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GPS Flight Recorders
GPS Flight Recorder Comparison
This page includes an overview of GPS Flight
Recorder systems, example systems, and a
comparison table.
Links
Cambridge Aero Instruments |
Garrecht | LX Navigation |
Scheffel
Automation Themi
The example systems on this page include
flight recorders only - not more advanced flight computer systems. To
see example systems including more advanced flight computers with integral
flight recorders please see the Flight
Computers Comparison page.
Related Pages
Overview
After starting with a PDA/GPS System, the next
step taken in expanding the capability of the soaring flight system is the
purchase of an IGC approved GPS Flight Recorder. IGC approval is
required if the system is to be used to document badge, record or contest
flights. GPS Flight Recorders (sometimes called loggers) consist of a
GPS, a pressure transducer (used to measure altitude), a processor, and
memory chips that are used to record the GPS position and pressure altitude
every few seconds. Due to the small market size for soaring
instruments and the time consuming process of seeking IGC approval, IGC
approved flight recorders are quite expensive when compared with GPS units
designed for larger markets such as hiking and boating.
Time Savings
If you are accustomed to documenting your soaring flights using a camera and
barograph you will find that the use of an IGC approve flight recorder will
make your badge and record flying documentation much, much easier for
yourself and especially for your Official Observer. You will no longer
have to prepare the camera, the barograph, the declaration form, etc.
You simply do an electronic task declaration in the flight recorder under
the supervision of your Official Observer and go fly. Ok, it is a
little more complicated than that, but not much. Flight recorders
really are timesavers before and after the flight.
With or Without a Pocket PC
Many pilots begin with only the flight recorder and use the built-in or
optional LCD display for navigation and task declaration entry.
However, it is very common to add a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant - Pocket
PC or Palm) running soaring flight software. PDA systems offer
excellent moving maps and final glide information. They even
automatically calculate wind speed and direction while you thermal.
Improved Safety
Pilots that haven't flown with a PDA/GPS system think that they will
decrease safety because the pilot will be staring at the PDA rather than
keeping their eyes out of the cockpit. It is my opinion that PDA/GPS
systems greatly improve safety because the pilot can glance at the display
and know instantly whether he/she is within gliding distance of nearby
airports. All soaring flight software available can highlight
reachable airports on the moving map.
|
What GPS Flight Recorder Systems
Can Do |
What GPS Flight Recorder Systems
Can't Do |
- Use GPS Position and Pressure
Altitude
- Moving Map with Waypoints and
SUA
- Final Glide Calculations
- Reachable Airports Highlighted
- Record IGC Approved flight logs
- OK for all contests, badges, and
records
- Tasks
- Flight Statistics
- Improved safety through quick
access to final glide data
- Wind speed and direction
calculated using drift while circling
- Portable - maybe
- 92% of what the high cost
systems can do
|
- No Vario or averager
- No Speed-to-fly
- Cant calculate wind speed and
direction using airspeed and GPS data while cruising
|
Please Buy from Me
I work very hard to provide detailed
product comparisons for soaring pilots. I hope you will find this web
site useful. I also offer excellent support to customers who buy from
me. The best way to thank me for the services I offer is to help
support my business by buying from me - and telling your friends about
my company.
Connecting to PCs that
Don't Have RS-232 Serial Connectors
Most flight computers and flight recorders connect to PCs using RS-232
communications. However, most new PCs do not have RS-232 serial
connectors. These are usually DB-9m (9-pin male) connectors.
There are several ways to work around that issue. My recommendation is
to use an RS-232 serial port PCMCIA Card. You can see an example here:
Socket Serial I/O PC Card Another
solution is to use a USB to serial converter. However, many of these
units to do work as well as one would expect. David Nadler has
compiled a very nice list of devices that have been tested and work well.
You can see his page here:
http://www.nadler.com/sn10/SN10_USB_Serial_Notes.html
Example Systems
Below are a few example systems. I've tried to pull together all
the components you need for a complete system.
How to Acquire These Example Systems
Not all the parts listed on this page are available from Cumulus Soaring, Inc.
I don't sell Pocket PCs because they change too rapidly so Pocket PCs and accessories are
available through alliances with PC Connection. In order to
purchase all the parts in some of the systems below, you would need to place
two orders - one with Cumulus Soaring, Inc., and one with PC Connection. I can buy them for international customers if you are also
buying other parts from me.
