S80 issues

On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 9:21:23 AM UTC-7, ZP wrote:
awesome! how did i miss that? thanks greg. and thanks to lx nav for a great vario. it is amazing how much functionality is packed into that thing.


I'm loving my S80, one big reason is because I don't have fiddle much with my Oudie anymore (I don't like tapping on a screen) other than to change the map scale occasionally. Instead I prefer to use bottons and knobs to change any info I want to change on the BRIGHT screen of the S80.
Anyway, after the most recent firmware upgrade the thermal assist is not working like it used to, pretty much useless now in fact. Anyone else having this issue? I've set the thermal assist to all of the selected inputs and get the same result, bubbles popping up randomly around the circle that don't seem to correspond to anything useful.

I had issues with the upgrade and was writing allot to LXNAV and talking to people - seems most are in agreement the Thermal helper is no help. I have disabled that mode on my S80. I told this to LXNAV and they sort of agreed that they need to make it better.

But as a Vario and for the info it provided - I like the S80 - I do not use the task or way-point functions either - I wish there were a way to make the second screen on those two modes the primary screen - then I would like it much better - every one seems to use a tablet/PDA/...... to navigate and task - not sure why they chose to do that on a Vario. I would gladly trade that for the Artificial Horizon (but I am not paying 900 bucks for a key to turn on what already exists on the device (IT hostage stuff )

WH

wrote on 7/7/2016 4:50 AM:
I do not use the task or way-point functions either - I wish there
were a way to make the second screen on those two modes the primary
screen - then I would like it much better - every one seems to use a
tablet/PDA/...... to navigate and task - not sure why they chose to
do that on a Vario.

I use an Air Avionics Display S (formerly Butterfly vario), which has a
navigation screen. I generally have it set to my "safety" airport/field,
with the distance to go and height above glideslope infoboxes on the
vario screen; the soaring computer is left on the task or next waypoint.
A glance at the panel keeps me informed of my situation without fiddling
with either device.

The navigation page also serves as a backup, should the soaring computer
fail.

I would gladly trade that for the Artificial
Horizon (but I am not paying 900 bucks for a key to turn on what
already exists on the device (IT hostage stuff )

I get it - you'd rather remove the instrument from your panel, ship it
to them, wait a week or two or three for it to be modified, eventually
returned to you, so you can enjoy the effort of putting it back in the
panel? And still pay $900?

My suggestion: remove the instrument from your panel, set it on the
shelf, buy the $900 license, and after three weeks, re-install it and
apply the license! There, just like the good old days ;^)

Nowadays, the biggest cost is not the hardware, but the software
development, and that makes it cheaper to give you all the hardware, and
charge you for only the functions you desire. It's not a hostage
situation; it's better customer service when they can instantly provide
an upgrade with an email, instead of you returning the instrument for
the upgrade.

--
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 - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/...anes-2014A.pdf

I would gladly trade that for the Artificial
Horizon (but I am not paying 900 bucks for a key to turn on what
already exists on the device (IT hostage stuff )

I get it - you'd rather remove the instrument from your panel, ship it
to them, wait a week or two or three for it to be modified, eventually
returned to you, so you can enjoy the effort of putting it back in the
panel? And still pay $900?

My suggestion: remove the instrument from your panel, set it on the
shelf, buy the $900 license, and after three weeks, re-install it and
apply the license! There, just like the good old days ;^)



Ouch! - this site always seems to end up in a negative place - that is why so many pilots I know do not write on it - but I think there is a huge knowledge base so.............

1. You did not get it - I do not want to take my instrument out ... nor send it to anyone for upgrades ... it is fine where it is, thank you.

2. as you wrote - "charge you for only the functions you desire" - I desire the AFH and do not desire the Navigation - even swap I wish I had that choice. That was the only point I was attempting to make.

I like LXNAX - and Like my S80 - there are always issues with new technical instruments - discussion is the only way to evolve............. and since people come here for honest suggestions, I am assuming your suggestions was not a suggestion at all, it was sarcasm, but I could be wrong but this blog is world renowned for sarcasm.

WH

wrote on 7/8/2016 7:43 AM:
I am assuming your suggestions was not a suggestion at all, it was
sarcasm, but I could be wrong but this blog is world renowned for
sarcasm.

It was humor - thus the smiley. I was remarking on your objection to
paying for a feature that you said was being held "hostage" by pointing
out buying a license is a superior way to add a feature, compared to
what we had to do in the past. It's now a common method used by many
instrument and software vendors.

--
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 - Dec 2014a" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://soaringsafety.org/prevention/...anes-2014A.pdf

On Wednesday, July 6, 2016 at 10:29:30 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 9:21:23 AM UTC-7, ZP wrote:
awesome! how did i miss that? thanks greg. and thanks to lx nav for a great vario. it is amazing how much functionality is packed into that thing.


I'm loving my S80, one big reason is because I don't have fiddle much with my Oudie anymore (I don't like tapping on a screen) other than to change the map scale occasionally. Instead I prefer to use bottons and knobs to change any info I want to change on the BRIGHT screen of the S80.
Anyway, after the most recent firmware upgrade the thermal assist is not working like it used to, pretty much useless now in fact. Anyone else having this issue? I've set the thermal assist to all of the selected inputs and get the same result, bubbles popping up randomly around the circle that don't seem to correspond to anything useful.

I found an issue with the way I was running my S80 and wanted to report. If you are having issues with the thermal assist or it is not switching from SC to Thermal consistently, then check to see if you are sending GPS to it from more that one device. I noticed on the info page that the GPS status was changing about every second and so checked the settings on my Oudie to make sure it wasn't sending it's GPS to the S80. I unchecked one of the settings on the Oudie and that stopped it. As a result I got my Thermal Assist back to working well, and also got rid of thermal/speed command switching problems. I'm still wishing for a good manual for the instrument, it's unfortunate to have to spend an entire soaring season sorting through issues.. That is the only issue I have with it though.