A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Soaring
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Power Flarm Display



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old December 10th 12, 12:42 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
SteveB_Z5
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 20
Default Power Flarm Display

I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. What do users think of the display? Sun and shade readability?

Thanks,
Steve
  #2  
Old December 10th 12, 04:35 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
kd6veb
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 79
Default Power Flarm Display

Hi Steve
I have had a portable PowerFlarm mounted with Velcro on the glare shield above the instrument panel in my glider. It is mounted at a height close to that of my eyes and is carefully orientated so that there is the least brightness attenuation when using Polaroid glasses. It is very very marginal because of the small screen and the tiny characters and symbols and in my opinion much inferior to the original Flarm used in the rest of the world.
There are other issues but I won't go into them here and now.
Would I purchase a new PowerFlarn if I lost my old one? No I would buy a Zaon MRX PCAS which I used for 3 years before installing the PowerFlarm. PowerFlarm is a work in progress which is progressing extremely slowly. I am not convinced in its present incarnation that it could be or is a viable product. I have kept mine because I would truly like PowerFlarm to be successful but I think they have got themselves into deep water biting off more than they can chew. I would like to be proven wrong but I don't think so.
Dave
  #3  
Old December 10th 12, 08:00 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Darryl Ramm
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,403
Default Power Flarm Display

On Sunday, December 9, 2012 7:35:17 PM UTC-8, kd6veb wrote:
Hi Steve

I have had a portable PowerFlarm mounted with Velcro on the glare shield above the instrument panel in my glider. It is mounted at a height close to that of my eyes and is carefully orientated so that there is the least brightness attenuation when using Polaroid glasses. It is very very marginal because of the small screen and the tiny characters and symbols and in my opinion much inferior to the original Flarm used in the rest of the world.

There are other issues but I won't go into them here and now.

Would I purchase a new PowerFlarn if I lost my old one? No I would buy a Zaon MRX PCAS which I used for 3 years before installing the PowerFlarm. PowerFlarm is a work in progress which is progressing extremely slowly. I am not convinced in its present incarnation that it could be or is a viable product. I have kept mine because I would truly like PowerFlarm to be successful but I think they have got themselves into deep water biting off more than they can chew. I would like to be proven wrong but I don't think so.

Dave


Dave, c'mon that is largely hubris, PowerFLARM has had teething problems and slower getting to market than anybody wanted, but it is a viable product as is. It is really the *only* viable product in the USA that helps provide effective glider-glider traffic awareness/collision avoidance (much better than transponder/PCAS ever can do).

It was not clear what the the original poster wants the PowerFLARM for - e.g. for glider-glider collision avoidance, for GA traffic PCAS, for 1090ES data-in, or what. But if its for glider-glider collision avoidance then there is not much point making a comparison to a Zaon PCAS device. Maybe in Dave's case his use of PowerFLARM really is as a PCAS only device, but that is not what most other folks here are really going to be wanting from the PowerFLARM.

If its purpose is for Flarm collision avoidance with other gliders, then there will hopefully be other gliders in the area already equipped with PowerFLARM -- so hopefully an opportunity to look at the displays installed in those. And everybody's eyesight is different, best to look at the real thing.. And make sure you understand the different screen modes--e.g. tryign to spot regular traffic vs a traffic alert display. All described in the manuals available online. http://powerflarm.us/manuals-softwar...release-notes/

Darryl
  #4  
Old December 10th 12, 02:24 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,124
Default Power Flarm Display

On Sunday, December 9, 2012 6:42:27 PM UTC-5, SteveB_Z5 wrote:
I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. What do users think of the display? Sun and shade readability? Thanks, Steve


I found the 57MM round display to be very hard to read due to small print.
Since I have a ClearNav, I connected to that and it is fine.
Others with young eyes may have different experience.
UH
  #5  
Old December 10th 12, 02:46 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
K
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 129
Default Power Flarm Display

On Sunday, December 9, 2012 4:42:27 PM UTC-7, SteveB_Z5 wrote:
I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. What do users think of the display? Sun and shade readability?