EW Avionics microRecorder
Low Cost IGC Approved System for Badge and Record Seekers
The microRecorder is a great option for a soaring club or for use as a
portable device to be carried between multiple sailplanes, or as a simple
backup system for contest pilots. It is perfect for recording flights
for submission to the OLC or any soaring contest. It is extremely
small and includes a built-in battery. It can provide 5V power for a
PDA (when the microRecorder is powered with 12V external power). A USB
connection is used for flight log downloads and task declaration editing.
Task Declarations Now Possible Over Serial
Port
It is possible for soaring software to update the EW-USER.TXT file in the
microRecorder that contains the task declaration data. That means that
soaring flight software such as SeeYou Mobile, pocket*StrePla, WinPilot,
etc. could download the EW-USER.TXT file through the serial port, enter task
declaration data into the file and transfer it back into the microRecorder.
SeeYou released this functionality in April of 2007. Both SeeYou
Mobile and ConnectMe can send task declarations to the EW microRecorder.
Total Price: $964.95
EW Avionics microRecorder - Complete Kit
with Battery for PDA - This is the ultimate portable
system!
Low Cost IGC Approved System for Badge and Record Seekers
This is the ultimate portable system because it is so small. I
plan to use this system when flying club and rental gliders. The
microRecorder and Socket Mobile Power Pack will be stored in the glider
side-pocket or behind the seat. The PDA and GPS antenna will be
attached to the canopy using the 2 suction cup mounts. I use an I38C-3
cable ($65) to connect to my iPAQ hx4705 Pocket PC.
The microRecorder is a great option for a
soaring club or for use as a portable device to be carried between multiple
sailplanes, or as a simple backup system for contest pilots. It is
perfect for recording flights for submission to the OLC or any soaring
contest. It is extremely small and includes a built-in battery.
It can provide 5V power for a PDA (when the microRecorder is powered with
12V external power). A USB connection is used for flight log downloads
and task declaration editing.
Task Declarations Now Possible Over Serial
Port
It is possible for soaring software to update the EW-USER.TXT file in the
microRecorder that contains the task declaration data. That means that
soaring flight software such as SeeYou Mobile, pocket*StrePla, WinPilot,
etc. could download the EW-USER.TXT file through the serial port, enter task
declaration data into the file and transfer it back into the microRecorder.
SeeYou released this functionality in April of 2007. Both SeeYou
Mobile and ConnectMe can send task declarations to the EW microRecorder.
Total Price: $1,891.80
EW Avionics microRecorder - Complete Kit
with PDA - for connection to 12V Glider Battery - Low Cost and Clean
Built-in System
Low Cost IGC Approved System for Badge and Record Seekers
This is a great system to be mounted behind the instrument panel.
The EWmicroRec-DB9f-x cable can
be ordered with tabs so it can be mounted to the back of the instrument
panel. The PDA power/data cable or cradle cable then plug into the
instrument panel connector. The microRecorder is powered by the glider's 12V
electrical system and provides 5V power for the PDA.
The microRecorder is a great option for a
soaring club or for use as a portable device to be carried between multiple
sailplanes, or as a simple backup system for contest pilots. It is
perfect for recording flights for submission to the OLC or any soaring
contest. It is extremely small and includes a built-in battery.
It can provide 5V power for a PDA (when the microRecorder is powered with
12V external power). A USB connection is used for flight log downloads
and task declaration editing.
Task Declarations Now Possible Over Serial
Port
It is possible for soaring software to update the EW-USER.TXT file in the
microRecorder that contains the task declaration data. That means that
soaring flight software such as SeeYou Mobile, pocket*StrePla, WinPilot,
etc. could download the EW-USER.TXT file through the serial port, enter task
declaration data into the file and transfer it back into the microRecorder.
SeeYou released this functionality in April of 2007. Both SeeYou
Mobile and ConnectMe can send task declarations to the EW microRecorder.
- EW microRecorder -
$895
-
EWmicroRec-DB9f-x, with
optional tabs for mounting connector to the back of the instrument
panel, $75
-
Nimbus Cradle
with GNeck2-Assy-Panel,
$149 for cradle with 0.3 m long cable + $49.85 for the gooseneck and
mounting adapters = $198.85
- iPAQ
hx2190 Pocket PC, $349 - Note: I don't sell Pocket PCs.
-
Soaring Flight Software, $149 to $299
- Since SeeYou Mobile can send a task declaration to the EW
microRecorder, I'll use its price of $279 in the total below. If
you don't already own SeeYou for the PC, you'll probably want to buy the
SeeYou-Bundle for $419.
