Test: XC Tracer Mini II GPS

June 18, 2018

The new XC Tracer Mini II GPS is a small, high-tech solar vario that virtually eliminates the need for power. Smaller and better: The XC Tracer Mini II GPS (left) compared to the original version of the XC Tracer. // Photo: Lu-Glidz The XC Tracer Varios developed by Swiss developer Koni Schafroth have earned a very good reputation among pilots since their launch three years ago. Because they are considered perhaps the most accurate or sensitive Varios on the market. This is related to a technical peculiarity of the XC Tracer: In addition to the obligatory pressure cell for measuring air pressure differences, to derive therefrom the rise or fall, these Varios use a number of other sensors to detect the position in the room. These include gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer and GPS. If one calculates these data by means of a sophisticated algorithm with the air pressure values, it is easier and faster to recognize whether a suddenly changed measured value of the pressure cell may only be an outlier of the measuring electronics or is accompanied by real changes of the flight path (ascent / descent). The XC Tracer have on this basis an extremely fine and almost delay-free response. This is an advantage, especially in weak thermals and on diffuse thermal edges. (More details on the technical background of the multisensor variotechnik and the benefit in flight I wrote on Lu-Glidz already in the test for the first version of the XC Tracer, whose reading I recommend again for a better understanding). I had given the first XC Tracer a very good verdict on Lu-Glidz. One of the few criticisms was the battery performance. With approximately 14 hours running time, the battery should be able to withstand every long flight. But if you wanted to use the small device on multi-day trips, even for hike-and-fly away from sockets, you would have to worry about a corresponding energy supply. Even with the XC Tracer II, Koni Schafroth had invalidated this criticism by adding the same size of the device to a solar cell on the lid. It provides enough power to keep the built-in LiPo battery charged for continuous use. Meanwhile, the Swiss inventor has further redesigned the entire electronics and thereby accomplished a feat: His latest device, the XC Tracer Mini II GPS, is much smaller, but can and offers the same as the "big" predecessor. These include: Multisensor Vario, a GPS including flight recording in igc and kml format (both parallel on internal SD card), transmission of the measured values ​​via Bluetooth radio connection or data cable to smartphones with suitable flight software (Flyme, XC-Track etc.). ) and a relatively simple, free programming of the Vario tones, which even allows the realization of a "thermal sniffer" (see below). Over the past few weeks, I have been in the air for many hours and flights with the XC Tracer Mini II GPS, often in parallel with the original XC Tracer. In the direct comparison I could say: In the variofunction and sensitivity, the small successor is in no way inferior to its predecessor. The algorithm for merging the sensor data has become even more accurate. This is especially evident in more realistic variometer values ​​for very fast turns and spiral turns, where the first XC Tracer still had its problems in the classification. Also, loading new firmware has become easier. The Bluetooth connection to different smartphones went smoothly with me (in the test with the Flyme app and LXWP0 as a protocol). Successful energy management I was particularly excited about the energy management. Should the small high-tech solar cell actually be sufficient to be able to permanently operate GPS, Bluetooth and evaluation electronics in addition to Vario? Koni Schafroth has also solved this task convincingly compared to competitors like the LeGPSBip (see test on Lu-Glidz). Once fully charged per forma via USB, the device always showed a recharge level of more than 95 percent, even after hours of flights. That means: In everyday flight you really do not have to worry about the power supply of the Varios anymore. Because a fully charged battery should still provide enough energy for up to 20 hours of operation, even without the sun, according to the manufacturer. (The small XC Tracer was mounted on the cockpit with me, where it is also hit by sunlight in most of the flight conditions.) Incidentally, the XC Tracers are not intended for helmets. The sensitive situation electronics would only be irritated by the constant turning of the head. However, the volume of the XC Tracer Mini II GPS is completely sufficient to penetrate from the cockpit to the ear. If I wanted to criticize something on this device, then it would be the slightly inconspicuous color of the case. Black case plus black solar cell could quickly lead to the XC Tracer being overlooked somewhere in the grass and forgotten (if the Vario is not fixed to the cockpit or harness anyway). I would like a lighter signal color. Especially since it hurts twice at the price of 305 euros, if you lose such a successful flight electronics. Note: The XC Tracer Mini II GPS was kindly provided by Koni Schafroth for the test. Excursus: Thermal sniffer The sniffer is a way to better detect the proximity or the edge areas of a thermal or lines of slowly rising air masses. For this, the Varioacoustics is programmed so that it starts already at a reduced sinking of the paraglider (eg from -0.5 m / s) and announces this with characteristic tones that are clearly different from classic climbing and descending tones. Lu-Glidz had already programmed such a sniffer for the first XC Tracer. This has also been proven in the XC Tracer Mini II GPS, especially when it comes to the better centering of very weak thermal bubbles. Since these often have no hard transitions at the edge of the thermal, a classic Vario simply hears beeping at "climb rates" below 0 m / s, which may lead the pilots to exaggerated control movements to stay in the thermals. However, the XC tracer with thermal sniffer still provides differentiated information in such areas. This is useful if you have learned as a pilot to turn very even circles - without rockers and abrupt movements. The current version of the Lu-Glidz thermal sniffer is based on the following settings for the audio output of the XC Tracer (the lines can simply be copied to the corresponding location in the txt configuration file via Paste & Copy): # create your own vario tone settings below beepOnlyWhenFlying = yes setVolume = 2 dampingFactor = 0.00 ClimbToneOnThreshold = -0.50 ClimbToneOffThreshold = -0.51 SinkToneOnThreshold = -2.00 SinkToneOffThreshold = -1.99 tone = -10.00,200,100,100 tone = -5,00,200,100,100 tone = -1.80,300,100,100 tone = -1.79,300,100, 0 tone = -0.50,263,300.3 tone = -0.20,300,200.6 tone = 0.19,345,100.10 tone = 0.20,350,500.60 tone = 1.00,440,500.60 tone = 2,00,550,400.50 tone = 3,00,694.250 , 50 tone = 10.00,1800,150.70 Tip: If you want to hear the sounds and play with the settings, you can simply copy the lines into the XC Tracer Vario sound and Config File Editor by Thomas Ruf (bottom left). Edit Config File "and replace the text).

This article has been translated for your convenience and was originally written in alemán.