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Blue Fly Vario + shields + tablet = <$500 EFIS?

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cluttonfred

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Over on this thread -- A very affordable EFIS (Talos) --I suggested that Hot Wings tackle a low-cost way to add airspeed/altitude barometric functions to an Android or Apple tablet to create a low-cost, basic EFIS for low and slow aircraft use. He responded that someone has probably already done that, and he was right.

The Blue Fly Vario (site, blog) Arduino Bluetooth variometer from Australia has been around for a few years (5,000+ units sold mostly for sailplanes, hang gliders, paragliders, etc.) but I didn't realize that designer/seller Alistair had added quite a few new options via add-on shields.

His BlueFlyVario_Bluetooth_USB_v12 vario (AUD $99) can now be combined with the BlueFlyShield_Airspeed_v11 (AUD $86) or the BlueFlyShield_GPSAirspeed_v11 (AUD $117) if you want to add a standalone GPS receiver as well. Since those are Australian dollars, that works out to USD $162-207 including shipping from Oz to the USA depending on which shield and which shipping method you choose.

That's for a kit that requires a little soldering and whatnot and plugging in to your computer via USB to upload the software but nothing difficult, and you'll need a bigger enclosure since the shields won't fit in the one that comes with the vario. Combine that with a factory refurbished Wifi-only iPad, an EFIS and/or navigation app, a few wires and power adapters and you're in business for under $500, maybe even as little as $300 if you go with a less expensive Android tablet.

I would not trust typical tablet sensors for full AHRS and all the rest, but that price to replace the altimeter, ASI, VSI, maybe slip/skid and compass, and get navigation to boot, is pretty great.

I have no connection to this (or any other) company, just sharing what I have found.

Cheers,

Matthew
 
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