Gliding computers are a handy GPS with a big screen and special software that tells you where you are, where to go, and if you have the height to make it back to the airfield. But they cost a lot – $800.
Because I’m mean, I hacked a Navman car GPS ($110) to run open source (free) gliding software called XCSoar. This has been good, but the colour screen is hard to read in bright sunlight and it needs an external battery to run more than an hour.
Enter the Kobo Mini, an e-ink screen (like the Kindle) that isn’t colour, but looks very clear in bright sunlight and costs just $49. The internal battery can run it for 10 hours or more. This can run XCSoar but has no GPS in it. Clever people have devised ways to install a $15 GPS chip and make it work as a gliding computer.
This involved some very delicate soldering of tiny contacts using several magnifying glasses, but has worked well. I’ve drilled the case to run the leads through and glued the chip to the front where it gets a good signal from the GPS satellites. Now to test it in the air!