Total Price: $1,796.85
EW Avionics microRecorder, Tasman V1000
Variometer, and Tasman FP10 Flight Pack
This system is a full featured flight computer system. It does
everything that the all-in-one flight computers can do. The EW
microRecorder is an IGC approved flight recorder. The Tasman V1000 is
an audio variometer with averager. The Tasman FP10 Flight Pack is a
flight data module that adds vario and true airspeed data to the GPS data so
the PDA can display speed-to-fly information and calculate accurate vector
wind data. SeeYou Mobile can also use the vario data with its Thermal
Assistant. The best thing about this system is that it is modular.
You can start with the Tasman V1000 and add the FP10 and other items later.
Or start with the EW microRecorder and PDA and then
later add the V1000 Variometer and FP10 Flight Pack, or...
- EW microRecorder -
$895
-
EWmicroRec-DB9f-x, Cable for
connecting EW microRecorder to 12V power and Tasman FP10 Flight Pack, $55
- Tasman V1000
Variometer, $620
- Tasman FP10 Flight
Pack, Flight data module, Adds vario and true airspeed data to the
GPS data stream., $510
-
Nimbus Cradle
with GNeck2-Assy-Panel,
$149 for cradle with 1 m long cable + $49.85 for the gooseneck and
mounting adapters = $198.85
- iPAQ
hx2190 Pocket PC, $349 - Note: I don't sell Pocket PCs.
- SeeYou Mobile
Soaring Flight Software, $279 - If you don't already own SeeYou for
the PC, you'll probably want to buy the SeeYou-Bundle for $419.
Total Price: $2,906.85
($2286.85 if you already own a Tasman V1000 variometer)
Cambridge Aero Instruments 302A with 303 Navigation
Display
Low Cost IGC Approved System for Badge and Record Seekers
This system is great in regard to simplicity and ease of use. It
avoids the complexity of having a Pocket PC in the cockpit. It is
great for syndicates because data for multiple pilots can be stored and
edited using the 303. The 302A is a GPS/logger and the 303 is used for
navigation, task editing and declarations. It does not display final
glide information or wind speed and direction data. The integral GPS and logger are IGC Approved for
all types of soaring accomplishments. The 302A has more memory for
flight logs and waypoints than any other logger. It will hold up to
100 hours of flight log positions @ 4 second intervals.
- Cambridge Aero Instruments CFR (Cambridge
Flight Recorder), IGC approved flight recorder with GPS antenna
- $895
-
303 LCD Navigation Display
with task editing and task declaration - $395
Total Price: $1290
Cambridge Aero Instruments 302A System
Low Cost IGC Approved System for Badge and Record Seekers
The system below is the lowest priced system available to include an IGC
approved flight logger. Other loggers don't
provide 5V power to the iPAQ as the 302A can so the system price for the
other systems substantially higher when you include
a 12V to 5V converter.
Total Price of all the components:
$1521.80
Cambridge Aero Instruments 302A System
Low Cost IGC Approved System for Badge and Record Seekers
The system below is the lowest priced system available to include an IGC
approved flight logger. Other loggers don't
provide 5V power to the iPAQ as the 302A can so the system price for the
other systems substantially higher when you include
a 12V to 5V converter. This system is much nicer than the system above
because the Nimbus iPAQ cradle is designed so the cable exits the back of
the cradle. In the system above the I38C-x cable exits the bottom of
the iPAQ and can easily be damaged or knocked loose by your leg in flight.
Total Price of all the components:
$1646.85
LX Navigation Colibri
The Colibri is a very popular IGC approved flight recorder for several
reasons. It is a very small and quite easy to use. It has a
small LCD display that can be used for simple navigation. I like that
it has a USB connection to a PC and a built-in microSD card reader. It
is great for club use because you can store data for 100 pilots and 30
gliders in the unit. The built-in keypad and LCD display make it
possible to edit and declare tasks at the gliderport without the need for a
PC or PDA.
|
Example System with
Colibri |
 |
|
Colibri |
Total Price of all the components:
$1085
LX Navigation Colibri with Pocket PC and
Soaring Flight Software
The Colibri is a very popular IGC approved flight recorder for several
reasons. It has a small LCD display that can be used for simple
navigation. When used with a PDA and
Soaring Flight Software you get a
moving map with reachable waypoints highlighted on the map and final glide
data. It even calculates the wind speed and direction while circling.