Thanks,

Steve


I flew a season with a PF portable (No range issues and better audio) and I would advise against a display in the panel. Perfectly readable in sunlight. Currently purchasing a brick and plan on the LX-Nav display to be mounted on the edge of the glare shield.
I'd like to see the PF people get their act together and resolve issues better.
  #6  
Old December 10th 12, 04:04 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Andy[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,565
Default Power Flarm Display

On Dec 9, 4:42*pm, SteveB_Z5 wrote:
I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. *What do users think of the display? *Sun and shade readability?



The Power FLARM core (brick) does not have a display. You may need to
say what display you are considering.

Also, don't just ask about display visibility, you also need to
evaluate whether the audio alert is adequate to perform intended
function.

Andy (GY)
  #7  
Old December 10th 12, 04:08 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 94
Default Power Flarm Display

Steve,

I started with a Butterfly 57mm display, but it is severly limited on menu choices and usability in-flight. The display on my Butterfly was quite dim which made the small text harder to read.

I switched to the FlarmView by LX. It's much brighter and you have a lot more options on how you want to configure the display and all the options are available in flight. In my opinion the FlarmView is a significantly better choice. The only minor drawback is that it's not designed to go into a 57mm panel cut out. I simply made a small bracket and it's directly in front of a spare 57mm instrument location. The text on the FlarmView is still small, but the resolution of the better quality display screen makes it easier to read. The size of the two screens is basically identical. One BIG advantage of the FlarmView is the ability to assign a contest number to an "unknown" FLARM target on the fly. If you use the Butterfly, you can NOT edit the ID in any way other than the convoluted database download, upload and pray method of the Butterfly. With FlarmView if you see an unknown FLARM target you can select that target and then enter the contest number for that target and you're DONE. FlarmView will also accept the FlarmNet data, but you have to do a simple conversion of the data first. Another simplification is that you can remove the mini SD card and add the FlarmNet data to the card and it doesn't require a RadioShack project of making your own custom data transfer cable which is currently required with the Butterfly Display.

Anyway, enough said. Go here to see the FlarmView Display.

http://lxnav.com/products/flarmview.html

Paul at Cumulus has the FlarmViews.

Mark





On Sunday, December 9, 2012 5:42:27 PM UTC-6, SteveB_Z5 wrote:
I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. What do users think of the display? Sun and shade readability?



Thanks,

Steve


Steve,m
  #8  
Old December 10th 12, 04:29 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Paul Remde
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,691
Default Power Flarm Display

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the nice review of the LXNAV FlarmView. It is a very nice
product. But, to clarify one point you made below, there is no need to
convert the FlarmNet file. I suspect that you must have downloaded the
wrong file. You need to use the one on the FlarmNet web site that is
formatted for LXNAV products.
Details are available he
http://www.cumulus-soaring.com/lxnav...XNAV-FlarmView

Best Regards,

Paul Remde
Cumulus Soaring, Inc.

wrote in message
...

Steve,

I started with a Butterfly 57mm display, but it is severly limited on menu
choices and usability in-flight. The display on my Butterfly was quite dim
which made the small text harder to read.

I switched to the FlarmView by LX. It's much brighter and you have a lot
more options on how you want to configure the display and all the options
are available in flight. In my opinion the FlarmView is a significantly
better choice. The only minor drawback is that it's not designed to go into
a 57mm panel cut out. I simply made a small bracket and it's directly in
front of a spare 57mm instrument location. The text on the FlarmView is
still small, but the resolution of the better quality display screen makes
it easier to read. The size of the two screens is basically identical. One
BIG advantage of the FlarmView is the ability to assign a contest number to
an "unknown" FLARM target on the fly. If you use the Butterfly, you can NOT
edit the ID in any way other than the convoluted database download, upload
and pray method of the Butterfly. With FlarmView if you see an unknown
FLARM target you can select that target and then enter the contest number
for that target and you're DONE. FlarmView will also accept the FlarmNet
data, but you have to do a simple conversion of the data first. Another
simplification is that you can remove the mini SD card and add the FlarmNet
data to the card and it doesn't require a RadioShack project of making your
own custom data transfer cable which is currently required with the
Butterfly Display.

