Here's something for the aeromodeller who has everything!
Technology and a skilled design engineer have combined to produce an advanced flying aid with many uses.

The Picolario Talk vario has obvious uses for sport glider flyers, but can also be used in power aircraft as well, plus, there may be uses in kites, balloons, choppers and advanced rockets.
I have been using the unit for several months and depended on it for flight information for so long that it has become an essential part of my flying equipment. I wouldn't have expected to have found it to be so useful until I actually used it.

Let's take a look at what this piece of electronic wizardry can do. Powered by the flight pack, it will report its altitude, rate of climb or dive, keep a "flight book" of the minimums and maximums of a flight, and report on the aircraft's flight battery pack voltage.
Then there is some more smart stuff which passes on the information in a form that we can understand....it talks to us!

Yes, in addition to the sensing circuits, a voice synthesiser is squeezed in PLUS a UHF transmitter with frequency synthesis! The smart electronics in the aircraft simplify the downlink end of the data link. Just switch the radio receiver on!
This all adds up to a sophisticated flying aid which anyone can use.

All you do is plug it into a vacant control channel (JR connector supplied) in the aircraft, and switch the supplied transceiver onto the chosen radio channel in the UHF LIPD band. This band is licence-free to approved devices, and is for short range work, although I have flown it to 520m with no discernable loss of signal strength. The supplied radio performed better than a scanner which I used to record the signal.

The functions are controlled by a three position switch or pot on the transmitter if possible. The unit can be OFF at one extreme, ON in the centre position, and the other extreme requests an altitude report.
It is easier to use if you have an auxiliary channel, although you could use a Y lead to share the rudder channel. The vario would be on continuously because the stick is in the centre position, but I normally have it on anyway. A quick flick to full right rudder would force it to report its altitude. Normal reports of altitude occur automatically at 50m intervals.
Although its settings are programmable, I used it with the default settings which were adequate for my needs.

Now, you have put the vario into your aircraft, plugged it into your r/c, and are ready to go. Switch the transceiver on, and launch.
If you are launching with a bungee or winch, the sound is what you would expect it to be, a spectacular burst of high pitched beeps!
The tones settle down as you approach release height, and you'll hear it help you to optimise your launch height. You will hear when it's as high as it's going to get.
Now, fly around listening for a tone rise, indicating lift, minimise your sink rate if the low tones get more active, and be ready to cruise away if a sink indication occurs, heaps of low tones!
The decoder between your ears will soon learn to keep you informed of your aircraft's behavior, interrupted by altitude announcements, and flight pack voltage calls at each decrease of .1 volt.

The vario certainly added a dimension to my flying, whatever the aircraft. Yes, I found it useful in my powered aircraft too, and it emphasised that I was actually higher than I thought I was! You will be surprised too!
And if a front comes through during your flying, when you land you may well get an altitude call of "altitude minus one metres" due the change in air pressure. Yep, it's that sensitive!
In fact the manual cautions electric flyers to ensure that there are adequate outgoing vents in the fuselage to minimise the possibility of any slight pressurising causing erroneous readings, although errors are unlikely.
The growing flock of aerial photographers will find the vario useful too, with the possibilty of it being a tax deduction for them as well!

From glow drivers to to smart chargers, from gyros to Picolario instrumentation, there's no doubt that digital electronics is continuing to add to our model flying experience. Of course, such devices come at a price. But if I get good gear, and look after it, I have a lot more fun for longer. I have never regretted getting the best that I could at the time.

Specifications:
height gain/loss sensitivity 5 cm/s,
altitude resolution 1m,
dimensions 97 x 36 x 13mm,
weight 40g,
power 4.4 to 10volts
tx frequencies-selection from 16 channels
current 45 mA

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