Total Price of all the components:
$1794.80
LX Navigation Colibri, Tasman V1000
Variometer, and Tasman FP10-s5V Flight Pack
This system is a full featured flight computer system. It does
everything that the all-in-one flight computers can do. The LX Colibri
is an IGC approved flight recorder. The Tasman V1000 is an audio
variometer with averager. The Tasman FP10 Flight Pack is a flight data
module that adds vario and true airspeed data to the GPS data so the PDA can
display speed-to-fly information and calculate accurate vector wind data.
SeeYou Mobile can also use the vario data with its Thermal Assistant.
The best thing about this system is that it is modular. You can start
with the Tasman V1000 and add the FP10 and other items later. Or start
with the Colibri and Tasman V1000 and PDA and then
later add the V1000 Variometer and FP10 Flight Pack, or...
Total Price: $3151.85
($2531.85 if you already own a Tasman V1000 variometer)
NK ClearNav
The ClearNav is a large, bright, color, navigation display that runs
ClearNavigator soaring flight software. The
display has a large and extremely bright screen without the overall
dimensions being too large. I find the remote to be easy to use and the
software very intuitive. The 2 software features that impress me the
most are the way area tasks are supported, and the
"Glide Amoeba" glide range rings.
- NK ClearNav,
$2800, Large, bright, color, navigation display that runs
ClearNavigator soaring flight software.
Total Price: $2800
NK ClearNav with Cambridge 302
The ClearNav is a large, bright, color, navigation display that runs
ClearNavigator soaring flight software. The
display has a large and extremely bright screen without the overall
dimensions being too large. I find the remote to be easy to use and the
software very intuitive. The 2 software features that impress me the
most are the way area tasks are supported, and the
"Glide Amoeba" glide range rings. This combination will be
very popular because the ClearNav can receive wind data from the 302.
- NK ClearNav,
$2800, Large, bright, color, navigation display that runs
ClearNavigator soaring flight software.
-
Cambridge 302, $2375, Extremely popular
speed-to-fly variometer with built-in IGC Approved GPS flight recorder.
Total Price: $5175
Comparison Table
Please note that I'm not 100% certain of all the data in the table below.
I've done my best to get complete and accurate data, but some of it is difficult to find.
If you see any errors or have any suggestions for the table below please let
me know. My goal is to make the table as accurate as possible.
Note: The products did not it onto a page in 1 row so there are multiple
rows with products across the top. Be sure to scroll down to see the
other products.
|
Feature Comparison -
More Products Below |
| |
Cambridge Aero Instruments 302A |
Cambridge Aero Instruments 302 |
EW Avionics
MicroRecorder |
LX Navigation Colibri |
| |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Price |
$895 |
$2375
($2395 for Motorglider version) |
$895 |
$1085 |
Overview
Video |
 |
|
|
|
| Dimensions |
2.5 x 2.5 x 6 in
(64 x 64 x 153 mm) |
2.5 x 2.5 x 6 in
(64 x 64 x 153 mm) |
4.53 x 3.35 x 0.98 in
(115 x 85 x 25mm) |
59 mm (2.323")
x 35 mm (1.378") x 98 mm (3.858") |
| Power (mA) |
110 mA,
With a 303 connected:130ma
With a Pocket PC and 303 connected: 230ma to 450+ ma. (350 typical) |
300 to 360 mA |
100 mA |
|
| Weight |
12.3 oz (349 g) |
15.2 oz
(431 g) |
9.9 oz
(280 g) |
200 g (7 oz) |
| From |
USA |
USA |
United Kingdom |
Slovenia |
Flight Log Memory
(Time shown is based on a 4 second recording interval. Longer
recording periods are possible with longer recording intervals.) |
100 hours |
100 hours |
128 hours |
16.67 hours |
| |
302A |
302 |
EW Avionics
MicroRecorder |
LX Navigation Colibri |
| Waypoint Memory |
1500 |
1500 |
None |
600 |
| Task Memory |
10 |
10 |
None |
100 |
| Airport Database (Jeppesen) |
|
|
|
4500 |
| Memory Wraps when full and writes
over the oldest flight log in memory (as opposed to stopping logging
when full) |
|
|
|
|
| Moving Map with waypoints and
Special Use Airspace |
|
|
|
|
| LCD Display with Simple Navigation