Anyway, enough said. Go here to see the FlarmView Display.

http://lxnav.com/products/flarmview.html

Paul at Cumulus has the FlarmViews.

Mark





On Sunday, December 9, 2012 5:42:27 PM UTC-6, SteveB_Z5 wrote:
I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. What do users think of
the display? Sun and shade readability?



Thanks,

Steve


Steve,m

  #9  
Old December 11th 12, 12:46 AM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Andrzej Kobus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 585
Default Power Flarm Display

On Dec 10, 10:08*am, wrote:
Steve,

I started with a Butterfly 57mm display, but it is severly limited on menu choices and usability in-flight. *The display on my Butterfly was quite dim which made the small text harder to read.

I switched to the FlarmView by LX. *It's much brighter and you have a lot more options on how you want to configure the display and all the options are available in flight. *In my opinion the FlarmView is a significantly better choice. *The only minor drawback is that it's not designed to go into a 57mm panel cut out. *I simply made a small bracket and it's directly in front of a spare 57mm instrument location. *The text on the FlarmView is still small, but the resolution of the better quality display screen makes it easier to read. *The size of the two screens is basically identical. *One BIG advantage of the FlarmView is the ability to assign a contest number to an "unknown" FLARM target on the fly. *If you use the Butterfly, you can NOT edit the ID in any way other than the convoluted database download, upload and pray method of the Butterfly. *With FlarmView if you see an unknown FLARM target you can select that target and then enter the contest number for that target and you're DONE. *FlarmView will also accept the FlarmNet data, but you have to do a simple conversion of the data first. *Another simplification is that you can remove the mini SD card and add the FlarmNet data to the card and it doesn't require a RadioShack project of making your own custom data transfer cable which is currently required with the Butterfly Display.

Anyway, enough said. *Go here to see the FlarmView Display.

http://lxnav.com/products/flarmview.html

Paul at Cumulus has the FlarmViews.

Mark

On Sunday, December 9, 2012 5:42:27 PM UTC-6, SteveB_Z5 wrote:
I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. *What do users think of the display? *Sun and shade readability?


Thanks,


Steve


Steve,m


The Butterfly hardware is very nice. The screen is quite clear and
very readable if you have 20/20 vision or glasses like in my case.
There is great potential to this display if the firmware is updated
e.g. font a big bigger. I actually like the hardware and it is bright
enough for me.

By the way PCAS range of PowerFlarm brick improved somewhat with the
latest firmware update but it is still not where it should be. I
tested the latest update in the middle of November and I found some
targets showing up early while others showing late. I found the PCAS
antenna position to be extremely important in getting better
performance but there is still work that PowerFlarm needs to do. It
seems to me there is still a software issue.
  #10  
Old December 12th 12, 03:25 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Jim[_32_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 49
Default Power Flarm Display

On Monday, December 10, 2012 8:24:23 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sunday, December 9, 2012 6:42:27 PM UTC-5, SteveB_Z5 wrote:

I'm thinking about getting a Power Flarm brick. What do users think of the display? Sun and shade readability? Thanks, Steve




I found the 57MM round display to be very hard to read due to small print..

Since I have a ClearNav, I connected to that and it is fine.

Others with young eyes may have different experience.

UH


I have the Butterfly rectangular display and find not only is the print unreadably small but the audio is next to nonexistent too. In full disclosure I have senior eyes and ears too but even with glasses the type is too tiny to be useful. Like Hank found, interfaced to my ClearNav the PF Brick is fine.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Power FLARM as logger Lucky812 Soaring 27 December 7th 12 03:13 PM
US Power FLARM Antennas Andy[_1_] Soaring 13 June 21st 12 07:34 AM
Power FLARM deliveries? Andy[_1_] Soaring 1 June 5th 12 01:33 PM
Portable Power Flarm for sale [email protected] Soaring 1 June 2nd 12 01:14 AM
Power FLARM question Kimmo Hytoenen Soaring 26 March 23rd 12 05:28 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.