A better thermal detector?

[moreil]

I've read in a number of places about using a couple of poles with light streamers at the top to indicate thermal direction but I've never used it. In part, because lugging a couple of tall poles around isn't the most practical thing to do.

A possible alternative: Get a couple of mylar helium ballons (the long life ones sold for kids), some light fishing line and some weights.

These are much more sensitive to light wind than streamers (much larger surface area) and more practical to toss in the car (for me at least).

The down side is that you'd need to replace the ballons every month or so (they do gradually leak helium).

Comments?

[rdwoebke]

I've read in a number of places about using a couple of poles with light streamers at the top to indicate thermal direction but I've never used it. In part, because lugging a couple of tall poles around isn't the most practical thing to do.

A possible alternative: Get a couple of mylar helium ballons (the long life ones sold for kids), some light fishing line and some weights.

These are much more sensitive to light wind than streamers (much larger surface area) and more practical to toss in the car (for me at least).

The down side is that you'd need to replace the ballons every month or so (they do gradually leak helium).

Comments?

The streamer on the pole works well because you can easily see wind shifts. And, it is long and sometimes you can see a thermal working different parts of it.

So far as poles go, you can get Crappi fishing poles. They collapse down ala an antena. I got mine for about 20 bucks.

Oh, another thing to look into is a bubble machine. They can be had for about $15 at your discount Mart stores.

Ryan

[Hawksnest]

I've read in a number of places about using a couple of poles with light streamers at the top to indicate thermal direction but I've never used it. In part, because lugging a couple of tall poles around isn't the most practical thing to do.


Comments?

I/we use two 20' fiberglass poles that collapse down to about 4', and are light weight. I bought them at a kite store. We have been using them off and on for hand launch flying now for about 7 years. The "streamer" is a piece of old cassette tape (it's mylar) about 20 to 30 feet long. This works like a charm for learning and spotting thermal movement on the ground. Look up a video called "3 Rs" by Joe Wurts, it explains the use of these streamers for hand launch flying, in detail. Bill G.

[Jurgen]

Great idea, i hope when the winds blows them to the ground they dont BANG on weed or so. Check it out and let us know :)
Streamers do not only give lateral information, but also vertical. When the tied balloon is up, you cant see its helium doing that or an upwards draft working on it also.
For poles some use telescopic fishing rods for ease of transport.
I would prefer an unhappy collision with a balloon rather than with a pole.
Happy NewYear, Jurgen S.

[carrinsr]

...nothing wrong with using other "tools", but don't forget to watch the signs of nature...tall grass, birds, insects, clouds, breeze, etc. Refining your own thermal senses is wonderful because wherever you go they're with you -- and you didn't have to pack/unpack anything. (Just a thought...) -- (o: -- David

[jojoen]

...nothing wrong with using other "tools", but don't forget to watch the signs of nature...tall grass, birds, insects, clouds, breeze, etc. Refining your own thermal senses is wonderful because wherever you go they're with you -- and you didn't have to pack/unpack anything. (Just a thought...) -- (o: -- David
Very good tip. In a competition one does not always have the pole there... And to see the signs and feel it is much better and rewarding. I use the pole myself a lot and have even tried picolario some. But I tend to forget to see the "real" signs. Especially the Picolario. One forgets to look at the plane... Just to be in shorts make you feel the breeze easier.

[kwmtrubrit]

I use telescopic Crappie (American fresh water fish) poles with plastic orange contruction tape tied to the top. I don't know if you have anything like that "down under." We British have a fish called a Roach, and there just happens to be a telescopic Roach pole which would work too. To make the pole stand upright I hammer a steel rod (a British rod rest) into the ground and use a couple of velcro straps to hold the rod upright.

Keith

[fhhuber506771]

the best thermal detector is a circling buzzard or hawk... follow it.

Anything else is just an attempt to help you guess where the thermal might be. the small "risers" you might find with the poles and streamers are possibly just going to peter out 30 to 50 ft up.

You can make educated guesses based on sunshine and differential ground colors.. or based on land formation and wind direction. Paying attention to these tended to help me more than any gadgets.

[BMatthews]

We Free Flighters use thermal tapes a lot. The best ones use a 1/2" x 15 foot strip of aluminized mylar from one of the FF specialty outlets. It's far lighter than even recording tape and shows up the air movement far better. If you must use recording tape at least get the longest time duration tape you can find and use THAT tape. The longer ones often go for a thinner grade of material so they can pack more turns into the case.

For a pole the higher the better. Fishing poles are not really tall enough. However hit up a golf store and buy the longest retractable ball retriever you can find. I think they make a 25 footer that collapses to about 5 feet. Use a long steel angle iron stake hammered in about 2 feet and lash the pole to that.

[OVSS Boss]

Mr. Huber,
Hawks and buzzards are great, but when you need one they are never around. Those small winds shifts that cause a steamer to shift are life savers and as Jo said, wearing shorts help too. I have found way more lift from non visible cues than from visible ones, that hawk call does not seem to always work.

Marc

[weather_man]

How about a combination of the helium balloon (or 2) and the 15ft strip of 1/2" aluminized mylar on a fishing swivel? This could tell you more than just a balloon and the ribbon/tape can be taken much higher.

A weather balloon can be taken pretty far up there- and it can carry quite a load (a lot of ribbon material). I've used some weather balloons, for training, that have lasted me more than a year. The balloon was never actually launched but it was used to train students how to tie a radiosonde on it...

[Jurgen]

...... Just to be in shorts make you feel the breeze easier.....Please post us your pictures as usual in a very snowy freezy icy polar outfit and in short :D:D

[histarter]

...nothing wrong with using other "tools", but don't forget to watch the signs of nature...tall grass, birds, insects, clouds, breeze, etc. Refining your own thermal senses is wonderful because wherever you go they're with you -- and you didn't have to pack/unpack anything. (Just a thought...) -- (o: -- David
Top of the line comments David.
I add a FF gimmic onto my sailplanes in the form of a large dorsal fin. The purpose is to shift the CLA back, and thus tend to make the craft overly stable i.e. wanting to spin in relitive to the strength of the lift. This eliminates holding rudder for the spiral, but feeding in offset (opposite rudder) to match the lift intensity. Cost of LD is negligable, and unimportant when centering in strong lift. Best of all, it is metering the air you are actually flying in! :D

[Sparky Paul]

"metering the air".. i.e. LOTS of flying is the best thermal detector.
A couple days ago there was almost no ground activity that any sensor would pick up, but lots of very small thermals wide enough to use at 200 feet up or so.
Watching the plane's response to the air works better than a ground based thingie for finding where the lift is, when it's coming toward you.