logging Silver and Gold badge flights, and how do they compare - costs / ease of use / reliability, etc ? I will be working on my Silver badge this season, using a rented glider, so I need an inexpensive, portable, and easy to use setup. It seems to me that the FR300 is priced much lower than the others, but there must be more to it than just price. Thanks.

Doug

On Saturday, February 1, 2014 5:25:35 PM UTC-6, Doug wrote:
What are the inexpensive devices for logging Silver and Gold badge flights, and how do they compare - costs / ease of use / reliability, etc ? I will be working on my Silver badge this season, using a rented glider, so I need an inexpensive, portable, and easy to use setup. It seems to me that the FR300 is priced much lower than the others, but there must be more to it than just price. Thanks.



Doug

FR300 is not usable for Diamonds or National/Continental/World Records or Diplomas.

I have an old FR100, the Nano is much easier to download flights from. Just plug it in and it shows up like any other USB drive. You also might consider the Colibri II in your search for a portable easy to use logger.

On Saturday, February 1, 2014 5:25:35 PM UTC-6, Doug wrote:
What are the inexpensive devices for logging Silver and Gold badge flights, and how do they compare - costs / ease of use / reliability, etc ? I will be working on my Silver badge this season, using a rented glider, so I need an inexpensive, portable, and easy to use setup. It seems to me that the FR300 is priced much lower than the others, but there must be more to it than just price. Thanks.



Doug

Doug,

The FlyWithCE recorder is fine for silver and gold badges, as well as for logging OLC flights. It is easy to use and is very inexpensive, as far as loggers go. The flight logbook software has a few glitches that could be improved, but that won't affect your badge applications. I think it's a good way to go for beginning XC pilots.

Jeff

I've got a Replogle barograph and a camera with mount that I'll give you for
postage. They got me all of my diamonds so they must be lucky. You'll have
to have the barograph calibrated according to the rules. Do you think the
badge guy would accept a strip of film, a declaration sheet, and a barograph
trace?

Won't work for OLC, however...

"LongJourney" wrote in message
...
On Saturday, February 1, 2014 5:25:35 PM UTC-6, Doug wrote:
What are the inexpensive devices for logging Silver and Gold badge
flights, and how do they compare - costs / ease of use / reliability, etc
? I will be working on my Silver badge this season, using a rented
glider, so I need an inexpensive, portable, and easy to use setup. It
seems to me that the FR300 is priced much lower than the others, but there
must be more to it than just price. Thanks.



Doug

Doug,

The FlyWithCE recorder is fine for silver and gold badges, as well as for
logging OLC flights. It is easy to use and is very inexpensive, as far as
loggers go. The flight logbook software has a few glitches that could be
improved, but that won't affect your badge applications. I think it's a good
way to go for beginning XC pilots.

Jeff

Don't forget that the FR300 will require an extra 100m (328') of altitude margin for the height gains. It's a "position recorder" and uses GPS for altitude, hence the necessity of a margin.

The FR300 is cheap and simple; I bought three for my club to use in our badge attempts.

-John

About three years ago, we were the only club to submit a badge claim with a Repolge barograph for that year.
I'm not sure SSA will accept anything but digital now.

Bill T

The 1% altitude difference rule normally requires a maximum altitude difference of 500m or about 1,650 feet for a 50 k silver distance flight. With a position recorder it becomes a maximum altitude loss of 400 m or 1,300 feet.

On Sunday, February 2, 2014 7:10:14 PM UTC-6, Bill T wrote:
About three years ago, we were the only club to submit a badge claim with a Repolge barograph for that year.

I'm not sure SSA will accept anything but digital now.



Bill T

SSA accepted my repolge barograph trace for my gold altitude last spring. so i'm pretty sure he still does.

On Monday, February 3, 2014 4:55:33 AM UTC-5, waremark wrote:
The 1% altitude difference rule normally requires a maximum altitude difference of 500m or about 1,650 feet for a 50 k silver distance flight. With a position recorder it becomes a maximum altitude loss of 400 m or 1,300 feet.

I heard directly from the SSA about 20 minutes ago that the 100m of altitude "buffer" if you will, only applies to altitude heights.

You can fly your silver distance with one the height differential still cannot be greater than 500m.

Looks like I'm ordering mine shortly........

On Monday, 3 February 2014 23:40:39 UTC, wrote:
On Monday, February 3, 2014 4:55:33 AM UTC-5, waremark wrote:

The 1% altitude difference rule normally requires a maximum altitude difference of 500m or about 1,650 feet for a 50 k silver distance flight. With a position recorder it becomes a maximum altitude loss of 400 m or 1,300 feet.



I heard directly from the SSA about 20 minutes ago that the 100m of altitude "buffer" if you will, only applies to altitude heights.



You can fly your silver distance with one the height differential still cannot be greater than 500m.



Looks like I'm ordering mine shortly........

To be clear, I don't say you should not get one, so long as your eyes are open to the issues of the height buffer and the need for specific software for downloading. But if the SSA say the height buffer does not affect distance claims, that is certainly different from the way the same rules are applied in the UK. It is also illogical. From the BGA website:

"Badge Claims and Position Recorders 24th September 2012

From October 1st, approved GPS position recorders will be allowed for all silver and gold badge legs without the use of an additional barograph. However, where height differences are critical (height claims and claims involving the 1% rule) there will be a 100m penalty applied to the GPS height gain or loss when a position recorder is used without an independent barograph. For example, a silver height gain will need to show a GPS height gain of 1100meters and a silver distance of, say, 60km will need to show a height loss of less than 500m: ((60k*1%)-100)."

You should also consider the implications for any future competition flying.. Again, the height buffer issue may come into play in relation to start and finish heights and penalty zones.

An LX Nav Nano III would clearly be a better device, but for many times the price. A 2nd hand IGC logger might be closer in price, but might be less convenient, for example needing external power or an external aerial.