ASCENT
Lightweight Wrist Mounted AUDIO VARIO
(link to manufacturers home page)

Designed for Paragliders and Hang Gliders but equally at home in club,
rental and other gliders without on board panel mounted audio variometers installed.
Audio variometers are a must for soaring safety allowing the pilot to not only maximize his or her soaring but at the same time allowing them to simply hear when the glider is in lift or sink and keep their eyes off the instrument panel and outside looking for traffic and searching the sky for signs of the next lift or dangers.
Display shows relative or absolute altitude, max altitude and climb rate, time and flight duration, volume control
Temperature compensated absolute and relative altitude
Vertical speed with adjustable averaging
Metric or Imperial readout
User adjustable flight detection
Adjustable sink alarm
Large high resolution screen
Lithium polymer rechargeable battery
Battery life 10 hours flying / 4 months standby
Wall and car charger included
also:
Flight data log for up to 200 flights shows
Flight number, date, launch time, flight duration
Starting altitude, max altitude, ending altitude
Max 3 sec lift, max average lift, max sink
Max and min temperatures
$275.00

BORGELT INSTRUMENTS
manufacturers of quality soaring instruments made in Australia
VARIOMETERS AND FLIGHT DATA COMPUTERS
Borgelt B400 variometer

For more information "click" on images
  The new Borgelt B400 and B500 variometer systems consist of several components designed to be compatible and offers the customer the ability to construct a variometer system to his or her  requirements ranging from a simple variometer with audio and averager to a complete GPS linked variometer engine to drive almost any glide computer of choice.
 The system components are:
B400 AV (Variometer with Audio and Averager)
NOW $575.00
plus optional:
Digital averager displays for B400
B400 DAD-S  (Small display) $135.00
B400 DAD-L (Large display) $135.00
B400/B500 Repeaters for two seat gliders
work with both B400 and B500 systems in 57mm or 80mm sizes $350.00
Individual system components are described below.
B400 manual available here
The B400 (Also called B400AV) is designed to replace the well known B40 variometer and like the B40 is aimed at replacing the old technology mechanical variometers in the instrument panel of cross country and competition sailplanes as well as providing a good variometer with audio and averager  for club and training sailplanes.
The B400 is available in both 57mm and 80mm sizes for easy installation in existing instrument holes and is only 85mm deep behind the panel including connectors (20mm shorter than the B40).
A standby power pack of 3  x AA alkaline batteries will provide at least 10 hours of operation in the event of main power systems failure.
A remote press button circuit enables the pilot to select the 20 second running average rate of climb at any time. The audio continues to function as a variometer during this time.
Alternatively one of two small full time digital averager displays may be driven by the B400. The advantage of the separate display is that it may be mounted in or very close to the instrument panel  glareshield, close to the pilot’s line of sight. One display is 38 x 14mm with 6.3 mm high digits (DAD-S) , the other is 50 x 21 mm with 12.5mm high digits(DAD-L). The displays are supplied with 0.5 m cables with plugs which plug in to matching sockets on the rear of the B400 AV.
The B400 uses surface mount technology in the electronics and the variometer display is by a small stepper motor driven pointer plus several high brightness LEDs. This provides the display with far better resolution and contrast than the LCD type pointers.
Audio is full range or “Up” only and there are two styles - “B40 mode” with solid tone in sink and 50:50 chopped tone in lift and a “competition mode” as follows:  At -10 knots (-5 m/s) the audio begins with clicks which become closer together as the sink decreases and then become a rising tone with the tone being chopped in lift. When the lift is above the running twenty second average the tone is chopped 50:50, when the lift is below the running average the tone is 70 on:30 off. Style selection is by a small switch accessible through a small hole in the rear cover of the instrument.
Volume control is by a single push button in the lower left mounting screw position.(B400) (B500 uses this button for mute/restore). The single press button also mutes and restores the audio with a single short press and a double press alternates  the audio from “up” only to full range.
The instrument is supplied with an external speaker with case and mount.
Total energy compensation is by TE probe making for easy installation and set up.

B500 variometer system
The new system brings the next generation of modern
Borgelt Speed-To-Fly variometer systems with GPS coupling
The new Borgelt B400 and B500 variometer systems consist of several components designed to be compatible and offers the customer the ability to construct a variometer system to his or her  requirements ranging from a simple variometer with audio and averager (Borgelt B400) to a complete GPS linked variometer  to drive almost any glide computer of choice (Borgelt B500).
The system components are:
B500 The B500  replaces the B50 with the addition of new technology and functions.
The B500 consists of the B500 variometer unit, The B500 Glareshield Controller and Display unit and the B500 GPS.
B500 GPS

For more information "click" on images
A small GPS unit is part of the B500 VE and plugs in to a connector at the rear of the  B500. This GPS uses the latest low power technology and draws less than 30mA at 12 volts as well as providing genuine 4Hz fixes.
B500 variometer unit
 
