x/c soar jet

[two vallhunds]

Does anybody know if X/C Soar Jet can make use of the E-compass found on some higher end PDAs?

Currently using a compass module with an XC vario, but the compass module stops working mid-flight.

[Moshe Braner]

Compass modules are notoriously difficult to calibrate well when mounted in a glider (near various metal parts).  Although they should not stop working mid flight...  Since you have a XCvario, you may want to try my alternative firmware for it (linked from the XCvario web page), which adds (among other things) a computation of the wind without circling, based on the TAS and the GPS ground track and speed.   Disconnect the compass when trying that.  After flying in several directions (a typical tow) it will have an estimate of the wind.  This is much better than XCsoar's "zig zag" method of wind computation, since XCvario has the TAS based on the pitot pressure (and altitude).  Unless XCsoar gets the TAS (or IAS and altitude) from XCvario and does something like what my firmware does, but I doubt that.

[two vallhunds]

Thanks.

I will check that out.

Yes, the compass module was difficult to calibrate, but I finally did find a place where it worked.  It just quits midway through the flight.

Primarily, I want the compass module for better winds, especially flying wave (basically flying stationary with respect to the ground), and to a lesser extent, ridge (rapid changes in wind direction).