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#1
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PDA mounting alternatives
I'm thinking about "upgrading" from a Cambridge LNAV/GPS to a more
modern setup using a PDA. But I've noticed that the usual setup has the PDA mounted vertically on the canopy, which I would not like since it obscures a portion of the outside view and for me the visual aesthetics of being able to look out and sightsee while I am flying are very important (and the main reason why I own a DG with its large canopy area). I would think there are other alternatives such as strapping the PDA on one's thigh - but perhaps the usual setup is mandated by some factor, such as sun-washout of the screen if it were to be more horizontal (per the thigh-mounted approach). So I was wondering if anyone has experience with a non-canopy-mounted PDA which they like and would recommend (and which does not impede the external view). Jack |
#2
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Dr Jack,
Check out this photo: http://www.asa-soaring.org/images/front/pic7.jpg Are you looking for something like that? If so you can use a 3, 6 or 9 inch gooseneck mounted on either your instrument panel or the inside wall of your fuselage. Works great. -ted/2NO |
#3
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Dr Jack,
Check out this photo: http://www.asa-soaring.org/images/front/pic7.jpg Are you looking for something like that? If so you can use a 3, 6 or 9 inch gooseneck mounted on either your instrument panel or the inside wall of your fuselage. Works great. -ted/2NO |
#4
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Jack Glendening wrote:
I'm thinking about "upgrading" from a Cambridge LNAV/GPS to a more modern setup using a PDA. But I've noticed that the usual setup has the PDA mounted vertically on the canopy, which I would not like since it obscures a portion of the outside view and for me the visual aesthetics of being able to look out and sightsee while I am flying are very important (and the main reason why I own a DG with its large canopy area). I would think there are other alternatives such as strapping the PDA on one's thigh - but perhaps the usual setup is mandated by some factor, such as sun-washout of the screen if it were to be more horizontal (per the thigh-mounted approach). So I was wondering if anyone has experience with a non-canopy-mounted PDA which they like and would recommend (and which does not impede the external view). Actually, I don't know anyone who mounts their PDA such that it obscures a significant of the outside view. In my DG, I mounted the PDA on the side of the instrument pod, the only thing it obscured was the view of my toes. If you strap the PDA to your thigh, you'll be spending a bit too much time looking down and away from the sky. The other thing to consider is how well your eyes can handle to the (low) contrast of the PDA screen. These days, I find that the closer I mount the PDA to my eyes, the better (and quicker) I can see what it is displaying, so mounting on an arm on the canopy rail, slightly below the sight line to the outside, might be the best solution. Just make sure there is some way for the power/data cable to break or disconnect if you need to eject the canopy... Marc |
#5
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Marc makes good points, to which I would add:
1. Remember that it helps to not change your focal length such that the outside view is out of focus. Folks over 45yrs or so will apparently have difficulty in this regard. 2. You need to be able to use your pointer finger easily, and sometimes to eject the stylus. Jim Kelly "Marc Ramsey" wrote in message ... Jack Glendening wrote: I'm thinking about "upgrading" from a Cambridge LNAV/GPS to a more modern setup using a PDA. But I've noticed that the usual setup has the PDA mounted vertically on the canopy, which I would not like since it obscures a portion of the outside view and for me the visual aesthetics of being able to look out and sightsee while I am flying are very important (and the main reason why I own a DG with its large canopy area). I would think there are other alternatives such as strapping the PDA on one's thigh - but perhaps the usual setup is mandated by some factor, such as sun-washout of the screen if it were to be more horizontal (per the thigh-mounted approach). So I was wondering if anyone has experience with a non-canopy-mounted PDA which they like and would recommend (and which does not impede the external view). Actually, I don't know anyone who mounts their PDA such that it obscures a significant of the outside view. In my DG, I mounted the PDA on the side of the instrument pod, the only thing it obscured was the view of my toes. If you strap the PDA to your thigh, you'll be spending a bit too much time looking down and away from the sky. The other thing to consider is how well your eyes can handle to the (low) contrast of the PDA screen. These days, I find that the closer I mount the PDA to my eyes, the better (and quicker) I can see what it is displaying, so mounting on an arm on the canopy rail, slightly below the sight line to the outside, might be the best solution. Just make sure there is some way for the power/data cable to break or disconnect if you need to eject the canopy... Marc |
#6
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Jim Kelly wrote:
Marc makes good points, to which I would add: 1. Remember that it helps to not change your focal length such that the outside view is out of focus. Folks over 45yrs or so will apparently have difficulty in this regard. For a lot of pilots, that puts the PDA quite far away. I don't need glasses for distance, but I do need reading glasses. "Sunreader" sunglasses combine nonprescription sunglasses with bifocal areas low on the glasses; additionally, the bifocal area has very little tinting. This arrangement is perfect for PDA use in a glider. Cheap, too, at $25. Pilots needing prescription sunglasses could get them with the bifocal area, preferably with very little tinting. More than $25, of course! In any case, definitely look at the PDA you are considering, and do it in the sunlight. Their screens differ markedly in visibility, and some of the older ones are better than the newer ones. I use a 3835, which is noticeably better than the newer 2210 I first purchased. 2. You need to be able to use your pointer finger easily, and sometimes to eject the stylus. I suppose this varies with the software you use, as my finger works fine in flight using SeeYou Mobile. On the ground, for entering tasks and other fiddly things not needed in flight, I do use the stylus. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#7
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Eric Greenwell wrote:
2. You need to be able to use your pointer finger easily, and sometimes to eject the stylus. I suppose this varies with the software you use, as my finger works fine in flight using SeeYou Mobile. On the ground, for entering tasks and other fiddly things not needed in flight, I do use the stylus. And using a finger was even easier with Glide Navigator, which I used for years before Mobile. Didn't ever use a stylus with it. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#8
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I agree entirely Eric. My point is that the stylus often needs a
lot of room above the unit (for ejection). It is easy to forget this when mounting (eg) below the lip in a glareshield. jk "Eric Greenwell" wrote in message ... Eric Greenwell wrote: 2. You need to be able to use your pointer finger easily, and sometimes to eject the stylus. I suppose this varies with the software you use, as my finger works fine in flight using SeeYou Mobile. On the ground, for entering tasks and other fiddly things not needed in flight, I do use the stylus. And using a finger was even easier with Glide Navigator, which I used for years before Mobile. Didn't ever use a stylus with it. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#9
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Another advantage with the 'stick-on' bifocals is that you can
carefully trim them to make them narrow in width (about 60% of their original width), thus preserving the ability to look 'outside and down' without their intrusion. Jim Kelly "Eric Greenwell" wrote in message ... Jim Kelly wrote: Marc makes good points, to which I would add: 1. Remember that it helps to not change your focal length such that the outside view is out of focus. Folks over 45yrs or so will apparently have difficulty in this regard. For a lot of pilots, that puts the PDA quite far away. I don't need glasses for distance, but I do need reading glasses. "Sunreader" sunglasses combine nonprescription sunglasses with bifocal areas low on the glasses; additionally, the bifocal area has very little tinting. This arrangement is perfect for PDA use in a glider. Cheap, too, at $25. Pilots needing prescription sunglasses could get them with the bifocal area, preferably with very little tinting. More than $25, of course! In any case, definitely look at the PDA you are considering, and do it in the sunlight. Their screens differ markedly in visibility, and some of the older ones are better than the newer ones. I use a 3835, which is noticeably better than the newer 2210 I first purchased. 2. You need to be able to use your pointer finger easily, and sometimes to eject the stylus. I suppose this varies with the software you use, as my finger works fine in flight using SeeYou Mobile. On the ground, for entering tasks and other fiddly things not needed in flight, I do use the stylus. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
#10
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Jim Kelly wrote:
Another advantage with the 'stick-on' bifocals is that you can carefully trim them to make them narrow in width (about 60% of their original width), thus preserving the ability to look 'outside and down' without their intrusion. I used them for several years on Serengeti sunglasses and liked them, but switched to the Sunreaders when I discovered those even better because they were untinted in the bifocal area, and because the stick-on bifocals introduced some glare when the sun hit that area. I think the two extra surfaces between the sunglasses and bifocals caused it; nonetheless, they can be a good solution for people with prescription sunglasses. At ~$20, they are cheap to try, and cutting them down as Jim suggests is a good idea. You can probably get them to stick better, and reduce the glare I got. -- Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly Eric Greenwell Washington State USA |
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