SHGA Spring Air Fun Flying Comp Saturday April 22nd

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Frederick
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SHGA Spring Air Fun Flying Comp Saturday April 22nd

Post by Frederick »

(4/20) Here's the latest notice:

Leave the wet winter blues behind and welcome in the Spring!!
Spring Air Festival and Fishbowl Competition, Saturday April 22, 2006

Join us Saturday for the Spring Air Festival featuring two levels of competition (Novice-level fun course and a serious comp course) and a BBQ/potluck. Registration starts at 9 am sharp with Dave Cutter’s “How to Fly a Comp� seminars at 9 am and 10 am (see below for details). A GPS is required for scoring BOTH comps, but there will be a low-hour H2 class that doesn't require a GPS. Awards will be given for spot landing and the coveted Golden Dart award will go to the pilot with the most entertaining landing. Family activities, relay races and fun begin around 1 pm with the BBQ starting at 3.

The forecast looks great as of this writing. If a cancellation is required, we'll decide that Friday and post it on www.shga.com

We need volunteers for the following:
- 2-3 more ice chests to be brought
- BBQ supervisor
- Two people to be the Task Committee for the Comp

RSVP to: [email protected] or in the Events Forum: http://www.shga.com/forum/phpBB2/ if you are interested in helping out.

Visiting Pilot Information:
* H2s need to be endorsed by an SHGA designated instructor at this H3 site, and must sign up for the appropriate event class
* The Club will be waiving the $5 day-use fee
* Sylmar is a rare remaining LA urban flying site, and needs especially slow and friendly driving through the neighbohood
* No pets are allowed, but it's still fun
* A current USHGA membership is required to fly at Kagel
* Review other important site information and Club rules on www.shga.com
This will be a fun event and we'd like you to come fly with us!


Freddy Wagner
Activities Director, SHGA
[email protected]


So You Want To Compete!
How about a competition clinic to learn how?

Learn the basic rules, how to prepare, tactics, strategy and more, Hey! How about lots of secret tricks that'll get you flying up and down from West Towers to Lukens? Do the clinic then register for the Famous Fish Bowl Competition. All in one day.

Session One-"Beginning Competitors" 9 am
Session Two-"Non Beginner Competitors" 10 am

Beginners are welcome to stay into the non beginner session and non beginners are welcome to come early

Please preregister by e-mail to [email protected] or call David Cutter at (626) 440-1597.

(This is not a “how-to� for varios clinic)
Last edited by Frederick on Fri Apr 21, 2006 3:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.
ericbrown
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Post by ericbrown »

Can someone recommend a good inexpensive gps to pick up for us novices? Will something like this work? And how do you mount one of these?
JBBenson
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Post by JBBenson »

Yeah, and needs to work with Macs instead of the other kind.

Anybody know?
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Chip
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GPS's (inexpensive) not always the best choice

Post by Chip »

There's a small problem with the two words used when asking about inexpensive GPS's and Macintosh comaptibility. While certainly any GPS can interface with a Macintosh (if you have the correct cable configuration) there are not many "inexpensive" GPS's that will directly interface with a Mac because most GPS interfaces use RS-232 (or serial connection).

As you move up in price, such as the new GPS76CS, then the unit has a built-in USB interface making it much easier to connect to your Macintosh computer (but given the price of Mac's these days I thought all you Mac users didn't need to worry about money seeing how your really shelling out a lot of money for your hardware). Ok, I love getting my digs in!! :twisted:

Another thing is the software that comes with many of these GPS's is not Mac compatible, but there are programs available on the internet. 8)

There are cables to convert the serial interface to USB.

One other issue with the eTrex, that I've noticed, is that it is nearly impossible to operate in the air as the display is so small and the buttons are not easy to work while trying to do your first priority (flying). But if you only need it to be a data recorder and nothing else, then the eTrex work just as good as any other GPS.

My advice to the fledgling wanna-be comp pilots, Get a GPS76 Map or a GPS76S (for sensor). These GPS units have plenty of memory, nice display's, good battery life, easy to navigate buttons while flying and good map functions for when you're on the ground and need to coordinate a ride. If you get a eTrex, I believe you'll outgrow it very quickly if you need to use it in flight, unless it's just a backup GPS. However based on the "how do you mount it" question, I assume you want to see the device and use it in flight.

Here's one place that has good deals on GPS units
www.gpsnow.com
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Don
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GPS versus Flytec 5030GPS

Post by Don »

Seems to me for the money that you are going to spend for the GPS, software, mounting bracket, etc. it would make a whole lot more sense just to upgrade to a Flytec 5030 GPS. I'm sure Joe will give you a good deal :) on a new one and if you already have an instrument - give you a decent trade-in allowance.

I realize that money is always a factor but it will be better in the long run. The 5030 GPS does everything but launch the glider for you - your existing unit (if you have one) coupled with a GPS will NOT be able to tell you the optimium speed to fly, the required glide ratio, your actual glide ratio, the wind direction, and a whole host of other information.

JMHO
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Frederick
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Location: Altadena, CA

5030 is great but..

Post by Frederick »

I've heard it's great to have the streetmapping functionality of a land-based GPS unit, for flying XC and trying to get someone you know to pick you up. Did you hear the story of the second guy on the legendary Sylmar to Palm Springs convergence day: the one who didn't get that far and spent the night in the backcountry? That was funny (not that you can't monitor where the roads are visually).
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Don
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GPS

Post by Don »

I think I'll carry my GPS (map) in my harness. That way if/when I "land out" somewhere I can know where the heck I'm at. As for monitoring your location from the air - it seems to me that you would have to be pretty familar with the area to begin with. I don't even know the Sylmar area :)
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