For more information "click" on images
Identical to the B400  in front panel appearance the B500 variometer unit is slightly longer at 115mm including connectors and is also available in 57mm or 80mm sizes. An airspeed sensor is included in the B500 which enables calculation and display of advanced variometer functions.
The vario display and climb mode audio are the same as the B400 AV with the addition of  red and green LEDs near the “zero” point of the variometer. When climbing the green LED is ON when the variometer is above the running 20 second value . In cruise the red and green LED’s indicate when the airmass is rising or sinking.
In cruise mode the vario becomes optionally TE vario, netto or Relative netto. Two blue LED’s and two amber LED’s provide the speed command display and the “fly faster” and “fly slower” sounds are the same as in the B50  - two alternating tones for “fly slower” and two very rapidly alternating tones for “fly faster”. There is a silent  zone around the correct speed to fly and when the relative vario goes above the Macready setting the sound changes to the normal TE vario.
The audio is muted and restored by pressing the push button in the lower left mounting screw position.
The B500 has a two channel audio and is supplied with left and right speakers. The audio sounds can be  switched depending on various circumstances. When thermalling the sound is switched to one speaker when the circle should be opened in that direction. When cruising the speed command sounds come from the side where the next turnpoint lies.(depends on final glide computer)

Various B500 functions are customisable by connecting the unit to a PC, including the audio silent zone. Software updates are accomplished the same way.
B500 Glareshield Controller/Display (B500 GCD).

NEW B500 GCD2 Add $100.00
(same as GCD above but includes miniSD Card and Adapter)

The GCD is a a small unit 30mm high by 80mm wide and only 30mm deep which is designed to mount under or in the lip of the instrument panel cover. The controls are closer to the pilot  and the display is very close to his line of sight, assisting with orientation and lookout. By separating it from the variometer the variometer pointer does not obscure its displays.
It is supplied with a 0.5m  cable with plug  which connects to the B500 variometer unit by plugging it in to a socket on the back of the instrument. The B500 GCD has a push button top left and under it a rotary encoder with push button action and the rest of the area is occupied by a 122 x 32 graphics LCD with display area measuring 60.5 x 19 mm.
The push button changes the display page and the rotary encoder push button moves the cursor to the variable the pilot wishes to change whereupon rotating the encoder  changes the variable. There is no “enter” function. For example,  on the main page the Macready setting is the only variable so just rotating the encoder is all that is required to change this. To change bugs, ballast or volume press the page button to get to the next page where this is displayed, press the encoder knob to move the cursor to  “Ballast” and then rotate the encoder to change the ballast setting.
The B500 GCD receives GPS and air data from the B500 variometer unit/B500 GPS and in addition to the display of the average rates of climb the B500 is controlled by the GCD and the pilot can enter Macready, bugs contamination, ballast state, control B500 audio volume and balance and in addition a simple GPS navigation display with turnpoint database, wind  and final glide computer can be shown.
This makes the instrument ideal for club gliders while the B500 also supplies RS 232 serial air and GPS data to any desired full function glide and navigation computer such as the Borgelt B2000 or any of the PDA type devices. *(see PDA-PS later)
While in theory the B500 could be controlled by a PDA or other air data computer such as the Borgelt B2000,  using the GCD keeps the variometer “housekeeping” functions separate from the glide computer which simply picks up these changes in the serial data stream going to it from the B500 VE. This simplifies both the control of the variometer and of the glide computer.

Total energy is by probe for the same reasons as with the B400 . TE probes provide by far the best and most reliable TE compensation. There is a B500 mode where the pilot can select static(uncompensated)vario or pitot/satic compensation for the motor glider case.
The B500  has an Outside Air Temperature probe and the temperature is displayed on the GCD.
GPS and Air data is supplied by the B500 to external computers and navigation devices by serial messages at 1 Hz in the same manner as done by the B50. The decode of this message is available on the Borgelt Instruments website under “manuals- B50 -DDM”.The B500 is then the “variometer engine” for these systems.
PDA-PS For those using a PDA(palmtop computer) for a glide computer there is an optional PDA power supply (PDA-PS) that plugs in to the B500 and provides 5 volt power  and data  to the PDA. There is also a connection for a logger on this  unit and a panel mountable switch which allows connection of the logger direct to the PDA for declarations and optionally allows selection of Logger GPS or B500 air data/GPS for flight information.
Installation is simplified as 12 volt power must be supplied only to the B500 and the PDA-PS distributes power and data to and from the logger and PDA.  Optionally the PDA-PS also supplies power and data to a B2000 glide computer as well as to the PDA.
B500 with GCD1, (glare shield display/controller)
including OAT, GPS and glare shield display/controller and 2 speakers
 specify 57 or 80mm
$1595.00
B500 with GCD2, (glare shield display/controller PLUS mini SD Card and adapter
 specify 57 or 80mm
$1675.00
(57 or 80mm)  including OAT, GPS and glare shield display/controller and 2 speakers

OPTIONAL (recommended)
PDA-PS PDA/logger power/data connection module
Universal  PDA-PS/data/power distribution board

OPTIONAL add $125.00
PDA-PS PDA/logger power/data connection module
when purchased separately $135.00

Borgelt B2000 - B2500
available only on special order
price available on request
Click here To View the B2000 Manual

Borgelt manuals available here
Instrument Installation Guidelines
B400 Manual
B500 Manual
B2000 Manual
Past Models
B40 Manual
B50 SUPER VARIO