Robert <<remmoore>>
writes:

Last weekend, I got the chance to soar around my home site of
Mount Diablo with my Oudie 4 in my new carbon fiber pod. I've had the vario for
about 6 months and flown with it using a makeshift mount, so I have enough
experience with it to have some comments. Keep in mind - I'm not a comp pilot,
so I have no input regarding those features. As an XC hound, though, I expect to
make use of several of the features which I feel make the Oudie 4 stand out from
the rest.

Some of the features I enjoy most are the moving map, wind direction/speed, L/D
indicator, airspace indicator, and thermal tutor. Most of these features can be
found in other instruments, but not as nicely displayed, IMO.

The Oudie 4 has a large color screen - perhaps the largest of any device made
specifically for soaring. It works well even in direct sunlight, and vast
customization which is relatively easy to manipulate. There are two screen
views, each can be separately customized. I have one set up with a larger scale
to be able to see upcoming towns and airspace restrictions. The other is set up
to show the immediate area I'm soaring over. The touch screen can be manipulated
even while using gloves, but the gloves need to have a fairly precise pointing
tip to make this feature completely usable. Just switching between screens
doesn't take any real precision, though. The screen works very well in full sun
- I took a photo in the LZ to illustrate.

I'm no electronics expert - far from it - but I was able to make all the setting
changes without pulling my hair out. The readouts can be selected and adjusted
for size and location. All controls, except for the power button, are done by
touch screen. The instrument comes with a built-in stylus, but I really didn't
need it - a fingertip works just fine.

It has a moving map which is the best of all the current dedicated varios - not
quite as detailed as my Garmin but pretty good. It shows color renditions of
roads, waterways, train tracks, terrain and towns. I was able to exclude my
Garmin in the new pod, which was a primary reason for getting this vario.

The vario sensitivity is very adjustable - I've got mine set far beyond the
capacity of my old Brauniger IQ Comp. I flew with both instruments, and found
the increased responsiveness in the Oudie 4 gave me a much better understanding
of when the lift was actually starting and ending. The volume can be really
cranked up, and older pilots might appreciate the external earphone jack. It's
loud enough that I didn't need to make any external holes in the pod to allow
the sound to be clearly audible.

There are a few issues which some may find a detraction. One component not found
in the Oudie 4 is a pitot-tube. I had questions about how the device calculated
airspeed and wind-component. Without my understanding of the mechanics, Steve
Kroop claims it has other ways of computing TAS and WC, that works very well.
Supposedly, they're coming out with a pod which will have a built-in pitot,
electronically tied to the instrument. No word on its arrival.

The device is also considerably heavier than many others - 350g. I think of the
additional weight as the Oudie 4 being packed with electronic goodness.

The manual, while being over 100 pages and written in clear English,
occasionally lacks the depth wanted to make all adjustments. It's very clear in
most important ways, but I had to turn to the internet for clues on how to set
the clock feature, for example.

The last thing I've found a bit annoying is the power button location. It
protrudes slightly from the side of the case, and I've accidentally started the
device many times just by picking it up. It has an onscreen confirmation button,
so it shuts itself off in a few seconds, but it's still somewhat annoying. I
fixed the problem in my own way, which I'll describe later.

I like that it's shape is very squared - easier for me to design and build my
new carbon fiber pod around it. The pod is something that I wanted to do as soon
as I got the vario. Naviter claims to be offering one in the future, but with
nothing on the horizon I started planning my own pod. At first, I was going to
use a Styrofoam blank to form the pod's interior. Then my buddy Pedro offered to
3D print a blank - very cool. While it took some additional work to get it
shaped exactly as I wanted, the benefits included a perfectly formed instrument
tray which fits like a glove without any effort.

It also made mounting the bracket arm easier - the pod and bracket are curved
downward slightly to point it directly into the airflow. I simply drilled a hole
at the angle I wanted though the solid read portion of the pod. There's a T-nut
molded into the back of the pod and a nyloc nut epoxied into the front of the
hole. The SS threaded rod I used for the mounting arm can be removed with a pair
of pliers, but is otherwise very secure.

The 3D printed blank also left a nice hollow area to install the charging/data
port extension and the power button extension. The charging/data extension
allows me to plug in the device while still in the pod - I don't need to remove
it, and there are no recesses formed into the pod to be able to access the port.
I also made a power button extension by shaping a rubber button which travels
through the pod, to rest on the Oudie 4's power button. I made a slight (and
hidden) recess in the side of the tray, so the Oudie 4 button doesn't touch the
tray wall. My new button extension is set into the pod's surface such that only
a purposeful attempt will power up the device. In the photos, below, I included
my finger, to point out the port and button locations - they're pretty small and
unnoticeable.

Wrapping the pod in carbon fiber was something of a challenge, because I wanted
to leave the carbon fiber exposed, and not obscured like virtually all
manufactured pods. There's no mold involved in the process, so everything is
applied by hand. I learned some great tips from the internet, but also came up
with a few tricks of my own to get a nice straight weave alignment and neat
edges. The epoxy finish isn't completely flawless, but it takes careful
examination to notice.

The carbon fiber down tube bracket is my own design - this is the third
iteration of this style, and first to use all carbon fiber except for the
mounting arm and pivot. I made the initial bracket shape by forming carbon fiber
around my actual down tube - it fits so perfectly that it 'snaps' into place
when pressed on. Of course I used elastic Velcro straps to secure it.

One detail that many pod manufacturers seem to forget is a built-in lanyard. It
seems incredible that one would have a sleek racing pod, but an external lanyard
running outside it's body. I included a hole running through the rear of the
pod, to make use of the Oudie 4's lanyard cord, which exits near the bracket.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Oudie 4 and looking forward to this year's XC
season. I think the carbon fiber pod looks great on my carbon fiber down tube -
an organic-looking extension which enhances the instrument.