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

On Sun, 13 Apr 2014 18:43:32 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Saturday, February 1, 2014 6:25:35 PM UTC-5, 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

I used a flywithCE to log a glider flight where the attempt was to stay local and just reach the silver altitude of 3281'. I was successful with the altitude. I had an observer and filled out all the paperwork prior to the flight. I later found out that I can't use my flywithCE for the silver alt because I didn't declare this attempt using the logbook software (that's not user friendly) prior to going to the airport. I declare that the flywithCE is a waste and that I should have taken that $130 and applied it toward a real flight logger. I turned the thing on and it recorded my flight which doesn't count because I didn't declare it with software. How the heck to you declare on any software that you're going to go out and fly 5 hours or go out and climb 3281' after tow? The badge program is really confusing and I have yet to find anyone who has a good knowledge base. The most challenging part of soaring shouldn't be the mazes created by the bureaucracy to prove you did
something. I can see why there is rarely talk about badges in our club. I think a lot of glider pilots have lost interest due to the complications and expense to prove something you did so you can get pin to stick in your wife's jewelry box. Does anyone want a good deal on a flywithCE?


Sporting code gliders. 1.4.2 Duration, gain of height and absolute
altitude performances
A DECLARATION is not required for duration and gain of height badge
flights that use only
a POSITION RECORDER (per the Chapter 4 Appendix) or a stand-alone
BAROGRAPH for
evidence. The SOARING PERFORMANCE for an absolute altitude record must
be preceded
by a gain of height of at least 5000 metres.

Do you have different rules in US from the reat of the world?