(compare bearing and track) |
|
|
|
|
| |
302A |
302 |
EW Avionics
MicroRecorder |
LX Navigation Colibri |
| Navigation with Turn Arrows |
|
|
|
|
| Thermal Centering Aid |
|
|
|
|
| Provides 5V power for Pocket PC |
|
|
|
|
| Final Glide Computer |
|
|
|
|
| Turnpoint Area Task Support |
|
|
|
|
| Vario with Averager and Audio |
|
|
|
|
| Speed-to-fly Director |
|
|
|
|
| Wind Speed & Direction Calculation |
|
Airspeed & GPS |
|
GPS While Circling |
| IGC Approval |
All Record Types |
All Record Types |
All Record Type |
All |
| |
302A |
302 |
EW Avionics
MicroRecorder |
LX Navigation Colibri |
| Unique Features |
Lots of
memory for flight logs and waypoints. Can power a PDA with 5V. |
Everything
(vario, speed-to-fly, GPS, logger) in a single small instrument
hole. The most flight memory available. Great with a
Pocket PC - provides 5V power for the Pocket PC. |
This is a
great option for a soaring club or for use as a portable device to
be carried between multiple sailplanes, or as a simple backup system
for contest pilots. It is perfect for recording flights for
submission to the OLC or any soaring contest. It is extremely
small and includes a built-in battery. The antenna is external
(not shown). It can provide 5V power for a PDA (when the
microRecorder is powered with 12V external power). A USB
connection is used for flight log downloads and task declaration
editing. |
A very
popular and reliable flight recorder. It is a very small and
quite easy to use. It has a small LCD display that can be used
for simple navigation. I like that it has a USB connection to a PC
and a built-in microSD card reader. It is great for club use
because you can store data for 100 pilots and 30 gliders in the
unit. The built-in keypad and LCD display make it possible to
edit and declare tasks at the gliderport without the need for a PC
or PDA. |
| |
| |
LX Navigation LX7007 Pro IGC |
LX8000 |
NK ClearNav |
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Price |
$4450 |
$6355 |
$2800 |
|
Overview
Video |
|
|
|
|
| Dimensions |
|
98 x 88 x 80 mm
(display unit) |
4.3"w x 5.8"h x 1.1"d (109mm x
147mm x 27mm) |
|
| Power (mA) |
|
550 |
~700
mA (at 12V)
|
|
| Weight |
|
|
|
|
| From |
Slovenia |
Slovenia |
USA |
|
Flight Log Memory
(Time shown is based on a 4 second recording interval. Longer
recording periods are possible with longer recording intervals.) |
38 hours |
? hours |
? |
|
| |
LX7007 Pro IGC |
LX8000 |
|
|
| Waypoint Memory |
600 |
|
|
|
| Task Memory |
100 |
|
|
|
| Airport Database (Jeppesen) |
5000 |
|
|
|
| Memory Wraps when full and writes
over the oldest flight log in memory (as opposed to stopping logging
when full) |
|
|
|
|
| Moving Map with waypoints and
Special Use Airspace |
Map |
Map |
|
|
| LCD Display with Simple Navigation
(compare bearing and track) |
|
|
|
|
| |
LX7007 Pro IGC |
LX8000 |
|
|
| Navigation with Turn Arrows |
|
|
|
|
| Thermal Centering Aid |
|
|
|
|
| Provides 5V power for Pocket PC |
|
? |
|
|
| Final Glide Computer |
|
|
|
|
| Turnpoint Area Task Support |
|
|
|
|
| Vario with Averager and Audio |
|
|
|
|
| Speed-to-fly Director |
|
|
|
|
| Wind Speed & Direction Calculation |
Airspeed & GPS |
Airspeed & GPS |
|
|
| IGC Approval |
All |
All |
Soon |
|
| |
LX7007 Pro IGC |
LX8000 |
|
|
| Unique Features |
Everything
(vario, speed-to-fly, GPS, logger, navigation, final glide, moving
map) in 1 large and 1 small instrument hole. Probably the most
full featured flight computer available with panel mounted moving
map display. |
Everything
(vario, speed-to-fly, GPS, logger, navigation, final glide, moving
map) in 1 large and 1 small instrument hole. Probably the most
full featured flight computer available with panel mounted moving
map display. |
The ClearNav is a large, bright, color, navigation display that runs
ClearNavigator soaring flight software. The
display has a large and extremely bright screen without the overall
dimensions being too large. I find the remote to be easy to use and the
software very intuitive. The 2 software features that impress me the
most are the way area tasks are supported, and the
"Glide Amoeba" glide range rings. |
|
|
