PowerFlarm Update?

pcool wrote on 3/15/2015 5:40 AM:
Let me ask you something, Tim.
You buy a new home appliance, and everything goes quite ok for some years.
One day there is a message saying that it is ceasing to work in a month,
and you need to subscribe a new licence and practically sign a contract
if you want to keep using it.
Do things work like that in the US where you live? Not in italy, not in
Europe I can tell you.
Here we can refuse to sign the contract, and either give back the item
or keep using it as before, which is the most reasonable thing to do
normally.

So people here is saysing they wont accept the new User Licence
Agreement, not at all.
And guess what will happen.


Maybe I haven't been paying attention, but I've had PowerFlarm from
almost the beginning, and my understanding was always exactly what they
are doing now: requiring everyone to update. So, I wasn't surprised when
the update came along; I was surprised other pilots were surprised, and
that a free update was upsetting to them.

This is from my PowerFLARM manual ver 3 dated July 1, 2012:

..................
Mandatory firmware update
In order to allow global changes of the FLARM system, every
FLARM/PowerFLARM software has a fixed expiry date. Firmware
update before the expiry date is mandatory for continued
operation. The next such date is March 31, 2015. All
FLARM/PowerFLARM devices will start warning about imminent
expiry 60 days prior to the expiry date.
...................

The manual also says this:

...................
Limitations
The device has been designed as a non-essential 'situation
awareness only' device, whose task is solely to support the pilot; it
is not always in a position to provide a reliable warning. In
particular, the device does not provide any suggestions as to
avoiding action. Under no circumstances does the device facilitate
a change in flight tactics, user or commander response. Even
though you have installed the device, you remain responsible and
liable for the safety of all passengers and other aircraft. Operation
of the device is solely a matter at the discretion of the user and
commander. The device may only be operated by persons who
have made a careful study of the user instructions.
...................

That seems pretty clear you should not expect it to work all the time,
and you are responsible for using it. If you choose not to update, and
it stops working, it seems to me that's your fault, not theirs.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "A Guide to Self-Launching Sailplane Operation"
https://sites.google.com/site/motorg...ad-the-guide-1
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl