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B500 VE
(Variometer Engine)
with
Glareshield Control and Display
unit ( B500 GCD)
GPS unit for B500 VE (B500 GPS)
Individual system components are described below.
B500
VE (Variometer Engine)
The B500 VE replaces the B50 with the
addition of new technology and functions.
The B500
VE consists of the B500 variometer unit,
The B500 Glareshield Controller and Display unit and the B500 GPS.
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 B500 GPS
A small GPS
unit is part of the B500 VE and plugs in to a connector at the rear of
the B500 VE. This GPS uses the latest low power
technology and draws less than 30mA at 12 volts as well as providing genuine 4Hz
fixes.
 B500 variometer
unit
B500
variometer unit is 115mm including connectors and is also available in 57mm or
80mm sizes. An airspeed sensor is included in the B500 which enables calculation
and display of advanced variometer functions.
The vario
display and climb mode audio are the same as the B400 AV with the addition
of red and green LEDs near the “zero” point of the
variometer. When climbing the green LED is ON when the variometer is above the
running 20 second value . In cruise the red and green
LED’s indicate when the airmass is rising or sinking.
In cruise
mode the vario becomes optionally TE vario, netto or Relative netto. Two blue
LED’s and two amber LED’s provide the speed command display and the “fly faster”
and “fly slower” 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.
The audio is
muted and restored by pressing the push button in the lower left mounting screw
position.
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)
Various
B500 functions are customisable by connecting the unit to a PC, including the
audio silent zone. Software updates are accomplished the same way.
B500
Glareshield Controller/Display (B500 GCD).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
Total
energy is by probe for the same reasons as with the B400 AV. 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.
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.
The decode of this message is available on the
Borgelt Instruments website under “manuals- B50 -DDM”.
See
www.borgeltinstruments.com
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