Flight Computer: Borgelt B500 or LX1600?

Hi All

Our trusty Zander SR800 is rather sick. So if we can't get it fixed I
would like to know what we might be looking at for a replacement.

The Zander has a very pleasant electronic/audio vario with digital
averager, speed to fly and final glide calculator. It was top notch in its
day - which was long before GPS was invented.

It seems the Borgelt B500 and LX1600 offer a similar level of
functionality to the Zander. Obviously they should be interfaced with GPS
and PDA. Are there pilots out there who have flown with either of these
two who would care to comment on their virtues?

One feature which both of these have is the ability to provide
airspeed data to a PDA which in turn can determine the wind vector by
comparing airspeed and GPS data - without having to stop and thermal. We
regularly fly ridges where knowledge of the wind speed and direction is
essential and flying 50 or 100 km without turning it the norm, so this
feature could be very attractive.

Has anybody used this feature? Does it work as advertised or are there
problems and limitations one should be aware of?

Finally if the budget is too stretched and we trade down to a Borgelt
B400 or similar, and feed only GPS data to the PDA, what functionality
will we be losing out on?

Are there other brands in the same price range that we should we be
looking at?


Thanks


Ian