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B500 57mm or 80mm
B500 Glareshield Contorller/Display/Nav
GPS Module
The B500 consists of:
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B500VE Variometer Unit
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B500 Glareshield controller and Display GCD
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GPS Module Low power 30mA at 12 v and genuine 4 Hz fixes.
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Length 155mm available in 57mm or 80mm sizes
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Airspeed sensor is included in the B500 which enables calculation and display
of advanced vario functions.
Features:
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When climbing the green LED is on when vario is running above the 20 second
average.
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In Cruise mode the red and green LED's indicate when the airmass is rising or
sinking.
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In cruise mode the vario becomes
optionally TE vario, netto or Relative netto.
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Two blue LED's and two amber
LED's provide the speed command display and the"fly faster" and "fly slower"
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Sounds are the same as in the B50 - two alternating tones for"“fly slower"
and two very rapidly alternating tones for "fly faster". There is a
silent zone around the correct speed to fly and
when the relative vario goes above the Macready setting the sound changes to
the normal TE vario.
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TE probes provide by far the
best and most reliable TE compensation. There is a B500 mode where the pilot
can select static(uncompensated)vario or pitot/satic
compensation for the motor glider case.
The
B500 VE has an Outside Air Temperature probe and the temperature is displayed
on the GCD.
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GPS and Air data is supplied by
the B500 to external computers and navigation devices by serial messages at 1
Hz in the same manner as done by the B50.
Audio:
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The audio is muted and restored
by pressing the push button in the lower left mounting screw position.
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The B500 has a two channel audio
and is supplied with left and right speakers. The audio sounds can
be switched depending on various circumstances.
When thermalling the sound is switched to one speaker when
the circle should be opened in that direction. When cruising the speed
command sounds come from the side where the next turnpoint lies.(depends
on final glide computer)
Customization:
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Various B500 functions are
customisable by connecting the unit to a PC, including the audio silent zone.
Software updates are accomplished the same way.
GCD Glareshield
Controller/Display/Nav:
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The GCD is a a small unit 30mm
high by 80mm wide and only 30mm deep which is designed to mount under or in
the lip of the instrument panel cover.
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The controls are closer to the
pilot and the display is very close to his line of
sight, assisting with orientation and lookout. By separating it from the
variometer the variometer pointer does not obscure its displays.
It is supplied with a
0.5m cable with plug which connects to the B500
variometer unit by plugging it in to a socket on the back of the instrument.
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The B500 GCD has a push button
top left and under it a rotary encoder with push button action and the rest of
the area is occupied by a 122 x 32 graphics LCD with display area measuring
60.5 x 19 mm.
The push button changes the
display page and the rotary encoder push button moves the cursor to the
variable the pilot wishes to change whereupon rotating the
encoder changes the variable. There is no "enter" function.
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For example,
on the main page the Macready setting is the only variable so just
rotating the encoder is all that is required to change this. To change bugs,
ballast or volume press the page button to get to the next page where this is
displayed, press the encoder knob to move the cursor to
"Ballast"
and then rotate the encoder to change the ballast setting.
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GPS navigation display with turnpoint database,
wind and
final glide computer can be shown.
GPS:
GPS navigation functions
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The
B500 GCD receives GPS and air data from the B500 variometer unit/B500 GPS and
in addition to the display of the average rates of climb the B500 is
controlled by the GCD and the pilot can enter Macready, bugs contamination,
ballast state, control B500 audio volume and balance and in addition a simple
GPS navigation display with turnpoint database, wind and
final glide computer can be shown. This makes the instrument ideal
for club gliders while the B500 also supplies RS 232 serial air and GPS data
to any desired full function glide and navigation computer such as the Borgelt
B2000 or any of the PDA type devices. *(see PDA-PS later)
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While in theory the B500 could
be controlled by a PDA or other air data computer such as the Borgelt B2000,
using the GCD keeps the variometer "housekeeping” functions separate
from the glide computer which simply picks up these changes in the serial data
stream going to it from the B500 VE. This simplifies both the control of the
variometer and of the glide computer.
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GPS navigation display with turnpoint database,
wind and
final glide computer can be shown.
BPDA-PS:
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For those using a
PDA(palmtop computer) for a glide computer there is
an optional PDA power supply(PDA-PS) that plugs in to the B500 and provides 5
volt power and data to the PDA. There is also a connection for a logger on
this unit and a panel mountable switch which
allows connection of the logger direct to the PDA for declarations and
optionally allows selection of Logger GPS or B500 air data/GPS for flight
information.
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Installation is simplified as 12
volt power must be supplied only to the B500 and the PDA-PS distributes power
and data to and from the logger and PDA.
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Optionally the PDA-PS also supplies power and data to a
B2000 glide computer as well as to the PDA.
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